New letter from Billy White in Akot

Billy is in the purple shirt helping us to fuel the plane in Akot. He is doing wonderful things!!

Dear All,

I am in a state of forced relaxation. Like I say, "If God wanted me in Tonj, Upper BaG, or Abyei, I would be there." I seem to always be in a bigger hurry than God is. I got things to do! Of course I know that I can't do anything without Jesus. He said that!

CASH MONEY!

A couple of months ago I could see some projects, each requiring rather large sums of money, coming at me from diverse areas across South Sudan. In Sudan when you want to order or buy building materials the Traders demand cash, (up front) I did not want to carry large sums of cash around the country so I came up with a plan. I had my bank in Nairobi issue me some "Cashier's Checks" in $5,000 increments and send them to me on one of the Mission flights that frequently pass by Akot, my base camp. I know where the two Banks operating in S.Sudan have branches near where I expect to have projects. As the need would arise I could walk into the Bank Branch and either open an account or, if needed, draw as much cash as the bank could afford.

I went to Kenya Comm'l Bank (KCB), Rumbek Branch, where I already have an account. When I asked to deposit some of the "Cashier's Checks" and take part of it in cash, they said that I would have to wait for 4-6 weeks for the check to clear before I could obtain the cash. I reminded them, that is how long it takes for a personal check, THIS is a cashier's check!!! They replied, WE have to treat all checks the same. I tried "Nile Bank", a local South Sudan Bank that has branches all over the South. They said, "We don't accept any kind of checks. If you want to open an account, bring cash." This is Africa, where corruption is endemic; the people at the bottom learn from watching the people above them; It permeates the system. Clever thieves infiltrate every system. Now bankers don't trust other bankers nor the banking system. Pray for me as I adapt to the situation.

MEDICAL SUPPORT

I need to go to Tonj to talk with the SPLA M.D. for 3rd Division. When the fighting occurred in Abyei, one brigade from 3rd Division was responsible for countering Government of Sudan forces (GOSAF) that had moved in to provoke a fight and drive out those IDP's that had just returned to Abyei from refugee camps near Khartoum. Another Brigade of 3rd Division is responsible for the area west of Abyei, where the Government of Sudan (GOS) Army attacked at Christmas. In both of these fights there were civilian casualties as well as SPLA casualties. An inordinately high percentage of the wounded died for lack of timely medical assistance. After the Christmas fighting I learned first hand what the medical situation is in the forward areas and decided to try to help alleviate the situation. Mustard Seed Int'l, my partner in Akot, gave me some medical supplies from their limited assets to transport to the forward Brigades during the fighting. We need forward positioned medical service for both the SPLA and the civilians in the area. I located a place near one of the Brigades that might be used for a clinic and contacted a friend in the US who agreed to try to raise funds to establish and support a clinic.

God gives us love and compassion for the needy and HE gives us the resources to fill those needs. HE had a plan before I did. PTL! H!H!H!

Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a compassion driven ministry. On the 26th of July they contacted me and asked if there is a need for medicines in the SPLA! Who prompted them to ask? Hmmmm? They are going to provide me with two preconfigured medical packages that are each capable of serving approximately 1,000 patients per month in a normal environment. I need to establish clinics not only to serve all of the people in the area but also to act as a forward aid station if/when fighting erupts in the area. The preconfigured packages from VOM do not have a lot of wound care supplies but I am sure that God has an answer for that already. If we can establish clinics at WunYiik, Northern Bahr al Ghazal and Agok (near Abyei) they can serve as the nucleus for forward Aid Stations or ultimately Field Hospitals. We just need room for expansion and a contingency package of wound care supplies.

PASTOR/CHAPLAIN TRAINING

In April we had negotiated agreements with Hqs., 3rd Division and Abyei Episcopal Church to establish two schools, one at WunYiik and the other at Abyei, for training Pastors and Chaplains. 3rd Division would provide 3 Personnel at each school. These personnel would have a Bible College education and be stabilized at each site for a minimum of two years. Abyei Episcopal Church would provide their compound to the Pastor Training School (PTS) for a period of two years. We, ACE Ministry would provide materials for building a classroom/Chapel at WunYiik (3rd Division would build it with troop Labor) and pay for necessary upgrades of the Episcopal Church compound in Abyei. Additionally we would provide all books, and materials for the students and provide rations and quarters for the students while they are at the school. In essence, we would pay all of the operating costs of the schools.

While I was in Abyei in April the GOSAF began moving units into Abyei town. By early May they had moved in a full Brigade with heavy weapons and the SPLA countered and moved in troops and heavy weapons. Heavy fighting broke out on the 20th of May. GOSAF targeted and killed many civilians. The Arab civilians fled to the UNMIS compound 1kilometer from the center of the market area and the black Sudanese fled to Agok 30+ kilometers to the Southeast. The GOSAF units were contacted by Khartoum to withdraw from the town and they retreated to the UNMIS compound from which they continued to fire at the SPLA. The SPLA did not return fire into the UNMIS compound. As soon as the GOSAF left town the Antonovs began dropping bombs on the town. The town was destroyed. The SPLA Units have withdrawn from Abyei and the GOS has stated that all of their forces have left Abyei (however, my sources say that some are still lingering in Abyei, just North of town). Situation is still a little tense.

The construction of the Classroom/Chapel at WunYiik was placed on temporary hold because all of the workers were involved in more serious things. When I go to Tonj I will talk to the Division Commander and the Chief of Staff to see if we can begin thinking of a schedule. I do not want to be a distraction when they have more serious things to contemplate. The Abyei Episcopal Church was destroyed and the Pastor, Simon, was wounded. John, one of the associate Pastors got his family out safely to Agok and I saw him in Rumbek some time later. It appears that the PTS for Abyei is on long-term hold.

LITERACY AND EVANGELISM

Maj Gen Maciek, the Director of Education, GHQ, SPLA has reported for duty. He has set the objective for the SPLA that by 2010, all of the Soldiers will be able to read and sign their name on the payroll when they are paid. I am his advisor for implementation of Adult Literacy everywhere the SPLA has a presence. Maciek has given me blanket travel orders to travel all over the South and Abyei, Blue Nile, and Nuba Mountains. I could go all of these places before, with a visa. However, these orders state that I'm an Advisor for the SPLA Directorate of Education and requests that officials give me clearance and assistance as required. (it has really facilitated my transit of areas that are under stringent security precautions.

The Chief of Staff, SPLA and the Secretary of Education, GOSS reached an agreement that Secretary of Education will be responsible for Curriculum, Standards, and will provide all books and material for adult education; SPLA will be responsible for implementing the adult education for all adults in South Sudan, whether civilian or military. The implementation procedures will be those that we developed with our SPLA Literacy Program. All of the teachers that we have trained are Christian and many are Chaplains. We will try to maintain that standard.

Samaritan's Purse (SP) has given the SPLA 12,000 New Testaments (NT's) in three of the South Sudanese Languages/Dialects. SP has a trainer that goes to areas where the NT's are being distributed and trains "Reading Group Leaders". Each "Leader" then starts a focused reading program for people who have just received their NT. We are working with SP to expand the reading program to cover all areas where the SPLA has a concentration of troops. We have 10,000 English NT's coming from VOM and will be integrating our efforts with "The Gideons", renowned for Bible distribution throughout the world. With the "Gideons" we will use the SPLA Chaplaincy to distribute Bibles through South Sudan. The Word of God in the hands of all of the literate people, with a trained "Reading Group Leader", is a recipe answering the desires of all Evangelical Christians!

OTHER PROJECTS: LIVING WATERS PRIMARY SCHOOL; AKOT TRUCK FARM (?)

ACE Ministry is always ready to assist any group (that does not have a permanent presence in the country) desiring to aid the development of South Sudan. We have assisted a friend in the establishment in establishing a neighborhood Primary School utilizing a church structure as the classroom. We are assisting another friend with development of a farm (with irrigation!) to provide produce for the market. (We will arrange for the drilling of the well on September 1st.) 2Thes 3:13..

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Transportation in Sudan is either very slow or very expensive making coordination with other organizations difficult. Pray that I have the time and resources to do all that I need to do.

2. Pray for the people of Abyei that peace would reign in their land and in their hearts!

3. Pray for the Pastor Training Program, that we would have facilities and resources to establish schools on both sides of the Nile.

4. Pray that the medical initiative using the SPLA can be expanded to provide clinical support all over South Sudan.

5. Pray for Christian "Teacher Candidates" for the Literacy and Evangelism Program as we expand into Abyei, Nuba and Blue Nile areas, traditionally Muslim areas.

6. Pray for the people of South Sudan. AND PRAY FOR ME!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Grandpa/Dad/BroBilly