Sunset in Zanzibar

ReachGlobal Equipping Team

 We returned from Zanzibar on Friday where we spent the week in meetings with our equipping team and having some good ole Zanzibar fun.

  After 2yrs of developing our equipping team, we are "finally" all together now. Our team consists of people who are very qualified in their ministry areas. From left to right in the picture- Holly and Eric Belz (Eric is our trainer in Pastoral Development and Church Health) Holly and Tony Freitas ( Trainers in Community Health Evangelism),  Mark and Alyssa Dunker (Team Leader and Trainers in more Formal Pastoral Education. Together we compliment eachother to make an outstanding team for equipping leaders so that they can equip leaders.

Diver Devin

We also had some fun while we were there! Devin had a great time windsurfing and discovering scuba diving. Devin and I did an early morning dive with our team mate Eric. (Eric and I are already experienced divers).  The fish, sea turtles and coral were truely amazing. Now Devin wants to get his scuba certification!





We all did some snorkeling, played on the beach and just enjoyed eachother's company.

The Snorkeling Team

Latest Update:

    The fighting in Magwi has ended for now! Pastor Moses said “There are no arrows or gunfire in the bushes now!” The UN Peacekeepers came into the area and put an end to the fighting but the issue of land ownership is going to be a complicated one to resolve. Everyone that returned after the 20yr war are on what they believe to be their family plots. There is no title or deeds, only the word of older relatives. Many more people have lost their lives and many families are homeless because their Tokuls (huts) have been burnt to the ground. Women and children are flooding into Pageri town to find safety. Pastor Moses is scrambling to find food, blankets and places for these people to live until they can return home. Please keep these people in your prayers!

UPDATE!

     My last communication from Pastor Moses, as of 30 minutes ago, said that there were now many more deaths because the South Sudanese Military is involved in trying to resolve the conflict. Unfortunately, the South Sudanese military solves the countries problems through the barrel of a gun. They are the last people that you want to bring peace to a conflict! The end result is more deaths!

Pray that this killing would end soon!

Update: 5 deaths in Magwe as the fighting continues to escalate!

PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just received a text from Pastor Moses Andruga in Southern Sudan that serious fighting has broken out over the demarcation of land in Magwe town. The Ocholi and Madi have been burning homes and pulling people of opposite tribes off of busses. I have not yet heard what has happened to these people yet but it does not sound good at all. The fighting is continuing to escalate and I am getting this information as I write this email! As the tribes of Southern Sudan have gained their freedom they are now taking control of very loosely divided land. I fear that this is just the beginning of more internal conflict to come. I will keep you posted.