Prayer Letter, April 2016

It is strange how one forgets the calamitous, cacophonic chaos of security and check-in lines at Ethiopian airports.  Private space is not something people seem to be aware of here and one learns to tolerate the constant prodding of the suitcase from behind as well as the double queues. The urgency to board the plane may have something to do with the excess pieces of hand luggage most of the passengers seem to carry in spite of the regulations. Thankfully, there was no livestock on board.

Gambella has cooled down since we left. Rather than a stifling 140+ F (60+ C) we are enjoying 95+ F (36+ C)…but this time we have high humidity added to the mix. The heat in March was so severe that a number of our trees are quite literally burnt and a few are dead.

What a wonderful surprise to have Ajikune, one of our Anuak students, meet us at the airport together with our driver Gutu and Joshua, a linguist from SIL working with the Opo! Karen Salmon, shortly back from Ireland, was on the plane with us and Rosemary Burke had a delicious supper ready for us on arrival. Thankfully no wildlife, other than odd daddy-long-legs, had moved into our home and Louise worked wonders within a few hours. Ah, what a sweet reunion with our beloved brethren here! We continue to have visitors throughout each day!

Linda Abwa from CMS Ireland arrived the day after. We arranged for our students and other interested parties to come hear her speak on pastoral care for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, but unfortunately the tension between Nuer and Anuak has not yet been healed, so we had to have two classes, one in each territory. As Gambella has the highest percentage of HIV in Ethiopia, our folk were more than interested to hear what she had to say and her efforts were well rewarded.

Unfortunately that night reports came in from three neighbouring towns that over 160 people had been killed, an as yet unnumbered amount wounded, many children, food, and cattle taken. This is quite a shock, as usually these types of cattle raids do not claim so many lives. But people are hungry at this time of year, especially since food trucks could not reach these areas due to road closures resulting from the ethnic clashes, and often hunger leads to violence. We are praying that there will be no revenge killings, but rather that the grieving will find solace in the arms of the Prince of Peace. Somewhere…dear Lord…somewhere the hatred has to stop.

While we were in the US, we met with a security specialist. After having drawn a basic map of the area and of our compound, he came to the conclusion that we are not secure at all. I think we have known that for quite a while especially since the Nuer/Anuak incident two months ago, but he gave quite a few good ideas of how we can protect ourselves if evacuation is not an option. The library building seems to be an ideal place of refuge if it comes to that. Of course, we do need to complete the wall around the compound, but that will take funds we do not have at present. The wall and the drilling of a borehole for safe drinking water is a priority as we remain at risk without them.

Also, communication is a problem. Often cell phone and Internet connectivity is disrupted when trouble erupts…we have not had Internet access on the compound since we arrived…until now…YAY!...but satellite phones are expensive and consequently not a viable option for us now. Obviously, this is something we need to think about…soon.

The College reopens on Monday. We will continue to hold classes in two locations, but we are hoping that this will not be a permanent reality. Fear is almost tangible here and understandably so. It is just so sad that our brethren can no longer live together in unity…

As you all know, I had heart surgery six weeks ago. Recovery is taking a lot longer than I had hoped, but I am getting stronger every day. Louise gives me the stern motherly talk often…I haven’t had the strength to disobey.

I have included a poem I wrote about the recent massacre…writing poetry helps me process the unthinkable.

Thank you all again and again for your prayers, your love, and your on-going support. You are very much appreciated.

With much love and tons of blessings.

Johann and Louise

Massacre at Gikuo, Lare, and Nininyang

The murderous hordes stole in at night

Our people were at ease

No one would ever have believed

That they had come to seize

Our cattle and our little ones

…the bit of food we had…

To slaughter all who could not hide…

Had hell itself gone mad?

As Jesus said, the devils’ hour

‘Tis darkness and t’is gloom

As Judas marched with soldiers armed

To send Him to the tomb.

Our Lord was slain through cowardice

Of each and all concerned

Of Priests and Roman Governors

Not one would overturn

The sentence of the Innocent

The slaying of the Good

The only One Who had not sinned

Hung on a cross of wood.

But out of death our Father brought

Salvation to the world

And through the resurrected Christ

Our freedom flag unfurled.

So in the ashes of our lives

Those who believe must find

The light that comforts even those

Whom horror seeks to bind.

The sovereign attributes of God

Unwithered by man’s sin

Remind us in the aftermath

That love will always win.

Oh Gikuo, Lare, Nininyang

Your wailing voice is heard

By God Himself who is the judge

Who has the final word.

For Satan plunders, Satan kills

But Jesus grants us life

And shepherds us through deepest vale

Through sorrow and through strife.

Seek not revenge, but rather stretch

Your hand out to forgive

Those who in sinful ignorance

Do not know what they did.

For Satan blinds the eyes of those

Who do not know the Lord

They are the lost who have no hope

Beyond the things they stored.

For all they have is of this world

They know not of the next

And so from war and so from theft

They simply cannot rest.

But we have not an earthly aim

Our sights are set above

The witness of our lives is this:

We serve a God of love.

We do not ask our fellow man

To give us victory –

All other nations and their kin

To bring to bended knee.

But rather we serve Jesus Christ

Who sits on Heaven’s throne

And bids us go to all the world

To call the peoples home.

Over 160 people were slaughtered in the area, many children were abducted, and cattle and food stolen.

Johann van der Bijl © 2016-04-16

Q&A Johann Vanderbijl Dean of St Frumentius' Anglican Theological College

There is an urgent need for theological training in the region of Gambella, in the west of Ethiopia. There are over 90 Anglican Churches in Gambella, which are part of the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa. These churches are served by 15 clergy, none of whom has a theological degree. There are no other theological colleges in Gambella. St. Frumentius Theological College opened at the Gambella Anglican Centre in September 2015. The priority of the college will be training new and existing Anglican clergy, as well as lay-leaders, but it is also open to other denominations. We already have some of the needed facilities, but we need your prayers and support to start this college.

Newsletter - February 2016

I was trying to explain the difference between ‘simple’ and ‘complex’ to my English students the other day. “Simple,” I said, “is something that is easy to explain and easy to understand because there is usually only one thing to think about. Complex, on the other hand, is something that takes a long time to explain because there are so many different things to keep in your head at the same time…things that are often strange or unknown to the person you are trying to talk to which makes it harder for them to understand.”

Life in Gambella is not simple.

We returned in January filled with new and exciting ideas about what we were going to do with our students only to have our very first week turned upside down by deadly ethnic clashes.  Nothing has been the same ever since. We now teach two sets of classes in two different areas of Gambela, as neither ethnic group can meet with the other at present. Our Anglican brethren on both sides long for fellowship with each other and will often pray for each other, ask about each other, and send greetings to each other through us. They have responded negatively to other denominations in town that are calling for total segregation.

It is both painful and pleasing to see this…pleasing in that they have transcended traditional tribal barriers and painful in that they are being forced to stay apart because some on both sides do not share that unique oneness in Jesus. It is refreshing to see that our brethren here are not slow to see the spiritual forces of darkness behind the killing and the hatred – not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers in the heavenly places – and so they turn as one united body together against a common spiritual enemy and fight their battles on their knees, fasting and praying for peace.

At the same time, city water has been very scarce and the power has been sporadic. Some of our brethren in outer lying areas do not have food as all the roads were closed during the unrest. And it is hot…very hot. Temperatures are now often between 45 and 55 degrees Celsius with an increasing humidity, even at night. Our students tell us they can’t sleep…we know, because we can’t either. When the power goes off and we don’t have fans going, it feels like we are living in an oven.

Add now this: my dear old heart that just doesn’t seem to be able to handle this extreme environment anymore. I had a really bad episode of Atrial Fibrillation in Addis in December last year just before we went to South Africa. While in South Africa I heard that I ought to have a heart ablation, a procedure in which the surgeon cauterizes the areas where the impulses enter the atrium and cause the heart to beat very fast and irregularly. I had hoped to put this off until July, but the other morning I woke up with A-Fib in spite of the high doses of meds that I am on to prevent this from happening. See? This is so long and difficult to explain! It is complex – not the sort of thing I would have planned for us at this time.

The long and the short of it all is that we are closing the College a week early to go to South Africa so that my ticker can get a service…of course the pacemaker and other problems complicate things, but it just wouldn’t be my life if it was simple, would it?

We are thinking about changing the dates of our current semesters so that the College will be functional only during the less extremely hot seasons...the rest of the time…well, we will have to figure that out as we go along. We remain committed to the Lord’s work and the people here in Gambela…we just have to figure out creative ways to keep me healthy!

We have been moving at quite a pace with our dear students as we have had to cram our lessons into shorter hours because we are now dividing everything into two. We have also had to make up for the lost week in the past two days and have given them projects and assignments to do for next week. After that, they all go to their respective field education areas where they will be engaging in a research project as well as teaching Bible Stories chronologically. They are all so very, very smart and we are very, very proud of each one. So many strikes against them from the start and so many strikes against them as they simply try to live here, but they are troupers and keep on keeping on for Jesus!

We will send out an update once I have had the procedure done.

We love you all and are so blessed to have you as partners…we are not alone…the Father is with us, and you all are with us too. We are encouraged.

Many blessings and tons of love.

Johann and Louise

Newsletter, January 2016

After the dismantling of the apartheid system in South Africa, many previously segregated Bible Colleges and Universities had to rethink the manner in which they taught theology. No longer could they assume that every student had had equal educational opportunities or that they all learned in the same way. This realisation gave birth to a lot of research, creative thought, and bold experimentation as some of the best educators got together to find a solution to the emerging problem. For this reason, I was very interested to chat with a number of educators in South Africa and also in securing some of the articles and books written by Africans on the subject of oral versus literate preference styles of learning.

All of our students in Gambella could be considered higher on the oral scale than on the literate scale. This has a tremendous impact on how St Frumentius proceeds…how we structure the curriculum and how we teach…not that we wish to “dumb down” the material, but rather come up with new and creative ways of communicating in a way that is compatible with oral preference learners and that is culturally relevant. In the past, oral preference learners have had to struggle through literate preference methods only to find that they are no longer able to communicate clearly to their oral preference parishioners once they return to their respective places of ministry.

So the second semester of our first year may prove be one of the most interesting periods in our history as a College as we will be laying a foundation for future students using some of the best research on oral preference learners by Africans in Africa. Everyone in the Anglican Church in Ethiopia will be involved at some level as we will seek to learn more about what our students will need in order to be effective leaders in their respective communities.

On a more personal level, a routine cardiac check-up revealed that I need a surgical procedure known as an ablation. This procedure will correct a worsening condition called Atrial Fibrillation, or A-Fib for short. The choice is between this procedure or taking two meds that have some unpleasant side-effects. The cardiologist wanted me to have it done immediately as I am apparently a high stroke risk right now, but after much thought and prayer, we have decided to continue on the meds until 18 July when I will have the ablation done in Cape Town, South Africa. This will allow me to complete the second semester and to adequately prepare for the next year.

We will be going to the US in March/April for the New Wineskins Conference in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. Both Louise and I will be co-leading workshops with Bishop Grant and Dr Wendy LeMarquand. Prior to the Conference, we will be stopping in Greenville (probably Easter Weekend) and Charleston SC (the first weekend in April). We hope to be able to see as many of our ministry partners as possible during this time.

Please pray for us as we start the second semester next week. Pray for Bishop Grant and Dr Wendy as they continue to provide wise guidance for us all, for Louise as she continues to bring our library up to snuff, for Karen and Jeremiah as they teach, for Rosemary as she helps us all with the administration of the Area, for Roger and Lynn as they lead the congregation in Addis, and for all our priests, deacons, lay-leaders, and Mother’s Union leaders. Pray too for the visit from ACTEA (Association For Christian Theological Education in Africa) in February.

We appreciate you more than we can say…thank you for staying the course with us and for fighting the good fight by our side.

Many blessings.

Johann and Louise

Newsletter, December 2015

I have been meditating on a prayer in a book of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, [1] and thought I might use it as a framework for this newsletter. As we have come to the end of our first semester and, indeed, nearly the end of 2015, my mood is more contemplative and reflective as I look back over all the many things that have happened since we started back in August.

Sovereign God, Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart, and I appeal to Thee with greatest freedom to set up Thy kingdom in every place where Satan reigns; Glorify Thyself and I shall rejoice, for to bring honour to Thy name is my sole desire.

Four years ago, as we began to sense the Lord’s gentle yet persuasive tug on our hearts to return to the foreign mission field, we surrendered ourselves to His will to go wherever He sent us, asking only to be sent where no one else wanted to go. Gambella was the answer to our prayers. Not only do we now see the wisdom in our Lord’s sovereign decision to send us here rather than to any of the other very needy places in His world, but we also see His heart. Gambella is a place on the periphery…the people who live here live very much in the margins and have, for the most part, been forgotten and neglected. We see this especially in the field of education. While many have certificates and diplomas the evidence of what their papers declare is lacking. If children actually do go to school they receive a substandard education in comparison with the rest of the country. As far as the church is concerned, Satan has used this to his advantage as lack of proper theological training has resulted in either a continuation of traditional practices or some or other form of syncretism. The Christians here recognised this and asked for a Theological College…this year has been a year of fulfilment of that request.

I adore Thee that Thou art God, and long that others should know it, feel it, and rejoice in it. O that (people) might love and praise Thee, that Thou mightiest have all glory from the intelligent world! Let sinners be brought to Thee for Thy dear name!

But the College is not here simply to educate…it is here to bring glory to God. It is here because we are jealous for God’s Name and desire to see all in the Gambella People’s Region come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. So we teach some in order that they might teach many. To this end we have built into our curriculum a Field Education Program in which our students are required to use what they have learned in class to teach in their respective churches. But more than that. We also have a Spiritual Development Program and a Servant Leadership Program in which students are trained in the disciplines of the Christian walk…Bible reading, study, meditation, memorization, prayer, and service of others. We desire to see our students not just talk the walk, but walk the walk in the Spirit.

To the eye of reason everything respecting the conversion of others is as dark as midnight, but Thou can accomplish great things; the cause is Thine, and it is to Thy glory that (people) should be saved.

There is little we can teach our students about evangelism…in an oral culture, sharing good news is as natural as breathing…so the news of free salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’s finished work spreads like wild fire, and people are responding by the hundreds! This is the work of the Holy Spirit and we rejoice in it. To our Lord, these people are precious and most certainly not in the margins of His book! Reason alone fails to explain the phenomenal growth of the Anglican Church in this area…this is His cause, not ours. He is moving and we are simply following in His wake.

Lord, use me as Thou wilt, do with me what Thou wilt; but, O, promote Thy cause, let Thy kingdom come, let Thy blessed interest be advanced in this world! O do Thou bring in great numbers to Jesus! Let me see that glorious day, and give me to grasp for the multitudes of souls; let me be willing to die to that end; and while I live let me labour for Thee to the utmost of my strength, spending time profitably in this work, both in health and in weakness.

Living in Gambella makes one very aware of the frailty of human life. Death is commonplace here and the reality of our own mortality is clear. Everything in this world is transitory and temporary. We are not owners here. But this realization spurs us on to be used by our Lord to share life in a kingdom that cannot be shaken by war or by disease…the urgency to preach the Gospel here is pressing. For many, tomorrow will never come. The deepest desire of our hearts is to see the people of Gambella among the multitudes around our Lord’s throne of mercy and grace for eternity and so this part of the prayer is especially meaningful to us.

It is Thy cause and kingdom I long for, not my own. O, answer Thou my request!

If we came to Gambella out of a sense of moral duty we are doomed to fail. Life is hard here. Those who have come to visit us, even for a short space of time, can testify to this. But we are not here for ourselves, nor are we here even for the people – no, rather we are here for God and His cause and it is this that keeps us here. Everything we have done since coming to Gambella is for the sake of His kingdom, as that is all that is worth living for as that is all that is real and eternal. God loved His world enough to send His only Son to die for it. That is what Christmas is all about and that is what our work in Gambella is all about. His cause…His Kingdom…His glory.

We are truly grateful for each of our partners in this ministry. We know that it is His cause that motivates you to support us and we praise Him for that. May His Spirit continue to work in and through us all to bring His kingdom to bear upon every place where souls remain imprisoned.

Louise and I will be in South Africa visiting with her mum and family and also one of our children and our grandchildren for the rest of December and part of January. This will also be a time for reflection and evaluation for me as far as the College is concerned. I have applied for Affiliate Status with ACTEA (The Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa) and have to work on our application as well.

Praise:

Give thanks with us for the safe delivery of our third grandchild, Amelia Rose.

Give thanks with us for the successful and blessed completion of our first semester.

Prayers:

Pray with us as we reflect on our work over the past year, for wisdom to know how to shape the curriculum in the future, and for humility to discard our “bright ideas” for His better ones!

Much love and tons of blessings.

Johann and Louise

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[1] The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Bennet, Arthur Ed, The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA, 1975.