South Sudan - Arrival & days leading up to class 8 Chaplain Graduation

On our way to our final destination of Nimule, South Sudan we stopped in Kampala, Uganda at the guesthouse. We stayed there for two nights and fellowshipped with Bob and Susanne, Keith and Lisa and their son Jonathan, Brian and Jill, Giftie, Michael, and James Olal. We drove from Kampala, Uganda to Nimule, South Sudan. It took about 8 hours. On the way we stopped and got chapotie which is like a tortilla, and fresh pineapple. They were so delicious! When we got to the compound in Nimule we were greeted by singing and cheering by the Chaplains. It was great seeing some familiar faces. We got right to work with the Chaplain sponsorship letters and preparing the sanctuary for the day of graduation. We painted the inside of the chapel and made the compound spotless. The Sudanese television would be filming the graduation. We also have been doing some interviews for the chaplains so that sponsors can hear and see their chaplain. Working with the chaplains and ministering to the ladies and the youth here has been such a blessing. God has granted this nation’s independence and I would not be surprised if it was because of the obedience of His children here. Kevin and I talked to the youth about purity and what it means to be a Christian in your youth. We have done team building games with the youth and chaplains. We pray that God unites them more as brothers and sisters in Christ. More to come!
-Haley Jalinski

Safari day 3

Tuesday- Final day

Our last day on the Masai Mara was a bittersweet ending. We went out on a morning game drive. We saw so many hot air balloons in the sky so early in the morning. It was quite a sight. The sweet part of the last day was knowing we had a busy week ahead and we could relax for one more day. The bitter part was the busy week coming up. The Chaplain Graduation means having to do a lot of preparation. God really blessed us with sweet fellowship and just an overall relaxing time at the Masai Mara.  

Safari day 2

Monday- August 8, 2011

The second day to our safari was a blast. We spent the whole day out on the Mara. We ate our breakfast and lunch among the wildebeest. It was a great time for Kevin and I to spend with Aunt Vicky and Uncle Wes. We laughed and were awed by God’s creation around us. We learned on the second day that every animal on the African Savannah was useful for one reason or another. The vultures cleaned up and keep things sanitized. The elephants eat the acacia trees. So that is why there are only a few that pop up. The zebra and wildebeest eat the tall grass. The lions keep the population of wildebeest down. The list goes on and on.  I just think that is so amazing. We serve a resourceful God. How much more will the God who gives purpose to the elephants give you a direction and a plan for your life. I like to dwell on this because being 19 a lot of life decisions are coming up. Including me getting married in December. Going to college also gives a lot of opportunity for God’s will to become more and more evident. So I have faith that He will direct me as I learn to surrender more, listen to Him often, trust and depend on Him solely, and have my hope resting in Him only. Then just be obedient. 

The Tent Is Up!

The first tent of many went up last week!  FRM is planning to have traveling ministry groups in Sudan take the tents and a team to set them up to preach the good news of the Gospel, and hopefully leave it there as a church plant!  Keep this project in prayer!

 

Here’s the word from the mouth of John Eastham:

Half way through putting it up, there was a thunderstorm.

We got soaked and very muddy.

I was muddy from head to toe.

 

I worked with 9 Sudanese chaplains.  they were awesome.

God gets all the credit since He sent an American pastor with me who could teach the chaplains how to use a trucker's ratchet.

 

We will put the side walls on the tent tomorrow.

 

After that we will take the tent down, pack it up, take it out, and then put it up again.

It's all to train the chaplains how to put up the tent.

 

thank you so much for the prayer support.  I really appreciate it.

I found the instructions in the tent materials, however, they were not nearly as helpful as I had hoped.

Anyhow, it is up.

 

Plans for the tent are to use it for evangelical crusades with the FRM chaplains and (possibly) it will become the church

 "building" for Calvary Chapel Juba (capital of South Sudan).

 

That is why putting up the tent and training the chaplains is so important.  Many, many people may be saved because of how it is used.

 

 

john e.

 

Masai Mara Safari Day 1

Us fueling up for our first game drive

We landed at about 12pm and we were so excited to be there! Our drive from the airstrip to the lodge where we were staying was amazing! Everything that you see and know about the African savanna came true. The zebra and wildebeest were everywhere. We stayed at the Intrepid lodge. We checked in and got settled for our two day safari adventure at around 12:30pm on August 7. At the lodge we found this suspension bridge that was straight out of the old jungle book cartoon.

Kevin and I on the jungle bridge

Our first game drive was a huge success. We saw a momma lion and her cub feeding on a wildebeest. In Uncle Wes' eyes that was a beautiful beginning to our safari. After we crossed paths with a herd of elephants. There were about five in the herd. If I remember right there were two adorable little babies and three grown up elephants. The guide said that if the babies can still pass under the mother's stomach that it was under one year old. We would see a baby elephant later on in our journey that would be smaller and closer to the one year mark. There were plenty of zebras, wildebeest (1.3 million were there due to the migration), Thompson gazelles, warthogs, mongoose, impalas, topis, and safari trucks. We really wanted to see cheetah, lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, and giraffe.
-Haley Jalinski