Sudan, the summit and Sanctity Life Sunday

Dear Friends

“How awesome is the Lord most high, the great King over all the earth!” Psalm 47:2

We praise God that in the last three months of 2002, we managed to complete three major mission trips into Sudan. The third mission trip in December involved a team of eight, delivering Dinka Bibles, audio visual evangelism equipment, study Bibles and bicycles for pastors. Their leadership training and child evangelism was especially blessed.

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​SUNSTROKE IN SUDAN
Earlier, Tim had delivered thousands of Bibles in the Dinka language (the Dinka are the largest population group in Southern Sudan). During the November mission trip to the Nuba Mountains, Tim almost died of heat stroke. When he returned, Tim began his report back by saying: “Somebody must have been seriously praying, or I wouldn’t be alive now”. To start with, there was no-one at the airstrip in the Nuba Mountains to meet him. The Nuba Mountains are at the Southern-most fringe of the Sahara Desert. The temperatures were in excess of 120°F. Then Tim developed sunstroke. He started vomiting and developed severe dysentery. He lost so much fluid that he became severely weakened.

Tim managed to walk on his own to a Joint Military Commission (JMC) compound, where he received medical care.
The JMC is a non-UN, peace-keeping force, observing the cease-fire in the Nuba Mountains. The doctor who examined him reported that his body temperature was over 105°F. His pulse was racing. The doctor said that had he been in the sun even a few minutes longer, he would have gone into convulsions, a coma and died. Tim received intensive treatment for two days, lapsing in and out of consciousness and often vomiting. By God's grace, he regained sufficient strength by the Sunday service to begin the literature distribution and training of evangelists.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES BY HELICOPTER
To distribute the remainder of his cargo, Tim had to get across the 40-mile plain controlled by the Arabs. He began looking around for some camels to hire to transport the Bibles across. Then, by God's grace, he was offered a flight in the Joint Military Commission’s helicopter! Tim managed to get ½ tonne Arabic Bibles onto the Soviet Mi-8 helicopter (without them realising what they were actually transporting!).

Tim then had a serious shock when they landed in the middle of a government of Sudan garrison! He realised that if the Arab soldiers realised that he was a Christian missionary and what he was transporting, his “head” would have “literally been in a basket!” However, by God’s grace, Tim and his Scriptural contraband remained undetected and the helicopter continued on its flight, landing him and his precious cargo not too far from the Churches that he had come to visit.

DINKA BIBLES DISTRIBUTED, EVANGELISTS EQUIPPED
Despite great difficulties and dangers, Tim managed to deliver tonnes of Bibles, Hymn books, audio-visual evangelistic equipment and relief aid to Western Equatoria and into the Nuba Mountains.

The team all safely returned home in time for Christmas.

ZAMBIAN EVANGELISTS MINISTER IN ZIMBABWE
Also during November and December, Frontline Fellowship had the joy of sponsoring Zambian evangelists for a series of ministry trips into Zimbabwe. We praise God that pastors and evangelists, whom we have had the privilege of training and supporting over the last 15 years of our mission’s involvement in Zambia, have risen to the challenge and are undertaking mission trips into neighbouring countries of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This is the fulfilment of a burden and a vision that we’ve had for a long time, that the people to whom we minister, will become missionaries themselves to the desperately needy and unreached peoples around them.

“Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” 1 Chronicles 16:24-25

By God's grace, in the first three weeks of this year, we managed to complete three major leadership training courses or conferences.

THE SUMMIT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Over 90 people from as far afield as KwaZulu, Gauteng, Zambia and Texas participated in the Summit Youth Leadership Training SUMMIT LOGOprogramme in Cape Town. This was the third Summit run by Frontline Fellowship in South Africa. The Summit is based on the highly successful training programme run by Dr. David Noebel for the last 40 years in Colorado Springs. The backbone of the course is Dr. Noebel’s book: Understanding the Times. Each participant to the Summit in South Africa received a complimentary copy of Mind Siege – the Battle for Truth in the New Millennium. Those who passed the Bible Exam also received a copy of Dr. Noebel’s Battle for the Truth. The venue was spectacular. Nestled on the slopes of a mountain in a forested area, overlooking the ocean, participants of the Summit in Cape Town were able to swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach and engage in literature distribution in Simonstown, which is one of the most strategic naval bases in the Southern Hemisphere.

Some of the written responses received from the participants of the Summit included these comments: “Excellent!”; “Addressed core issues that we’ve been battling with”, “Very different to any other kind of Christian camps – a definite eye-opener, it has renewed my enthusiasm for Jesus and His ministry”; “An amazing experience which strengthened my faith”; “A great time of spiritual revival”; “The Summit gave me solid foundations for defending and living my faith”; “I’ve learnt a lot more about the Bible, being changed in so many ways”; “Meeting amazing people from all nations with the same love for God”; “A great way to increase our knowledge and a wonderful time to bond with God, it really helps in building a relationship with God”; “This was probably the best experience in my life so far, and I’ll try my best to come next year – prepare for a horde!”; “The Summit equips!!!”.

Many of the Summit participants identified as highlights the Understanding Communism presentation by Rev. Bill Bathman, Dating and Courtship by Rob & Christine McCafferty, Relativism by Tim Keller, Christianity vs. Humanism by Rev. Stephen Smyth and my presentations on Understanding Humanism, God & Government and Missions. (All the presentations of the Summit are available on audio tape).

WEEK OF ACTION IMPACTS CAPE TOWN
The Summit was followed by a Week of Action with lots of practical training and ten outreaches in and around Cape Town. Lenora and I also participated in the Grace Ministers Conference held near Stellenbosch.

FIRST EDITION OF CHRISTIAN ACTION
Our office is now engaged in mailing out the first edition of the Christian Action magazine. You can subscribe by e-mailing: [email protected], or in the USA, Tel: 1-888-918-4100 to request a complimentary copy, or visit: www.christianaction.org.za for a pdf version of this new Christian Action magazine.

NATIONAL DAY OF REPENTANCE AND SANCTITY LIFE SUNDAY
On Saturday, 1st February, we will be leading a funeral procession to Parliament in Cape Town to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in South Africa, with a Prayer Vigil outside the gates of Parliament. On Sunday, 2nd February, pastors throughout South Africa will be focusing on the sanctity of life, what the Bible says about when life begins and our Christian responsibility to the abortion holocaust.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8

May the Lord Jesus be pleased to use our inadequate efforts as He multiplied the loaves and fishes – for His glory.

Yours for the fulfilment of the Great Commission.

Dr. Peter Hammond