March 20, 2013

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

            Things are changing and I think it is for the good!  In September of last year I (Justin) went to Texas for a weekend of meetings with the e3 Partners Sudan team.  My supervisor told me then that our family might not be able to go to Southern Sudan as e3 missionaries.  E3 Partners does not have many long-term field missionaries, their strategy is based on short-term trips.  We were approved to go long-term, but that changed when we had a baby.  A family with children required more organizational support than e3 felt they could provide, so they asked us to either move to short-term missions like the rest of them or find a new organization that would send us to Sudan.

           

            There’s something incredibly humbling and slightly discouraging about calling one organization after another and hearing them say no, but through the process God gave us so many “without a doubt” confirmations that we were still doing what He had called us to, and He just wanted us to trust Him.

           

            When I was in Sudan in December, I met some people who suggested that we contact Pioneers.  I had never heard of Pioneers, but a few days later we were denied by another organization that didn’t want to start work in Southern Sudan, so I called them.  The issue with many of the organizations was that we were going as a family, with a young child, to such a remote place.  I explained that to the people at Pioneers and they asked us to apply anyways.  Well, two weeks ago we went to Orlando for orientation and final interviews, and at the end of that week they appointed us.

           

            God is so awesome.  We contacted Pioneers because we just wanted an organization that would let us go, but the more we talk to people and learn about the organization, the more we realize that Pioneers is a perfect fit for us.  God had it all worked out already.  The process was long and sometimes discouraging, but God has called us, He is in control, and He is good so we can trust Him.

           

            Not much has changed with the actual ministry that we’re going to do.  We’re still going to Southern Sudan, still planning to start churches and disciple national leaders to lead self-supporting and reproducing national churches.  We now get to do all of that with an agency who has the support and help that our family will need.

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January 1, 2013

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10

          Hopefully you had a wonderful Christmas season.  We traveled to Columbus, GA to have Thanksgiving with Amy’s parents, then I (Justin) spent two weeks in Sudan, then we visited Amy’s brother and his family in St. Louis.  In the last month I have traveled almost 20,000 miles!
           My trip to Sudan was exciting and fruitful.  I learned some great new things about the logistics surrounding our living arrangements and saw the area where we will work and live when we return.  There are still lots of details that we need to work out and decide before we go back, but after this trip I feel like I have a way better handle on what we’re going to encounter when we go back.
           During the trip I went to Terekkeka to visit for a few days.  While I was there I got to know a man named Marino (pictured above).  Marino is a Mondari man from Yari, a village near Terekkeka.  A few years ago Marino went to Kajo Keji to go through our Bible school, but because he couldn’t adequately read and write he could not go through the program.  He started primary school in Kajo Keji and was being disciple by some of the believers there.  Marino accompanied me to Terekkeka to elp me get around, but later informed me that he would not return to Kajo Keji when my stay was over.  He had been there long enough, and his desire was to finish school in Terekkeka so he could start sharing the gospel and working with churches in his home village.

          Yari is a small village near Terekka.  At one time there was a “Baptist” church meeting in Yari, but it hasn’t been around for a while.  Months ago, during a land dispute between clans, the entire village of Yari was burned to the ground.  I met the people who used to attend the church, they told me that they were slowly coming back to rebuild their homes but the only Bible they had was burned in the conflict.  I encouraged them with a story from God’s word and we left so they could continue their work.  Marino hopes to keep working with the handful of believers who are in Yari and start discipling them and raising up men and women who will spread the gospel to the rest of their tribe.  He is anxious for us to return and for me to keep mentoring him and teaching him the Bible.

           Before I left Sudan I was able to get some Bibles in the Bari language (similar to Mondari) and send them to Marino in Terekkeka.  I’m anxious to get back.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

November 5, 2012

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that it set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2

            The past month has been eventful!  On October 23 at 7:20 PM, after thirty-one hours of labor, Ezekiel John Culp was born by caesarian.  He was 7 pounds 14 ounces and 21.5 inches long.  As I write this he is thirteen days old, 9 pounds 2 ounces, and doing great!  The Pediatrician says that he should be growing at .5 to 2oz per day, and we’re averaging just over 2oz.

            While we were in the hospital I got an email from Peter in Sudan.  Peter is the Sudanese pastor who took over the cattle camp ministry we started around Akot.  Here is part of Peter’s email:

I went to Yirol west county cattle camp which is different with our county there I told them some stories from the Bible. The verse said we are the one brother and one sister.  I went there one time and my people stop me not to go there because they are fearing of my life  .I think justin machar know more abuot Yirol west county and Rumbek east county they are fight against each other. and I went there with no fear because I know that  God is most powerful then everything.

Praise God!  When I was in Sudan, Peter talked about going to cattle camps in the surrounding counties, even though the Dinka Agaar (Peter’s tribe) and the Dinka Atuot and Nuer (the people of Yirol West) are typically fighting and killing each other.  He told me that he would go anyways, and that God would protect him, and now he’s doing it!

             Support raising is picking back up.  We had to take a few weeks off with the baby, but we’re getting started again.  We’ve had a few people drop off in the past few months, and the goal is raised to $4500/month with new expenses for the baby.  Please pray for the following items:

- That Amy and Ezekiel will get into a good feeding routine.

- That God would provide new supporters for our team.

- That we would have clear direction through some changes that are taking place.

Philippians 1:3-4,

Justin and Amy Culp

September/October Update

You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.  But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. – Matthew 24:6-8

Many people have been asking me questions about the recent news in Sudan, so I want to use part of this month’s newsletter to set your heart at ease.  A few weeks ago, on September 11^th, there was news about Islamic protests in Libya and Egypt, including the American ambassador in Libya being killed.  Shortly after this, there were reports of American embassies being evacuated and further protests in other Islamic countries, including Sudan.  Here is a quote from Reuters.com:

In Khartoum, wider anger at Western attitudes to Islam also saw the German embassy overrun, with police doing little to stop demonstrators who raised a black Islamist flag.  Violence at the U.S. embassy followed protests against both Washington and the Sudanese government, which is broadly at odds with the West.

There is more in the article above talking about pressure on President Bashir by Islamic radicals in the country and the history of Sudan and Islamic extremists.  

That is the news about Sudan.  With all of that stuff going on now, I want to reassure our family and prayer team that these things have almost no effect on us at all.  The country of Southern Sudan became separate from Sudan (“The North”) over a year ago.  Above I posted a map of Sudan where you can see Khartoum (where these things are happening) and Kajo Keji (where we will be living), they are approximately 800 miles apart, which is virtually unreachable by Sudanese roads.  Our plans to go to Sudan haven’t changed.

Please remember our brothers from the North in prayer as the environment becomes increasingly difficult for them.  As part of the “e3 Sudan” team, we are striving to bring the gospel to the 20 million people of Sudan, twenty million souls whom God loves and for whom Christ died.  Sometimes the idea of reaching this many people is staggering, but God is powerful and is working in the Southern Sudanese church to make this goal a reality.

As I write this, Amy is 37 weeks pregnant!  We had an appointment last week where the doctor told us that she is still measuring like she should (maybe even a few millimeters smaller).  It still seems unreal that we are going to have a baby in a couple of weeks.

Support raising is still going well.  We increased the goal to $4500/month to cover extra costs from having a baby around, and with a few changes in our donor list that leaves us about $600/month short of our final goal.  The building cost is also coming in rather well.  God has provided about $16,000 of our $50,000 goal.  Thank you for praying with us about these things!

July 2012 Update

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 
– Ephesians 2:4-7

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This month I had the privilege of taking the youth group from Indian Avenue Baptist Church to camp.  Before going to Sudan, I worked with the youth group off and on for about six years, so going to camp was a treat.  The camp these this year was “Identity” and focused not only on the lost students’ need to identify with Christ, but also on the Christian’s identity as a new creation in Christ.  This year each student was encouraged to consider his need for Christ, and then consider his role in the body of Christ.  On the last night of camp, the students were given blank puzzle pieces on which they wrote a way in which they could be part of their youth group, church and the overall body of Christ.  One of the boys in our group gave his life to Christ while at camp, and at least three others were challenged in various ways to live more surrendered and godly lives.

The month of July was a busy one for us.  Sometimes it is hard to find things to write about in these updates because support-raising is so much of the same thing.  This month we were blessed by a visit from Amy’s parents which was lots of fun.  I even surprised everyone (Amy and her parents) with a 4D Ultrasound, so we got to see our little Ezekiel’s face and watch him move around and play.  While we were watching he grabbed his toes and chewed his umbilical cord, we have a very active baby on the way!

            We have also been blessed this month with some very supportive churches.  For at least three weeks in a row we have left a church on Sunday morning saying “Wow, what a supportive group!” God is being very good to us as we are nearing our departure goal.  Currently we have about 87% of our monthly commitments started, and we are now working on our startup costs (of which we have about 10%).  Amy has been feeling a little better with the baby lately, she at least isn’t sick every single day anymore.  Here are some ways you can pray for us:

- Support: We’re about $600 short of our monthly goal and have about $45k to raise for the house construction.

- Amy: Safety for the baby, perseverance as she works to close out her caseload before the baby is born.

- Justin: Taking time out from working to take care of myself.  Also, preparations for a trip back to Sudan in December.

We would love to hear from you!  We try to at least call our supporters once every 3-4 months, but please email us any time!

Philippians 1:3,

Justin and Amy Culp

justinamyculp@gmail.com

www.culpsudan.blogspot.com

June 2012 Update

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.  It came about when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

 – Nehemiah 6:15-16

Back in 2009, I (Justin) became familiar with a project called Nehemiah Teams.  Myself and two other men spent the summer bringing God’s printed word to a closed country in Southeast Asia, which was sort of a life-changing experience for me.  After being arrested and released for doing this work, we were left with no question about God’s unfailing love and provision when we are faithful in doing the work to which he has called us.  In the year following this experience, the man who (along with his wife) is in charge of Nehemiah Teams was very instrumental in getting me hooked up with the work in Sudan, which most of you know is now our calling in ministry.  While I was in Sudan I was blessed in being able to host another Nehemiah Team in Sudan, which led to experiences that most of you read about in my updates last summer.

            Last week I was in Rainsville, Alabama training yet another group from Nehemiah Teams who will spend the summer in Sudan.  The training is always exciting and fun, it is hard to explain what it is like to spend five days in a gym full of 150+ college students who are giving up their summer to do the Lord’s work.  Please pray for the seven men who will spend this summer in the Kapoeta area working to take the Word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ to areas who still have not heard the gospel.

            Although we have been extremely busy, we have been doing alright.  I’m writing this letter from Columbus, Georgia where we are visiting Amy’s parents for a few days.  We will be leaving soon to speak at some churches in Arkansas, and then head home.  Pray for us as we travel, pray that the car will keep surviving through all of the road trips we make.  Pray also for Amy and the baby (it’s a boy!), she has been quite the trooper despite all of the sickness and stress of being pregnant. 

            Our plan for now is to return to Sudan in February, after we’ve had a chance to get some vaccinations for the baby.  We have raised about 78% of the monthly partnerships we need to go back to Sudan.  Thank you to those of you who have partnered with us financially and through prayer.  We have a long way to go, with another $1000/month to raise and the startup expenses for our house (about $50k), but God has been extremely faithful in blessing us with what we need so far.  Please keep praying for us as we make the work known, and wait for God’s provision.

Thanks!

Justin and Amy Culp

www.culpsudan.blogspot.com

jculp123180@gmail.com