South Sudan
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Mission to Wau, South Sudan: 25 January to 7 February 2020
A team of 10, led by Val Batchelor, visited Wau in South Sudan in January 2020. They returned rejoicing and with thanksgiving to God and to everyone who had prayed for this successful mission.
60 chaplains attended a 4-day conference and workshop. Two brigadiers, 1 Colonel and a clutch of Majors were part of the 60 and it was a joy to see God healing them. It was good to see so much interest coming from the senior commanders.
At the end of the first day we asked for testimonies of healing. We heard six testimonies of full healing: a body pain, stomach pain and ulcer pain all healed; healing of trauma and another healed from a spirit of fear. A seventh person testified of healing to one of two painful kidneys (we heard two days later that the second kidney had also been healed).
One of the Brigadiers shared that his brother was in Australia and had not communicated with the family. He was very concerned and shamed by this behaviour. Every day he worried about it until in the workshop group he gave his brother to Jesus and finally found relief. He was a changed man.
On the Sunday, the team went to seven churches and preached forgiveness to around 1800 people. Many chose to forgive. Five gave their lives to Jesus. The following day we learnt that Wau was buzzing with forgiveness, as the message spread throughout the wider community.
One lady forgave her husband on Sunday and again on Monday. When she went home on Monday evening, her husband, who is an angry man and feared by his family and a non-believer, was listening to a tape of her preaching. The lady and her children were amazed and delighted.
On Monday we started the two-day conference for 40 pastors and leaders. There was a lot of talk about forgiveness and we heard that many had sincerely forgiven. The response to the teaching on Emotional Healing and Anger was very positive.
One Archdeacon really received revelation about the dramas he had seen. He said he woke at around 4am with the dramas on his mind and got up and rehearsed them all; realising they were an important part of the teaching and that he needed to use them. There was such joy in his face as he shared this.
The prayer following cleansing the land teaching was Spirit led and very powerful and we trust God to use this precious time for his glory.
60 chaplains attended a 4-day conference and workshop. Two brigadiers, 1 Colonel and a clutch of Majors were part of the 60 and it was a joy to see God healing them. It was good to see so much interest coming from the senior commanders.
At the end of the first day we asked for testimonies of healing. We heard six testimonies of full healing: a body pain, stomach pain and ulcer pain all healed; healing of trauma and another healed from a spirit of fear. A seventh person testified of healing to one of two painful kidneys (we heard two days later that the second kidney had also been healed).
One of the Brigadiers shared that his brother was in Australia and had not communicated with the family. He was very concerned and shamed by this behaviour. Every day he worried about it until in the workshop group he gave his brother to Jesus and finally found relief. He was a changed man.
On the Sunday, the team went to seven churches and preached forgiveness to around 1800 people. Many chose to forgive. Five gave their lives to Jesus. The following day we learnt that Wau was buzzing with forgiveness, as the message spread throughout the wider community.
One lady forgave her husband on Sunday and again on Monday. When she went home on Monday evening, her husband, who is an angry man and feared by his family and a non-believer, was listening to a tape of her preaching. The lady and her children were amazed and delighted.
On Monday we started the two-day conference for 40 pastors and leaders. There was a lot of talk about forgiveness and we heard that many had sincerely forgiven. The response to the teaching on Emotional Healing and Anger was very positive.
One Archdeacon really received revelation about the dramas he had seen. He said he woke at around 4am with the dramas on his mind and got up and rehearsed them all; realising they were an important part of the teaching and that he needed to use them. There was such joy in his face as he shared this.
The prayer following cleansing the land teaching was Spirit led and very powerful and we trust God to use this precious time for his glory.
Mission to Pagak, South Sudan: October 2019
Our mission to Pagak will always stand out as one where we battled daily with the physical challenges of heavy rain, flooding and mud. The area of Pagak was remote, and the half hour drive through flooded and muddy roads from the MAF airstrip to our accommodation was challenging. We also struggled to communicate with our prayer supporters, having no email or phone connections and no electricity.
Once in Pagak, we immediately noticed the extreme poverty and lack of development; basic items such as mosquito nets were not available, and we were once again living in mud huts with mud floors, something we have not done since 2005. However, we soon forgot the physical challenges by the warmth of our welcome and the kindness and generosity of all whom we met.
We thank God for this extraordinary mission to the people of Pagak, who feel forgotten and abandoned, and yet this remote place on the Ethiopian border has strategic importance to peace in South Sudan.
We ran a conference and workshop for 50 government and opposition forces, and a conference for 45 pastors, Mothers’ Union and youth. It was a tough mission, both physically and spiritually, but we could see God working every day.
The conference and workshop under a tree was hard going, but we could see God working and after the first day, all the Chaplains testified to sleeping well. About 14 of them said that they had arrived sick and had been healed.
We had much rain, and we were praying for the rain to stop, but the people of Pagak were rejoicing in the blessings of our being there; and prayed for more rain! Sunday church service was under the tree, with the team acting out the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, much to the delight of the congregation, all of whom chose to forgive. One lady’s eye was healed, two ladies reported that their pain had gone, and another was healed from an ulcer. On our day off, we ventured out to the one primary school of 470 children, with their classrooms being held under the tree, without books or resources. We were unable to go to the village due to flooding and mud!
The conference for pastors was a delight. They were hungry and attentive; absorbing everything. Testimonies of healing flowed. One lady had suffered from an issue of blood for 6 years. After prayer and on the following day, she reported that the bleeding had stopped. Wrists, shoulders, and backs were healed. A lady pastor said all her bad thinking had gone. Another lady was sick but is now able to walk and dance, and she showed us!
On the day of our departure, MAF landed on Pagak airstrip and we were escorted to the waiting plane, our bags on the heads of the people. After numerous hugs, the clergy sang “Trust and Obey” as we climbed on board. We departed knowing that God had restored hope, faith and love to many.
Even though communication with the outside world was at times non-existent and our reports minimal, the prayers of our faithful supporters saw us through.
Once in Pagak, we immediately noticed the extreme poverty and lack of development; basic items such as mosquito nets were not available, and we were once again living in mud huts with mud floors, something we have not done since 2005. However, we soon forgot the physical challenges by the warmth of our welcome and the kindness and generosity of all whom we met.
We thank God for this extraordinary mission to the people of Pagak, who feel forgotten and abandoned, and yet this remote place on the Ethiopian border has strategic importance to peace in South Sudan.
We ran a conference and workshop for 50 government and opposition forces, and a conference for 45 pastors, Mothers’ Union and youth. It was a tough mission, both physically and spiritually, but we could see God working every day.
The conference and workshop under a tree was hard going, but we could see God working and after the first day, all the Chaplains testified to sleeping well. About 14 of them said that they had arrived sick and had been healed.
We had much rain, and we were praying for the rain to stop, but the people of Pagak were rejoicing in the blessings of our being there; and prayed for more rain! Sunday church service was under the tree, with the team acting out the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, much to the delight of the congregation, all of whom chose to forgive. One lady’s eye was healed, two ladies reported that their pain had gone, and another was healed from an ulcer. On our day off, we ventured out to the one primary school of 470 children, with their classrooms being held under the tree, without books or resources. We were unable to go to the village due to flooding and mud!
The conference for pastors was a delight. They were hungry and attentive; absorbing everything. Testimonies of healing flowed. One lady had suffered from an issue of blood for 6 years. After prayer and on the following day, she reported that the bleeding had stopped. Wrists, shoulders, and backs were healed. A lady pastor said all her bad thinking had gone. Another lady was sick but is now able to walk and dance, and she showed us!
On the day of our departure, MAF landed on Pagak airstrip and we were escorted to the waiting plane, our bags on the heads of the people. After numerous hugs, the clergy sang “Trust and Obey” as we climbed on board. We departed knowing that God had restored hope, faith and love to many.
Even though communication with the outside world was at times non-existent and our reports minimal, the prayers of our faithful supporters saw us through.
