November 26, 2019

“How do you have a relationship with God??” Teresa’s cousin asked her.  Their grandmother had sent her down to our compound to hide when there was potential trouble in the village.  Most of the village goes to hide in the bush when this happens.  But Teresa and her family had no man to stay with them in the bush, and they (understandably) didn’t want to ward off the wild animals themselves. 

So their grandmother had sent down two cousins to stay with Teresa on our compound.  We were in Torit at the time, and I was praying that God would use this time of uncertainty to show people the contrast of darkness and light, and that they would be drawn to the light.  Teresa’s two cousins then asked her to teach them about the Bible. 

They began doing Bible study and I was helping Teresa prepare for it.  One day, Kemira (one of her cousins) asked her how she could have a relationship with God. 

“Our sin separates us from God,” Teresa explained, “but Jesus died as a sacrifice, to take away our sin.  Everyone who believes in him and repents is reunited with God.”  My heart is rejoicing that she is boldly sharing the Gospel among her own culture! 

Did you know that South Sudan is one of the few countries left with no running water, no power grid, no roads and very few cell phone towers?  We have to leave the country every three months to go to the doctor, get the car fixed, get medical, food, and refresh with Western friends in Uganda.

We’re enjoying the comforts of the US, as well as time with family.  My (Amy) parents are coming to Kansas City for Thanksgiving, and we’re all going to celebrate with Justin’s family.  God has faithfully provided the finances for Ezekiel to join a co-op, take roller skating lessons and art lessons!  Caleb is enjoying sweet time with friends here as well, and Justin and I are enjoying homeschooling both of them each morning.

As we prepare to return to South Sudan and enjoy life in the US, our friends in Lopit are struggling for food this year.  The rains have washed most of the gardens away, and the insects are eating what is left over.  We have been told that the road between our village and that of our teammates is now blocked by a river that is waist deep! 

Please pray that God provides food, and that these precious people recognize that their Creator is the only one who provides them with food, water and rain.  Pray that they come to know their Creator, and that they would hunger and thirst for the righteousness that God offers to all of us through Jesus Christ.

October 30, 2019

 I took Ezekiel with me to St. Louis while Amy spent some extra time in Georgia with her parents (and Caleb).  I had to figure out how to get some work done while also having Ezekiel at home, so we became very well-acquainted with the Wentzville Chick-Fil-A.  Ezekiel goes into the playplace and immediately makes friends with the other kids, and then proceeds to lead them all in games that he has made up to play on that equipment.  One day we went for the “Comic Book Hero Night.”  I saw it on one of the signs in the playground and we couldn’t resist.  We got Ezekiel a costume (He insisted on being Optimus Prime) and got there early, he got to take pictures with “Supergirl” and “Spiderman” and the cow.  After pictures, he started fighting Spiderman with his sword, which Spiderman took in stride as he fought back.  After his fight with Spiderman, though, Ezekiel said “Daddy I’m tired of chicken, can we have some beef?”  He proceeded to go and shake hands (again) with the ChickFil-A cow, and then started to slaughter it…that cow had no idea how to respond, it was hilarious.

 We stopped in Nashville on the way up to visit some good friends, and then spent a few weeks visiting churches in the St. Louis area before returning to Kansas City.  We get to be in one place for a couple of months now!  Ezekiel had his birthday on October 23 and he got quite the royal treatment.  We had a birthday party in Wentzville, another one at a church on his actual birthday, one at our church in Lawrence on Sunday morning and then ANOTHER on Sunday afternoon at Gammy and Papa’s house!  When we were getting ready for the first party I asked him what he wanted, he wanted a cake, a piñata, a campfire, s’mores and games, so we made it all happen…it was a lot!  The pictures in this letter are of Ezekiel and Caleb having S’mores for the first time.

 We’re in Kansas City now until Christmas.  Thank you all for praying and supporting us.  Keep praying that God would provide the rest of the monthly support we need for going back, the one-time giving we need for our return travel and other projects, and a few more opportunities to speak at churches where we have openings.

Thanks!

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb Culp

September 27, 2019

               We have been in travel mode for the last few weeks.  After two weeks in Kansas City that was spent getting settled (vehicles, phones, clothes, etc.) we spoke at Overbrook Bible Church and then left a couple of days later for St. Louis.  A week in St. Louis, a week in Corinth, Mississippi and now we find ourselves in Columbus, GA to visit Amy’s family and celebrate mom’s birthday.  In a week we will be back on the road to St. Louis where we will spend a few weeks visiting churches and then we’re back to Kansas City for the remainder of our home assignment.

               Being back in the USA has been quite a transition for our family.  Ezekiel and Caleb are still getting used to new rules (You can’t poop here, the street is not a “fun place to play” etc.) and other unfamiliar things.  I bought a 10lb bag of chicken leg-quarters that were on sale for Labor Day, and the next day I was thawing them out in the sink.  Caleb came downstairs, looked in the sink and said “Daddy?!”  When I asked him what was wrong he said, “You killed something without me?”  Ezekiel heard Caleb’s perceived offence and came over to look, then he said “Aww man, I would have liked to see that chicken that had ten legs!”  We’re people of two worlds…

               We have had some fun along the way.  During our week in Corinth we saw some Civil War historical sites and spent a few nights at the Alcorn County Fair.  At the fair the kids got to see their first bull ride and enjoyed the carnival rides, but with all of the excitement around them they really wanted to spend all of their time in the petting zoo feeding the goats, porcupine, camel and cows!  On the way from Corinth to Columbus we stopped in Huntsville to visit the US Rocket and Space Museum…that is how missionary parents on the road celebrate a wedding anniversary (8 years!).  Ezekiel started getting sick the night before the museum, so he saw most of the museum from a stroller between cries, but at the end of the day he still said, “That was the most fun I’ve ever had!”

               Pray for us as we visit with Amy’s family, travel, speak, fundraise, and try to help our kids work through all of the changes, new people, new places, and time in the car.  It’s hard for them, even though it is good to see everyone!

Thanks for your prayers and encouraging emails!

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb Culp

August 27, 2019

We’re back in the USA.  It really feels like we’ve entered the Matrix, even after only two years gone.  We arrived late on Thursday after some weather delays in Washington and my parents picked us up from the airport.  We got to the house where our family will stay for the next five months and, while unpacking some things, Amy decided to open the mini-blinds on the living room window.  She opened the curtains and then told me that we needed to let the maintenance person know the blinds were broken.  I asked her what was wrong and she said “The string is broken off.”  My dad laughed and showed us how to work blinds that don’t have pull strings.  The next morning my mom ran some dishwater while making breakfast, and Caleb scooped up two big handfuls of the foamy soap suds from the dishwater and just stared at his hands in amazement.  After a few minutes he yelled, “Hey Zekie, come look at this stuff, it’s amazing!  We have lots of those re-entry stories, mostly from our kids, if you want to read more you can find Amy’s daily posts on Facebook about the things our kids say!

 The last few weeks in Lohutok were pretty intense.  I had some great opportunities to share the gospel with Michael, our compound watchman and language helper, about how the Gospel opposes the local culture and Jesus being the only way to reach God.  Teresa started doing a Discovery Bible Study with an older woman in the village, the wife of our previous Commissioner, who wanted to learn the Bible and the Gospel.  While all of these things were happening, I was sick for six weeks straight and had to just get out of bed with a dizzy fever to keep meeting with Michael, the kids and Amy got sick towards the end of all that, cars break, I fried an expensive solar charge controller, and there were numerous other discouraging Spiritual Warfare things that made us just want to give up early, but God is working and the Gospel is powerful.  We left Lohutok for Uganda and spent a week at conference with all of the other AIM missionaries from Central Region, and now we’re here! 

 If you’re getting this by email there is a link above to the calendar where our church engagements are listed.  There are still a few openings but hopefully most of you can find a time to come and hear our updates and let us see you!  Thank you all for your prayers and support, they’re always coveted and appreciated.

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb Culp

July 25, 2019

Sometimes you try to get the kid to work and it’s like pulling teeth….but when he has a 102 degree fever and someone’s outside washing the car…just try getting him to sit still! 

Over the last two years that we’ve been back in Lohutok, the theme that keeps recurring for us is “spiritual warfare.”  We knew that it would be hard coming back and doing “just language” for a while and when we found out some of the connections we were making went straight to the village spiritual leadership we started praying, knowing that it would be tough.  We’ve written about much of it in our newsletters and yet much of it we have not even mentioned, but it has been constant.  Now that we’re on the verge of Home Assignment let me just say, the last month has not disappointed!
Justin had malaria twice in a three-week period, and has been sick with the flu ever since (coming up on a month of being sick).  Everyone else in our house has had malaria and the flu for the last two weeks.  Screaming, miserable kids and coughing, tired parents who are trying to pack up a house are always a good combination!  Meanwhile, between the two of us, we’ve had about 5 “getting stuck in the mud” incidences in the last month which even resulted in both of our vehicles being down for repairs for a while.  There are more things that I don’t have room to list, but we’ve found that when Home Assignment is this close, the attitude of longevity and coping is much harder to maintain, and we’ve had a few nights of tear-filled family prayer as we try to stay the course and not just give up trying during the last few weeks here.

In the meantime, Paul has been growing fast in his studies and has started directly challenging some of the widely-held, wrong beliefs in his culture.  We’re not all God’s people, most of us don’t belong to Him yet.  The “god” that people in the village say they follow is actually Satan and a counterfeit.  How can we claim to love Jesus and fully trust him, but still patronize the village witchdoctor?  How can we love our brothers and sisters who are all hopelessly addicted to alcohol yet still continue with the practice of brewing gallons of the stuff as payment for helping plow our gardens?  How are we going to get our gardens done if we don’t do it and people, therefore, refuse to help us?  I even heard him end one of his Sunday morning talks with “It’s good that you guys are angry about what I said, because it means we’re finally communicating.” 

Satan’s kingdom is being rattled and he desperately wants us to quit, but with all of the good stories we can tell…we’re just getting started.

Thanks for praying with us!

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb

Amy and Caleb got stuck in the mud on the way to church Sunday.  Caleb found a way to keep himself busy while they waited for help! 

June 30, 2019

Ezekiel found a piece of torn cardboard and started pretending that it was his “Bible.”  Then he decided to draw pictures of Bible stories inside to make it legit.  There is the fall, Sampson, Triumphal Entry, Jesus Ascending, and lots of others…He even told us a story from his Bible during family Bible time. 

One of the biggest struggles in missions is that when the missionaries leave, either for home assignment or because God has called them to move on, the ministry that they have worked so hard to establish often dies.  Often one of the biggest reasons for this is that we do ministry in a way that is not empowering the locals to do ministry themselves.  We set up ministries in the way that we would in the US, with Americans on the stage leading.  Another reason is that many local churches can’t or don’t support a pastor, so the leaders’ time gets divided between ministry and sustenance (which usually wins).

Justin has always had a passion for business.  In his spare time he often thinks up business plans, calculates expenses and the margin of profit. I (Amy) have wondered why, having this tendency/gift, God has called us to South Sudan.  Just about anything that you would buy in a market is unavailable in the village, and the nearest market is at least 4 hours away.  During our first term, every time we went to town, loads of people would ask us to bring specific items back for them (salt, sugar, shoes, etc.).  Unable to manage all these requests, Justin began our second term by bringing back a truckload of basic items to sell at cost.  What’s even better is that he is partnering with Paul to sell these things together, each in their own respective villages! 

Paul is learning how to run a business, make sure he’s making a profit, calculate costs, etc.!  Today Paul told Justin that he has a bunch of goats.  His plan was to sell them in town, but the first two he sold brought a low price, so now he is planning to trade them for cows, hire some to walk those cows to town, and sell them at a much higher profit.  He is trying out new business ideas, on his own, to figure out what works!  We are tremendously excited because this is another way that he can support himself, without being dependent on outside help, and continue to disciple and evangelize his tribe! 
I (Amy) am making effort to take the boys out daily to play with local kids, or sometimes the kids just come to our house to play.  This has been a huge learning process – years – during which I am learning how to shepherd my boys to love local kids, despite cultural differences and challenges. 

Please pray for our boys as God is using this to shape them and teach them to give up their own rights (like the right of not being a spectacle), for the sake of the Gospel. 

I am also continuing to take Teresa to Lolonga so that she can teach a Bible story to the ladies in the church there, as long as the road conditions allow for us to go.  Justin is continuing Bible education with Paul, and we are both studying language. 

Please pray for us as we and the boys learn language and culture, and for the people God has placed in our lives.  To God be the glory!

Until the whole world hears,

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb

Ezekiel wanted a slingshot like his local friends, so they helped him make one. 

May 31, 2019

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.  
2 Timothy 1:6-7

Walking around a village in South Sudan can often leave one with a sense of despair.  The needs for medical attention are overwhelming.  We live in a village where toilet paper is rare and latrines are almost non-existent.  One can imagine the sicknesses that run through the village as a result.  It’s rare to meet a woman who hasn’t buried one of her children. 

Since I (Amy) am not a medical professional, it makes it even more overwhelming.  This points me to Jesus, and by God’s grace, I am hopefully able to point others to him as well.  This is one boy that I met a few weeks ago.  His name is Ekol Jamus, he’s somewhere between 6 and 8 years old.  Ekol has been sick for probably 9 months (I’m really just estimating).  He was taken to Juba and began treatment for tuberculosis there, but has only become sicker.  I have been praying vehemently for him, and have asked many of you to pray as well.  I hope to go and visit him sometime in the next few days and will update you on his situation.  Thanks so much!

I have also been burdened with the need for help with our boys.  We needed help figuring out how to help them learn language, as well as just making sure their social needs are met.  There are a few specific areas I had felt burdened about.  Enter Amanya, our friend who taught us language during our first term.  Most people who leave the village to attend school never return, leaving the village in the same position they were before.  Amanya went to University in Kampala for four years, and thankfully, he has returned and wants to stay!  He’s earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and wants to use it in the village.  He is teaching language to Ezekiel, and hopefully will teach Caleb at some point.  He is also helping me host a playgroup at our house for Caleb’s age-mates every week (Caleb does get some exposure to the language through this). 

We are praying about other ways God would use Amanya in the village.  We appreciate your prayers for Amanya to figure out how God would use him, and for healing for sweet Ekol. 

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb Culp