December 15, 2016
Robert Mwago, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Robert Mwago

South Sudan report

Apologies for being so late in submitting my report on the All Africa ECLEA conferences that took place in the Jebel region of South Sudan during the last two weeks of November 2016. The extremely long journey by bus to and from SS really took its toll on me this time round, and I had an ordination that was taking place several days after our arrival from SS. Unfortunately, we were not able to take photos in SS owing to highly sensitive security matters.

I did two courses on Expository Preaching, and one course on 1 Timothy, and another on Biblical Theology:
What surprised me when doing Expository Preaching was the discovery that it appeared easier for me to teach the delegates In SS to read the bible in context, than it was for me teaching my fellow Kenyans. It was a shocking discovery for me, and on reflection, I came to understand that it's because SS has not been so contaminated with the false gospel as is the case with Kenya. This has led me also to understand the urgent need of exposing the whole of SS to the true gospel. A lot of work remains to be done in SS and concerted efforts need to be put in place on behalf of the nation, without us growing weary.

1 Timothy was well received except where it teaches that a pastor/leader must be a one woman man; that is a hard one for them, owing to their wife-inheritance traditions. In any case, the truth has now been uncompromisingly communicated to them.

On Biblical Theology, they had quite a struggle understanding the course, but I promised them we could do a repeat on the same depending on the availability of the funds.

We really had a hard time with the finances as many of the good SS people were so much willing to honor their pledges but were not because the recent civil war left their nation and its economy in a shambles, the rate of inflation going almost a hundred per cent. Nevertheless, we appreciate from the bottom of our hearts all the support you have given us all the time we have been together.

God bless you, Robert Mwago

December 14, 2016
Thomas Mwai, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Thomas Mwai

South Sudan report

BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP AT UPPER KONYOKONYO

Here we hosted 22 pastors and leaders most of who were from Sudanese origin and about 6 denominations represented. Many were not able to buy books (we had a considerable number which were shared among the participants). It was a good time understanding the connection of God and His creation and how we are supposed to handle the environment. Hygiene is another  issue that came up as we were looking at the stewardship of the body and the pastors were happy to know that they have a role to play in ensuring that they prevent diseases by caring for they bodies and environment.                 

FORGIVENESS & RECONCILIATION AT LOWER KONYOKONYO

The meeting hosted 16 Pastors and leaders from 4 different denominations some of whom went through our 1 Timothy last time. The class was good and very  interactive and in fact this is the course that should be taught to all the Sudanese in this time of war because it has all the solutions they need at this time to experience peace. In my hotel I interacted with a government official who asked for the book and I hope he reads it and helps the government.

BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP AT GUDELLE

This is a place where we have done several meetings and i was able to host 20 pastors and leaders of most Pentecostal Churches. The course was a demand since we saw the need of it when we were teaching the 1st Timothy in the area. The most critical part was the stewardship of the church and finances and many pastors agreed to have church budgets and to teach the grace giving. Also the stewardship of time always takes the center stage because many people are time wasters and time management is critical in the kingdom matters.

FORGIVENESS & RECONCILIATION AT CUSTOM

I hosted 18 Pastors and leaders from different denominations. Here you don't talk publicaly about the communities that were fighting and I used the opportunity to talk about the word of God. They agreed that the church can act as a mediator between the government and the opposition though it is not easy but by the grace of God everything is possible. We also realized that several churches belonging to foreigners were closed due to war so they need our prayers.

Thank you for your support and may God almighty bless you. Wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Regards,
Thomas (Kiambu ECLEA Cordinator)

December 13, 2016
Barnabas Mpekethi, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Barnabas Mpekethi

South Sudan report

From 14th – 16th November 2016, I took 1st Timothy to Arua Junction. 21 church leaders and pastors attended the conference; 4 denominations were represented. We covered the whole course and many questions were being asked by the participants about the lifting of hands by men when praying. Also, because women are not given the respect they deserve in this country, even the church leaders are rejecting them and they keep quiet in the church and don`t participate even in the projects of the church since they are counted as weak vessels in the society.

When we started chapter 5 of 1st Timothy they all said that they have never heard of the leaders who run the affairs of the church well being paid, because they believe all pastors should be paid by the American organizations. I told them that they should change that mentality. A big number of people are not learned because the learning institutions are for the few and not for all. May God help these people.

On 17th – 19th November 2016 I did Biblical Stewardship with 19 participants both church leaders and pastors and 3 denominations were represented. Due to lack of enough knowledge and language interpretations (because English must be interpreted into Arabic language) we were unable to go through the whole book but we did 3 quarters of the manual. Many questions arose when we were discussing the stewardship of time and our bodies.

I told them that when you mess up with time you are messing up with your life and how you spend time here on earth is the determining factor of how you will spend your life in heaven. When we arrived in the area of the stewardship of our bodies, many brethren said that they go to the river to bathe  twice a week. I told them that they should bathe on a daily basis. Many said that they don't use toothpaste, but they use natural trees to brush their teeth hence had bad smell like that of rotten eggs in their mouths. I informed them that it is good to use the modern methods because their bodies are the temple of the Lord. They promised me that they would change that trend and that they would start using the toothpaste and would introduce the same to their children who don't know anything concerning the toothpaste.

On 21st – 23rd Midday November 2016 I did Forgiveness & Reconciliation at Nimule (near the border of Uganda); 16 brothers and one sister attended the conference. There were only three denominations that were represented in this town.
In this town there is a very big enemity and grudge between the Dinka and the Nuer people. These two tribes cannot share the same hotel nor the same church. When they heard a Kenyan teacher of the word will be visiting, they decided to put their differences aside and four Nuer Brothers attended the conference in the midst of many Dinkas. I told them that they should forgive each other since forgiveness is not an opinion but a command from God Almighty. I also told them that reconciliation is not a must, however they should follow the process of reconciliation as it is indicated in our manuals.
They promised me that they would try and put their differences aside and do things in accordance to the Bible without allowing the political influence to dominate their spiritual lives. 

From 23rd afternoon to 25th November, I was taken to another village a bit far from Nimule to go and teach Forgiveness & Reconciliation. I taught the villagers about the four steps to reconciliation (decide, discuss, detoxify, and devote). After I noticed that they have settled their differences during group discussions, I spent two nights in a thatched house. I bless God for giving me wonderful people who never minded whether I am a Kenyan, but treated me with a lot of love and care. Though the security is not good enough, God gave me the grace to complete the assignment. May God bless ECLEA in Jesus name.

Regards, 
Bishop Barnabas, Upper Eastern Coordinator

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July 21, 2016
Barnabas Mpekethi, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Barnabas Mpekethi

South Sudan Report--Part 3

I salute you in Jesus’ name. As you know we left Kenya on 27th June 2016  for S. Sudan mission. The conferences went on as it was planned, and we give God all the glory for giving us a great breakthrough regardless of the crisis that are taking place in South Sudan.

ARUA JUNCTION CONFERENCE: I did Expository Preaching course in this town with 28 Pastors and Leaders. The first day many of the participants were not responding but when we entered the second day they started asking many questions, for example why start the sermon with an issue/problem based? In fact among the 28 participants no one has ever attended bible school. I told them the important or the reason of expository preaching; it sets limits to a preacher not to preach or teach his own pet ideas and interests.

SHIRKAT: 23 Participants both Pastors and Church leaders attended the conference and eight denominations were represented. I did Expository Preaching. When I taught them about topical versus expository preaching and how many preachers choose the topics and then develop them according to their own ideas and not according to what God says in the Bible, they all said that they are the victims of the same.

Many of them told me that their frameworks were highly challenged. They promised me that they will start to apply the principles of expository preaching and they will also use most of their time in reading the word of God so as to avoid preaching their own  things or gospel.

BORR: I took 1st Timothy to the inhabitants of this town and 25 Pastors and Leaders attended. Everything I taught was very new to them. I was forced to take a lot of time than what is expected to elaborate almost everything in the six chapters of the 1st book of Timothy.

We took much of our time in discussing chapter 1 about Grace versus Law. Many of the participants testified that even if they are saved when clashes arises they exercise the law of Moses, e.g., tooth for a tooth and eye for an eye. I explained to them that the goal of our preaching is love. And the difference between Muslims and Christians is Grace. Muslims apply the Law (sharia) while Christians apply grace in resolving many things that occurs in this life we are in. We all came to a common agreement that as Christians we must put more effort in exercising grace regardless of the level of hurt.

OBSERVATIONS: I also discovered that UN and NGOs are trying to end the chaos in S. Sudan but things are becoming worse day after the other. The only effective way of resolving the whole mess in S. Sudan is by training and teaching Sudanese the true gospel. I thank God because of the great impact that ECLEA is making in this war torn Country. I wish that all the people who are leading peaceful lives in their respective countries could pray and support the ECLEA work in S. Sudan because by the virtue of doing so we can save the loss of lives and stop violence at a big percentage.

Something ought to be done by God-fearing people so as to stop ethnic fighting. For sure without God and His word peace will never be achieved in S. Sudan. Finally may the almighty God bless ECLEA in Jesus' name.

Regards, Bsp. Barnabas (Upper Eastern coordinator)

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July 20, 2016
Thomas Mwai, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Thomas Mwai

SOUTH SUDAN REPORT--PART 2
Hope you are fine in the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Our journey was good without any complications on the way apart from that our bus had stuck in mud slightly before we arrived at Juba and I was able to help them out which earned us a lot of favor with everyone on board.

RENEWED VIOLENCE
Our meetings took place well as planned in South Sudan Gudelle region without the slightest idea that after we finished our meetings there would be gun shots all over in the renewed fight between the government forces and those of the 1st Vice President. By the grace of God we were able to leave before the Ugandan border was closed and all the roads whereby no getting in or out of that country. When we were out we could talk to our hosts who had locked themselves in their houses because the army was everywhere and shootings and no one understood what was happening. As of now South Sudan needs a lot of prayer that peace will be restored soon. Many issues are taking place there including deteriorating of the economy, fuel and food among others and it seems the government is not able bring the situation to check because the renewed fights. 
                                                                                                                                                
BILBLICAL THEOLOGY AT CUSTOM                                                                        
We hosted 20 Pastors and leaders for Biblical Theology whereby I was able to teach the basic biblical story line which have never been heard here. Another thing that took center stage is explaining how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament. At first this was a bit hard for them to understand but as I engaged them to discussion they could understand well that Jesus is the true Israel and that the whole Bible points to Christ. One thing I noted is that the many Pastors knew many stories in the Bible and have never connected these stories to make one story. It was relatively good and left many wanting more and more.

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY AT TOPING                                                                                                                 
The attendance was relatively smaller with 17 Pastors but I noted it was the most serious group I have ever taught. Some of them had attended Bible school but according to one of them our materials are very well researched and good for practical ministry. I also noted that the new materials of BT are very helpful and accurate especially when it comes to maps, the brief history of the books of the Bible and the fulfillment of the many events in the NT which clearly shows that the OT is the NT concealed while the NT is the OT revealed.

FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILLIATION                                                        
A total of 23 pastors and church leaders attended the meeting which was very effective following what is happening in South Sudan. The hardest thing to do is to forgive and reconcile and this book exposed the hearts of many people in the region whereby anger and rage has led to conflicts. Some pastors realized that they had a great job of helping the people to know the truth and reconcile those that have conflicts. It takes the heart of flesh to do this.

FINAL REMARKS                                                                                                                                        
We thank ECLEA as a whole for the facilitation and as we see it South Sudan needs more than one person. There is a great need, the economy deteriorates everyday, and the government seems to be doing very little to cub the situation. O behalf of the Pastors and Church leaders of South Sudan we give God the glory for such a wonderful partner like ECLEA.

Thanks, Thomas (ECLEA S. Sudan Missioner) 

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July 18, 2016
Robert Mwago, ECLEA-Kenya regional coordinator

Robert Mwago

ECLEA returns to SOUTH SUDAN!

This is the first of three reports from the ECLEA team that traveled to South Sudan:

Violence in South Sudan
It's my pleasure to let you know that we last week ended our South Sudan mission successfully despite the prevailing violence that has rocked that beautiful country. God was so gracious to us in that we were able to get out of that place just in time; hours after we departed SS, roads were barricaded so that no vehicle or airplane was allowed to enter or leave Juba. Gun shots rent the atmosphere. Deaths resulted. The situation is growing worse and we really need to pray for the peace of SS and direct our energies and resources to that war-torn nation. Civilians are extremely needy and a lot of work needs to be done there.
The UN is doing a great job as far as human aid is concerned. The global church is largely asleep as far as the spiritual needs of the SS church are concerned; God has woken me up to that reality and I feel the church should come to this awareness, and rise from the comfort zone and join hearts and hands, and do something for SS. Let's have a heart for those who are hungry for the gospel in SS. The church has neglected SS a lot. Let's remember SS without growing weary.

The courses I led
Expository Preaching went well though in a very basic way; as the people there are not so exposed to the word, I majored on showing them how to stick to, and understand the context of the relevant passage.

On Biblical Theology, I showed them how Jesus is at the centre of Scripture, and how in all things He should have preeminence, as He created all things.

Marriage & Parenting was well received amid hiccups since their culture in a large way contradict Scripture. For example, if a father dies in a family, the elder son must inherit his wife/wives. Some who claim salvation are already practising that culture; I showed them it ought not be so from the beginning.

We trust God when peace returns, we shall go back to SS. God bless you.
Robert

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