Jul 15, 2016
Yesterday, we lost all communication with South Sudan. We hope for the best that the cell towers had been switched off and yet fearing the worse that something terrible had happened. Our communication black-out ended this morning when I woke to James Nyika’s call. With thanks to God and joy in his voice, James reported that our missionaries and all our children are safe for the time being. Praise God! After seeking the Lord for wisdom, James and our missionaries feel it is best to stay in Narus, South Sudan as long as possible.
Today, James made it safely to Lokichoggio, Kenya. He said that the road through No Man’s Land is safe for now. James’ first priority in Kenya was to meet with the Kenyan border police seeking their approval to transport food to South Sudan. If he cannot return to S Sudan with food, we will be forced to evacuate our children and missionary staff. His second priority was to meet with the UN Rep about renting a house in Loki, Kenya for the Tauso kids if they are forced to evacuate.
As I was writing this, I answered my phone to hear James’ report that everyone in Narus is safe and rejoicing in God’s protection and provision. James’ trip was successful and he arrived back in S. Sudan with enough food to last 30 days for our children and missionaries. This means we can keep the school open and it also means that the kids do not need to relocate to Kenya. Miraculously, the Kenyan border police made an exception for James and allowed him to cross into S. Sudan with a huge load of food. For the next month God has allowed us to provide 330 meals per day, totaling 9,900 meals. Praise Jesus! This is an enormous answer to your prayers!
On Wednesday, the World Food Program warehouse in Juba was looted. It held more than 4,500 metric tons of food, enough to provide lifesaving nutrition assistance to about 220,000 people. UN staff have not been able to determine if any supplies remain to assist thousands of desperate people trapped in the capital.
Today, 50 Ugandan military trucks entered South Sudan. The Ugandan army stated they are in S. Sudan to provide security and assist in evacuations from the capital city of Juba. The S. Sudanese residence in Juba that we have spoken to on the phone are afraid that this massive build-up of military personnel is going to escalate to an all out civil war.
Today, in Kenya, Twinkle Zavala of Calvary Chapel Nairobi with the four ladies on our team hosted a VBS for a few hundred children. It went great! I am so proud of these ladies as they have remained totally flexible throughout this crisis and have turned disappointment into opportunities to show Jesus’ love. God has also totally healed our two missionaries struggling from food poisoning. Please continue praying as sickness seems to always come and go.
Prayer Points
– Please pray that the Kenyan border police continue to allow us to bring in relief supplies for our kids and missionaries. If they close the border we will be forced to evacuate our kids and missionaries.
– Please continue to pray for the 35,000 innocent civilians trying to escape the fighting in S. Sudan’s capital Juba.
– Please pray that we will be able to continue to communicate with James and assist everyone in S. Sudan during this crisis.
Thank you for praying for our team… Teri Jackson, Kelli Pollin, Heather Stevens, Becky Breznau – Rob Douglass
If you would like to donate towards the South Sudan crisis please click on the support link at the top or bottom of this page. Be sure to write “South Sudan Crisis” in the comment box.
Jul 13, 2016
We have not been able to communicate with our South Sudan country director, Pastor James Nyika, at all today. We are hoping for the best case scenario that all cell towers have been temporarily switched off. We are praying against the worst case scenario.
In Juba, the capital city, things are changing by the hour. We are crying out to the Lord to bring stability and safety to the thousands of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire between the president’s and the vice president’s troops. In one circumstance, the fighting continued to escalate for hours and neither side was backing down. The Lord brought rain so heavy upon the capital city that it forced all sides to cease firing all night. This is a direct answer to your prayers.
The USA has deployed 45 marines to protect the US Embassy. Most embassies and missions organizations have been successful in evacuating their staff from Juba. Others are still on standby waiting for the airport and roads to open. There have been small windows where MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship) and other flights have been able to land in the capital and evacuate people. Our American team spent a few days with some of these pilots and asked them if they were afraid of landing in these areas. They responded, “No not a bit – this is why God has is here! We are actually excited to do it.” Please pray for these pilots and their aircrafts to be untouchable.
Today the United Nations stated that the death toll from fighting in Juba is almost certain to climb above the 272 people reported by the government. The UN Peacekeeping chief told the Security Council that government forces are obstructing the movement of U.N. personnel “every step of the way” making it almost impossible to get a clear picture of the scope of this crisis. He said “I would believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg given alarming reports indicating over the last few days many civilians were barred from reaching safer ground.” Over 36,000 civilians are trapped and in urgent need of assistance. Please continue to pray for these innocent civilians to find safety and food soon.
We are doing everything we can to reach our missionary staff in South Sudan. Please continue to pray that communication will be reestablished. Pray that God will give our American and African missionaries wisdom about how to best manage this crisis at this crucial stage.
Yesterday we asked for prayer that God would totally heal our two missionaries struggling from food poisoning. Today we have seen some major improvements but continually asked for more prayer that they’re healing would be complete.
Two of our ladies had a wonderful time this afternoon doing evangelism in Kabira, one of Africa’s largest slums located in the heart of Nairobi Kenya. Tomorrow they will begin preparing to host a VBS for a few hundred children. They are truly redeeming the time.
Thank you for praying for our team… Teri Jackson Kelli Rose Pollin Becky Breznau – Rob Douglass
If you would like to donate towards the South Sudan crisis please click on the support link at the top or bottom of this page. Be sure to write “South Sudan Crisis” in the comment box.
Jul 12, 2016
We awoke Tuesday morning to reports from people inside Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, that they were rejoicing over a general sense of calm and no sound of gunfire for many hours. The streets were still mostly deserted. Pastor James spoke to his sister on the phone in the early morning hours and she seemed to be at peace and was able to return to her home. At midday she ventured out into the community to try to find food for herself and her three children. To her shock, she witnessed soldiers burning down all of the shops and food stores. She said that the government was urging the people to remain calm while simultaneously imprisoning people in their homes and shooting at civilians as they tried to flee to the United Nations base for shelter. The United Nations has reported that over 36,000 civilians are trapped and in urgent need of assistance. Please continue to pray for these innocent civilians to find safety and food soon.
Meanwhile, James Nyika is at our school in South Sudan. At this time the town where our school is located is completely safe from the violence that is currently in the capital city 250 miles away. Our local tribes are heavily armed warriors and have positioned themselves along the road and throughout the city to maintain peace and security. Our greatest concern is the ability to get food to feed the 200 children in our care. We have enough food to last seven days. Pastor James will be traveling to Kenya tomorrow to try and secure more food for our missionaries and children. If he is unable to bring food into South Sudan we will be forced to evacuate our children by the end of the week. Originally we planned to take our children to Kakuma refugee camp with a population of 250,000 people living in a barren wasteland in northern Kenya. Yesterday the Lord miraculously connected us with a United Nations security officer that stated his concerns with our children’s safety in this massive refugee camp. God moved upon his heart to make special arrangements for our children to be able to live in a handful of abandoned homes in Lokichoggio, a peaceful and safe border town between South Sudan and Kenya. This is a total answer to your prayers! Please continue to pray for James and our leadership staff to be sensitive to the Lord’s leading during this crisis. Every decision at this stage is crucial.
Myself and our American team are safe in Kenya’s capital city with Pastor Dave Zavala of Calvary Chapel Nairobi. From here we are able to communicate with and facilitate James Nyika on a moment by moment basis. Please pray that we will be able to provide Pastor James and all of our national staff with the encouragement and resources they desperately need. Two of our American missionaries have been suffering from food poisoning for the past two days. Please pray that God will miraculously heal their bodies immediately.
Thank you for praying for our team… Teri Jackson Kelli Rose Pollin Becky Breznau – Rob Douglass
If you would like to donate towards the South Sudan crisis please click on the support link at the top or bottom of this page. Be sure to write “South Sudan Crisis” in the comment box.
Jul 11, 2016
Thank you all for praying for our team in South Sudan. In our update yesterday we reported that James Nyika was in communication with his sister as she relayed to him that the government helicopter gunship was shooting people in the streets in front of her home. Last night we did not know if she survived. This morning James was able to speak to his sister briefly on the phone. She and hundreds from her neighborhood are hiding in the forest near the capital city. They have actually been holding prayer meetings under the trees with others from her community. Government soldiers are presently patrolling the capital city of Juba with tanks and armored vehicles. Please continue to pray that everybody in the capital will be able to return home soon or safely evacuate.
Our fears of the country slipping into a state of anarchy are becoming more of a reality day by day. Truckloads of food are being hijacked along the main corridors. As a result, our kids will be unable to receive any food. Due to these circumstances it is necessary to move our children out of South Sudan and into the Kakuma Refugee camp in the neighboring country of Kenya.
This morning, with heavy hearts, we said goodbye to James Nyika in Northern Kenya while he entered the war zone to South Sudan in order to determine whether he should evacuate the kids immediately or if he could postpone it for a short while. Please pray that God will give him wisdom in determining when to temporarily close down our elementary school in South Sudan, when to move the children, and then when to reopen the school in Kakuma Refugee camp, in the neighbouring country of Kenya.
Our American team was able to find a flight back to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. We are now safe in the home of Pastor Dave Zavala of Calvary Chapel Nairobi. Rob will spend the next few days coordinating with James as much as possible and the churches in America to best manage this crisis. The ladies will be joining the members of Calvary Nairobi in street evangelism, VBS, and an orphanage outreach.
We would appreciate prayer for our team as some members have been battling stomach sickness.
Thank you for praying for our team… Teri Jackson Kelli Rose Pollin Becky Breznau – Rob Douglass
If you would like to donate towards the South Sudan crisis please click on the support link at the top or bottom of this page. Be sure to write “South Sudan Crisis” in the comment box.
Jul 10, 2016
Our team is safe in Kenya near the Sudan border. We have attempted three times over the last few days to get into South Sudan to be able to minister but have had issues with the small plane and excessive mud and the vehicle breaking which has caused us to have to return back to the Kenyan border. However our team sees God’s hand in the timing of all of this since due to the delay we have been able to connect with the governor of South Sudan who knows our ministry and hopefully will be a help to us if we need to evacuate the Taus children from the school. The fighting has escalated in the capital city of Juba. Our African director, James Nyika, was on the phone this morning with his sister who is in the capital city when an army helicopter began shooting people in the streets. The phone connection was lost and he does not know if she and her children are safe. Please pray that South Sudan’s capital city, Juba, stabilizes quickly and the civil unrest stops. If Juba falls South Sudan will go into anarchy.
Our team is waiting to be flown out of Kenya back to Nairobi. However, the MAF pilots are right now evacuating their staff out of Juba so our team is safe and will wait until we can be flown out.
We may be needing to evacuate the children in our sponsorship program from the school and try to get them across the border to the Kakuma refugee settlement in Kenya. James is putting this plan in motion in case things continue to escalate in Juba and the fighting increases which would make getting food to our children impossible and relocating them the only option. Thank you for your continued prayers for peace in South Sudan and for the safety of all those on the ground.
Thank you for praying for our team… Teri Jackson Kelli Rose Pollin Becky Breznau – Rob Douglass
If you would like to donate towards the South Sudan crisis please click on the support link at the top or bottom of this page.
Be sure to write “South Sudan Crisis” in the comment box.
Aug 9, 2015
In 2014 the president of Sudan dismissed his vice president from his office. The vice president responded by gathering soldiers and forming a coup which cost the lives of 50,000 innocent civilians. The war is still raging and makes ministering in this area extremely challenging. Our national missionaries have to travel hundreds of miles through “lawless” sections that are controlled by bandits in order to bring back the needed
food and supplies for our children and medical clinic. Our African director, James Nyika, has come upon several places where bandits had
recently attacked and killed innocent civilians, leaving their bodies along the road. Due to the war and famine, the United Nations have now placed South Sudan at the top of the list for the world’s worst country to live in.
In the midst of this devastation we have seen God do miracles. Recently, 3,000 out of the 12,000 children who have been forced to serve as child soldiers have now been released. We are witnessing the largest demobilization of children in history.
Rob Douglass
