Caring for the Women of South Sudan

As I was praying for some of my South Sudanese friends recently, I was overwhelmed with God's heart for them. These women are married and have many children, yet I sensed that in many ways, they are like widows.

Many women in South Sudan do not live with their husbands. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes their men have to go where there is work. Sometimes they are estranged because of some conflict. Sometimes it’s because their marriage is more of a contract of utility than a relationship. There is too much to unpack here about the cultural norms, so I can’t explain as much as I would like--but just know this is not a cultural critique but rather me sharing the struggles of some of my friends and women like them.

God is passionate about caring for widows and orphans. He is passionate about caring for those who are disadvantaged and downtrodden. The Bible mentions widows and orphans as examples of people that should be cared for. So children that are without the love and care of parents or women that are without the provision and protection of husbands are very near to God’s heart.

I hope you will join me in praying for these women and their families. Please pray the blinders of cultural norms would be removed and that the truth of God’s Word would penetrate hearts. Please pray God would raise up some pictures within the culture of what God wants family to look like in South Sudan.

I have been blown away at the privilege of knowing these women and getting to see how everything from water wells to Bible storying can positively affect the families of South Sudan. Sometimes it still takes my breath away that God has made me one of His ambassadors, and I am overjoyed that I get to go and love on his behalf.

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” 

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

God has us here for a reason

The last three months in Africa have been filled with illnesses and sicknesses that the Pierce family has never encountered stateside--funky, not-so-familiar names like Giardia, Amoebic Dysentery, and now Brucellosis.  As painful and inconvenient as these yucky bugs are, they pale in comparison to the suffering around us.  

My heart breaks when I see children walking around with poorly healed limbs, now debilitated, because they had to lie in bed while their bones healed improperly without a cast. Malnourished children, thyphoid, and tuberculosis are common. Men, women, and children die of unknown diseases, malnutrition, and complications that can’t be resolved.

I see the terrible suffering of these people each day. I want to do more. I want to give more. And maybe the Lord is asking me to. When I put it before the Lord, I can’t help but see a bigger picture.

As long as governments continue to worship the idols of power and wealth, and their allegiance is not to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords--wars and famine will happen. Medical development and farming will be limited due to instability and corruption. More and more people will die. Displacement and instability will limit access to basic medical care and sanitary living conditions.

Near the refugee camps in Ethiopia, housing is scarce. Families pile other displaced family members into their mudhuts, so when one person gets sick, everyone gets sick. I am brought to tears as tragedy continues to unfold before me. But the answer isn’t better healthcare. BILLIONS of Billions of dollars are sent to countries just like South Sudan every year to help save lives and improve access to healthcare. Why isn’t the aid working? We know the answer. This battle is not against flesh and blood. 

Why would we invest two years or more of our lives here unless we had hope? Hope that we might have the opportunity to serve, love, and disciple a few South Sudanese men and women. Hope that those who don’t know Him might come to know our only hope, Christ Jesus. Hope that those who DO know Christ as Lord might be encouraged that, despite the suffering and sorrow they are enduring, they are born again into a living hope that cannot be destroyed by war or famine.

Please join us in prayer for South Sudan. For the leaders. For the soldiers. For the widows. For the orphans. For the dying. For the lost.

God has us here for a reason. Despite the sadness and grief that we see and experience here, we are blessed to be here. We are blessed to war in prayer for this nation, for these people, and to gather you with us in this fight. Thank you for your support.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.  For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

Ephesians 6: 11-12

Waiting

We wait and we watch. We wait as fragile peace is compromised. We are forced to watch as innocent people are abused and killed by those fighting for power.

As I watch, ceasefire or not, I see only one solution.

One way that South Sudan will be changed. One way it can be saved.

Of course it’s the gospel, but just to be more specific--I am not just talking about individuals being rescued from their sin and missing out on the punishment of that sin. I mean the gospel lived out in lives. I mean the kingdom advanced so completely in human hearts that they forgive the unforgivable. I mean people knowing Jesus to the extent that they don’t need other things. I mean that they know the fullness of Jesus and don't need more revenge, power, significance, or money.

Personally, I have days where I feel the undertow of all of those “more” desires in myself and have little hope of ever seeing these things happen. I also have days where I can feel the strength of the Spirit in me and I know that it already has satisfied me.

I have hope for the people of South Sudan because it is never too late and it is never too far gone. I know this because of my own story and because of the stories from scripture.

I have hope for South Sudan because our God is not only big enough, He has done it before.

I have hope for South Sudan because I know the power of the gospel to transform.

As you pray with us for the nation of South Sudan and her people, pray with faith-filled confidence.

Pray with hope. Pray with the awareness of the power and majesty of our King.

Merry Christmas!

We are completely blown away by all of the generosity that friends and strangers have given this year to help us get to South Sudan! We have a big goal to meet of 60% before January 1 and are trusting the Lord with our jaws dropped as people continue to give so sacrificially.

We are so deeply burdened to get to South Sudan this summer, and are blessed by the support team, God has already put into place.

This verse has been heavy on my heart today, Revelation 7:9 "... a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb..."

What a beautiful picture. These are believers...gathered from all of history, from all parts of the globe, from all people groups  to worship HIM. If this is our finish line, for all believers throughout history, this is the time that will reveal exactly what we exchanged our life for, while we were here on earth.

I am praying for this day. I'm praying that each of us would count the cost of each day until the end. Thinking of the words spoken to my husband as we were called to South Sudan "Who will go for me?" and thinking of our sweet friends who are sacrificing so much to be a part of this call.

Thank you! and of course Merry Christmas!

January 7, 2011 - Everyone has a mission field

16 months ago, I started working at a property 32 miles from home. If any of you know me well, you know that commuting and traffic are my worst enemy. Nothing can make me lose my patience like traffic. I asked God repeatedly "Why are you sending me this far" What could possibly be your purpose? I didn't know it then but he began to use me on day one of my new position.
Less than 30 days into the new position, I had let go of an employee and was training a new one. For 13 months, I spent nearly every day with her, training her, listening to her, guiding her and gaining a friendship I now treasure above any earthly possession.
90 days ago, she called me out of the blue. She was hurting. She knew she needed HIM and wanted to go to church with me. I had heard her many stories of pain. Now she was commuting the 32 miles from home to hear about this father who loved her tremendously. The last 90 days have been such a ride to finally see Gods plan unfold for her. She leaves today to go away to college. I leave my job in less than 60 days to have a baby. God didn't waste ANY of my time and he won't waste any of yours if you ask him to use you. He planned each day that I gave to him. The extra time in the car was the perfect time for prayer. And the location although far for me, was just what the Father had in mind.
I sit here in tears, in awe of the fathers love for his lost children.In awe of his love for her! My task might seem menial to some, but I am so struck by his love for her. I hope I am communicating this well, because it overwhelms me to think that this is how he would use me. I am so blessed. WHAT A PRIVILEGE, to see first hand the shepherd searching for his lost, hungry and hurting sheep. He was searching for her. My heart cries out that she might know the depths of his love for her. I have learned so much about how he works. Days where I was complaining about a commute, there are so many things I would have done differently,if I knew that this was my specific task, but HIS hand was in it the entire time.

I can't wait for my next assignment. I pray for each of you, that you will be reminded to give each day to HIM. That we might ask, Lord how can I be a blessing to YOU today? That we remember there is no place to far, no task to pointless, when we are doing the Fathers work.
I want to encourage those of you who have been praying for a loved ones salvation. It may take years, for their heart to move, but be faithful, keep praying.
I want to leave you with a verse to start off 2011. We all know that Christmas is behind us, but in Luke 2:20 we see a very special little verse.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

What did they return to? Working! They went back to work. Their occupation was shepherding. And they went back Glorifying and Praising God. May your days be filled with HIS work, and may 2011 be filled glorifying and praising God!

-KP