tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61597375262766473702024-03-05T18:36:04.290-05:00Bishop Grant and Doctor WendyKeep up with the adventures of Grant and Wendy LeMarquand in the Horn of Africa.Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-22015698020965983912017-12-28T18:52:00.000-05:002017-12-28T18:52:06.588-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: arial, "helvetica neue", helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Story is Larger...</span></span></h1>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Grant says good-bye to Gambella clergy</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">One of the gifts of following Jesus is seeing how the small, almost thoughtless things we do actually fit into the overarching larger story of God’s love and amazing provision. Here is an excerpt from an email I received shortly after returning home to North America.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Dear Wendy,<br />Thank you so much for the medical equipment from Gambella which Rosemary gave me today - my stethoscope has a broken diaphragm so yours will continue in use in Ethiopia! More wonderful, I just took the pedi and infant sphygmomanometer [blood pressure cuff]</em> <em>around to Dr Mary Bernard at CURE [Hospital] and was amazed at her shocked face. "Oh", she said, "I only just wrote an email to our requisition guy in the US asking for these, as ours are broken!” So please enjoy a smile at your part in this wonderful Divine economy! Tim and I continue to pray for you and Grant as you begin this next chapter…</em></span></div>
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<b><em>“</em><em>This next chapter”</em><em>…</em></b></div>
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The beginning of ‘this next chapter’ was wonderful. The farewell events marking the end of our time in Ethiopia also celebrated many new beginnings in ministry, especially in Ethiopia.<br /><br />At our farewell at St Matthew’s Church, Addis Ababa, three new deacons were ordained: one works with our Somali congregation in Addis Ababa, one has started a new Amharic congregation, and one ministers to M*B* believers. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>3 New Deacons</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>5 New priests</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /><br />Our official farewell at the Area Assembly held in Gambella also celebrated the ordination of five priests; one Anuak and four Nuer; all godly men, well grounded in biblical training; all committed to building up the local church in their regions.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>
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I was so thankful, it was hard not to weep as the Mothers’ Union gave their report at Area Assembly this past October. Let me share with you some of their words.<br /><br /><strong>About Malaria Prevention and Treatment:</strong><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Many children died… so now we learned how to prevent and how to treat malaria. Especially about how to prevent the malaria because no one considered that the malaria came from mosquito. No one thought about it. So when it gets a rainy season like this, you can even sit and eat with your children. You make a fire and put some Neem twigs in the [cooking] fire and let it smoke. </em><strong><em>And then the mosquito will not like the smoke of Neem. It will go away.</em></strong><em> Also .. you can make a mosquito net. You put it there. Don’t let the children sleep without mosquito [nets]…</em></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Mothers' Union Teaching Story: Malaria and Scabies</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><strong style="font-size: 12px;">About “Making Water to be Clean”:</strong><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>Many children are dying below five age. People, they know the problem is there - especially diarrhea - many children are dying in the Gambella region. Now the teaching was very, very interesting for anyone. They love it too much. Because it address the problem. The need of the Gambella community. They know that this dysentery has come because of the lack of clean water. And they understand it. Because people understand the benefit, we plan always Saturday. Saturday in the afternoon always in Gambella town here, we are taking from village to village this program. And people are giving two birr each woman for coffee and tea. [In their congregation each woman contributes 2 birr (less than one cent) to buy coffee and tea to serve to those who come to the teachings]. Now we are receiving very good report from any village here in Gambella where we give the teaching. Even [while the teaching] is still going on in many village, [we are asked], “Why don’t you come and give the teaching again?” And also they are very happy because their children are not getting sick with children disease.</em></span><br /><br /><strong style="font-size: 12px;">About Nutrition:</strong><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>[An] other story [we taught] is about the Wise Woman - that woman who fed her children. Obviously any woman, they know that the food available in Gambella is only one type of food. [[Now we know that] to give them different type[s] of food is very important. The children will be strong. Even the family will be strong.<br />[And] many people are interested about the help of the Moringa - Moringa tree. It is now obvious people are using it because they know the benefit. Any person now has Moringa in his home. This [amazing source of nutrition] helps [to fight off and to recover from] every disease.</em></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Moringa grown and harvested at Gambella Anglican Centre</b></span></td></tr>
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<strong style="font-size: 12px;">About the work in general:</strong><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;"><em>It is a very great joy because I [Achua] have journey to Dimma and different places for this work. [Also] I met with many sisters and brothers here because of the program. The sisters came from different place. We met here together. We know each other now. And it increase the number of women in the church because it [is] going on with a scripture - Bible reading - a story and [with] prayer. And taught women also how to pray for the sickness. So now women are praying for themselves about different diseases and other [things].</em></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Mothers' Union at prayer</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><em><br />So now we become useful even in the community. When there are problem, people, they call us, and they call us asking us to show them how they could help their children. They are very happy with this program. And it is very interesting and very good approach - easy to understand for anyone. This year in 2017 the program is handed to African - especially Achua and Rebecca. We took the program. This health teaching help people a lot in the region. Now children are health. Family are health.<br /><br />I give thanks to Mama Wendy because she really brought us the first seed. [She] opened the minds of the Mothers’ Union [to] make them aware about all these - where the sickness are from and how they can save their children. So now many children will become alive because of what we have learned. Those [teachings] will be help for us and they will help our children and even to our grandchildren. We [will] keep passing on the knowledge to the generation[s].</em></span><br /><br /><strong>Our farewell also marked a new beginning in Newlands,</strong> a section of Gambella town, where our ‘good-bye’ was combined with the dedication of St Luke’s new church building. Six hundred (not including children, goats, chickens or dogs) gathered in the spacious, light-filled, beautiful brick building. (Actually, the goats were outside - they were much more interested in eating the surrounding shrubs). It was a joy to see this Nuer congregation welcome Anuak and Opo presentations during their dedication service. Our Anuak and our Nuer Youth Co-ordinators jointly presented our farewell gifts. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>St Luke's Anglican Church, Newland, Gambella</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /><br /><strong>The Gambella Anglican Centre community has also seen new beginnings.</strong><br />At our St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College, we met for a special good-bye with our Mabaan students. We were joined by our one Dinka student and our new Jum-jum student, the first of his people group (who are brand new Christians) to come for theological training. We still treasure the letter we received from the Jum-jum asking us to train one of their own to serve as priest. <em>“As you know bishop, where there is no shepherd, the hyena, they can do what they want.”</em><br /><br />A dear friend and a gifted teacher, Moses Hoth, a Nuer gentleman well known for his integrity, has joined Chris Wilson and Jeremiah Maet Paul on the faculty of St Frumentius’. Wycliffe Bible translator Josh Smoulders and his family have joined the “GAC” community. Josh has formed and is now leading a Opo Bible translation team to be based at the Centre.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Nuer Faculty St Frumentius' College<br />Moses Hoth and Jeremiah Maet</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /><br /><strong>We are so grateful</strong> to those who have partnered with us in mission. Thank you to those who gave of their time (in visiting teams) and to those who gave of their resources; helping to build new buildings for our now over 145 churches; helping in the construction and/or renovation of buildings at the Gambella Anglican Centre and St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College; and in the construction of the new ‘Nehemiah’ wall designed both with protection and with vertical gardening in mind. Most especially we thank you for the outpouring of prayer and of love for us and for the people of the Horn of Africa.<br /><br /><strong>We will continue to work for SAMS</strong> (Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders) <strong>for the next 6 months</strong>, travelling to as many of the churches, who have partnered in the work in Gambella, as possible - although we will not be able to visit all. For those of you who desire to continue to partner with and to contribute to the ongoing mission in the Horn of Africa and especially in the Gambella regions, reliable channels for donations can be made through:<br /><br /><strong>F.A.D.E.</strong> (Friends of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt)<br />Please designate for Gambella<br />F.A.D.E. is pronounced ‘Fah-day’, which in Arabic, means, ‘Faith”<br />To contribute see link below - please<br /><br />In Canada: Devxchange - see link below<br />In UK: F.AC.E. - see link below<br /><br />Although the health problems Wendy developed while in Gambella remain both serious and intractable, we remain filled with gratitude at having had the privilege of sharing with Jesus, His love for the people of the Horn of Africa, and especially for those in the Gambella and Asosa regions. It is a joy to care for one another and to see each other in the Light of His love - the One who made us, and in Whom all things are made new. Isn’t it amazing to discover that we all are family?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Good-bye to Mothers' Union</b></span></td></tr>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-9344404966390204112017-09-11T15:05:00.001-04:002017-09-11T15:05:42.048-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Did I Mention...?</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">A Gambellan Eucharist</strong></td></tr>
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Did I mention that there is never a dull moment in Gambella? I think I must have mentioned that...<br /><br />Every morning we have worship on the Gambella Anglican Centre compound. On Friday mornings, at least when St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College is in session, we have a service of Holy Communion. Our small teaching staff, our 23 students, and our staff of about 15 all attend. It is usually a fairly quiet dignified affair (depending on who is leading the singing it may be less quiet and less dignified). But this is Africa; anything can happen. I have been in many Eucharistic celebrations in Africa in which a dog or a goat would take up residence beneath the holy table. Less often but equally interesting have been eucharists with live chickens in the offering, once a small snake quietly killed, once a bat clinging to the “fine linen”, and the usual contingents of hyperactive flies and marching ants. Africa is alive - sometimes frighteningly so.<br /><br />This particular morning I was the presider. As I listened to the sermon another sound drew my attention. It was coming from the speaker system at the other side of the sanctuary - but the sound was not on - we don’t need it for our weekday services. Then I noticed a few small bees escaping from the speaker, and then a few more. After a few minutes it became clear that no one would be able to receive communion at that end of the sanctuary. At the peace I went to Jeremiah Maet, one of our faculty. Pointing out the growing number of bees in the sanctuary I asked him to set the table during the offertory while I got some bug spray from the house. So here is the now undignified (I told you we are not always dignified) bishop running to the house and running back with my can of bug spray. I quickly got to work spraying the place in the speaker from which the bees were emerging. Well, now the bees start pouring out of the speaker by the hundreds. Thankfully they were too stunned to be angry, so only one person got stung (Darash, one of our staff, who decided that maybe he, rather than the bishop, should finish the slaughter of the bees).<br /><br />As extra offertory songs were being sung Jeremiah, James Lual (the crucifer for the service) and I moved the communion table and all of its contents down into the middle of the congregation. No one panicked. No one screamed. And, of course, the singing kept going until we were set up. And so we proceeded with the prayer of consecration, the sanctuary area behind me literally carpeted with dead and dying bugs.<br /><br />I opened the announcement time after the service by saying “this is Africa.” Everyone laughed. Staff went to work. Students went to class. I just shook my head and wondered if Jesus (or Francis of Assisi) would have handled this situation differently.<br /><br />+ Grant</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"> Worship team present...</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif;">~ for the Anglican Church in Ethiopia as they await the appointment of a new Bishop for the Horn of Africa. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">~ for God's call, equipping, and blessing on those called to leadership in this area</span><div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">~ for the faculty and students of St Frumentius Anglican Theological College, especially for a new Dean, and for our newest incoming 'first year class'.</span><div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">~ for Grant and Wendy as they discern and move forward into whatever their new sphere of ministry will be</span><div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">~ for ongoing healing for Wendy. Her health issues are proving to be both quite stubborn and quite serious </span></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-44111618017931953202017-09-08T11:02:00.002-04:002017-09-08T11:02:21.447-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never a Dull moment in Gambella!</span></strong></h3>
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<strong>Back in Gambella <br /> August 2017</strong></div>
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There is never a dull moment in Gambella. I’ve been back for a week or so and here’s what happening.</div>
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<strong>St Luke’s Church.</strong><br />We are building a new church (with real bricks and cement) for our Gambella town Nuer-speaking congregation. This has been made possible with combined donations from overseas, from our congregation in Addis, and from the Nuer themselves. Construction started a few weeks ago. We have finished the foundations and the walls. The cement floor, the roof and the vestry are yet to come. We hope to dedicate the building in October.</div>
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<strong>Mothers’ Union training.</strong></div>
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<b><br /></b>Wendy handed over the leadership of the Mothers’ Union Health programme to African leadership a few months ago. Since then our facilitators and coordinators have been hard at work, visiting and teaching. The Anuak groups decided (because it was the beginning of rainy season) to concentrate on teaching about the benefits of the Moringa tree - the leaves of which could eradicate malnutrition. They thought that since people would be planting at the beginning of rainy season, they would make sure that people planted Moringa! </div>
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The story that the Nuer groups decided to focus on at the beginning of rainy season had to do with malaria and how to prevent it (another wise choice since rainy season means lots of malaria). Rebecca, the Nuer MU coordinator, reported that the groups of trainers she talked with were incredibly grateful for the teaching. They knew that with the rainy season came a drastic increase in people getting sick and often dying from malaria. They had thought, though, that the malaria was being caused by the rain itself. They knew about mosquito nets - but they thought the nets were basically to help you sleep; to keep the annoying bugs out of your ears. Now that they know that it is <em>mosquitos</em> that cause malaria, there are things they can do - use the nets, use Neem leaves to keep mosquitos away, drain standing water. “<strong>They are very happy, because they are not powerless now.</strong>”</div>
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<strong>Marriage blessings.</strong></div>
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<b><br /></b>It is rare that marriages in Gambella are celebrated in church. Usually couples are ‘married’ traditionally - after negotiations there is an exchange of bride price (usually cows) and then the marriage is considered valid. Many want their marriages blessed in church, but the expectation is that there will be a big and costly celebration, which most can’t afford. We are trying to change the culture a bit and help our people to see that vows before God should be a major and normal part of a Christian marriage. While Wendy and I were away, the Nuer clergy, whose marriages had never been blessed in church, had a blessing ceremony in Gambella town led by Simon Ker, one of our Regional Deans. The couples - and their families and congregations - were overjoyed. A similar blessing ceremony will be held for the Anuak leaders soon. These will be followed by many ‘large group weddings’ in local congregations.<br /><br /><strong>A stunning loss for our Anuak volleyball team - or was it?</strong>Obang (our compound manager and amazing volleyball coach) brought a group of young men north of Gambella to the Asosa region to have a return match against a Gumuz-speaking team from the Mekane Yesus church. We beat them in an exciting match last year at the Gambella Centre. Sadly we lost the return match. But Obang came back ecstatic - because a number of the young men from Gambella were introduced to Christ for the first time. More exchanges are being planned.</div>
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<strong>St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College.</strong><br />In July two very helpful volunteers (Jo from the UK and Frances from the US) taught English to staff, students, and prospective students of the college. The result, after interviews and lots of testing, is that we have a new first year class of ten students. Most are Nuer and Anuak (our largest language groups), but we also have a new Mabaan student, our first Jieng (Dinka) student, and a Jum-jum student.<br />Our two full time staff are being kept busy teaching Bible, African Traditional Religion and Preaching. A third full time teacher (Moses Hoth) will join us soon. Next week I’ll teach an intensive course on Medieval and Reformation Church History - with help from Roger, our priest in Addis Ababa, and Timmy, a British/Nigerian theological student.</div>
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<strong>Miscellaneous.</strong></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">On Sunday August 13 I’ll do baptisms and confirmations at St Barnabas’ Church (an Anuak-speaking congregation). </span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Over the next month I have multiple confirmations and new church dedications planned.</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Intensive courses on Systematic Theology (taught by Steve, an old friend from Montreal now living in Lagos, Nigeria) and on Peace and Reconciliation (taught by John Chol, another old friend from South Sudan) are being planned.</span><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">We are hoping to have more than one librarian come in the next months to catalogue books and train one of our staff.</span><br />
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong></div>
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~ For one of our local youth leaders (Ochala Lul from Jur) whose finger was bitten off by a crocodile.<br /><br />~ For Wendy in Pittsburgh. Her lung infections are proving to be very stubborn. Pray that the new (and rather expensive!) treatment regime will be effective.<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<br />~ For the continuing search for a new Dean for St Frumentius’ and for the search for a new Bishop. <br /></div>
~ For the clergy, Mothers’ Union, staff and parishioners here as they adjust to the news that Grant and Wendy need to leave.<div style="line-height: 18px;">
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~ For Grant and Wendy’s future.</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com140tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-52187472316318238902017-08-04T20:58:00.000-04:002017-08-04T20:58:13.962-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> ...And leaving our hearts behind </span></div>
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<strong>Letter of Resignation</strong></div>
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It is with a heavy heart that today I must announce my resignation as the Bishop for the Horn of Africa within the Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa. This decision has not been taken lightly but after consultation with Bishop Mouneer, with spiritual counsellors, and with our medical doctors. Wendy and I will leave Ethiopia at the end of October this year, although our work for the diocese will continue for a time. </div>
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The reason for our needing to leave is that Wendy’s health has made it impossible for her to continue to live in Africa. As many of you know, a few months ago Wendy experienced terrible pain in her back leading her to seek medical testing and advice. The tests revealed five broken vertebrae and a broken rib. The fragility of the bones have been attributed to osteoporosis and the fractures were due to coughing. Originally we believed that the coughing was due simply to asthma, but after further testing it now seems that Wendy has also had lung infections, perhaps several. Wendy’s doctors have been clear that returning to live in Africa would put Wendy’s lungs (and ultimately her heart) at grave risk. She will stay in Pittsburgh for the next two months while I continue to work in Ethiopia. She will come to say farewell during the month of October.</div>
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Our hearts are heavy because we love the people in our churches in the Horn of Africa, and we have known God’s presence in our work there, especially in the Gambella region. At the same time I have been clear with the clergy in my charge that married people should live together in order to support and uphold one another. And so although it has been suggested by some that one option for our future would be for me to remain as bishop in the Horn of Africa and travel back to visit Wendy from time to time, such an option seems to us to be untenable.</div>
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With the permission of the Diocesan Bishop of Egypt, I hope to remain as a bishop in the Diocese of Egypt and continue to visit and contribute in some ways to be determined.</div>
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Please continue to keep Wendy and me in your prayers as we seek God’s guidance during this time of transition.</div>
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+Grant LeMarquand</div>
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The Horn of Africa</div>
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<strong>A note to our supporters</strong></div>
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Wendy and I will remain as missionaries of SAMS-USA (the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders) for some time while we visit churches that have supported us for the past five years, while we participate in de-briefing and in events for returning missionaries, and while we discern our next steps in God’s mission. We will then continue as ‘Associate Missionaries’ of SAMS. We hope that those who have been supporting us financially will prayerfully consider continuing to do so for some time even after we leave Africa while we discern next steps. We will certainly continue to update everyone on a regular basis through our e-newsletter.</div>
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Of course the needs of the Anglican churches in the Horn of Africa are many. We will continue to inform interested and prayerful people about how they can pray for and help the churches there. </div>
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+Grant</div>
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<strong>~ Please Pray with us ~</strong></div>
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<strong>~ for all our senders who have partnered with us in loving and caring for the people of Gambella, Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa</strong></div>
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<strong>~ for the ongoing empowerment and equipping </strong><strong>of the priests and laity </strong><strong>of our churches in Gambella, Addis, and elsewhere in Ethiopia</strong></div>
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<strong>~ for Grant and I as we walk through this next season </strong><strong>of discernment and handing over</strong></div>
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<strong>~ for the ministry in Djibouti, </strong><strong>Somaliland and Eritrea </strong></div>
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<strong>~ for His protection and care </strong><strong>for Gambella</strong></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-8660130058658350332017-07-03T11:34:00.000-04:002017-07-03T11:34:33.934-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b>Thoughts on Healing</b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">Many years ago I had a discussion with African theological students. “Western medicine shows </span></span><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px;">how</strong><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"> you get malaria,” I was saying. “Yes," one replied, "but it does not tell you </span></span><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px;">who</strong><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"> </span></span><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px;">sent the mosquito!</strong><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">” Together we were exploring worldview and how it shapes our view of health and disease; how it shapes both what we do for healing and how we pray for it. It was fascinating to see how our cultural insights into these issues reflected biblical principles.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">In general, the Africans tended to view disease as resulting from a disruption or a break in relationship. Traditionally, to seek healing, one went to a witch doctor who would do something to restore relationship. Healing, restoration of relationship, was costly. Therefore healing usually involved the sacrifice of an animal - a transaction that is both costly and binding. (Africans understand covenant). There was a shared belief, that although the spiritual realm was well populated with many entities (including the ancestors), there was only one God. They believed this God to be so far away as to be unreachable. Therefore sacrifice would be made to the ancestors, or to other spiritual beings, as they were considered to be closer to the one God, and perhaps able to move His heart in their favour. When they learnt that God Himself had opened the door to restored relationship, providing the costly sacrifice of His own Son, then they said, “Now we can open our hearts to God. He has provided the Way.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">The traditional western medical view of health and disease is also resonant with principles set forth in Genesis: we were to “have dominion” [Gen <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1025687486" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:26</span></span>]; we were to “tend the garden"[Gen <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1025687487" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2:15</span></span>]. We were to take charge of and to take care of creation. As a medical student, I remember disease being described as a disruption of, or a disorder in the normal functioning of the body. At that time, the focus of healing was restoration of normal function. To study and to wisely use creation was foundational to traditional medical practice.<br /><br />I have found there to be a depth of hunger to learn about and to put into practice the full scope of healing ministry - from community outreach through health teaching, to healing prayer for physical, inner and generational healing, deliverance and freedom from curses, to how to start a healing ministry in the local church. My sense is that teaching on healing has all too often been fragmentary, confusing, and in a way, passive. Healing prayer and health interventions have been perceived merely as things to be received rather than also to be given. There is a quality of joy when African saints are “equipped for ministry”, and it is a privilege to be a part of it.<br /><em>Wendy</em></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Notes on the Horn of Africa</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Over the last five years of newsletter we have spent most of our ink telling stories of Gambella - and especially in the Anglican churches there. With good reason - when we came there were fifty Anglican churches in the region; now there are one hundred and twenty-five including our Assosa region. We have conservative estimates of 15,000 worshipers on Sunday mornings. The church cuts across ethnic divides: although most churches have one language group worshiping together on Sunday mornings, a good number have several language groups meeting together to pray and learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">But the Anglican church in the Horn of Africa is not just Gambella. St Matthew’s Church in Addis, founded as a chaplaincy church for British ex-pats has been around since the 1920s. St Matthew’s in Addis continues to hold services in English - but not just for Brits - congregants come from every corner of the world these days and on most Sundays at the two English services there will 20 first languages represented. At the beginning of May a very joyful confirmation service saw young people and adults confirming their faith in Jesus.<br /><br />But St Matthew’s has become a home for other Anglicans as well. On Sunday afternoon a group of Nuer and Dinka Anglicans are worshiping together - a miracle given that Nuer and Dinka are killing each other in South Sudan. At the end of May this ‘Nilotic’ congregation will have its own confirmation service. Once a month a group of ‘Equatorians’ - South Sudanese from the southernmost part of the country - gather for fellowship. They use some English and some ‘Juba Arabic’ as there languages are many (Bari, More, Zande). And in a classroom in another part of the compound a small fellowship of Amharic believers is now meeting on Sunday mornings while the English congregation uses the church. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Christ for All Nations Anglican Church, also known as the Saris Centre, is the home for a small Somali congregation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Outside of Addis one of our clergy has recently travelled to Bahir Dar near Lake Tana to help found and organise a student-led church in that town. Most of the members are Gambellans, but there are students there from many countries studying in English. In another town near the city of Ambo an independent Oromo congregation has been meeting for some time. The pastor would like the congregation to be less ‘independent’ - to be related to a wider body of believers. So we are meeting and going slowly to see if perhaps the Anglican Church might be the right place for them. We have hopes that other Oromo congregations might emerge near the Kenyan border with the help of the Diocese of Marsabit in Kenya.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Pray for these developments and for other possibilities developing in Djibouti and Somaliland. Pray for St George’s Church (called All Souls’ at first) in Asmara Eritrea, started in 1941. St George’s continues to function in an extremely difficult<strong> </strong>and confusing situation. And please pray for Egypt and for North Africa. May the light of God's love shine.<br /><em>+Grant</em></span></div>
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Update: Wendy's Health</h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">~ It's not cancer!!!</span></div>
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~ "Slowly by slowly" the back is healing from fractures (5 vertebrae and 1 rib)! The full saying is, "Slowly by slowly the egg learns to walk" - an excellent saying and one that is applicable to most things African and otherwise!</div>
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~ Wendy has been diagnosed with multifocal bronchiectasis with bilateral pulmonary nodules. Medically, bronchiectasis is irreversible, but I am in the hands of the One who was wounded for my healing. Please pray for healing of the lungs, and protection from strain on the heart.</div>
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~ Apparently lots of calcium, vitamin D and good exercise wasn't quite enough to keep my bones from developing severe osteoporosis. I'm dwelling in the words of Psalm 6:2, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled"! There's actually quite a lot about bones in the Psalms. Here's my favourite: "..My soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in His salvation. All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like You..." Psalm 35:10</div>
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<strong>~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><br /> </div>
~ For a new Dean for St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College<br /><br />~ For our newest faculty member, Moses Hoth, a Nuer Gambellan now graduated with a Masters degree from the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis..<br /><br />~ For safety and blessing on the new babies soon to be born in our Gambella Anglican Centre community; Bless the families of Chris and Suzy Wilson, and Josh and Jenny Smolders as they prepare for our newest and littlest members.<br /><br />~ For peace in South Sudan. One thousand new refugees continue to arrive daily into the Gambella Region. Food is scarce in South Sudan due to the conflict having prevented the planting of crops for this rainy season.<br /><br />~ For ministry opportunities opening in Somaliland, Djibouti, and the university towns of Ethiopia.<br /><br />~ With thanksgiving for the plans and purposes that God has for us personally and for those we dearly love in Gambella as we walk through this season of decision and discernment regarding stewardship of health issues and future ministry.<h2 class="m_5089762203937007184null" style="color: #202020; font-size: 30px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-20431725713119803962017-04-13T10:29:00.000-04:002017-04-13T10:29:14.759-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>More time given.....</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>...to love</b></span></div>
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Life lately has been reminiscent of a well known childhood game; only instead of “<em>He loves me…He loves me not</em>”, it’s been, <em>“It looks like cancer… It looks like not”</em>. </div>
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We now know I have atraumatic fractures in four of my thoracic vertebrae as well as a broken rib. My initial suspicion of a slipped thoracic disc or osteoporosis combined with prolonged coughing from asthma prompted me to get an MRI. Abnormalities on the MRI led to other tests and the discovery of other abnormalities on five of the other tests - some expected (osteoporosis), and some not. Could it be cancer? Walking through further testing and referrals, I think at this point we can safely say,<em> “it looks not”! </em>Alleluia! I give all the glory to God, and much thanks to my dear family doctor, Dr. David Hall, and to you who've been praying for me and for Grant and our children. We asked for life, and this has been granted to us. Could all five abnormal tests have been due to artefact or lab error? Or is this more like the story of the woman who, on setting out from home, prayed, “Lord, when I arrive, give me a parking space”. Then, upon arriving and finding a space to park, she said, “Oh never mind, Lord, there’s a space right here!” </div>
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Please do continue to pray as we have not yet completed a full work up, especially with issues regarding my lungs, and the risk of further fracture. Pray for Grant as he prepares to travel to Egypt for synod and then on to Gambella. Please pray for a place to stay for me while I heal from these fractures and complete the medical investigations, and that I may be able to return to Gambella to complete my work there. My Mothers’ Union teaching program has already transitioned to a fully African led “Local Training Program”. Now, instead of bringing women from all over the Gambella People’s Region to the Gambella Anglican Centre to receive the health training that they will take back and share with their local communities, the women will attend locally held trainings led by Mothers’ Union leaders. It’s been so wonderful to watch these strong and dedicated women grow in knowledge with practical skills, and in the knowledge of their worth and their ability to help their families and to help one another. Is there any greater gift than that of sharing in the amazing love of Jesus - a love that builds up and blesses, a love that spreads a fragrance of the knowledge of God?<br /><br />In hope and in trust xxx Wendy</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">One of the small groups in our first, fully African led, Mothers' Union training program</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">After receiving an intensive course on Healing Prayer Ministry, our theological students and clergy then taught what they had learned </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">to our 100 lay readers. (January 2017)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">The day after the teaching on deliverance ministry, one of our lay readers came up to me. Knowing his long struggle with pain from a malicious injury inflicted many years ago, it was wonderful to see his quiet joy as he said, "Now I am healed. I know it deep within me."</span></h4>
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<strong>~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><br /><br />For the ongoing work of the Anglican Church in Gambella, Djibouti, Somaliland, Egypt and North Africa</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-830415572236021712017-03-27T09:31:00.001-04:002017-03-27T09:31:47.737-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">He is with us...... in the Furnace</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">An icon often seen in the churches of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, North and South, is that of the four in the fiery furnace: Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and “the One”, whom the Babylonians described as “like a son of the gods”. </span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10px;">(Daniel <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_221615143" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">3:25</span></span>)</span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> In the suffering of the long war between North and South Sudan, it was this God, 'He who suffers with us', who was the comfort and the hope of many Christians. “Our God is able to save us from this fiery furnace”, the three young men declared, “but if not” (in this way), we will cleave to Him (“not bow down to Nebuchadnezzar”). Throughout northeastern Africa the message of this God is one that resonates with the African heart.</span><br />
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During our time living in the Horn of Africa we have been witness to the reality of ‘the fiery furnace’. Here there is much suffering. Cruelty, greed and fear conceive poverty, war, forced migration, inter-ethnic violence and hunger. These in turn, give birth to anguish, grief and trauma. But in one sense this suffering is not ours. We share it with the people with whom we live; we “weep with those who weep” <span style="font-size: 10px;">(Romans 12: 15)</span>, but it is their suffering. </div>
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During these years, we have not written much about our personal griefs - the loss of our parents, and of very dear friends to disease - to cancer and to AIDS. We have seen it as our task to bear witness to the realities of Africa, the place and the church here, and to let the African story be known rather than our own. But now we must share a bit of our own story. </div>
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About three weeks ago, although we did not know it, our world started to turn upside down. Wendy began to experience an unusual and worrisome pattern of mid back pain. This prompted a series of tests. And three days ago, one of the tests came back showing very high levels of a tumour marker for cancer - most often ovarian but it can be associated with other cancers as we begin to suspect may be true in our case. We are leaving today for Pittsburgh for further testing and treatment.</div>
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We are grieving. Like the waves of the sea, grief comes and washes over us. When it goes, there is the joy of being with friends, and soon with family. And when it comes - there is Jesus. We know Him present - sometimes by faith alone, and sometimes in manifest love. </div>
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One of the lessons we have learned in mission, is that every difficulty can be an invitation to know Him more deeply; to know the overcoming love of Jesus. And in knowing Him, something else wonderful happens. We begin to see others differently. More and more we see their beauty, and their indescribably precious value. Surely, to “love God with all our heart, our minds and our strength” is God’s greatest promise to us. And with it comes a marvellous gift - to love our neighbours as ourselves. <span style="font-size: 10px;">(Mark 12:30-31)</span></div>
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It may be that God will save us from the fiery furnace of cancer. But right now, He is with us in the flames. You know, in our culture, we tend to substitute pleasure for joy. And suffering can destroy pleasure. But joy flows from love. And suffering cannot destroy love. Love ultimately overcomes. So “we do not grieve as those without hope.” <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1 Thessalonians <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_221615144" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">4:13</span></span>)</span></div>
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If it is my time, it is my time. If it is not my time, Jesus will heal me. in tears, in love and in hope xxxx Wendy</div>
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Do pray + Grant<br />
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_221615145" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">March 27, 2017</span></span></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-32792174472299959722017-02-09T00:43:00.003-05:002017-02-09T00:43:59.496-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>“Bishop, should we cancel Christmas celebrations?”</strong><br />
This rather strange sounding question was addressed to Archbishop Mouneer, the Bishop of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa (and therefore my ‘boss’) during the week of December 11, by one of the clergy of the diocese. He brought the question to a meeting of the Cairo clergy gathered for a Communion service mid-week. Both the place where the question was asked and the timing of the question are crucial.<br />
On December 11, a bomb was placed in a church on the grounds of the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. The bomb exploded during the Liturgy and more than 24 worshipers were killed. Almost 60 were seriously injured. It is important to note that it is traditional in Coptic churches for women to sit on one side (often with their children) and for men to sit on the other. The bomb was placed in the women’s section. All of the dead were women and children.<br />
The Coptic Church, joined by other Christians in Egypt, responded, yes with grief, but (as usual) without calls for retaliation. Outside of the Coptic Cathedral protesters and mourners shouted. For those who don’t know the language, the sight and sound of thousands of young men chanting loudly and strongly in Arabic might strike fear into the heart of many westerners. But listen more closely ... they are chanting the Nicene Creed. Yes, it was defiance. “We are Christians. We are here. We, too, are willing to give our lives; willing to be martyrs if need be.” But it was non-violent defiance. Here were Christians in the streets of an Islamic country openly and loudly proclaiming their belief and trust in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.<br />
For me the response of most Christians in Egypt was remarkable, but not really a surprise. Yes, there is anger. Yes, there is terror. But there is also an amazing trust. And, even more amazing, almost a sense of thanksgiving. I heard Christians saying that they were thankful that God had, once again, counted the Egyptian church worthy of gaining more martyrs, more ‘witnesses’ to the suffering love of God expressed in the suffering of his faithful people. I heard some say how wonderful it was that those who died went to church to have Communion with God, and found themselves continuing that Communion in God’s immediate presence.<br />
But the survivors, the injured and the grieving, still suffer. Lilly, one of the administrative staff of the Alexandria School of Theology - our college in Egypt, lost two relatives in the December 11 bombing, one a very close cousin. In such a situation of mourning, is it appropriate to celebrate such a joyful feast as Christmas? Should we postpone Christmas?<br />
Of course the answer has to be no - precisely because Christmas is not simply a celebration, not simply a joyful feast. Christmas is about joy <em>in the midst </em>of sorrow, light coming into the very darkness of this world. The event of the Cairo bombing reminds us that not all was joy on the first Christmas. Of course we remember that the angels explained to the shepherds that the event happening in Bethlehem would bring joy. But this is not the kind of joy which simply ignores the pain of the world, or pretends it isn’t there. Jesus was born to a poor family, in a country occupied by a violent foreign power. When Jesus was born the local puppet king attempted to murder him by murdering all the baby boys in Bethlehem. The first Christmas was a time of deep sorrow for those living through the events. Interestingly, Jesus’ parents decided that fleeing to Egypt was the best way to avoid Herod’s brutality. Egypt was the place of refuge for the Holy Family. It still is. Jesus is still welcome in Egypt ... even if not by all.<br />
One advantage of being our diocese (Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa) is that we get to celebrate Christmas twice! Some, like the English congregations in Cairo and Addis Ababa an the Nuer churches in Gambella, celebrate on December 25. Others, like the Arabic churches in Egypt and the Anuak churches in Gambella celebrate at the same time as the Orthodox in early January. As bishop I get to do both! A double dose of the reminder that “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not [and cannot] overcome it.” (John 1).<br />
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<strong>~ Please Pray with us ~</strong></div>
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<br />We thank God for 57 recently confirmed in Teirgol, our outermost region in Gambella. Tiergol is accessible only by an (uncomfortable) boat journey, highlighted by passing tens of thousands of antelope and water fowl (as well as many crocodile). The women of Tiergol endeared themselves to Bishop Grant when they broke into spontaneous cheering at the amazing sight of a man (Grant) actually doing his own laundry!<br />
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<strong>Car Appeal</strong></div>
We have a 22-year old Land Cruiser. It’s great. It works ... but it is beginning to show signs that it won’t live forever. The heat and the rough roads of Gambella take their toll. We’ve had a car fund with SAMS, our mission agency for a couple of years and a number of people have given generously - but a good second hand, but somewhat younger, vehicle costs a lot of cash in Ethiopia where the import duty on cars is huge.<br />
Then, out of the blue a couple of old friends, fellow former Montrealers, have decided to support our car appeal in a big way. They have decided that they will donate two Canadian dollars for every one US or Canadian dollar donated to our car fund for the next few months to a personal limit of $10,000. SAMS will inform them every month so that they can keep up their part of the giving.<br />
Of course we are delighted and amazed. No matter how many times God surprises us like this we are still, well ... surprised! Please help us to raise the funds needed for a new(er) vehicle!<br />
Our friends finished their email to us with a reference to Philippians 4:6-7:<br />
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”<br />
Amen to that.<br />
+Grant<br /></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-13048705471050894852016-12-17T19:54:00.001-05:002016-12-17T19:54:49.585-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College: </span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Recruiting a new Dean, building up the faculty, equipping students for ministry</strong></span></div>
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<strong> </strong><span style="text-align: left;">We were recently in Kenya, exploring partnerships with the Kenyan church and looking for a new dean for our St. Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College. The Diocese of Marsabat, Northern Kenya, under Bishop Daniel Qampicha Wario, has been reaching out to those who have not heard of Christ in the south of Ethiopia. We visited the diocese to encourage this work and to teach on mission and healing prayer. In the photo above, Grant and Qampicha are standing on the ‘pulpit’ of the first church in Elabor, Northern Kenya, during an outreach to the people of this area. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">Area Assembly, Nov 24th & 25th, 2016</strong></td></tr>
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This is a photo of our St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College Chapel, during our recent, “Area Assembly” the yearly synod-like gathering of our Episcopal Area. At Area Assembly, I received this letter carried by Rev Isaac Pur. It is from the Jum-jum people. There are now only about 200 Jum-jum Christians in the world. Isaac Momma, our Mabaan-speaking priest and the regional dean of the churches in the Assosa region of Ethiopia, is now a full time student at St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College. He reached out to the Jum-jum who were in Sherkole Refugee Camp, Assosa. This work has been continued by Isaac Pur, now acting Regional Dean during Isaac Momma’s time as a student. Here is the letter they sent; unedited, yet elegant in its cry for the need for theological education.</div>
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<strong><em>"Our Dear Father, </em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>As a Jum-jum congregation, we are here, ready to make our own church. But the problem is the lack of the preacher or we don’t have anyone who is well trained to preach the gospel. Therefore please we need you to help us by giving us the chances when there is second round for the theology or college.</em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>We join the Anglican church from 2011 up to 2016 but there is no any improvement or any changes. But when you appeared, also our names appeared. Therefore we became happy and happy. And we hope everything will continuous like in this way.</em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>So you know even in our home land we have more than 200 Christian within our tribes without any pastor or even not deacon (preacher). Therefore when you will help us we will be strong and lead our people as our heavenly Father want us to do. </em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>Our main problem is this. Now we have those who know how to preach like Pastor Isaac Momma and Pastor Isaac Pur and so on. But maybe after the short period of time we will go back to our home land (North Sudan) and Pastor Momma will go back to his home land (South Sudan) and what will we do when we still have no pastor? We will remain as it is like before. For example, as you know, <span style="color: blue;">when there is no shepherd, the hyena can do what they want. </span>And we hope you will help us to report all this to Bishop.</em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>Second example: The son can make a lot of mistake when the father didn’t teach him properly.</em></strong></div>
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<strong><em>That is all.</em></strong></div>
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;"><em>by Jum-jum congregation"</em></strong><br /><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</span></strong></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px;">~ With thanksgiving for the ordination of three priests and five deacons at Area Assembly Nov 24, 2016</span></strong></td></tr>
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<strong><strong><em>~ </em> For a new Dean of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College and for Bishop Grant as he functions as Acting Dean</strong></strong></div>
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<strong>~ For Egypt, especially as the church has to endure more suffering at the hands of terrorists</strong></div>
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<strong>~ For the Reverend Sammy Shehata, bishop elect for North Africa (Algeria ,Tunisia and Libya) as he prepares for his consecration February</strong></div>
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<strong>~ For a new congregation which is developing among the Tama-Koi people and for representatives to the Koma and Shurma people expressing interest in the gospel.</strong></div>
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<strong>~with thanksgiving for new partnerships developing with the church in Kenya and Djibouti</strong></div>
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<strong>~ For the Mothers' Union as they move towards a fully African-led Leadership Training Program</strong></div>
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<strong>~ For peace and stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa</strong></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; text-align: left;">Peter Tut Chol</b></td></tr>
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<b style="color: #202020; font-size: 10px; text-align: left;">Peter Tut Chol will be Priest in charge of Holy Comforter Anglican Church, in the Pilwal Mission Centre, supervised by the Rev Peter Ghak</b></div>
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<span style="color: #202020; font-size: 10px;">Simon </span><span style="color: #202020; font-size: xx-small;">Taidor</span></h4>
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<b> <span style="color: #202020; font-size: 10px; text-align: left;">Simon Taidor will be Priest in charge of the All Saints Anglican Church Mission Centre in Nininyang with its eight churches</span></b><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Stephen Munye</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Stephen Munye will be Priest in charge of The Bethlehem Anglican Mission Centre, Pinyudu Refugee Camp with its four churches</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Omot Ogud</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Omot Ogud, will serve as the Deacon in charge of the Bethlehem Anglican Mission Centre in Abobo with its seven churches</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px;"><b>Stephen Choul, will serve as the Deacon in charge of St Peter’s Anglican Church Mission Centre in Matar with its ten churches</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4 class="m_-1212953051829503140h4" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;">Stephen Choul</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHmxsTndr7nAiJd9aPEnM8lbFDa9r6kBagSi3lzIFUxGvCOuHhbxuJY1Yv39cDUaZ53CypqaKPlRpCJtb5m03VHwHkcM-cMym0MSOpWntLpI5wum3v5RVLCrw1f-2jBG2OeH4tlDD9eNv/s1600/DSCN3410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHmxsTndr7nAiJd9aPEnM8lbFDa9r6kBagSi3lzIFUxGvCOuHhbxuJY1Yv39cDUaZ53CypqaKPlRpCJtb5m03VHwHkcM-cMym0MSOpWntLpI5wum3v5RVLCrw1f-2jBG2OeH4tlDD9eNv/s200/DSCN3410.jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Daniel Wuor Tap </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Daniel Wuor Tap will serve as Deacon in charge of the five churches of Jewi the refugee camp, supervised by the Rev Peter Kuel of St Luke’s, Gambella</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Joseph Khon will serve as the Deacon in charge of New Life Anglican Church in the Lare Mission Centre, supervised by the the Rev Simon Ker of St Paul’s Anglican Church</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvan3IdCnBjOC2EpviU5sKInlNfhJAf8sYfbt8gtysKkvvrq7mKzksq7hh_v5o3t4rV5ZPibtKirLKeYxKUdb-Hpv5C9DD0qJe5jKhK6p1B3UqcPftouUjUgrBEXlHSR_1SgeBghHG63R/s1600/DSCN3396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvan3IdCnBjOC2EpviU5sKInlNfhJAf8sYfbt8gtysKkvvrq7mKzksq7hh_v5o3t4rV5ZPibtKirLKeYxKUdb-Hpv5C9DD0qJe5jKhK6p1B3UqcPftouUjUgrBEXlHSR_1SgeBghHG63R/s200/DSCN3396.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4 class="m_-1212953051829503140h4" style="color: #202020; font-family: Arial; font-size: 22px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;">Joseph Khon</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Gabriel Tut Puok will serve as Deacon in charge of Church of Christ Anglican Church in the Pinyudu refugee camp, supervised by the Rev Paul Pouk of Jesus Light of the World Anglican Church</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLz0EJrNG_8RqGckxj7H8YgaqmlPyaiyvWM0rd9DijejXye55ifBDnaJutH1AWqBzUsGe_oAVjiSDizH0zKTkIPnlWQOxTMRg9u83GHt_rIZKsIiEm_8KK82lKiadHbAjFHrNO6eJHCNf/s1600/DSCN3390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLz0EJrNG_8RqGckxj7H8YgaqmlPyaiyvWM0rd9DijejXye55ifBDnaJutH1AWqBzUsGe_oAVjiSDizH0zKTkIPnlWQOxTMRg9u83GHt_rIZKsIiEm_8KK82lKiadHbAjFHrNO6eJHCNf/s200/DSCN3390.jpg" width="116" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;">Gabriel Tut Puok</span></h4>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-81553212102832798742016-12-08T10:05:00.000-05:002016-12-15T09:02:36.395-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unity in a divided world</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u%3D9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd%26id%3Dba6f7bdc39%26e%3D42ee6635c4&source=gmail&ust=1481294688758000&usg=AFQjCNGwJdbHPZNsgK2qaYmz3MDNKN1w8A" href="http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd&id=ba6f7bdc39&e=42ee6635c4" style="color: #226aad;" target="_blank"><img align="left" alt="Lampedusa Cross" class="CToWUd" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjzDRW-3me47nk8U9_QaCJVRpErSPAd2wckkjJfo4ucCX-wuTwhH1Tvx9MPfDJFnx_2-CelXFiimfCuEXWEci5x3iIFAbkLFAtenIU_uWcVq4L1A6URcllQYDcEkzgp56GEqjj0xuEZGAy-PPUuIDXYBH4D7TaMfXbECtIWnoFr_jzZJGIiKwRrmHdmDDvGtyFUPbj0a5mTk9IgRFtJS1IFp4S4wWFIgQ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 217px; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px 15px 15px 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 175px;" width="175" /></a>Darash, our Anuak priest for St Barnabas Church Gambella, is a good story-teller.<br /><br />Recently, his sermon focused on a story of three bulls; One red, one black and one white. “They loved each other as brothers, and together were strong. When the enemy looked at them, he knew that he could not prevail against them. So when night came, he secretly went to the black and to the red one. He told them that the white bull was the problem. He told them that if they stayed together with the white bull, then an enemy might see them and might attack. They must reject the white bull in order to be safe. They listened to fear and drove the white bull away. When the enemy saw the white bull alone and vulnerable, he came and killed it, and ate. After a while, the enemy became hungry for more. He went to the black bull and said, ‘You are the good one, but the red is not. If you stay with the red bull, an enemy might see you and attack. You must reject the red bull.’ The black bull drove the red bull away, thinking, ‘now I will be safe.’ When the enemy saw the red bull alone, he came and killed it and ate. And then he did the same with the black.”<br /><br />Darash concluded with a prayer for unity. “If we pray for peace, then we will have peace. If we love one another, we will have peace. We are to love Nuer and Anuak, Opo and Mezhenger, Mabaan and Highlander. As we love one another, we show the love of Jesus to the world around us.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Darash’s sermon on unity points to the sad reality that our world is full of division - politically, culturally, ethnically, linguistically. We more often see our differences as curses instead of blessings, as reasons to fight rather than as opportunities to learn.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This is true as much in the church as anywhere else. Christians are divided. Some divisions have long and complex histories. Many stem from a right desire to honour and live the truth. Others are just petty. Sorting out which is which is no easy task. I have recently been given the opportunity to be involved in two initiatives which seek to find common ground between Christians and to learn to live and work together.</span><br />
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<img align="none" alt="ILARCCUM Gathering" class="CToWUd a6T" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEibECZplc7DCRi1YOW7pqAh_15GbGUZPGkvmh7hhrSMfg7porPGja8r6SuzZ6t7JWR5NEfLKBPgHNXMciQwzOIOpEQlYkkYJeVBDgyyHZiaeDuuABEfKcPj_o5vj2hmSzY6R2B-25e8RECOfFf0L_ziMifAgY5Et2hyzQqpp4CPczGSfav0Ao-1SterVGSMnirERzDTQKtKEjltzzEbDmOOImTJErGabw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 240px; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; width: 360px;" tabindex="0" width="360" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The first is called IARCCUM - the International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission. IARCCUM’s task was not to hold another theological forum to sort out what issues unite or divide us but rather to explore how we could witness to Christ together; to point to the love God seen in the saving work of Christ, proclaimed and lived by the church in the power of the Spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There were many profound and moving moments at the IARCCUM meetings but none more meaningful perhaps than at the vespers service at the church of St Gregory in Rome. (Gregory, by the way, was the Pope who send St Augustine of Canterbury to evangelise the British Isles.) During this service Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin blessed and commissioned the nineteen pairs of bishops to go out into the world together to witness and live for Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">At the moment of commissioning we were each given a cross. These were no ordinary crosses - they were Lampedusa crosses. Lampedusa is an island belonging to Italy, the closest bit of Europe to the African continent. Small boats filled (or overfilled) with refugees leave Tunisia or Libya and head for Lampedusa. Many of these boats don’t make it. Many refugees, most from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan, drown attempting the voyage. Moved by the plight of these migrants a Lampedusa carpenter began fashioning crosses from the wood of refugee boats that washed up on the beaches of the island. Each of the IARCCUM bishops received one of these simple, rough crosses, most still covered in the cracked paint or bits of grease which betrayed their origins. These gifts emphasised for us that our ecumenism is not simply a matter of doctrine - no matter how important theological truth is - our ecumenism is an ecumenism of bearing witness to the cross of Jesus and walking in his way with those who suffer in this world.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Back in Addis, I was then privileged to be a part of the Lausanne-Orthodox Initiative, a dialogue between Orthodox and evangelical Christians. The presence of Ethiopian Orthodox at this gathering was extremely significant as both Orthodox and protestants acknowledged and looked beyond past prejudices to focus on the abundant opportunities for our different churches to pray and work together.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For me these events were signs of hope in the midst of the mistrust, despair, fear and violence of a world which seems more and more divided.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">+Grant</span><br />
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Mothers’ Union together across cultures</h2>
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Anuak and Nuer Embrace</h4>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">“I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know Nuer sisters; sisters in Lare; sisters in Jikwo…Now I have many Nuer sisters who I love, and it is very good. When I was sent to Dimma, I was scared to go, and I didn’t know anyone. But now… I have many sisters there too. Every Saturday is dedicated to the health program… We taught clean water, Moringa, clean dishes: this is a very big change in our community. Before the teaching, we were sleeping with mosquitos, and with skin diseases. Now this has changed. It remains to go to the people and ask them to open their hearts. You have created many teachers who will go out and teach the community…” </span><br />
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<em>Achua Obang, Anuak, Gambella</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For the past three years, it has been a privilege to teach women how to teach one another biblical truth, prayer, and health - both prevention and treatment. We held our last ‘Gambella Anglican Centre’-d training session in September, and began the transition into a fully African-led “Local Training Program”. Here is what the women had to say at the final session of the “Leadership Training Program (Phase I):</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“Through this program we feel like we have come alive… We were living with many difficulties, suffering a lot, with many sicknesses in our communities. Many children were dying because of these sicknesses, and people were wondering, “why these diseases?” We came here and got teaching. We never thought such a big change would come. Now we go to villages and take the teachings to the community and we are well received. People like it very much.” </span><br />
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<em>Cham Ojur Pur, Anuak, Gambella</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“We have learned how to make clean water, and how to teach the mothers good ‘life skills’. We put this into practice in our own families. When we are visiting …we share with others what we have learned. More and more women are learning. We know how to care for ourselves and we feel pride. This is the first opportunity to learn that has come to our area.” </span><br />
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<em>Sarah Nyabuony, Nuer, Gambella</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“The love of God has made us willing to speak with white people, even though we have no language with them! Before in the villages, there were no toilets, and no place to shower. Now we shower, and toilets have been made - not just going behind the house. Moringa: people were not aware of it, but people now use, even it is added to porridge for the young children. Now if we have diarrhea, we give Moringa tea, and we see that the time to healing is made short.The children with wounds on their legs - they took a long time to heal. Now we are taught how to clean the wounds. Now we are not seeing so many wounds. We know how to make healing ointment out of oil and candles. And now we are using this for shampoo as well as for soothing skin. The women are happy because this saves money. We no longer have to go to the market to buy shampoo! …We give thanks in the name of Jesus for bringing together Anuak, Nuer and Opo.” </span><br />
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<em>Sarah Nyadeng, Nuer, Lare</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“We are building people up… and it is like giving sight to the blind. Now we know how to take care of burns by putting into cool water. We had no previous knowledge of this. It is very helpful to the community. We have learned about safe cooking fires. We keep them away from children, not to easily reach. Now we have lots of learning tools to help each other, for example, applying papaya fruit to burns. Thank you for caring for us.” </span><br />
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<em>Mary Nyabiel, Nuer, Pinyudu</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“Sharing of knowledge is the best thing. In the beginning it was only Awilli from Abobo who was teaching there, going to seven different churches. One church was 2 days journey on foot. Now are many who teach in Abobo. With Moringa we have seen very big miracles. Two young children were about to die from diarrhea. Moringa tea was given to them. They were saved. When I would go to Thenyi, there was an old man who had a very big wound for several years. We put Papaya on the wound, and it was healed. In Abobo town, one person was burned. He was going to the clinic, but it was only getting worse. We made the healing ointment … and put it on the wound twice a day. It was healed. When we go to different villages we see people getting water from the pump. They were washing clothes and emptying the water right by it. They did not use a toilet but would go near the pump. We taught that it was not good to have dirty washing water and waste products near to the hand pump. Now the area around the pump is kept very clean.” </span><br />
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<em>Awilli Aballa, Anuak, Abobo</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“It was a very big and great plan from God who brought people from far away to live and learn together. Most of the points said by my sisters are all correct and I agree. Especially Moringa. Every home has Moringa - no one has to go to borrow. I ask all my sisters and brothers to pray for all my people. Now children are healthy. We know how to protect them from many different diseases”. </span><br />
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<em>Mary Nyalam, Opo, Wonkay</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“I have shared with others what I have learned. Now we have become God’s doctors for the community. The teaching helps the community - the children, the elders, everyone… Now we can help with the needs there. We have learned to put Neem twigs in the cooking fire, and rub Neem leaves into the skin. This keeps the mosquitos away.” </span><br />
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<em>Apap Oman, Anuak, Gambella</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“Let one help carry the bundle of the other. We have learned many good things which have helped to decrease infection. In South Sudan, there are very big problems. I beg your prayers for South Sudan, that God could make a way to bring people back.” </span><br />
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<em>Mary Nyakong, Nuer, Akule 2 Refugee Camp</em> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd%26id%3D65890c8241%26e%3D42ee6635c4&source=gmail&ust=1481294688759000&usg=AFQjCNEe3n-w3FjqKJ0BsAVszmK5ONCsXA" href="http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd&id=65890c8241&e=42ee6635c4" style="clear: left; color: #336699; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" target="_blank"><img align="none" alt="Johann and Louise Vander der Bijl" class="CToWUd" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjRpJOjLmzyyT9x-8EHeiDN-u1EiLtfi093J0TTxDzwKnLAWDIbLx7a8CxUXSFv_ybY5_NbK5WAJUWWIQovDwCDRHTAYRJHo-HKSegDlBJToXymSFTGkulDoM_UpJcECLsXjKrpuqiz_CBWBkJ4vsgUvgLxDKTwHGah-dFO_5qQxxkAAWiBERdfKrWOumKwrmkXnDfJzr7H4wpWW0Vu3PoxUmCyHr3LdQ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 117px; line-height: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 160px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
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We give thanks</h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">We give thanks for Johann and Louise Van er Bijl, now leaving Gambella for medical reasons. </span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Johann told us of their farewell gift from St Barnabas Church. Apparently there was much discussion about this. Finally it was settled that they would receive an Ostrich egg. This, they were told, was because Johann was like the Ostrich. What was it? It could not fly. It looks like a bird, but it acts like an animal. Now Johann “looks like a white person, but he acts like an African!!” <br /> <wbr></wbr> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"></span></div>
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Prayers of Thanksgiving:</h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For the new deacons and priest to be ordained at the Area Assembly November 24th, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For Archbishop Mouneer and the diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, that it will be allowed to keep their property and churches</span><br />
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For the Mothers’ Union as they begin a new phase of ministry in the Local Training Program and especially for Rebecca Nyater, our new MU coordinator for the Nuer</span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For those who gave towards the new bicycles given to our pastors</span><br />
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<tr><td><img align="none" alt="Rev. Simon Kerr on his new bicycle" class="CToWUd a6T" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEinVdVKUGzrxKIGR7NhBXJln1dDArCzP6sbNx6UZrngnzneB5nx1AmCLqbM0ZSAK_1hfRmnbJt4KNQVtX1OnBhzns8K8m1AjZCrC5dDSfMcB0N3bLLJkzZQoVJqx0KPx9VdW2sDy663tHHkIbNiTzBQ3agMTsklOysxeQwEyxktOGwonlryCP3GyMVOnP-WExXiuCXPuuh3mOMrLmtCARDGwGLbRoMosQ=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; height: 165px; line-height: 12px; margin: 0px auto; outline: none; width: 160px;" tabindex="0" width="160" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Rev Simon Kerr with his new bicycle.</strong></td></tr>
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Please pray with us</h3>
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For God’s blessing on the choice of a new dean for St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">With thanksgiving as we explore new partnerships in Kenya and in Djibouti</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For open doors to ministry in Southern Ethiopia, Djibouti, Addis, and Somaliland</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">For the new refugees that continue to flood into the Gambella region (60,000 per month)</span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><br />
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-5326479100877423722016-08-22T08:46:00.000-04:002016-08-22T08:46:17.037-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoTyCk2JkLJWEXQwQNd_OrlMWQR2Cy8ttC3qv2oOCa9iy1oZVfr-cY7Px2nKocTn6y5M7d1n1qvkZ8OFcI4VrpR8MKlA6duogK3tP8GuRawdOFq0u2jJkbDSzLuQFb_Uqb2lG6EPYGj5U/s1600/Refugee+Camp+%252854%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoTyCk2JkLJWEXQwQNd_OrlMWQR2Cy8ttC3qv2oOCa9iy1oZVfr-cY7Px2nKocTn6y5M7d1n1qvkZ8OFcI4VrpR8MKlA6duogK3tP8GuRawdOFq0u2jJkbDSzLuQFb_Uqb2lG6EPYGj5U/s640/Refugee+Camp+%252854%2529.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Peter’s Story:<br />“I came to Jesus through a dream,” Peter said. I leaned forward to listen, thankful for the privilege of hearing the life stories of those who had come to our Discernment Conference. Peter Ojulu is a lay pastor from Akobo, seeking to discern a call to ordained ministry.<em></em>This is his story:<br />“Someone came to me in a dream, and told me to go to church,” he said. “I woke up. It was Sunday morning. I went to church and found that they were having a conference. At the conference they read Matthew 11:28, <em>“Come to me all who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” </em> I felt like God was talking to me. The words entered into my heart like dew. I decided to follow Jesus. Later I had another dream. In my dream, I saw God giving me medicine. When I decided to follow Jesus, I gave up going to witch doctors. For eight years I had been going to witch doctors, trying to get help for the pain in my legs [knees]. Nothing had helped. After my dream, the pain stopped. Not all at once, but slowly by slowly.”</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">Discernment Conference Gambella, June 30th-July 2nd</span></span></h4>
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<br />Here’s another story I heard that week, not from a perspective ordinand, but from one of those interviewing:<br />“We were having an amazing time of healing prayer during the service. All of a sudden a scream tore through the worship. The depth and the agony was unlike anything I had heard before. It seemed to come from something deeper than the woman herself. She went completely rigid and still. I went over thinking, ‘I’d better pray for deliverance.’ On my way, to my surprise, these words came to mind with quiet clarity, ‘This is the cry of the ancestor’s blood.’ Since the beginning of the ethnic violence in Gambella we had been teaching from the book of Hebrews, “The blood of Jesus speaks a louder word than the blood of Abel.” [Hebrews 12:24] In a culture where blood and honour cry out for revenge, there is a better word. The cry of anguish and pain that once gave rise to a cry for revenge, was now taken up into the compassion and forgiving love of a Saviour. So as I went up to the woman, I just quietly prayed that the blood of Jesus would cover her and bless her. Peace came. Later in the service I saw her dancing. Her face was radiant.”</div>
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This past Sunday [August 14th] we set out for the village of Abari. With Darash, our Anuak priest and Regional Dean, we were going to visit the first church of the Mezhenger people, planted by the Anuak congregation of Abobo. The road presented us with a few challenges. About half way there, we were challenged by a young male lion who stood determinedly in the middle of the road. He was not going to yield his territory! We stopped to take a photo while he stood there in majestic defiance. It was only as we restarted the car, as the engine roared back to life, and we began to move towards him, that he must have decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and loped away ahead of us until disappearing into the impenetrable grass growing alongside the road.</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">You...shall...NOT...Pass!</span><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">I think the lion thought our car roared at him when we restarted our engines</span></span></h4>
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<br /><br />Here and there baboons sauntered lazily off the road, birds flashed by - scarlet, blue, yellow, glossy black. We drove by a couple of crowned cranes, their crowns glinting golden in the sun. It was a very African drive. The road grew narrower and narrower. Finally we were snaking along in the mud, brushing through eight foot high elephant grass on either side of us, the raindrops on the grass glistening in the early morning sun, until it was as if we were driving through some sort of eco car wash.<br /><br />Eventually, the mud got the better of us, and the car, sinking down to its axels, became stuck fast. When efforts at digging us out seemed to fail, we decided to continue on foot. After all, the church ‘was only five minutes away’. Of course, it was an Anuak five minutes. Walking along, enjoying the wild beauty of our surroundings, I began to feel very African. Half an hour later, we came upon the incongruous sight of a cell tower. Undaunted, I continued on in my African safari mode, senses stretched out and attuned to the sights and sounds of what now seemed a sun-drenched jungle. Ahead, Darash stopped. “The vehicle is coming!” he said. He had heard it. Alas, my finely-tuned senses not withstanding, I didn’t hear a thing. Apparently my hearing was not as African as I had fondly imagined. Muddy but triumphant, our car pulled up, and once back inside, we drove the rest of the (let’s face it, a lot more than) five minute journey to the Mezhenger church. </div>
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Quickly learning the Mezhenger greeting, “Digoya bongeh!” we greeted the people. Malchias, our Mezhenger lay pastor, took out a lute-like stringed instrument, and, and for the first time, we joined the Mezhenger in worship. Their beautiful lilting melodies, sung in the African five tone scale, were truly delightful. They were just as delighted at the deeper, more rhythmic Anuak hymns sung by Darash and Omot (the lay pastor of Abobo who had joined us on the way).</div>
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<br /><br />After a simple service, we drove back through swirling clouds of butterflies and stopped and briefly joined in the worship at the Anuak church of Tiersiru, one of the satellite churches of the Abobo Mission Centre. There is was Grant’s privilege to give the church a name, “St Mark’s Anglican Church” of Tiersiru. After questioning the St Frumentius’ students about the apostle Mark during their examinations for the African Early Church History intensive, St Mark seemed an appropriate name!<br /><br />Our final stop of the morning was in Abobo town, and there a lunch of freshly caught nile perch, roasted over charcoal, awaited us, lovingly prepared by Awilli, one of our Mothers’ Union leaders, together with the women of Bethlehem Church, Abobo. It was a good morning!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"> First day in Addis.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">We are delighted to welcome theologians Chris and Suzy Wilson as our newest faculty members of St Frumentius’ ATC, together with their children Abigail and Matthew. Please join us in praying for God’s blessing on their settling into life in Gambella.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;"> ~ Please Pray with us ~</span></span></h4>
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Please pray for the first year and second year students of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College.</div>
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<br />Please pray for Johann Vanderbijl, our beloved dean, and for Louise, our librarian.</div>
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<br />Please pray for continuing peace and unity among the peoples of the Gambella region.<br /><br />Please pray for peace and unity among the Amhara, Oroma and Tigray peoples of Ethiopia.</div>
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Thank you to all who responded to the needs generated by the recent crisis of ethnic violence in Gambella. Those who wish to contribute to these ongoing needs, please see donate now link above.</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-61077680435404076322016-06-14T05:46:00.000-04:002016-06-14T05:46:07.532-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Journey to Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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“I had a dream,” she explained. The lovely Anuak woman stood before UN officials asking for permission to go to the Nuer in Pinyudu Refugee Camp. Denied permission, she went home and that night dreamt again, dreaming that God told her to go and speak peace to the Nuer. The next day she was not to be denied by any human force and, once in the camp, made her way to one of our 12 Nuer Anglican churches. There she was warmly welcomed. She is one of a growing number in Gambella who are saying, “In God’s eyes, we are all brothers and sisters.” In the aftermath of ethnic violence, peace between Nuer, Anuak and Highlanders is a journey of courage and obedience. </div>
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Early in the morning of April 15th, Murle cattle raiders from South Sudan crossed into the Gambella region of Ethiopia. They killed over 200 people, mostly the mothers of young children, and abducted between 100 to 150 children as well as a few young women and thousands of cattle. Cooperation between the Ethiopian army, the South Sudanese government and a Murle chief of South Sudan has been responsible for the recovery of many of these children. Our Mothers’ Union Coordinator, Sarah Nyabuony is now part of the team in Gambella living with and caring for the rescued children. To date, more than 70 children have been found and returned, staying first in Gambella’s Presidential guest house before being returned to extended family and neighbors in the surrounding villages.</div>
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“Slowly by slowly” peace is returning. Our ‘town’ priests Darash (Anuak) and Peter (Nuer) together went to the Gambella Hospital to visit the victims of Murle violence. In response to a government request for donations for the victims, Darash and Peter brought some money to give away. They also brought prayer. Most just wanted the prayer. </div>
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Some weeks ago a group of young Nuer high school students were walking from Pinyudu to Gambella to write their high school exams (buses were not running because of the violence). They were beaten and waylaid by a group of highlanders. A week later another group of young Nuer walking to write exams in Gambella town experienced a different reception. They were welcomed part way through their journey by some Anuak in Abobo town who fed them, gave them something to drink and saw them safely on their way. </div>
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When the violence began in Gambella town, it was some highlanders who were the ones to offer shelter and help. Wilson, one of our Anuak priests, while running to find and rescue his family, himself ran into danger and was taken into safety by highlanders. Like shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds, we are seeing acts of kindness bring light and warmth to the relationships in this area.</div>
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Witnessing the reunion of our Anuak and Nuer staff and clergy at the Gambella Anglican Centre brought us a joy that was almost painful. Yesterday, our 3 Mothers’ Union coordinators Achua, Sarah and Sarah together with facilitators Isaac and Darash, met on our compound for the first time since January. Their eyes were bright with joy and with tears. For two weeks our Nuer staff have been driven through Anuak territory to bring them to work. Now a couple of them have dared to walk here on their own. “Slowly by slowly” hope is growing.</div>
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Our churches have begun the process of assessing and responding to the needs of those affected by the recent violence. The first load of donated clothes has been brought to Lare where many of the victims of the Murle raid are located. Throughout the whole Gambella region, our clergy and lay readers have been collecting the names of those whose houses were burned or looted. Help is now being channeled to those most in need, especially to those in need of food and clothing. Thank you to all those whose prayers and contributions to our Samaritan Fund have made it possible to bless those so desperately in need of hope and restoration.</div>
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Peace in Gambella is a journey undergirded by prayer. Even in the midst of all the turmoil, we continue to see the growth of new congregations. This week I learned of a new Mabaan church in Tongo as well as a new church in Jewi Refugee camp. Darash, our Anuak Regional Dean, recently baptized 153 people in Dimma. There he learned that there are Murle who are asking to become Anglicans! </div>
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We thank God for the peoples of the Gambella Region whose rich ethnic diversity will one day be a part of the ‘treasures brought by the nations’ to the New Jerusalem. (Rev. 21:24; NAB)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"><strong><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">~ Please Pray with us ~</span></strong></span></h1>
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<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peace in the Gambella People's Region remains fragile. Please pray for the witness of forgiveness, respect and compassion to continue to grow in our churches and communities.<br /><br />Please pray for our ordination discernment conference to be held June 30th<br /><br />Please pray for the selection of our new incoming class for St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College, and for God's blessings on our 2nd year students<br /><br />Please pray for Johann and Louise Van der Bijl. Johann is dean of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College.<br /><br />We give thanks for Karen Salmon, our wonderful professor of biblical studies who is leaving us to pursue ordination in the Anglican Church of Ireland.<br /><br />Please pray for Chris and Suzie Wilson who will be joining us as new faculty for St Frumentius Anglican Theological College in September.<br /><br />Please pray for Jeremiah Maet Paul, our Nuer professor of African Traditional Religion and Islamic studies.<br /><br />We give thanks for the completion of 2 new faculty houses, the completion of the St Frumentius chapel, and the ongoing work of construction including the building of a new classroom and the completion of the security wall<br /><br />Please pray for "good rain" and a cessation of the flooding now occurring in the beginning of rainy season</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-87208637899281038242016-04-27T12:57:00.000-04:002016-04-27T12:57:24.435-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>More Sorrow</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">As I drove through the town of Itang, little seemed amiss. Luke, our deacon in this area, asked me to stop. “We can walk from here,” he said. As I got out of the vehicle the smell of burnt wood struck me. A hundred feet or so past where we parked we came around a corner - nothing but charred wood and ashes - more than 200 homes gone in one night. Our Anglican church was still standing - perhaps the attackers here had a sense of the fear of God that led them to spare that one building. If only they knew that the people they attacked were made in God’s image and more precious to Him than any building.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">2016 has been a difficult year for Gambella - and it is only April.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">The refugee crisis</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Two years of civil war in South Sudan has brought 300,000 refugees into Gambella, roughly doubling the population of the region. The increased population has resulted in many stresses on the resources of an already fragile social system. Water, electricity, internet service have all been in short supply. Although Gambella is not densely populated, access to arable land and to river water for the needs of agriculture, animals and humans is becoming more and more contested. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">The Anuak-Nuer conflict</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Perhaps the most important challenge, however, has been the change in the ethnic make up of the region. The Anuak, for generations the majority people group in Gambella, are now vastly outnumbered due to the influx of refugees fleeing the conflict in neighbouring South Sudan, almost all of whom are Nuer. Tension resulting from different views and uses of land has once more sparked conflict. The Anuak, as well as hunting and fishing, are more settled in the land, planting crops and having a sense of ownership of the land they till. The Nuer, are traditionally nomadic cattle herders who drive their cattle through all land; the land that they believe belongs to God and is therefore free for their use. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">At the end of January this tension became violent. The details of the fighting are vague and under-reported, but the short version is that a few dozen people were killed, many injured, and hundreds of homes burned and looted. Some of the Nuer and Anuak youth actually looted the villages of their own people who fled from fear of violence. The town and region are still filled with anxiety <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_182360673" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">two months later</span></span>. Nuer cannot safely travel into Anuak areas and Anuak are afraid to enter Nuer enclaves. The Federal Police and Army are seeking to keep order, but violence has flared up in several places.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Our church life has been deeply affected. Our theological students (five Nuer and five Anuak) must have classes in separate places for now. Travel to some places is too dangerous and many people are stranded away from home and are being cared for by church members and family. Some are running out of food or the ability to purchase more.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">If these troubles weren’t devastating enough, bad turned to worse in mid-April.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">The Murle attacks</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Early on the morning of April 15th, large, heavily armed groups of Murle people crossed into Ethiopia from South Sudan. The Murle have had a long history of raiding the cattle of neighbouring ethnic groups, killing any who stand in their way (or happen to be in the wrong place) and kidnapping children who are then assimilated into their people. The reports were truly horrific. Young Murle men with automatic weapons killing indiscriminately in the areas of Lare, Jikwao and Nininyang - all places where we have Anglican churches. The first reports said 140 Nuer people, mostly women and children, were dead. The death toll went up steadily - 160, 182. It is now being reported that 208 have died, at least 82 treated for bullet wounds in the Gambella hospital (others have been moved to hospitals in Metu and Jimma), as many as 108 women and children have been abducted. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">David Yao Yao, a former Murle politician turned cattle rider has denied responsibility. He did claim (truly enough) that the war in South Sudan (mostly between Dinka and Nuer, although this is an over-simplification) has so destabilized the eastern regions of South Sudan that the area is virtually lawless. It seems that it was only a matter of time before the chaos ensued. The Ethiopian government and the South Sudan government have said they will work together to track down the perpetrators of this brutality and rescue those abducted. We will see. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia declared two days of mourning.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">The only good news is that the rains have started - it is harder to raid cattle in the rain, so this event might not be repeated (this year).</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">These overlapping tragedies of civil war and the massive influx of refugees, the ethnic violence over land between the Anuak and Nuer, and now these appalling Murle raids have left our people feeling raw and fearful.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">Jewi camp </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Just a couple of days after the Murle attacks, a truck owned by an NGO and driven by a “highlander” drove into Jewi Refugee camp just a few miles outside of Gambella town. ‘Highlander’ is the name given to non-Gambellan Ethiopians - Amharas, Tigrayans, Oromos and others - who are lighter skinned and quite different culturally from those groups native to Gambella. The truck struck and killed two Nuer children. Enraged refugees, no doubt already tense and on edge, responded with vengeance killing at least nine (perhaps more, reports are conflicting) highlanders. Vengeance leads to vengeance. Highlanders in Gambella began a march to the camp to kill Nuer. A highlander mob tried to attack Newlands, the Nuer part of Gambella town. Many were praying. Thankfully, perhaps miraculously, highlander retaliation was turned back by the Ethiopian (highlander) army. Although cars were burned in the centre of town, blocking the roads, and gunfire was heard sporadically throughout the day (warning shots thankfully), fewer casualties than expected were reported. As of April 25th, Gambella remains in simmering, tangible fear and anger.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Information has been hard to obtain from the villages and refugee camps. The internet has functioned only part of the time. Quite a number of relatives of our church members were killed during the Anuak-Nuer clashes. Many members were looted or had their houses burned. We have so far learned that, during the Murle raids, three members of our Anglican congregation in Kowkow (near Lare) were killed and 1 child abducted. The sister of one of our clergy was also killed in another village and her child abducted. I have little doubt that we will hear similar details from other villages. Pray for our clergy and lay readers seeking to bring comfort to those who mourn and practical aid to many in need.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">Thanks for asking</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><strong>Many have been asking us, how they can help respond to the suffering in Gambella, and the needs of those who have lost loved ones, whose houses have been burned or looted, who need food, clothing and shelter. As one of our people told us, “There are many who are very suffering”. Some have been directly hit, others have been stranded without means for food, unable to return to their home area. The simplest and quickest way to help would be through a donation to our ‘Samaritan Fund’. See below for donation links, but please specify that the gift is to be given to “Ethiopia - Samaritan Fund”.<br /><br />For those wishing to make a contribution in response to this crisis, please click on this link for "The Friends of the Anglican D</strong>iocese of Egypt":<br /><a href="http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd&id=3a364aa1c5&e=42ee6635c4" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>friendsanglicandioceseegypt.<wbr></wbr>org/contribute.html</a></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size: 12px;">Funds can be donated online or by cheque. Please specify:<br />Ethiopia - Samaritan Fund.</span></strong></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">We are very suffering here</span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">There is a wonderful<br />African saying,<br />"I am because We are".<br />Identity is known in relationship;<br />in belonging<br />to your community.<br />This can be unfortunate<br />in places that<br />have a tradition<br />in which<br />baby boys<br />are blood covenanted<br />at birth<br />to the revenge</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">of their grandfather's enemies.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-size: 12px;">Grief in Gambella</strong></td></tr>
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<br />The revenge of family<br />and community<br />can be a part of identity.<br />It is very hard,<br />especially for a young man,<br />to say,<br />"No. I will not join in the fighting".<br />Now our churches have a saying,<br />"One Lord, one family, one blood".<br />The blood of Jesus<br />speaks a stronger word,<br />than the blood of Abel;<br />the blood that cries out for revenge. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">Heb <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_182360674" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">12:25</span></span></span></h1>
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<strong> <span style="font-size: 12px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</span></strong></h1>
<strong>Please pray for Peace in Gambella and in South Sudan</strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>~</strong></span></div>
<br /><strong>Pray for a functioning government in the eastern regions of South Sudan. </strong><br />
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<br /><strong>Pray for evangelists to reach out to the Murle people so that their society can be transformed by the saving and healing love of Christ.</strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>~</strong></span><br /><br /><strong>Pray for comfort for those who mourn and for wisdom for those bringing comfort.</strong><br /> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>~</strong></span><br /><br /><strong>Pray for an end to the culture of vengeance.</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div>
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<br /><strong>Sarah Kuel,<br />whose life was changed a few years ago.<br />A stray bullet from Merle cattle raiders<br />hit her leg,<br />crippling her until,<br />through the Samaritan fund,<br />and through volunteer pro bono surgery,<br />she was able once again,<br />to live the life of a normal young girl,<br />walking and running without assistance.</strong></div>
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<strong>Children from Ninninyang,<br />one of the villages<br />recently raided by the Merle.<br />This photo was taken<br />a few years before the current crisis. </strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>~</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-77720379395850973092016-02-10T01:24:00.000-05:002016-02-10T01:24:26.101-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> War...and Rumours of War</span></h1>
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<strong> <span style="font-size: 12px;"> Jesus, the Prince of Peace</span></strong></h4>
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The phone rang. I looked at it apprehensively. The screen read, “Peter from Tongo.” </div>
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“Are you fine?”, Peter asked. </div>
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“Yes, we are fine,” I answered.</div>
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“You are all fine?” He sounded surprised. “There is war in Gambella!”</div>
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“Yes, it is difficult in Gambella now. Pray for us….”<br />
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War? Maybe. And much worse - rumours of war.<br />
“The tongue is a small thing, yet, …how great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5)</div>
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At first the chatter was impersonal: “A bomb was thrown.” “This one was killed.” Then it became personal. “My brother was killed.” “My uncle.” “My nephew.” “My wife’s mother.” Always the ‘other’ group the aggressor, and ‘our’ group the only victims mentioned. Incendiary rumours taken as fact, whipping up emotions and anger. Hardening hearts and faces.</div>
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I’ll let Grant describe the situation.</div>
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<strong>From Visitors to Violence</strong></div>
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January has been hectic. It was a joy to welcome visitors here in the Gambella Centre from Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Toronto, Ireland, and from Addis Ababa. Some taught, some painted, some did carpentry, some catalogued books in the library, some preached in our churches, or taught groups of clergy and lay readers, Others taught Sunday School teachers in several different locations. All were a joy to work with, and all contributed to the life of the church here. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But as the last guests were leaving, life in Gambella began to unravel. </span></div>
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It started as a dispute between two local Gambella officials. Well, apparently that’s how it started. Accurate ‘news’ is hard to come by here at the moment. Innuendo and rumour substitute for anything close to ‘fact’ or ‘reality.’ In any event, the two officials were from differing ethnic groups. The Anuak and the Nuer have always lived in a very uneasy tension in Gambella, tension which can flare up quickly.</div>
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The two officials and/or their representatives had guns. Guns were fired and at least one person was injured. In apparent retaliation, a pregnant women from the other group was beaten. Two days later she and her unborn child died of their injuries. Then came the explosion - literally. At a local college someone let off a bomb. Rumours as to the nature of the explosion include that it was a grenade, a landmine, or some more improvised device. Students from one group began throwing rocks at students of the other group. Police came and began firing in the air, or perhaps lower ... panic set in all over Gambella town and other towns in the region. Everyone's cell phone was buzzing with so-called information, or at least with hearsay about what had happened to ‘their people’. </div>
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My clergy began phoning me and texting me. Much of the ‘news’ was inaccurate, although it was clear that death and injury on both sides was mounting up. Some accurate reporting was mixed in with the speculation. Our theological students, both Nuer and Anuak, lost family members. On the night of Jan 29th much shooting was heard from the centre of town. Worries were that there was a gun battle in the streets. It seems now that the suddenly over-crowded prison experienced a mass jail break. A woman who cooks for groups on our compound lost a nephew in that violence. Doubtless we will learn of more deaths in the coming days. No one knows the number of casualties from this whole event. Or, if they do, they aren’t telling. Twenty seems to be the best guess.</div>
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On Jan. 30th, the Gambella Centre, received an unexpected influx of local ‘refugees.’ About 70 women and children from the small community nearby our compound suddenly walked through the gate. I’ll let Wendy describe their visit.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">As they entered our compound, they reminded me of of the lines of refugees we saw heading into Akule refugee camp two years ago: women with their meager belongings on the heads, little babies in their arms, and children, silent, stoney faced, walking alongside. One difference - razor sharp spears and deadly pangas (machetes) were carried by a few of them, mostly boys, 8 or 9 years old. They had heard that 'people were coming to kill them', and they fled to us for refuge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">"What can we do?", I wondered. "We have no stores of food and no means of defending them." Inwardly I stepped back into Peace, and greeted each with a smile. I looked into the dull eyes and hardened faces. The sun beat down. “Water,” I thought. “Give each a cup of water.” As I gave each a cup of water, I looked into their eyes. It was the children who softened first. Slowly, shy smiles answered mine. Eyes began to brighten. It was lunch time. “They must be hungry,” I thought. I remembered yesterday, when the lunch prepared for 10 people stretched to amply feed almost 30. I had bread and ‘Injera’ enough for ten. But what was that with such a crowd? “Test Me in this,” the thought seemed to come. Grant went to get some peanut butter crackers left by our visiting team from South Carolina. Everyone had at least 4 or 5 pieces of the bread, injera and crackers ("biscotti"). Some of our Anuak students were with us. They and Grant led us in prayer. Johann, who had been driving various ones to safety, reported that the roads were empty of invaders. Federal troops lined the now too-quiet streets. Our neighbors relaxed, and leaving their precious bundles of possession temporarily in our care they left for home, with thanks and with blessings on their lips. </span></div>
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Grant again:</div>
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After convincing our ‘visitors’ to sit and give up their weapons we heard their worries. They had been informed that the other ethnic group were coming to kill them. We made some calls and ascertained that there was no hostile group on the way. We gave them water and whatever we could find to feed them - and most importantly we prayed with them - and after a few hours they relaxed and began to head back to their homes. I was grateful that they decided that our compound was the safest place to be in a crisis - even though our dilapidated barbed wire fence wouldn’t really keep anyone out (a cow walked through one section a couple of days ago!).<br />
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The army has moved in to restore order - we pray that the soldiers may not over-react and may act wisely in a chaotic situation. Their task will not be easy. It is clear that the town is over-crowded. Shortages of power, water and many other things have left people on edge for months now. One group blames another for the problems.</div>
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We don’t know the future for the Gambella region. At the moment hatred, anger, grief and fear are ruling the hearts and minds of many; in the short term, instability, insecurity, and suspicion may remain for some time. Our prayer is that our churches and our pastors will be calm, will preach forgiveness, will welcome and advocate for people whose language and culture is other than their own.<br />
(Ps 112: 1,7) “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord…he is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">I’ll let Wendy finish:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Last night Cham, our cook for visiting teams, came to us. “Many are wounded now,” she said. My nephew was killed last night, and I am afraid. Can my daughters and I come and sleep in the kitchen?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">The Gambella Anglican Center has become a place of refuge and prayer. Please join us in praying for these dear people, caught in a long legacy of suffering and revenge. We, the ‘Ferenge/Engelize/Kawaja’, now each have a bag packed and ready. We do not want to leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Amazing prayers at each of our Gambella churches this morning. On both sides of the conflict, there were gracious prayers for each other. Prayers affirming the worth of all people. “Let the hatred end with this generation.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">As of February 5, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Many troops remain in the town and fear is still evident. Nuer and Anuak are not crossing into each others’ parts of town. Our theological college is running classes in two separate places. But life is slowly getting back to normal. Buses have started running, banks and shops are open again. Thank you all for your continued prayers.<br />+ Grant</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">~ For peace, for unity, and for the grace of forgiveness to be known in Gambella</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">~ For the students and faculty of the St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College. We are now holding classes in 2 different locations - one for Nuer and one for Anuak. Pray that we may again be united in one place, bearing witness to “One Lord, one faith, one blood.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">~ Pray for our wisdom and discernment regarding the safety and well-being of our staff and faculty. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">~ Pray for our Mothers’ Union as we plan and prepare for the next phase of their teaching and ministry under entirely indigenous leadership </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">"Mosquito" used in our Mothers' Union teaching on Malaria, during the dramatic presentation of "Helping Each Other when Little Things cause Big Problems"</span></h4>
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~ Pray our congregations as they reach out to the communities of the wider Gambella Peoples Region, for peace and unity</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-47327290865112951002015-11-30T03:47:00.000-05:002015-11-30T03:47:20.133-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;" /><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Beloved Ojullu Obilla, died Oct 26, 2015, age 39 yrs. We join with his family and friends in grief and in hope. Ojullu had provided for this dear young woman since the death of her own family. “Who will care for me now?”, she sobbed.<br />Ojullu was to have been ordained deacon this week at the dedication of St Frumentius Anglican Theological College by Archbishop Mouneer Anis.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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Every year I have to preach about war. For the last four years I have been invited by the British Ambassador to Ethiopia to lead Remembrance Day / Veteran’s Day services in Addis Ababa and in other cities around the Horn of Africa. November 11th is remembered as the day on which the guns fell silent at the end of World War I. The sacrifice of those who gave their lives in both World Wars is remembered on this date since that time. </div>
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This November 11th a small service was held in a gravelly cemetery near the airport in Djibouti City. Most in attendance were diplomats (British, American, French, Italian, German, Japanese - former enemies now allies) and military personnel from the large foreign bases in this ‘strategic’ little country adjacent to the very nearly ungoverned and ungovernable countries of Somalia and Yemen. The bodies of almost a dozen Allied airmen lie in this graveyard - some shot down over Djibouti (then French Somalia) by Vichy French gunmen.</div>
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After the service, it was my conversations with the French diplomats that were the most poignant. One told me that French Remembrance ceremonies are solemn, but entirely secular - no prayers, no hymns, no acknowledgement of God whatsoever. He was intrigued and found our Christian version moving. Both the French diplomats at the event remarked about a question that I asked in my sermon - "while we remember the events of two World Wars past, were we actually, now, in the midst of another World War?" Obviously the ‘war’ against global terrorism is a different kind of war: more diffuse; agonizingly unpredictable. But it is a war, and it is a ‘world’ war. Who knew, that two days later, the French themselves would become the latest victims of terror?</div>
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In all this, the Psalm we read at the service points to a reality that stands in stark contrast to human attack and counter attack: “He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.” (Psalm 46:9). This is not a call to quietism, to inaction - it is a call to lift our hearts and look to a better Ally - One Who loves the whole world.<br /> </div>
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Two days later I was back in Gambella. No longer hobnobbing with diplomats and their ‘Military Attaches’, I am back with victims of war, with refugees who have fled a senseless power struggle in South Sudan. Once the internet was up and running I read the headlines: “Paris Attacks”; “Scores Dead and Injured in Multiple Bombings in the French Capital”; “French Borders Closed after Coordinated Terror Attacks.” Paris has become the latest battlefield of WWIII. How long, O Lord, will evil reign? When will the bow be broken and the chariot burned in the fire?</div>
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My diplomatic friend at the Djibouti service was struck by the message of Christian hope; by the message that God has not only promised to make a final end of all sin, evil and death, but that He has even come down to share the groaning of His creation. <span style="color: #555555;"> </span></div>
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In Djibouti our service concluded with a poem written by the Rev. Edward Shillito. As he watched young men return wounded from the First World War, he wrestled with the question, ‘“How could he preach ‘good news’ in the midst of such devastation?” His poem, “Jesus of the Scars”, proclaims that only a God willing to suffer with his creatures could even begin to provide an answer:</div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px;"> </span>If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;</div>
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Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;</div>
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We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow;</div>
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We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.</div>
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The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;</div>
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In all the universe we have no place.</div>
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Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?</div>
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Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.</div>
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Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;</div>
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We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,</div>
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Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.</div>
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The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;</div>
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They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;</div>
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But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak;</div>
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And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.</div>
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In Gambella, in Paris, in Baghdad, in Mosel, in South Sudan the wounds of humanity continue to cry out. Only the message of Christ crucified and risen can speak to that cry. </div>
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+Grant</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="line-height: 11px;">And We Rejoice...</span></span></h4>
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<strong>~ with little Wecca</strong>, recovering well from open heart surgery. This little 6 year old would most certainly have died without surgery. As part of our fund-raising for this operation, we sold hand-made Ethiopian crosses. As I handed one of these crosses to a little boy in Montreal, I told him that this money was going to save a little boy’s life. His eyes grew big and solemn. “I want to buy another cross”’ he said. </div>
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Thank you to all who contribute to our Samaritan fund.<br /><br /><strong>~ With Jeremiah </strong>Maet Paul and his wife Elizabeth on the birth of their son, Kahn, November 14, 2015 Jeremiah is professor of African Traditional Religion at the St Frumentius Anglican Theological College.<br /><br /><strong>~ At the upcoming visit of Archbishop Mouneer Anis</strong>for the dedication of St Fr<span style="font-family: helvetica;">umentius Anglican Theological College to be held November 24, 2015</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Mothers' Union celebrate the dedication of Holy Bible Anglican Church at Jewi Refugee Camp, Oct 25,2015</strong></td></tr>
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<strong style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 18px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">A little member of Holy Bible Anglican Church, Jewi Refugee Camp</strong></td></tr>
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<br />~with thanksgiving for the 200 recently confirmed in Pinyadu Refugee Camp<br /><br />~ for Peace between Nuer and Anuak in the Akobo region of South Sudan<br /><br />~ For Grant and Wendy as they approach a particularly busy period of travel and teaching<br /><br />~ For the victims of terror in Paris, Beirut, Mali, Somalia, Nigeria and elsewhere throughout the world<br /><br /><br /></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-87406931589814196662015-11-04T03:07:00.000-05:002015-11-04T03:07:36.827-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shaped by Our Stories... Transformed by His Love</span></span></h1>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little girl shares with her brother</span></td></tr>
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<b>Gatluak spoke softly, his demeanor peaceful. “My mother died when I was 2 years old, and my father had another wife.” “Did the other wife raise you and care for you?” I asked. “No! She refused me. She did not cook for me. I spent my time with the cattle so I had milk to drink. My older brother was the one who cared for me. He became a pastor. So did my uncle. When I was 12 years old, I fell very sick, and was close to death. I received healing prayer. I felt the Presence of God. Something told me that I was loved, and that I would not die.”</b></div>
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<b>Stephen was matter of fact. “My parents died when I was a small boy. I do not remember their faces. My uncle took me to be his son. My aunt and uncle had only one child of their own; a daughter. One day, my uncle called the community together. He wanted to make an offering to the local ‘small god’. He gave four bulls. But the evening that the four bulls were sacrificed, his daughter fell into a water hole and died. It was then I began to question and to look.”</b></div>
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<b>Altogether we had 11 young men attend our Discernment Conference held <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1888388819" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">August 17th -19th</span></span>, sharing their stories; praying together for discernment. In their own way, each of them told us this about God: “He suffered for me.” </b></div>
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<b>When we were talking about how to help others to learn what it means to serve, I asked Gatluak, “How would you teach this to an old woman who was blind and who could not walk?” “By speaking very loudly,” he answered!</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #505050; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;">Discernement Conference Aug 17-19,2015<br /> </b></td></tr>
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<b>One month later, in the middle of a “Trauma Healing Workshop”, an intensive course for clergy, lay readers and the students of our St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College, Gatluak and Nassir were woken up in the middle of the night. Both students at St Frumentius’, they had become friends and were rooming together. Two of Nassir’s brothers had been shot and killed by two of Gatluak’s brothers. In total eighteen were dead in a clan conflict in nearby Jikwao. Gatluak and Nassir’s friendship, shaped by grace and now marked with tears, forgiveness and prayer, continues to grow. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #505050; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;">Artwork form the Trauma Healing Intensive Course Sept 15-19,2015<br />"A tree on Fire" Nassir</b></td></tr>
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<b>A couple of days ago, one of our staff came to give us an update on his children and to tell us that he had just lost his teeth. We often thought that this gentleman, with his remarkable gift for losing things, would ‘lose his head if it wasn’t attached’. He came close to expectation with the loss of his partial denture. </b></div>
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<b>Several months ago, his wife had suddenly left, taking their young children with her. Rumour had it that she was headed for Khartoum, apparently intending to sell the children. The next news was that his wife had been imprisoned in Khartoum after starting to make and to sell home-brewed alcohol (alcohol being illegal in Islamic Sudan). His children, the oldest of whom was only 8 years old, were alone and fending for themselves on the streets of Khartoum. In Nuer culture, it is the father who has legal custody of the children in the event of a separation. Accordingly, he sent his brother-in-law to find and bring the children home. The next thing we heard was that the money sent with his brother-in-law was not enough to purchase additional ‘exit visas’ for the children. More money was procured. Then right at the border, some armed men arrived with a letter written by the wife, stating that her brother was trying to steal her children while she was in jail. End result: now brother-in-law was in jail. So much pain; for him, for his wife, for their children, for the extended family.</b></div>
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<b>Recently, as we sat with Ojullu in hospital, he spoke of going to Addis ‘to eat good Ethiopian food, and to stay in one of the big, big hotels’. Too weak to stand, unable to walk, dying of AIDS, he avowed, “Nothing will stop me from getting to Addis.” Confused and occasionally incoherent, was he alluding to heaven, we wondered. So loved by us, by his fellow staff at the Gambella Anglican Center, and by his fellow students at St Frumentius’, he lay there, in the stench of uncontrollable diarrhea, and revealed the gentle dignity of a beloved friend undiminished by degradation.</b></div>
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<b>Our stories - they aren’t over yet.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beloved Ojulu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gatluak</td></tr>
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong></h4>
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~ for our full time and part time students of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College<br />
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~ for our newest refugee camp churches in Jewi, Pinyadu 2, and Sorre<br />
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~ For Stehen Munye and Simor Taidor to be odained deacon<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nassir</td></tr>
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~ With thanks for the recent Trauma Healing workshop and Inner Healing teams<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #505050; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Students pray for each other in our recent Inner Healing intensive course led by SOMA, USA</span></td></tr>
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~ for the dedication of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College and the blessing of the chapel by Archbishop Mouneer to take place <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1888388820" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">November 24, 2015</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #505050; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Work continues on St Frumentius' Chapel and multipurpose building</strong></td></tr>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-18219351018466186912015-08-28T09:36:00.000-04:002015-08-28T09:36:22.040-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Typical ....</strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> A 'typically' beautiful Gambellan Smile</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>...Or Not!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People often ask, “Tell us about a typical day in Gambella!” I don’t know if we’ve had a typical day yet! Typical just isn’t part of the rhythm of life here! Morning usually begins with coffee and a psalm. After that - well let’s see. After that, on most days, we have staff devotions. We all have the same liturgy, we don’t all have the same language. This means prayer and worship happens ‘in unity’ in a cacophony of different languages. Then the ‘plan for the day’ happens. This is not usually our plan. Words like, ‘flexible’, ‘nimble’, ‘interruption', and ‘pain in the neck’ come to mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Snapshot of Wendy’s day yesterday, August 6th: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />~ Waking up to the sounds of a successful ‘hockey tournament’ played in our attic by the bats who had moved in during our absence in June. (Of note - moth balls do not deter bats, but they seem to have lots of fun sending them skimming over the ‘floor’ of the attic). <br /><br />~ Cooking breakfast, lunch and supper for eight (I am learning that ‘Company’ is just family - the wider family of a life shared with One who has many brothers and sisters!). <br /><br />~ Tending neighborhood children as well as the staff and their family members for a variety of interesting things: large oozing tropical ulcers, wounds, infections of various sorts, HIV and malaria. <br /><br />~ A few precious moments spent planning out the drama that is to accompany my next Mothers’ Union teaching story - this one on prevention and treatment of malaria and scabies; “Helping Each Other when Little Things cause Big Problems”. <br /><br /> ~ Spending time with someone dear: </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cham Ojur Puro</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This afternoon I visited with Cham who was at home in mourning, grieving from the sudden loss of her mother to malaria. Her mother was “very very very old - probably 55 or 60”. I felt so privileged to sit with a circle of friends in Cham’s house, the conversation ranging from family to neighbors to bemoaning the electricity (or lack thereof) here in Gambella. Exposed wires, usually tied together with torn plastic bags, had, in Cham’s house, the luxury of electric tape patching them together. Two women in the community were recently electrocuted when the wires running along the roof of their houses were blown down by the wind. As our visit wound to a close, we were honored with a serving of Pepsi - a real treat, although one that I personally tend to find palatably challenging! We ended with a prayers and hugs. I felt very rich. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif;">A typical few days for Grant in Gambella</span></strong></div>
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<strong>Thursday, July 23rd: </strong></div>
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It’s rainy season. We gather for morning prayer around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_910455832" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">8am</span></span>, our Gambella Anglican Centre staff together with the 20 or so prospective theological students attending our advanced English class. So instead of the usual mix of languages, we are worshiping mostly in English. Today’s meditation (Matthew chapter 6) is led by Darash. “What do salt and light do, and so what should we do to be salt and light to our communities?” , he asks. After prayer, and (impossibly sweet) tea, we had a staff “work day”. We’re trying to turn our compound into the garden of Eden, so we need to take advantage of rainy season to plant and arrange vegetation. No sooner had tomatoes and cucumbers and flowers been planted than the deluge began - thunder, lightening. Within an hour our rain water tanks were filled to overflowing. The rain and the accompanying sound and light show continued all day. Ample amounts of laughter seemed to be coming from the English class - always a good sign. Steve, our visiting professor from America, together with his helper Ken, a Canadian theological student, had to yell in order to be heard over the pounding rain crashing on to the classroom’s tin roof. The workers building the chapel had a good couple of hours work before being defeated by the rain. They have been busy erecting arches - the walls will soon be up, the floors and vestry finished, and then the roof.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">St Frumentius College Chapel / Multi-purpose Building - under construction!</span></h4>
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In our ongoing battle with whatever has decided to move into our attic, I threw a batch of moth balls through the trap door. If the moth balls don’t work, my next offensive will be with incense. Apparently unwanted critters around here - be they mice, bats, or whatever, don’t like incense - must be low church mice, bats, whatever…</div>
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<strong>Friday</strong></div>
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The rain has eased back today. Every plant in the place has grown an inch or two overnight.</div>
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Before I went to Egypt last week I heard about food shortages once again cropping up in the Gambella People’s Region. More and more refugees keep coming. This morning I wrote a letter to a few friendly organizations that have helped us in the past. Hopefully some help will come. Our ‘Samaritan Fund’ for emergencies was running low.</div>
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At <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_910455833" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">3pm</span></span> I had a meeting with four of our five Regional Deans (I managed to get information from the fifth before the meeting, so everyone was represented). We talked about some potential pastoral moves, a few problems (including the fact that a thousand people from an ethnic group where we’ve never had a church suddenly want to become Anglicans). We also divided up the money we have for emergencies and money we had for building churches (now that fund is empty too). </div>
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At <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_910455834" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5pm</span></span> I met with a church council that wants an electric keyboard. It’s an extremely ‘cool’ item whose blasting tinny rhythms are guaranteed to to attract the young people, apparently. They don’t have the money to pay for it, so they want the bishop to help. The bishop also doesn’t have the money, but that is hard for them to believe. They also know that the bishop, for some reason, doesn’t seem to be delighted at the idea of purchasing this highly desirable item. Anyway after an hour and a half or so I managed to convince them that they needed a plan to raise the money and that if they had a good plan I would help them somehow. Sigh.I hate saying ‘no.’ I have to say it almost every day, though.</div>
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Today Wendy and I took our guests to some of the ‘tourist hotspots’ in Gambella, including - the prison. The prisoners there make and sell bead work, so while Wendy helped Ken and Steve to choose something for their families, I sat and chatted with one of the inmates - a former Anglican pastor I had to depose for robbing the church. After leaving us he got another job, but stole money there as well - hence the prison sentence. I’ve visited and prayed with him a few times now. He is sad to be in prison, but insists that he is innocent, so I can’t really say he’s repentant. Still, God is not finished with him.<br />
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<strong>Sunday:</strong><br />
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This morning’s adventure (most Sunday mornings are an adventure) took us to a new church in a village called Koat Ngoal; don’t ask me to pronounce it. Two hours of driving takes us to Lare. From there we drive off road for ten minutes or so until that is no longer possible.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> The Road to Koat Ngoal</span></h4>
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Soon we reach a group of Mothers Union members singing a welcome song. This usually means we’ve arrived. Not today. Today it means, “Here’s where you need to follow us into the elephant grass and maize fields.” A half hour walk in the mud through grass 8-9 feet high finally brings us to the church.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Mothers' Union meet us on the road</span></h4>
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The congregation in Koat Ngnoal is not new, but they have recently build a church and so instead of being under a tree, they have a place with shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. The welcome at the church is a typical Nuer welcome (finally something typical!) with enthusiastic singing, ululations, hand shaking and footwashing for the guests. The church itself is a tiny stick, mud and thatch structure - somehow we manage to squeeze 40-50 people in. The lessons point to Jesus as the Good Shepherd, so when it comes time to give the church a name (names are only given to the church when the bishop comes), it is easy - Good Shepherd Anglican Church. After the service lunch is provided for us back in Lare (with a literal ‘song and dance' welcome from the Sunday School) - then the two hour drive back to Gambella town.<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We reach Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Koat Ngoal</span></h4>
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Showers. Naps. No rain today - but lots of thunder and lightening as I write at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_910455835" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6pm</span></span>. It will certainly rain tonight. More adventures tomorrow.<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Please Pray with us ~</span></h4>
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~ for God’s blessing upon the opening of St Frumentius Anglican Theological College, Gambella</div>
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~ for our incoming theological students<br /> </div>
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~ for our faculty Jeremiah Maet Paul, Karen Salmon, Dr Johann Vanderbijl as well as those providing teaching in intensive courses including Tekele Belachew and Bishop Grant</div>
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~ for those visiting teams who will be teaching the students and clergy on Healing from Trauma </div>
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~ for God’’s provision for funding for the remaining classrooms and faculty housing as well as the completion of the St Frumentius College Chapel / multipurpose building</div>
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~ for discernment for those seeking ordination as deacon and priest, and for the selection committee advising the bishop</div>
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~ with thanksgiving for our recent wonderful visitors: Rev Kim Beard and the Toronto team; Steve Hunt; Ken Johnstone</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"> One of our 'typically' beautiful backyard birds:<br /> a Pygmy Kingfisher</span></h4>
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<b>FOG on the BLOG</b></div>
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<b>A few months ago a friend in Toronto (the Rev Dean Mercer) emailed with an idea. He wanted a way for Canadians to support our work in Ethiopia and suggested the formation of FOG (Friends Of Grant). Joining is easy - the membership fee is $100 a year sent to DevXchange (their website address is at the bottom of this page). The money can be sent electronically or by cheque. DevXchange will send a charitable receipt. There are not many benefits to being a member (the satisfaction of giving and the receipt being about it…). Some have objected to the name (“What about Wendy?”). Dean’s answer was that lots f stuff rhymes with FOG - we can have a BOG when we’re in town (a Big Old Meeting); we ca talk about FOG on our BLOG (as I am doing right now!); However, for those concerned about this (Wendy says she isn’t concerned), you could chose to call yourself a FOGWART, since Friends Of Grant and Wendy Are Really Terrific. This group is of course welcome to all - but especially those who wish to receive a CANADIAN charitable receipt. Those who aren’t concerned about the Canadian part can still give through DevXchange - or the other organizations which are helping us, like FADE, FACE and SAMS.</b></div>
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<b> Blessings, </b></div>
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<b> “A Friend”</b></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-39578957585669618562015-07-21T07:57:00.000-04:002015-07-21T07:57:52.359-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Opo area small hunter-gatherer people group; only about 5,000 in the world. Eight years ago, one of our Nuer Anglican deacons, Gordon Roc, stripped off his clothes, and holding them high overhead, waded through the crocodile-infested river, more than a mile wide, separating the Opo from the rest of the world during the rainy season. He spoke to them about Jesus. The Opo were interested, but said to him, “We have just one question; if we become Christian, can we drink coffee?” Gordon was surprised when his reply, “Of course you can drink coffee,” was met with a joyful shout, “Then we will become Christian!!” (A few years earlier, some 7th Day Adventists had visited them and told them that Christians couldn’t drink coffee, to which the Opo replied, “Well then, forget Christianity!”).</div>
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The Opo quickly became one of our favorite people groups in the Gambella Region. We especially enjoyed the fresh perspectives on the faith that the Opo portrayed in drama. For example, their dramatic presentation of “I will make you fishers of men”, portrayed a fisherman who, after drawing in the fish with his net, then proceeded to club his fish on the head (which gave an entirely new slant on discipleship making).</div>
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The Opo had no written language until about 7 years ago. Now they have Morning Prayer, the Communion Service and part of the New Testament in their own language. On Easter day 2014 the Opo gathered to hear the first reading of their translation of the gospel of Mark - the service that day consisted of a reading of the whole gospel. “Now we know that God speaks our language!”, they said.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Until recently only two Opo women have attended our Mothers’ Union education program, with a third woman recently joining them to represent the 1,000 Opo refugees newly arrived from South Sudan. It was our privilege to join the Opo this year for Christmas, and we were astonished at the change the Mothers’ Union had made in this close knit community. As we entered the village, we noted with delight that several ‘tukals” (the small round mud and stick dwellings) had built little extensions on to their thatched or tarpaulin roofs. They were using these extensions as dish drying racks. Knowing that the introduction of water purification and dish drying racks had decreased by 90 percent the hospital admission rates for infant dehydration from diarrhea, (Africa’s number one killer of small children), the teaching of dish drying racks and water purification became the subject of our first teaching session in the Mothers’ Union education program</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTnoKyTej66-d6-Qzp-fQhOSDij6IWyM8berj3IUZf-gR1ycRgjTP9nhdFDEzaZLd3Gd0yd2qYOS9Dn7M_owl84zLKzFCbR5NtL1487UqvJ8tybxh1hFGOzSJJAK9lf4MNjiBiGgZ_4QH/s1600/Christmas+2014+Opo+-+2+of+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTnoKyTej66-d6-Qzp-fQhOSDij6IWyM8berj3IUZf-gR1ycRgjTP9nhdFDEzaZLd3Gd0yd2qYOS9Dn7M_owl84zLKzFCbR5NtL1487UqvJ8tybxh1hFGOzSJJAK9lf4MNjiBiGgZ_4QH/s320/Christmas+2014+Opo+-+2+of+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Opo Dish Drying Racks!</b></span></td></tr>
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As we came into the center of the village, we saw 3 jerry cans set up on poles. We had taught the women how to put taps into these easily available jerry cans. It had been the local practice to have one repeatedly refilled but unwashed water pot into which one communal cup was dipped and then passed from person to person (for example, from one person with a cough to the next person who may have diarrhea, etc). Now, clean water was put into the jerry cans, and cups washed in between use.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Opo Clean Water Dispensers</b></td></tr>
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The next morning, to much general amusement, Wendy tried to help prepare Mapo, the traditional meal of maize which is ground by hand on large flat stones; (Hard labour, let me tell you, and all done before anything can be eaten in the morning). The night before, when we had been served Mapo for supper, we noticed that it was different than at previous visits. Now the large round ball of maize meal was bright green instead of white, and also, it tasted much better. In the morning it became clear - the women were adding Moringa leaves as they ground the maize and shaped it onto Mapo.</div>
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Malnutrition is a key factor in the unbelievably high rate of infant mortality in the Gambella region. Our community survey had shown that out of an average to 9 to 11 pregnancies per woman, only 2 to 4 children survived to age 5 years. Beans and lentils, which could be grown in other areas in Ethiopia, were, for a number of very good reasons, not readily acceptable to the Nilotic people groups of the Gambella region. Was there a culturally resonant source of nutrition that was available in our area? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Adding Nutrient-rich Moringa</b></td></tr>
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It turned out that Moringa was the answer. Moringa leaves are a wonderful source of vitamin C. And vitamin A. And vitamin E. And vitamin B - niacin, thiamin riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin 12. And Folate, And Iron. And potassium, and calcium, and magnesium and all the essential amino acids (it is in fact a complete protein), as well as containing all the essential fatty acids, and a myriad of trace essential elements and minerals. Here was something that could completely eradicate malnutrition and it was growing wild (and free!) in our area. Plant, shrub and tree leaves had formed a traditional part of the diet of many of our people groups, some using Moringa from time to time without knowing about its tremendous benefits, others never having heard of it. Now our Mothers’ Union have learned how to plant, harvest and cook with Moringa, and were giving away seeds and seedlings in their local area teachings.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj2L4JBNS4_9BCZzNUKLx1QX3AvFdgNtkQy9f6u-PZmUWV5OZCBHOj_koFCr22P1jDEg96I6CmreJzERNTXWkSlQX54lRCyIObHTGXMKbRjWQeQ4my6BEjeYp-XUU3CLWO07RY4kpMrkU/s1600/Gambella+2008+-+1+of+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: Times; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj2L4JBNS4_9BCZzNUKLx1QX3AvFdgNtkQy9f6u-PZmUWV5OZCBHOj_koFCr22P1jDEg96I6CmreJzERNTXWkSlQX54lRCyIObHTGXMKbRjWQeQ4my6BEjeYp-XUU3CLWO07RY4kpMrkU/s320/Gambella+2008+-+1+of+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Reddish Hair - a sign of Iron Deficiency</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: normal;">The best part about seeing the Opo cooking with Moringa was the appearance of their children. Not one of the Opo children had red hair, (a common sign of iron deficiency in dark skinned people), nor did any of the children have the distended bellies commonly seen with protein malnutrition.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: normal;">As dictated by hospitality, of course the Opo did not want us to be left alone to sleep in our tents. Of course we would enjoy having the whole noisy community stay with us all night. In the morning, we were again delighted when, stepping out of our tent, we saw a whole forrest of mosquito-net ‘tents”, the nets ingeniously hung between two poles, each having a swinging cross bar for easy access to the mosquito safe interior.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: normal;">The Opo also proudly showed us their one demonstration ‘safe cooking fire’ that they had constructed after their Mothers’ Union teaching session on burn treatment and prevention. A 70 percent decrease in infant toddler burns has been found in communities that simply put low mud walls on either side of the traditional cooking fires.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b>Opo's Mosquito Net Community<br /></b></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: normal;">In the most recent training event, the theme had been empowerment. As the current Mothers’ Union teaching program comes to an end in September of 2016, we are busy planning and discussing how the Mothers’ Union might want to continue to grow and to serve in their communities.</span><br />
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The training of future clergy and current clergy and lay evangelists at the new St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College in Gambella is moving from the planning stages to reality as we prepare to receive our first year’s students to be enrolled in September of this year. As we write, the second of two English Language Intensives is being held for candidates for admission into theological studies requiring a grasp of written English. Plans for teaching those gifted in ministry who do not have fluency in English is also underway. We are hoping that two of our Opo who have shown great potential both in helping with Bible translation and with Sunday worship and ministry will become part of St Frumentius’ first year class. </div>
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Please pray for the Opo with whom we have the privilege of sharing life and of sharing the love of Jesus.<br />
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<b>~ Please Pray with us ~</b></div>
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<br />~with thanksgiving for successful heart surgery for Sarah Lual. She is recovering well from this live-saving intervention. Thanks so much for your prayers</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 11px;">Sarah Lual receives a new bible just before she goes to hospital for heart surgery. Thanks to the children of Holy Trinity Classical Christian School, SC for this </span><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 11px;">lovely</span><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 11px;"> gift.</span></h4>
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~ for 6 year old Wecca - still on the waiting list for his heart surgery.<br />Pray for protection from the irreversible lung damage that could result without speedy intervention<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<br /><br />~ For the new refugees arriving from conflict zones in Bentiu and Malakal<br /><br />~ for the refugees who have been newly moved from Leitchor to the new Jewi Refugee Camp<br /><br />~ for St. Frumentius Anglican Theological College:<br /> ~ for wisdom in the choice of students accepted into our first year class beginning September 2015<br /> ~ for the timely completion of St Frumentius' College Chapel<br /> ~for the timely construction of faculty housing and classrooms for the college<br /> ~ with thanksgiving for our incoming faculty - Rev Jeremiah Muot Paul, and Ms. Karen Salmon<br /> ~ For our Dean, Rev Dr Johann Vanderbijl<br /><br />~ with thanksgiving for visiting teams for their work in teaching, in library cataloging, and in construction</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Sunday School Teacher training -<br />we are running from Pharoah's troops</span></h2>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-39986976129354740972015-04-23T08:54:00.000-04:002015-04-23T08:56:19.368-04:00Ethiopian Martyrs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A new Coptic icon of the 21 Egyptian Martyrs of Libya</b></span></td></tr>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ethiopian Martyrs</span></b></div>
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I have just learned the horrifying news that as many as twenty-eight Ethiopian Christians have been shot or beheaded in Libya by members of the terrorist group known as ISIS or ISIL. This alarming act of violence against those that ISIS calls “people of the cross” comes just two months after twenty-one other Christians - twenty Egyptians and one Ghanian, were beheaded on a Libyan beach.</div>
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It is too early to learn the names of these newest martyrs. It is also too early to know what churches they came from. (The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has more than 30 million members, but there are also members of many other churches in this country, including at least 15 million Protestant Christians.) Personal details about the men who have died may emerge. For now we can note the most important things to be said about these victims. Their names are known to God and they are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 13:8). Their denominational affiliation is no longer of any importance: they are among the unnumbered throng from every nation, tribe, people and language gathered before the throne and the Lamb (Rev 7:9) who have come out of the great persecution (Rev 7:14) and have had every tear wiped away from their eyes (Rev 7:17).</div>
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The persecution of followers of Jesus is one of the terrible facts about today’s world. Although the popular imagination may still associate the persecution of Christians with the distant past (of the Roman Empire, for example), it is a reality that more Christians have died martyrs’ deaths in the last hundred years than in all the previous centuries of Christian history combined. We are living in a time when the words of Jesus “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also,” (John 15:18) are being fulfilled on a more and more frequent basis.</div>
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How are we Christians (those of us in Ethiopia as well as around the world) to react to this most recent atrocity? First, we must look up to God in thanksgiving for the lives of these brothers who loved not their own lives, but followed Jesus in the way of the cross. Second, we must ask for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to abandon the temptation to hate. Instead we must follow Jesus, who not only suffered death on the cross, but also prayed for his executioners to be forgiven. If we are turned to hatred, the terrorists have won. Finally, we must continue to reach out to a world desperate for the love of Jesus. Make no mistake, the terrorists who executed these martyrs of Ethiopia have exhibited the worst of human depravity, but they have also revealed their desperate need of a Saviour. The apostle Paul, a great persecutor of the church of God, was turned to love by his experience of meeting Christ on his way to the Syrian city of Damascus. May God use his church to so act and speak of and from the love of Christ that many former or potential persecutors may be turned and have their names written in the book of life.</div>
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+ Grant, The Horn of Africa</div>
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<strong style="line-height: 18px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
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~ For our Mother's Union Literacy trainers with thanksgiving for our recent training at Gambella Anglican Centre<br />
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~ For Little Wunwar, for recovery from a serious falling injury. Wunwar is the 4 year old son of our priest, Jeremiah, soon to become one of our faculty at the St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College. Pray also for Wunwar's mother Elizabeth for recovery from kidney problems.<br />
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~ For little Sarah Lual scheduled for open heart surgery June 15, 2015<br />
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~ For Wecca - For protection from Pulmonary Hypertension as he awaits heart surgery<br />
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~ For those grieving in Libya and in Ethiopia<br />
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~ For the St Frumentius Anglican Theological College<br />
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~ For Rosemary Burke, recently appointed Secretary General of the Anglican Church in Ethiopia</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-57087588370740430642015-03-06T06:47:00.000-05:002015-03-06T06:47:49.648-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Sharing the heart of Jesus</b></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;">Opo women: now adding life-saving Moringa to their traditional “Mapo’ (maize only) meal</span></td></tr>
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<b>A Busy Season</b></div>
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This past season from November thorough February has seen us host 28 visitors to the Gambella Anglican Centre, 2 clergy training events, 2 Mothers’ Union training events, 1 week-long clergy and lay reader conference, and the Diocesan Area Assembly for over 200 representatives. Combined with visits to various church communities including the student-led church of Mekele, visits to Djibouti and Somaliland, and many meetings about exciting ministry development, this has been a busy time! Crises with the clergy, crises with changing governmental regulations, lack of running water, lack of electricity and lack of time alone to rest and recuperate - all this combined has made us very conscious of our weaknesses; our shortcomings, and, very aware of the unfailing love of Jesus, who loves to fill all that we are not, with all that He is.</div>
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<b>Highlights from Wendy</b></div>
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~ Sitting under the stars with the Opo at Christmas, watching the Jesus film, when, as one, with their spontaneous and heartfelt applause, they greeted the risen ‘Jesus’ as he appeared to his disciples in the film.</div>
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~ Baby Louise’s Oatmeal Eye Infection: </div>
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“Baby” Louise’s Oatmeal Eye Infection:</div>
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a rare moment when this ‘natural ham’ was not ‘crying’</div>
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Laughing and yet a little horrified, the Mothers’ union representatives watched as Baby Louise’s mother (me), happily spread the infection (oatmeal) from one of her eyes to both eyes, and then, using the same dirty cloth, to the face of my other “child” as well as to my friend, who, after shaking my (dirty) hand, rubbed the transferred oatmeal on to her eye as well. </div>
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“What have I done?”, I asked my Mothers’ Union reps. </div>
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And then, “Let’s do this again!!” </div>
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“Shall I use the same cloth to wash Baby Louise’s other eye?”, I asked. </div>
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“Noo!!!!” the Mothers’ Union reps shouted in horror</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1KCWb7msTL7GIWWCviTxivE89eCbXaN6ir4tx1uGbrEPWW3HQ6ONRvgIFd0Tur4-hnY5ckdrNi5KO5e608LIln79qUl8_UtGy5p5FhcQRLlCOHV761Wc2nq374bDAcLwVYK8wSKT00yR/s1600/IMG_8326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1KCWb7msTL7GIWWCviTxivE89eCbXaN6ir4tx1uGbrEPWW3HQ6ONRvgIFd0Tur4-hnY5ckdrNi5KO5e608LIln79qUl8_UtGy5p5FhcQRLlCOHV761Wc2nq374bDAcLwVYK8wSKT00yR/s1600/IMG_8326.JPG" height="189" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;">Mothers’ Union watch with horror and laughter<br /></span></td></tr>
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~Presenting new ways of teaching: Like still-life photographs, the visiting team from South Carolina with one of two gestures then frozen in a tableau brought the reality of the suffering of the woman healed from a flow of blood in a way that enabled our Gambellan women to touch her joy, and to reach out to touch this One who still heals today.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlcEiYq44QXmOaZ0dUljkvtDZ24OlJBSK0XqawctZKKrq7SnkvlcwSXRq0ElXSCqrHcr0AD9DyVLQZpZILEIRKf7nQO7ujISVukEXJaW87Da5cfqpzHDnfqYyle4NC0X-N8z2uNQal_2o/s1600/IMG_8254+-+Version+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlcEiYq44QXmOaZ0dUljkvtDZ24OlJBSK0XqawctZKKrq7SnkvlcwSXRq0ElXSCqrHcr0AD9DyVLQZpZILEIRKf7nQO7ujISVukEXJaW87Da5cfqpzHDnfqYyle4NC0X-N8z2uNQal_2o/s1600/IMG_8254+-+Version+2.JPG" height="200" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;">Portraits in “Still Life”: The woman with the flow of blood</span></td></tr>
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As the season of Lent begins, I’ve been thinking, “What is mission”? I think it is walking with Jesus. As you give Him your hands to be available, your feet to follow, and your home to welcome Him, He gives you His heart for others, His perception of who they are in Him and His joy in seeing hearts become open to love. I believe God yearns to love others through human hands and human hearts; that what Jesus wants to be for us in the moment of our need, He intends to give through us to others. Jesus’ very life was poured out on the cross. To meet Him there, where sin and inadequacy have been taken up into His death, is to find life.</div>
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<b>Thoughts from Bishop Grant</b></div>
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As Wendy has said, we’ve had a lot of visitors in the last two months or so. We are extremely grateful to each one: my good buddy Chuck from near Toronto, a group from Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, a Mothers’ Union staff worker from the UK, a family of long-term missionaries to Ethiopia who joined us for a few days of Christmas celebrations with the Opo people, a young couple from York, UK discerning a call to mission work here in Gambella, and finally a wonderful servant-like group from South Carolina. Each person and group has made wonderful contributions to our life and work here. So many others have contributed to our life and work here from a distance - we are keenly aware of the on-going support, especially in prayer, that we receive from so many. Thank you so much.</div>
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But the last few <i>days</i> have been quite remarkable.</div>
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To start with, Wendy and I became grandparents this weekend. Well, actually, we became grandparents nine months ago, but the baby has now become visible to all! Samuel Grant LeMarquand was born on Saturday February 7 in Calgary to David and Anna LeMarquand. We are grateful and excited - but it is difficult to be on the other side of the world when such a miracle is going on! Thankfully we’ll be in Calgary for the baptism in May.</div>
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Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, our Anuak churches in the new Abobo Mission Centre held a “spiritual conference” - two days of prayer, singing and preaching. We travelled there on the Sunday morning and had a wonderful service with Christians from four churches in the area. All of these are new. The oldest of the four, Bethlehem Anglican Church in Abobo town, was started a year ago. Now Bethlehem Church has given birth to three baby churches. The conference was being held in a tiny village called Ukunne. One of the great privileges I have as bishop is to name churches that I visit. This one, to the delight of the people gathered, received the name “Our Father Anglican Church” - in Anuak “Wuawa” Anglican Church.</div>
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Over in Pilwal, one of our staff was invited to a special, high-powered event. It seems there a man in Pilwal who was possessed by a traditional ancestral spirit named Wiu. This man has spent most of his life serving Wiu, performing sacrifices for many people on behalf of the spirit. Even though his relatives are Christians, they were afraid of this man and the spirit who possessed him. The family, convinced that Wiu is responsible for the recent deaths of three family members, have been begging him to become a Christian and forsake this spirit. Shaken by the recent deaths, the man spent this weekend in conversation and prayer, and opening his heart to Christ, he decided to burn his ritual sacrificial spears, and the leopard skin, a symbol of his spiritual authority, and to take on a new name, David, as a symbol of new life and new joy. His catechetical training has begun in preparation for his baptism.</div>
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<b>~ Please Pray with us ~</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUVZJi8MQyNcCdK7eSIqD-fwQMWCoRP7KowqoFc-W71ZCI6jhX82WMHqbZ01KaJDtnwVLfrQI0oXqExXZYpEL8QhsRQbFMY4l3quTJfXvVdKNDk6MnOLkkS_nAMICpKsGybAQtz9qa70a/s1600/photo+1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUVZJi8MQyNcCdK7eSIqD-fwQMWCoRP7KowqoFc-W71ZCI6jhX82WMHqbZ01KaJDtnwVLfrQI0oXqExXZYpEL8QhsRQbFMY4l3quTJfXvVdKNDk6MnOLkkS_nAMICpKsGybAQtz9qa70a/s1600/photo+1-2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px;">Samuel Grant, now a one week old pirate!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /><b>Give thanks:</b></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the birth of Samuel Grant LeMarquand</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for new birth for David of Pilwal</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the many groups who have been watching the Jesus film in our churches</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the new churches being planted</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for successful times of training for our Mothers’ Union leaders and our clergy</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the good work being done by Johann Vanderbijl in preparation for the launching of our theological college</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the wonderful work of Louise Vanderbijl, my ‘partner-in-crime’ in Mothers’ Union training events</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbRsFVsyzDq060-hB2nC91TL3NxRSE_qfsSkig-VhTvatHPJs0puXNgnVeJqpMcbUZKcm75FRJEhDRcYw27AWm0j4H8z9tn-eRvcYF8DrE-t_3Vt2wn0b2HrG3tEXWS9kYuY9kjyBsnNt/s1600/DSCN1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbRsFVsyzDq060-hB2nC91TL3NxRSE_qfsSkig-VhTvatHPJs0puXNgnVeJqpMcbUZKcm75FRJEhDRcYw27AWm0j4H8z9tn-eRvcYF8DrE-t_3Vt2wn0b2HrG3tEXWS9kYuY9kjyBsnNt/s1600/DSCN1442.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Hand-washing stations,<br />mosquito nets,<br />dish-drying racks,<br />safer cooking fires,<br />and nutritious Moringa - </b></div>
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<b>The Mothers’ Union are making a difference in Opo!!</b></div>
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<b>Please pray:</b></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for ongoing support to pay for programmes, salaries, Bibles, hymn books, new churches,and for buildings for St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College on the Gambella Anglican Centre compound</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0SHksYMLhWiDP9ncI1DQYYpSeMSdFOmE5QraGoAJJchD7Y2SI2GRh2lolQS8BqjAMnWx3q0qGq68mcDBvBQ87G1Y8kOeHcuOkh4ofKi96JNtVBboWNbJpQrMu8odCXlTij1X6D0KhLF/s1600/DSCN1406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0SHksYMLhWiDP9ncI1DQYYpSeMSdFOmE5QraGoAJJchD7Y2SI2GRh2lolQS8BqjAMnWx3q0qGq68mcDBvBQ87G1Y8kOeHcuOkh4ofKi96JNtVBboWNbJpQrMu8odCXlTij1X6D0KhLF/s1600/DSCN1406.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for the right teachers to come and teach at St Frumentius’ and for the right students to come and learn</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99TlzOcKEcCSWpbpT80xyn-Ly7RheZkodwSNnyt6ljURFzvPZEYwEIsXm7KFaAxCy5_I2YAFBcCiSf3OgOkeJwzlEG23FSnFnReDMkifqNTjIE9ufk5IFSSg0kC7Jp5vOMzQzTlxAErM0/s1600/DSCN1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99TlzOcKEcCSWpbpT80xyn-Ly7RheZkodwSNnyt6ljURFzvPZEYwEIsXm7KFaAxCy5_I2YAFBcCiSf3OgOkeJwzlEG23FSnFnReDMkifqNTjIE9ufk5IFSSg0kC7Jp5vOMzQzTlxAErM0/s1600/DSCN1443.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">that churches may continue to grow in their ability to take financial responsibility for the life of their churches</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagJSa-nD10ydXF1f1YmexUKcdbG4TDXEL1Z21y5Y9r6Xe-qsDphnMZvyOvwa7rBjo_cfK2F7E_BrcTQmqV84uchZyaiF-HIUNs-PG4yxAkrs8BXPjlVBo69WghYFpRR1LsejNO5uJuCat/s1600/DSCN1405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagJSa-nD10ydXF1f1YmexUKcdbG4TDXEL1Z21y5Y9r6Xe-qsDphnMZvyOvwa7rBjo_cfK2F7E_BrcTQmqV84uchZyaiF-HIUNs-PG4yxAkrs8BXPjlVBo69WghYFpRR1LsejNO5uJuCat/s1600/DSCN1405.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for true peace in South Sudan</li>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">for our many refugees</li>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-51249330975756588282014-12-14T08:05:00.000-05:002014-12-14T08:07:55.222-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Refugees Have...</h2>
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As the staccato shots rang out, we joined hands and, together with the rest of the crowd, fled from the center of Gambella market. Moments later the embarrassed laughter of relief broke out as the crowd realized that we had all been running from a back-firing Bajaj (taxi). Tension and laughter; something that we in Gambella have been living with for the past few weeks.</div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1496516602" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> found us on the road to Bonga - home, in our opinion, of the best honey in Ethiopia. We passed soldier after soldier, their AK-47’s slung carelessly over their shoulders, now stationed along the streets in this Mezhenger-zone border area. Heart-breakingly, we heard that the bee hives of the Mezhenger people, their source of food and income, had been deliberately destroyed in the recent uprising in this region. Our destination was St Thomas’ Anglican Church in Bonga. It was wonderful to join our Anuak congregation there in a worship service permeated with peace. I was struck by the beauty of the quiet tears adorning the face of one woman as she raised her hands in thanksgiving and adoration. The Anuak plans to start a Mezhenger-speaking congregation in this area are discussed with excitement and enthusiasm, undiminished by either suffering or unrest. It is great to be part of what God is doing in the midst of the tumult and trust of walking with Him in this part of the world.</div>
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“<strong>Refugees have no God</strong>”</div>
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Ethiopia is a majority Christian country. We enjoy freedom of worship. Christians are able to meet freely here without fear of reprisal. Well, most of the time. There are, of course, parts of the country where this is not the case. </div>
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Two sad situations were reported to us recently. Both happen to have taken place near the Sudan border in refugee camps where people are vulnerable at the best of times. In one camp, Anglican Christians were meeting with a camp official who had given us problems in the past, denying the church various things. On this particular day the official seems to have been trying to put Christians in their place, attempting to show them ‘who was boss’, and to assure them that as refugees they had no rights (not true, of course, although refugees often have little knowledge of what their rights are). Our church members were asking for the camp to allow a priest to come to give them Holy Communion and to baptize their children. “Refugees have no God,” the official told them. </div>
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“Refugees have no God”? What does that mean? - especially since it was spoken by a man who, as a Muslim, claims belief in one God. Does it mean, ‘Your so-called god has let you down. The one I believe in is bigger than your god’? And what of the underlying assumption, “You are sub-human. God does not care about you. You are not worthy of having your religious practices honoured and valued - you are mere refugees, unimportant people”? The lay reader who told me this story also assured me that attendance in the church in that camp has gone up recently. It seems these people have a God after all.</div>
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A half day drive away in another camp a remarkable revival has been going on for several years. Every evening at sundown the children and young people of St John the Baptist Anglican Church gather outside the church for a half hour. They sing, they read a short passage of scripture which is commented on briefly, they pray for the sick. Then they all disperse to their homes for the evening meal and bed. Other churches in the camp have tried to model the practice. For some reason these other gatherings have fizzled after a week or two. God is doing something special in this particular church. It is not a technique, it is not something that can simply be copied. But a few weeks ago in the midst of their Evening Prayer, the camp police arrived. They took the pastor and all the children to the camp jail and told them that what they were doing was illegal. They were told to desist. Our pastor said, “No, we are allowed to pray. We will pray. If you want to imprison us for the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will suffer gladly.” They were finally released...too much trouble to keep them all locked up it seems.<br />
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These stories of attempts to humiliate and dehumanize are in sharp tension with the over-arching story we find in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. In that story we find that although Jesus possessed “equality with God” he did not consider that this meant living a life of privilege. He became downwardly mobile, entering our fleshly, dusty, muddy existence, giving himself for others, for us, for refugees, and for the proud, for victims and perpetrators, for his enemies and his friends. This story, encapsulated in Philippians 2:5-11, stands in contradiction to the stories of hatred, ridicule and oppression that are so common in our world. In the face of the attempts to dehumanize them, our people simply continue to sing and to pray, to build churches out of the mud and the sticks, because they know that one day all will become clear. One day “every knee will bow and every tongue confess ... that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” One day the God of the refugees will be praised by every creature “in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” And the humiliated will be exalted together with the one who “humbled himself” for them, to live and reign with him. </div>
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We have much to be thankful for. We have just finished our annual Area Assembly (like a synod or a convention) which brought together almost 200 representatives from our churches to worship, learn together and make decisions. There are signs of growth in depth and commitment among our churches here - makes a bishop’s heart glad.</div>
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Bishop Grant</div>
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<strong>Area Assembly November 2014:</strong><br />
Click link to read Bishop's Charge</div>
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<span style="font-size: 10px;"><a href="http://grantandwendy.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd&id=524fcbbfb9&e=42ee6635c4" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">https://gallery.mailchimp.com/<wbr></wbr>9c9acb225<br />d20d4c20ad4369dd/files/bishop_<wbr></wbr>s_charge_2014_pdf.pdf</a></span></h1>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small Stature.... Great Dignity</td></tr>
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Give thanks for the recent Area Assembly (Nov 26-28, 2014) which brought together representatives from most of the churches in Ethiopia, and especially for the wonderful emphasis on repentance and reconciliation.</div>
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Give thanks for Johann and Louise Vanderbijl, recently arrived in Gambella. Louise is working together with Wendy on Mothers’ Union projects and Johann is preparing for the opening of St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College.</div>
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Pray for churches in refugee camps that God with be present to them in all their joys and struggles.</div>
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Pray for several pastors who have had difficult family and personal issues to deal with recently.</div>
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Give thanks for Grant’s recent visit to other countries in the Horn of Africa and for doors for ministry<br />
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Pray for God’s provision of finances for St Frumentius’ College, for clergy salaries and for many other needs.</div>
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Pray for the upcoming ‘discernment conference’ and for those who are praying about their call to ordained ministry.</div>
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Pray for peace in South Sudan.</div>
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Pray for the several visitors coming to Gambella in the next two months.</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-57327908316837549922014-11-15T10:10:00.001-05:002014-11-21T09:41:36.874-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gambella is a strange place. It’s out of the way (we have an airport but it is used mostly by the World Food Programme). It’s poor (nearly half of the current residents of the region are refugees). Our two seasons, ‘rainy’ and ‘dry’, are more simply known as ‘mud’ and ‘dust’. In Gambella, not many are educated, not many are employed, not many are well-fed.<br />
But on occasion weird and unusual events happen in Gambella.</div>
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Seventeen years ago, Paul Pok, parish priest of Pinyudu Refugee Camp, made the difficult decision to send his two eldest daughters to school in America under the care of a relative. Recently Paul, now Regional Dean of Pinyudu (overseeing twelve churches), told me that one of his daughters was coming for a visit - they would see their little girl for the first time in almost two decades. As the visit got closer I began to realize that there might be something unusual about this young woman. She was traveling with a small entourage including a photographer and someone who seemed to be a kind of handler. Slowly the story emerged. This young woman is a (famous, I guess...) supermodel working in Milan, London and New York. </div>
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We were invited to meet her and had no idea what to expect. Wendy and I travel in some diverse circles, but the world of high fashion supermodels was never our interest, really. As it turns out Nykhor Paul is a delightful, articulate young woman. In spite of being out of Africa for seventeen years she has managed to retain her use of the Nuer language. Although she has not been ‘home’ for most of her life, she cares deeply about the plight of her family and the many South Sudanese refugees once again fleeing their homes because of violence. She has started an organization (“We are Nilotic”: see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZXJDAwUlEQ" style="color: #336699;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #021eaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px;">www.youtube.com/watch?v=<wbr></wbr>lZXJDAwUlEQ</span></a>) and a fund to help these victims of war (see <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2014%2Fapr%2F24%2Fsouth-sudan-supermodel-nykhor-paul&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEnuKslHccpkK7u_J_j9vBn_7DQsA" style="color: #336699;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #021eaa; font-size: 11px;">http://www.theguardian.com/<wbr></wbr>world/2014/apr/24/south-sudan-<wbr></wbr>supermodel-nykhor-paul)</span></a><span style="font-size: 11px;">.</span></div>
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Then a few weeks back, while shaking hands with the congregation at St Matthew’s in Addis Ababa, the British Ambassador asked if I was going to be in Gambella at the end of September - sadly no, I was going to be in another country for meetings, I responded. “Why?” I asked. </div>
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“Well, there is going to be a royal visit,” says he.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKNNQl9NFuWiLlSijiSn4epGeFkZnyJqr103jIUcujSjOJNJl2yv50w8uIRiit5MmelV0V9v4-e0GUjNoYSB3VIDCHUqBRMKQXHPURuHzjUbub430SQKFOmmekclvWsBh0M6z55D6TSso/s1600/P1030096-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKNNQl9NFuWiLlSijiSn4epGeFkZnyJqr103jIUcujSjOJNJl2yv50w8uIRiit5MmelV0V9v4-e0GUjNoYSB3VIDCHUqBRMKQXHPURuHzjUbub430SQKFOmmekclvWsBh0M6z55D6TSso/s1600/P1030096-2.jpg" height="191" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">HRH Princess Anne with Rev Deng Mark</td></tr>
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“In Gambella?? Really? Who?”</div>
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“Princess Anne.” (HRH, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II...) “She is a supporter of a children’s charity that works in Gambella, so she’s visiting the project. She will also lay a wreath at the grave of the only Commonwealth fatality in the World War II ‘Battle of Gambella.’ I thought it might be nice if she could be met by the Bishop, and if he could say a prayer at the grave.”</div>
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We have known for a long time that Gambella has many, albeit unofficial, supermodels and princesses - we just didn’t know that Supermodels and Princesses from elsewhere would want to come to visit. We’re glad they did. If their celebrity draws the world’s attention, even just a bit, to the problems in South Sudan and western Ethiopia, well and good!</div>
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“In the case of an event keep your head down below the level of the window. The medical kit is right behind your head, just pull it forward if you need it.” The ‘special police’, former British military, were on the alert; an exciting, if somewhat hyper-vigilant introduction to one of the countries in our diocese to east and north of us.</div>
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The courtesy and consideration shown to me by the top government official was deeply touching. As we walked to the site of a proposed new Anglican church to be built in this country, it began to rain. “This is a sign of God’s blessing on the relationship between our two faiths”, I was told. Pray for the beloved countries of this part of the world. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGia5TWaSzpYkJkRPKu_FGPHtCaLlvboYJv31p6Og-vj3vrQbYZq6hmWvLKfb8h3uwkDn_azKQZFVwaijqqX_TfWU614t_VMQPVeBqoMuwi3-vMcT9_-O44S0silWl2Y5H5vxCRMvMhBoR/s1600/_DSC0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGia5TWaSzpYkJkRPKu_FGPHtCaLlvboYJv31p6Og-vj3vrQbYZq6hmWvLKfb8h3uwkDn_azKQZFVwaijqqX_TfWU614t_VMQPVeBqoMuwi3-vMcT9_-O44S0silWl2Y5H5vxCRMvMhBoR/s1600/_DSC0026.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remembrance Service in a beloved Country<br />
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXvnUUa65m3ZlQOGT_Esu1CPW1jw6tA4E1NwnpY8CZdfvWDk-8-PyWmuhrxd61Racs1UU-69oB5i95Ze9TjSMUeZhyphenhyphendDN1mylyi1eZg2tklsvgK2uYZQkoBBHHDdIE_q_5-kxYRwQqWhQ/s1600/100_8407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXvnUUa65m3ZlQOGT_Esu1CPW1jw6tA4E1NwnpY8CZdfvWDk-8-PyWmuhrxd61Racs1UU-69oB5i95Ze9TjSMUeZhyphenhyphendDN1mylyi1eZg2tklsvgK2uYZQkoBBHHDdIE_q_5-kxYRwQqWhQ/s1600/100_8407.JPG" height="200" width="101" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Another Undiscovered Gambella Supermodel</td></tr>
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For those undergoing persecution in certain refugee camps<br />
For the St Frumentius' Anglican Theological college<br />
~ Library and Office building nearing completion<br />
~ Dean's residence nearing completion<br />
~ St Frumentius' Chapel plans submitted to contractor<br />
~ Curriculum development<br />
~ Official opening planned for September 2015<br />
For the Horn of Africa Area Assembly November 26-28<br />
For our church leadership, Clergy, Lay readers and Mothers' Union</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-23195145331609672142014-09-10T03:00:00.002-04:002014-09-10T03:00:48.387-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Soldiers and Saints</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIP_QALHuVggtv7HWOAHCCZjdcGXv4T6MHSpnuFuywFHICRpweSYoM6f1CNmICFPJ6cMQF-dbureJesCwk3jwy_LPRN_wyLMbjS-mbGDykLQRRz0jGfn1YKXtTe5J5_Hg1j-EJI_X0seh7/s1600/DSC_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIP_QALHuVggtv7HWOAHCCZjdcGXv4T6MHSpnuFuywFHICRpweSYoM6f1CNmICFPJ6cMQF-dbureJesCwk3jwy_LPRN_wyLMbjS-mbGDykLQRRz0jGfn1YKXtTe5J5_Hg1j-EJI_X0seh7/s1600/DSC_0657.JPG" height="320" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Anglicans</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Yes,” he said, smiling happily, “we’ve come here for a holiday, and then we will return!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I saw Grant’s face tighten with anguish and anger. Images of villages burning, of people shot as they ran, of the elderly and the very young - starving, dying, left behind; tales of the rape of countless women and the desecration of the dead came flooding to mind.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The young man sat back, relaxed, seemingly unaware of the tension that gripped the room. The older men’s faces became stony, their eyes darkened.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We had been sitting in our living room, serving tea to the relatives of a friend. It turned out they were members of the ***** army of South Sudan, and they were here for a break. I could see the young man’s apparent unconcern cut Grant like a knife. “What about the victims,” Grant was thinking, “do they get a break?” Instead he asked, “Why are you fighting?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“We fight for our rights!” the young man answered.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“What rights did you lack in the new country of South Sudan?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There was no answer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“We fight for revenge.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Are you Christian?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Of course!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Revenge is not the way for those who follow Jesus.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The conversation reached an impasse.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“We are praying for you and for the suffering of South Sudan,” I said. My heart was filled with an overwhelming sense of kindness for those entangled in such cruelty. “Lord, show them Your goodness, that they may know who they truly are,” I prayed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A few days later the eldest one came to me. Even with almost no common language, we understood each other perfectly. “I return to Nassir tomorrow” he said.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Pray for me, as you would pray for a little child,” and he bowed his head, that I might place my hand upon him in blessing.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw9OGe9exAI5UnD5qxBcyWA7L0HPRfJi3W_bsMcKOJ_wCwQ001DO3_taznKlpe7lqw58X8ekKKONRd7s4yv0QIYZwfa754P9HLKZ7878EyqorW8coMV9IQkRkHJHF8GZuWii-iPDIKvrW/s1600/DSCN1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnw9OGe9exAI5UnD5qxBcyWA7L0HPRfJi3W_bsMcKOJ_wCwQ001DO3_taznKlpe7lqw58X8ekKKONRd7s4yv0QIYZwfa754P9HLKZ7878EyqorW8coMV9IQkRkHJHF8GZuWii-iPDIKvrW/s1600/DSCN1121.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St Martha's Anglican Church - new (the church)...and old ( the tree)</span></b></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0px;">Wendy and I went to the Lare Mission Centre on a recent Sunday (August 10) to visit two little Nuer-speaking village churches out in the bush. Neither congregation had had a building before - just a tree to worship under. And neither congregation had been given a name (names are only given to churches when the Bishop visits!). So at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_616484032" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9:00am</span></span> or so (after walking through fields where we were attacked by hordes of flies) we reached the first church in a place called Pietiel, where we dedicated St Martha's Anglican Church. Then at about 11.15 or so (after slogging through shin deep mud in our wellies) we reached the second church at Waken, where we dedicated Holy Trinity Anglican Ch</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; line-height: 18px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;">urch. Both congregations are small, each a part of an eight-point parish, but each has had a long, faithful and </span><span style="line-height: normal;">enthusiastic</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;"> ministry in their area - and both are delighted to h</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #232323;">ave a building, even one constructed of mud and sticks and thatch.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxVQDPySXWLexTcBFBsHu4oqPsVR5aTJM-ySAQDNg9D8w1czT6Yj4njw-nE2ngcYqeJJpnE3jZ3Z9aj_YXbpx-eT_tQEMulaqDpxgqQkWY_hUSkUKgmDebPEgx1BRyqTIiHRmF1bdqUPa/s1600/DSCN1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxVQDPySXWLexTcBFBsHu4oqPsVR5aTJM-ySAQDNg9D8w1czT6Yj4njw-nE2ngcYqeJJpnE3jZ3Z9aj_YXbpx-eT_tQEMulaqDpxgqQkWY_hUSkUKgmDebPEgx1BRyqTIiHRmF1bdqUPa/s1600/DSCN1127.JPG" height="320" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dedication St Martha's</span></b><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3__vEhJFvfSpKmNR4vpYZrhvbSBPhkDjobpbC8NE9lZKo0GAQM0jcTXolhITvWgnwfVA0mphe83iHrjcIP1kSxmB4CWmuwZ1TDwCKQbdghnTPD2k1-1_eo7YEfTVLxF7oya5mpLrkOIx8/s1600/DSCN1156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3__vEhJFvfSpKmNR4vpYZrhvbSBPhkDjobpbC8NE9lZKo0GAQM0jcTXolhITvWgnwfVA0mphe83iHrjcIP1kSxmB4CWmuwZ1TDwCKQbdghnTPD2k1-1_eo7YEfTVLxF7oya5mpLrkOIx8/s1600/DSCN1156.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bethlehem Church, Abobo</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica;">On August 24 the destination was an Anuak-speaking congregation in Abobo. Bethlehem Anglican Church has no full time pastor and is less than a year old. But they have good lay leadership and they are hard workers - not only have they built a new church building for Abobo town, they have also planted several new congregations in the surrounding villages in the past year.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica;">Thanks to all those whose generous contributions have made the building of new churches in the Gambella region of Ethiopia a reality!</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #505050; line-height: 18px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWI0DjTj6zqgRZXr0PYT-TqMAF-EcKHG33M1vWnOGnOFCY6xVAK6BHZiiYtYgB1yL3o_X-OGaxzWpjMCIkL8ukriPxoaq7PcBJxqaDL7vpDC7cLBSNHmY1ZANaYn8iPaNkeLJU7NUWv7L4/s1600/100_8372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWI0DjTj6zqgRZXr0PYT-TqMAF-EcKHG33M1vWnOGnOFCY6xVAK6BHZiiYtYgB1yL3o_X-OGaxzWpjMCIkL8ukriPxoaq7PcBJxqaDL7vpDC7cLBSNHmY1ZANaYn8iPaNkeLJU7NUWv7L4/s1600/100_8372.JPG" height="200" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open heart Surgery for Wecka</span></b></td></tr>
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For protection and healing for 6 year old Wecca and 8 year old Sarah as they undergo open heart surgery in early September.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">For the Gambella clergy as they begin teaching new candidates for baptism and confirmation</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">For the Mothers' Union leaders of our churches as they teach their members in basic health issues and nutrition.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuKBA_NkjaJ6s-ykLmF2oMjRUw95Xk7XRY9VMiAd4ua_JbvXh1eBl8A_ayfPJqYXJhydvciYrlt3eP9D8zH6khKDQPNAHROlF8ryaVlQwmBzwaG7Cuh-7f8YqYmVJpVQvp12CzLpDMqvi/s1600/DSCN0856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuKBA_NkjaJ6s-ykLmF2oMjRUw95Xk7XRY9VMiAd4ua_JbvXh1eBl8A_ayfPJqYXJhydvciYrlt3eP9D8zH6khKDQPNAHROlF8ryaVlQwmBzwaG7Cuh-7f8YqYmVJpVQvp12CzLpDMqvi/s1600/DSCN0856.JPG" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
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For our new congregations being formed in refugee camps in Ashura, Dimma, Pinyudu, Leitchor, and Akule 1, 2 & 3, and for the new refugee pastors who have recently come from the dioceses of Malakal and Renk.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /><br />For the Opo Bible translators who are currently translating the gospel of Luke<br /><br /><br /><strong>Opo Bible translators David Onuk<br />and James Bol</strong></div>
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For blessing and peace for Johann and Louise Vanderbijl as they make their way through the Ethiopian 'Sea of Red Tape' to receive residence permits. Johann will be principal of St Frementius' Anglican Theological College.</div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-64339825644956152862014-06-11T16:17:00.002-04:002014-06-11T16:17:55.095-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Living in Suffering and Hope</b> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GwNqjmJ3Fqt1VnPJy2hTz2QifjYuPaLH4rbALQvQUBNp_ey5iJadg8zqIlBuEZXW-qqmj0x1rJXeEB_xpBDbiXz_QL7tgHe5_mWflZ_arUBa6xTX3mLkOlZi2_RP11cnPlZhyMaMTwQk/s1600/Refugee+Camp+(19).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GwNqjmJ3Fqt1VnPJy2hTz2QifjYuPaLH4rbALQvQUBNp_ey5iJadg8zqIlBuEZXW-qqmj0x1rJXeEB_xpBDbiXz_QL7tgHe5_mWflZ_arUBa6xTX3mLkOlZi2_RP11cnPlZhyMaMTwQk/s1600/Refugee+Camp+(19).JPG" height="213" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnH8RASKKWGSVdf8V28PZtdISKTcrBtqaKK4XnzxdtghYSrLf1D0eINSSEEu80U-b5p108q_caw5qFfo5SuYmk4DBL5O33W6r5hEHe_7cyny3twm9LUHQrTQqFT3CYcvg-MN__75we1RW/s1600/Refugee+Camp+(22).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnH8RASKKWGSVdf8V28PZtdISKTcrBtqaKK4XnzxdtghYSrLf1D0eINSSEEu80U-b5p108q_caw5qFfo5SuYmk4DBL5O33W6r5hEHe_7cyny3twm9LUHQrTQqFT3CYcvg-MN__75we1RW/s1600/Refugee+Camp+(22).JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Sunday's Offering, Akule Refugee Camp</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“When 2 Elephants fight, the grass suffers.”
</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">The story of South Sudanese refugees living in the Gambella region emerged through the mosaic of comments and insights offered as we listened to a small group of unregistered refugees, who were being helped by the members of one of our churches.
“The problem started in Juba”.
“The government met on December 15th and disagreed on some issues. They began quarreling among themselves. The fighting spread to the soldiers”.
“By December 16th, many people, even women and babies in the streets, had been killed”.
“The people fled for shelter in UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] compounds throughout the region”.
“Church leaders spoke up against the fighting and they were killed; priests, bishops, even the moderator of the Presbyterian church”.
“Those who tried to discourage the fighting were told, ‘...if you don’t want to fight, then leave.’ ” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> The comments coalesced into a narrative:
“And we left, taking only what we could carry. And mostly what we could carry was our children. Even so, we have little ones who went missing as we ran for our lives, for they were shooting at us as we ran. More than once, we were ambushed on the road. Many of our elders couldn’t make it. We walked and ran, snatching only a few hours of sleep when we could. We had nothing to eat but leaves during the days it took us to flee to Akobo. From there we went by boat. We arrived in Matar naked and hungry. No one told us how to register as refugees in Ethiopia. The refugee office in Gambella town is closed. Now we hear that you can only register at the border, with a visa, and with identity papers from South Sudan. But there are thousands waiting at the borders. They are starving and they are still being killed in the fighting, even there. And we don’t have visas or papers. Those who are registered can get food at the new refugee camps. But some of the new camps are in flood zones, and many are now dying of disease. We fear malaria and diarrhea. We cannot register, and, without registering, we have no food except what the church collects for us. And yet, if we register, we fear the living conditions.” (A week after our visit to Akula refugee camp, Isaac Pur of the Gambella Anglican Center, returning with a donation of clothes, was told of the deaths of 5 of the children who had met with us in the church).
“The problem is between two big elephants. When the elephants fight, the grass suffers”. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> <b>The Road to Opo, April 28,14</b>
We set off with as much maize, cooking oil, onions, tarp and mosquito nets as the Landcruiser could hold. We drove past flocks of storks, looking for all the world like small congregations of elderly British undertakers; past birds iridescent in crimson and turquoise; past the Jedi-like Fulani as they travelled from Nigeria on their long migration, and through the mosaic of bright yellow mango seeds and peels left in the wake of feasting travelers (a road definitely “not in Kansas anymore”). The road passed through the new Akula refugee camp. In the two weeks since our last visit, this part of the road had become almost unrecognizable; mini villages of wood & thatch tukels, and grass and tarp pup-tents had sprouted and grown along the once deserted roadside. Finally we arrived in Opo. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fulani Herdsman</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> I’ll let Grant tell of our visit.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We visited our Opo people this week.</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">They have had some real trouble. Most Opo (there are about 5,000 Opo people in the world) live in Ethiopia, but some in South Sudan. Two weeks ago the rebels in the South Sudan conflict tried to conscript the Opo to fight in the war. When they refused, their villages and all their food stores were burned. They (at least 1,000) have now walked across the border and are staying with the Opo in Ethiopia. Our priest there, David Onuk, who is really the key community leader as well, has invited them to join the church. They have had no food except what the Ethiopian Opo could share with them, so we brought them a truckload. We discovered UN workers there doing an "assessment" of their situation - but they can't call them "refugees" and give them ongoing support because they have no identification. They will probably (after a month or so) be given support which will last them 2 months. The UN workers were clearly frustrated that their hands were tied - one of them said to us "thank you for bringing food for these people, all our assessments are useless if they just die..." </span></i></span><br />
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We unloaded our gifts of food - pitifully inadequate for such a large number, but enough to keep away hunger for at least a day or two. Every stray kernel of maize was carefully swept from the car and carried into the church - nothing would be wasted. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food for Opo</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As we took our leave, the three people given permission to ride back with us had metamorphosed into eight extras - the safety hazard caused by crowding apparently of concern only to Grant. We pulled away. Untranslated but unmistakable, the women with us cried out to their friends as we passed, “Hey, Look!!! We’re in a CAR!!!!!! Wheeeeeee!!!” With the inevitable predictability borne of long experience, Grant’s faint and happily ignored protest, “The kids will throw up”, was once again fulfilled. Looking on the bright side, at least no one had diarrhea on this trip! (Note to self: bring plastic bags next time). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew 28 v.1 was quoted in last week’s sermon at St Luke’s Church, Gambella. “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, the Mothers’ Union* went to see the tomb.” *[Mary Magdalene and the other Mary] “We always say ‘Mothers’ Union’ when we talk of the women disciples of Jesus,” explained John Gach, one of the clergy who had come to Gambella for this month’s clergy training.</span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQvtPuklSi2LV7mCy5UB7YZJc0p4Vh85BJZbijcr2RWM2EAkr8JARm-NXZCCTf4Lr9HboNjLduRG0MITPqm8W7vPdS-gde6UXIm5w7GE8rTIHqZYnKz5vQxPewGglzd-okbAURa5XF86/s1600/2014-03-26+18.10.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQvtPuklSi2LV7mCy5UB7YZJc0p4Vh85BJZbijcr2RWM2EAkr8JARm-NXZCCTf4Lr9HboNjLduRG0MITPqm8W7vPdS-gde6UXIm5w7GE8rTIHqZYnKz5vQxPewGglzd-okbAURa5XF86/s1600/2014-03-26+18.10.56.jpg" height="262" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus with Mothers' Union (Mary and Martha) at Lazarus' tomb</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Mothers’ Union teaching event, May 7th & 8th, looked at the causes of recurrent diarrhea. The Gambella region far exceeds Ethiopia’s infant/child mortality of 90/1000 live births, with diarrhea as one of the 5 major causes of infant and childhood death. We practiced making Oral Rehydration Solution using a technique that required neither measuring spoons nor expertise, and yet, when measured repeatedly by me in my kitchen, turned out to be reliable and reproducible. Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) has saved hundreds of thousands of precious lives since it’s widespread use starting in the 1970’s. Eddie Ozols, of Anglican Aid, Australia, the major donor for our Mothers’ Union training program, asked our Anuak priest, Darash Thatha, how many children’s funerals had he held last year, before the Mothers' Union teaching program, and how many had he held this year, since the program began almost a year ago. Fifty funerals last year, none this year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Opo Mother's Union rep, Mary Ngate;
looking through a magnifying glass for the first time in her life;
practicing making ORS </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6159737526276647370" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> If you’d like to read more about our Mothers’ Union training program, click here to see the 2nd Quarter report (Jan-Mar 2014) prepared for Anglican Aid:
</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://gallery.mailchimp.com/9c9acb225d20d4c20ad4369dd/files/812d1db2-6388-4835-8b9a-ea33f5e20557.pdf</span></span><br />
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<strong style="color: #505050; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">~ Please Pray with us ~</strong></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young Refugee</span></td></tr>
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<br />~ For the 100,000 new refugees in the Gambella region<br />~For our church members who are sharing their homes and their food with the new refugees</div>
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~ For our clergy and lay readers</div>
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~ For our Mothers' Union</div>
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~ For Johann and Louise Vanderbijl as they prepare to come to Gambella; Johann will be the principal of the new St Frementius college</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Future </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St Frementius Theological College: Site plan </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St Frementius Theological College: Future Chapel & Conference building<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">~For the establishment of the St Frementius Theological College, Gambella;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">-new buildings to construct (</span><span style="font-size: 11px;">faculty and student housing)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">-old buildings to renovate (</span><span style="font-size: 11px;">office, library, classroom, principal's residence)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">-college chapel to build</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">-security wall to complete</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">-faculty to recruit</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">-principal to arrive</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credits:</span><br /><div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Many thanks to our visitors,<br />Rosie Fyfe, Diocese of Egypt, for her photos of Akule Refugee camp ( Sunday offering), and the Fulani herdsman<br />and Eddie Ozols of Anglican Aid, Australia for his photo of the young Sudanese refugee at St Luke's church, Gambella<br />and thanks to Johann Vanderbijl for his icon of the raising of Lazarus</span><br /></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6159737526276647370.post-3139344028782261212014-04-22T04:16:00.000-04:002014-04-22T04:16:31.424-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Refugees Arrive...</span><br /><img align="none" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgtqcvVaJTmQT0JLgjmxxQ-ylfIqZt1ckzJwF1RKmd8k-KDJ23u7Ju_6dICTBRUJz9XdJvxUeb-LQSqJcsordczUezFrxI8mDsRq34-bMf4iLqw3xvMwaBDAediJle_9e4CpYuuJPTkVTdm7NEVAo1JV7x5yBlgbnl4Te9SUxrg9gFq4DljeWPBLdQH1g3rupypGcZIpFm25i4=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 11px; min-height: 166px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /></span></span></h1>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Akula: a forest of tiny ‘pup-tent’-like dwellings fronted by cooking fires and filled with children. The tiny faces peeking out to stare at the “Kawaja” (white folks) walking by, break into sudden and delighted smiles as we greet them. Dozens of little hands try to hold mine as we wind our way to the ‘church’ - a large tree around which 3,000 Christians from many denominations are gathered. The new refugee camp of Akula, now one month old, is already sheltering 33,000 with more arriving daily.</span><br /><br /><img align="none" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhT6s3tEG6fpF68wh1P9WzyoF_ljBEvrbDVkzQddFHvNTVHwA4o5RQs8nS07cGYD5B9BMzdGxHnkVDG3o750jKgjlCpssSQ_J9fX4F1G5T9dxKEMssvVNb_CIyfvqDr6oVTbGuUKvo1w0wlXdPdT-BZN_owSQy14mTU7rPhHHqPI3TV_MDTXeHw4IEH_p1pW0xpfZg=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 12px; min-height: 152px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Glimpses of the stories of those who have fled here for shelter were seen in the prayer requests.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“My sister died on the way. Her children were suffering from dehydration so they were brought here for medical care without being registered. Now they are with me, but they are not registered, so I cannot get food ration cards for them. Pray that I can get rations to feed them”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“My husband Jacob has been missing since <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_857288784" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">December 15th</span></span>. I can get no news. I pray to know if he is alive or dead.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Not all of us are here. Our beloved elders...”</span><br /><br /><img align="none" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjHouuPUmWbd87i2dNJ_BkmzZPJWmgqFF0oMmnmoHHxn_goN0eVvF7LwK139wV5_kcbZxCye3By0mUcI5F7Ru3jB6vVle5LIf_4Pok2q4VybQDtDoyFaoqGck8SycsmAHOpeSHOeNWrXrGYs9aUMtB9AunhNqkXjzeKYdfrUNkNnfqcTr_JIg1zcqbnFoKvXsKBUmk=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 12px; min-height: 166px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /><br /> </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A few stand up to share their reflections.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“We should not be surprised at the calamity which has fallen upon us. It says in the Bible that these things can happen. But be encouraged, for nothing, not even this, can separate us from the love of God.”</span></div>
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<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><img align="none" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi9K4TBG1kYHyHYfYGH5_M76HYXzaD7urKR3v7Z7LgYDbn1j32x-ulaK7HfDs5Cm5gCXOQTiZuFUD9LucgVs4z0etTbzjJQ2h0iGKkXOFOTc58MD7HHl2qp7jrobT_2KvSk5gEx1aC8TFWQsQgr9e3_tb74nCbhc005Jm7n5lnJqaKvabkmcoLcGdtrxj0rEbdJYew=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 12px; min-height: 230px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“It was quarreling that brought us here. We must forsake quarreling.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sadly, poignantly, many tried to make sense of overwhelming evil: “It was our greed. It was our idolatry”</span><br /> </div>
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<img align="none" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh8WxmYweZSUEOxjwDY9TobvMrAzZWHeUY9W6z1aCC0nn0g2iLg_ISnbp_K6qYFLIVLbZZP8b9j7wcmKbyPrhheMBWtiuHn0TQua7h4MfHHKIitU7OFvj7aozMe8gZ70poLnVZ5eWDBRfGs3mFLws9kq3xu9lq1zjJwLNCMdYn1nQ8bFLijkUEQMRtA7FDEr6DsXEc=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 12px; min-height: 166px; outline: none; width: 250px;" width="250" /></div>
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<br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The congregation breaks out in song.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Let us greet one another, and when Jesus comes, we will all love one another.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Let us kneel together before our Jesus”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Grant is invited to preach: “Jesus hates suffering and death. He wept at the tomb of his friend, Lazarus. A couple of weeks later, he gave himself to die on the cross and to rise again, defeating suffering and death. Because Jesus rose from the dead we know that one day there will be no death, there will be no suffering - God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. And on that day people from every tribe will be together around the throne - white people and Chinese and Arab and Nuer and Anuak and Dinka and Murle - so we should get used to being together now!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><strong>Snap shots of life in the Horn of Africa:</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><strong>Gambella</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">February: We had a wonderful time with a team of engineers and architects who came to help design new structures for the Gambella Centre so we can accommodate a new theological college in next year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">March: The rain is coming soon - we worked hard to organize the construction of as many new, simple church buildings as possible before the rains come in April - 30 new churches under construction. It seems that we now have about 80 Anglican congregations in this part of the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><strong>Addis</strong> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">March: While Wendy was in Canada visiting her father, Grant preached and led worship at St Matthew’s, our English congregation; collected large piles of used clothes for refugees in Gambella; met with house group leaders from a non-Ethiopian part of our Episcopal Area (a country about which I can’t say too much); arranged for our Opo priest (David Onuk) to attend a one month course on Bible translation (David and two others have now finished translating the Gospel of Mark into Opo, the first book of scripture in their language)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><strong>Mekele</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">March: Grant spent three days doing Bible teaching and leading worship with a congregation made up of students (some Ethiopian, some from other countries) whose only common language is English; learned of at least three other university cities where groups of students are meeting to worship in English in new Anglican congregations ... the Bishop is always the last to know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><strong>Egypt</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">March: With Wendy back we headed to Egypt: Grant teaching New Testament exegesis of the passion narrative of Mark’s gospel at the Alexandria School of Theology, as well as having diocesan meetings and preaching at five different congregations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;"><strong>Gambella</strong> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Last night: Back in Gambella our deacon, Gabriel Luot was arrested in Gambella on his way home to Sherkole refugee camp from our monthly clergy training session. Fighting between Dinka soldiers from South Sudan and Anuak from Abol the previous night (one from each side killed just a few kilometers outside of Gambella town) has heightened tension against the Dinka - and Gabriel is Dinka. Darash, our Anuak (!) priest went to the Gambella police and was able to get Gabriel released.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Today: David Onuk, John Bol and Isaac Pur work in our office meeting room, translating the gospel of Mark into the Opo language. Today they will finish Chapter 15 and 16 and then bring it to the Opo people and read the whole thing on Easter day - then the process of editing will begin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Still today: Two Anuak women have been walking around our compound cursing the Gambella Anglican Centre and trying to pull up our fence in an attempt to extort thousands of Birr (Ethiopian money) from us for land they (falsely, according to local authorities) claim to own. This claim might have had more weight if there weren’t several others also claiming ownership of (and therefore compensation for) this previously uninhabited and unused land, and all of whom refuse our offer to take these claims to the municipality where the land ownership history and title deeds are known and kept. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">More today: A Regional Dean for the Anglican Diocese of Malakal, South Sudan, displaced by the war, came for help to give him transportation and food/accommodation as he makes his way to Addis, and then to Kenya to be re-united with his family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Again...today: We had a very helpful visit from leaders of the ‘Ethiopian Network of Religious Leaders living with HIV-Aids’, an organization started by our deacon, Ayano, now deceased.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Tonight: We discover news of “Koma” people (the name of the Opo people who live in South Sudan) who have fled to Opo villages in Ethiopia to escape forced conscription into the so-called ‘white army’ of South Sudan. Their villages having been burned, they are now being housed and fed by our Opo Christians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">Right now: We welcome Michael Anyar’s wife Elizabeth and their five children, now needing to flee threats of violence against them due to their Dinka ethnicity. They will stay in our compound until we can arrange transport for them to Addis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11px;">In Gambella the refugee situation caused by the fighting in South Sudan continues to worsen. The latest official (UN) figures cite 92,448 registered South Sudanese refugees in the Gambella region with 13,000 listed as waiting registration. Estimates predict between 150,000 to an unbelievable 300,000 arriving by the end of this year, nearly doubling the population in this already under-serviced area. Christian friends from all over the world have been providing much needed support for our ministry among these new exiles. </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Visits to refugee churches will dominate the next month. Pray for these dear Christians who need to know that their suffering is caused by human evil and is not a result of God punishing them (sadly a common explanation for their plight).</span></div>
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Bishop Grant and Doctor Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07986299825325333292noreply@blogger.com0