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Sudan

Rev. John TubuwaThanks, from Rev. John Tubuwa in Sudan

Dear Merl, Mindy and Susan,

Yesterday I received my laptop computer from Best Buy Computer selling company. But I did not have time to write to you because I have been moving up and down. My little 3rd born son of 6 and half months has been very sick and he was on drip in a certain clinic in Entebbe, a distance of about 27-28 kilometers away from where I rent a house. The doctor said that the child has been suffering from pneumonia. But now he is a bit better.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to God for what you and your church have done. Getting such amount of money ($507) is not easy and it is because of God's love in you that is why you have made it possible. This computer is going to help me a lot, esp. in doing reports. Pass my joy and greetings to your church/committee. My wife is also very excited for such a great offer from your church. She is greeting you all and the church.

Best regards.
John Tubuwa

Rev. Tubuwa was our 2010 International Peacemaker. Funding for this gift to him came from the Presbytery portion of the Peacemaking Offering.

Building Minds in Sudan

Building Minds in Sudan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to African villagers in Southern Sudan. The organization seeks to restore hope by providing education for people adversely affected by conflict in Sudan. Sudan currently has the lowest access to primary education in the world, and the educational needs are urgent as. According to UNICEF, only 33% of children between the ages of 7-14 go to school, only 10% of the girls go to school (the lowest rate in the world), and over 93% of all women in Southern Sudan are illiterate.

Building Minds in Sudan is supported by the Presbytery’s Mission and Advocacy Committee. Sebastian Maroundit , one of its founders and a member at Downtown United, addressed the Presbytery at its November meeting. On January 6, 2011, Mission and Advocacy sponsored an Epiphany Prayer Vigil at Caledonia First praying for a peaceful self-determination vote in Sudan. Sebastian wrote the letter above to thank the Presbytery for its prayers.

A Thank You From Our Sudanese Friends

February 20, 2010

Dear Members of the Genesee Valley Presbytery,

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your prayers for me and my country during the recent referendum in Sudan. This was such a momentous occasion for us. We at Building Minds in Sudan were so thrilled with the results of the referendum. This means that soon there will be a new nation in southern Sudan and we can go forward with our work of building schools, starting in my home village of Mayan Abun. Your prayers are remembered as an important part of the process that has set so much hope in motion for so many after so long.

Sincerely,

Sebastian Maroundit
former Sudan’s lost boy
Co-founder of Building Minds in Sudan

Building Minds in Sudan
5880 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd.
Pittsford, NY 14534-2444

Child at wellWater for Sudan

Water for Sudan, Inc. is a Rochester-based 501(C)(3) organization providing clean, safe drinking water to thousands in southern Sudan, Africa.

Our mission is to drill fresh-water wells for the people in the southern areas of Sudan, providing the foundation for stable, healthy communities.

Our goal for the next several years is to drill twenty-four (24) wells per year to service tens of thousands of villagers. Locations are selected by the local tribal leaders. Members of the village are chosen to be trained by Water for Sudan in the operation and maintenance of the wells.

Once operational, a well becomes the property and responsibility of the village, empowering the people in the development of their own stable and healthy community. Our goal is the transformation of lives—bringing life out of the desert.

Salva Dut, President and Operations Manager of Water For Sudan, Inc., will talk about his work and show slides of his work to any congregation that would like to hear him. Telephone 585/377-9471.

Prayer Concerns from 2010 International Peacemaker, Rev. John Tubuwa

The Presbytery had the pleasure of hosting Rev. John Tubuwa from the Sudan in early October 2010. Rev. Tubua shared his prayer concerns with his host, Mindy Shaffer, and she has passed them on to all of us. In his own words, please pray for:

  1. Peace in Sudan
  2. Free and fair conduct of referendum in Sudan on January 9, 2011
  3. Clean water and education in Pibor, Sudan
  4. Funds for the renovation of the hospital in Pibor (John has told Mindy that the hospital building that was built by the late Ted Pollack of Pittsford exists, but was heavily damaged in hostilities; currently there are no medical facilities in Pibor)
  5. Women income generating activities in Pibor
  6. Nuer and Murle women peace meeting in November in Akobo, Sudan
  7. Pastors financial support in eastern Jonglei Presbytery (EJP) in Pibor (John is not paid for his pastoral duties)
  8. Churches in Pibor to have permanent and concrete buildings (John speaks of their worship services as being held outdoors, usually under a tree)

Areferendum is scheduled to take place on January 9, 2011. It will decide if southern Sudan (Christian and Animist population; rich in natural resources including oil) will secede from the Khartoum government in the north (Arab Muslim population; mainly desert). There has been a tenuous peace that came from the cease fire agreement signed 5 years ago. Nearly 2 million people were killed in the 20 year civil war. To date there have been protests and skirmishes regarding the referendum. It is feared that hostilities will increase and war will break out anew prohibiting the referendum and/or pressuring people to vote against their wishes.

Rev Tubuwa has requested that we let our government know that we hope for US support of a peacefully run, free and fair referendum. The web site usa.gov provides the names and addresses of senators, congress persons, etc. Please consider promoting a Presbytery letter writing campaign asking for this support. George Clooney recently traveled to Sudan to raise awareness. He believes that war is preventable. We must also believe it and urge our elected officials to help in the prevention.

Rev. John TubuwaBackground

Rev. John Tubuwa works with S.A.L.T. (Serving and Learning Together Development Agency), a Sudanese Christian group which seeks to raise the health, education, and living standards of the Sudanese people through the development of men and women with a servant-leader mentality.

In accomplishing this he has developed partnerships with the Christian Women’s Association of Pibor, Volunteers in Medical Mission, Trinity Presbytery, and other groups.

Rev. Tubuwa was born into the tribe called Murle in Upper Nile, Southern Sudan. He is married to Yayo James Ngadavar and they have one son. John attended a Bible school in Kakuma and graduated in 2000. Rev. Tubuwa was ordained as PCOS Pastor and assigned to a Murle congregation in Kakuma Refugee Camp.

In February 2004 he returned to Sudan to train Church leaders in a Murle area called Lekuangole. In September 2006 John attended further Theological studies in Westminster Theological College (WTC Uganda)