Rebuilding Hope among Refugees in Africa

The Outreach Foundation works closely with the Pastoral and Outreach Ministries Council of the Synod of the Nile in Egypt (POMC). Rev. Manassa Nesem serves as the Executive Manager of POMC and shared the following information about how refugees in Sudan are being aided by brothers and sisters in Egypt:

Political conflicts erupted over the reigns of power in northern Sudan between two leaders of the Sudanese army, which led to an increase in the frequency of skirmishes and resulted in a fierce internal war. These conflicts started on April 15 and continue. The repercussions of these events have created problems in all aspects of life in northern Sudan. As a result, there is a lack of food, water, and means of communication; moreover, several reports have included a large number of civilian deaths.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - Update

Nearly 400,000 people live in six United Nations Refugee Camps in western Ethiopia near the border with Sudan and South Sudan. People have been in the camps since the 2013 civil war in Sudan, UN average stay is 20 years.

The Outreach Foundation has worked in the camps for years. Most recently, with the help of our donors, we provided 20,000 Bibles in the Nuer language for people in the camps.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - May 2022 Update

The Nuer Christian Youth Network for Peace and Development (NCYNPD) is a church-affiliated youth association formed in 2008 by a group of young Christians in Gambella, Ethiopia. It was formed to revitalize the faith of young Nuer Christians, encourage them to live a life of Christ-likeness and be able to transform others to live in peace and harmony with one another as good disciples of the Lord Jesus. The organization has conducted several spiritual conferences across the Nuer community in Ethiopia and South Sudan. This year, the NCYNPD conducted its 15th annual conference in Akobo, South Sudan with the theme “Peace and Restoration for the Akobo Community.” It is with deep gratitude that we acknowledge the gift of The Outreach Foundation, which made this significant conference possible.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - Update

Parents the world over are concerned about meeting the needs of their children for love, shelter, food, clothing, and education. Whether in a church school in western North Carolina or under a tree in a refugee camp in western Ethiopia, preschools are helping to meet some of these basic needs.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - December 2021 Update

John Jock Gatwech, Education Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), is assigned to the refugee camps in Ethiopia. John Jock recently wrote: “Today, the trauma healing group training is kicking off at Tierkidi camp in Palang parish.” This is one of the refugee camps in western Ethiopia, made up primarily of South Sudanese refugees that have escaped the civil war in their own country at great personal loss.

The training begins with a crucial question, pertinent to us all. “When we are suffering, what do we need to remember about God’s character?”

Africa, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationDecember 15, 2021Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan, Frank Dimmock, South Sudan, Sudan

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - November 2021 Update

Years of war and ethnic conflict in South Sudan have had a huge impact on the spiritual, emotional, and mental health of South Sudanese citizens. War and conflict have resulted in broken families, displacement, and tensions between groups or tribes. Many people have become soldiers or war prostitutes. Many have seen their parents or family members killed or raped. How does one heal from such wounds? How do you forgive your many enemies when the pain is deep and the list of atrocities so long? What is the role of the church in promoting healing?

The South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) has been conducting workshops for four years that help people to experience God’s love and healing from the wounds in their hearts and help them to forgive those who have wounded them.

Africa, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationNovember 17, 2021Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan, South Sudan

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - September 2021 Update

Dear friends,

Many members of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCoSS), a partner of The Outreach Foundation, remain displaced as a result of the civil conflict which erupted in their homeland in 2013. Some are in camps for displaced people within the country, but many are in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda. You can imagine the despair and feelings of hopelessness many have experienced. On the premise that we “boast in the hope of the glory of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 5), The Outreach Foundation has tried to help rebuild hope among our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan. They asked us to provide assistance in four priority areas: preschool education, trauma healing training, providing Bibles in the Nuer language, and scholarships for training leaders. The Presbyterian church has inspirationally and exponentially grown in the camps – in numbers and in faith, hope, and love for their neighbors. Congregations have become critical safety nets and “front-line responders” to hunger and ill health for many refugees. Providing scripture-based trauma healing training has been effective in relieving memories of the past and rebuilding hope for the future.

Bibles for New Christians - September 2021 Update

Nuer Bibles for Refugees

Dear friends,

Praise God!

Our order of 5,000 Bibles in the Nuer language which were printed in South Korea and delivered to Gambella, Ethiopia has now been distributed to South Sudanese refugees throughout the region. You may recall that an appeal was made in 2019 and 2020 to raise funds for this project as a priority of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, an Outreach Foundation Partner. Despite the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, $35,000 was raised from faithful supporters on 3 continents to procure and ship the 5,000 Bibles in the Nuer Language for distribution among the 400,000+ refugees in camps in Ethiopia. And the Bible Society of Ethiopia gave a gift of an additional 600 Bibles. There were delays in the shipping process and travel that heightened the anticipation and excitement around the delivery. During my visit in June, I had the joy of celebrating the delivery in Presbyterian congregations in three refugee camps. The Christians were so thankful to all who gave to this project. This Nuer Bible appeal, together with an earlier distribution of 7,500 Nuer Bibles in 2017, is a blessing to so many. They are eager to receive more Bibles for new believers and The Outreach Foundation will maintain the account for contributions. The cost of one Bible (for orders of 5,000 or more), and distribution is approximately $7.50.

Frank Dimmock - September 2021 Update

Dear friends,

It is September, and I have been back from my trip to Kenya/Ethiopia/South Sudan since the middle of July! In that time, we have welcomed two new grandchildren and navigated through six family members getting the Coronavirus. Nancy was with them, to help out, and experienced a breakthrough COVID infection herself. She stayed in Illinois under quarantine. All are now out of quarantine, recovering and we are so thankful for God’s mercy. NOW, I am able to tell you about the trip, which you made possible through your prayers and support!

As you know, we were all concerned about the risks of travel this summer, but the Lord confirmed the “rightness” of the trip and the timing, over and over again. Yes, it was tricky and stressful, trying to time COVID tests (and their results) to meet various border crossing requirements. But, even so, I was able to navigate through (sometimes at the 11th hour, or through the grace of an airport manager) and keep to the closely timed schedule. Truly amazing!

Refugee Appeal - August 2021

Misery “by the numbers”

In this broken world, 1 out of every 95 people has been forced to flee their home---and many cannot go back. Let that sink in….

In round numbers, lives displaced by manmade disasters (like war) or natural ones (like volcanoes) are 82.4 million: that is slightly less than the entire population of Germany…. or more than 4 times the population of the Netherlands. Need to bring that a bit closer to home? Think the citizens of California + Texas + Ohio running for their lives.

Some flee to other parts of their own country---we call them “displaced.” If they cross borders, they become “refugees.” Within both groups, 50% are children.

Frank Dimmock - April 2021 Update

Dear friends and supporters,

One of the great things about reading Scripture is that you may have read a passage many times before, but in reading it again, there is a word or a phrase or a thought that takes on new meaning. Just this week, I was reading Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

For some reason, these words jumped off the page at me. The knowledge that He is present with us, He is “mighty to save,” that he delights and quiets and rejoices over us, is really overwhelming. Unconditional love. No strings attached. How can our response be anything but obedience and love for Him by loving others? These thoughts made me so appreciative of The Outreach Foundation, a vehicle for that obedience and love for others, and for you, our friends and supporters. Thank you for letting me be a part of this good and godly work with you.

Our partners in Africa continue to be faithful in their efforts to feed, clothe and disciple their congregants, and others in their spheres of influence, even with the challenges of pandemic restrictions.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - February 2021 Update

Dear friends and supporters,

John Jock Gatwech is the coordinator for education in the South Sudanese refugee camps in western Ethiopia. Using public transport and the bicycle provided by Outreach, he supervises 20 preschools in the six camps in the Gambella region. Four of the camps are within about 30 miles of Gambella Town. The other two are about 70 miles in the opposite direction! During his monthly visits, he supervises teachers, encourages students, and assists the trauma healing groups (established and supported by The Outreach Foundation since 2017). John has also helped establish 43 centers for adult learning in the camps – teaching basic literacy and the Bible.

Help for South Sudanese Refugees

“Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

South Sudanese refugees, in the camps of Ethiopia and Kenya, are struggling to survive, where living conditions are crowded, UN agencies are underfunded, PPE is at a premium, and people are hungry. But what is so amazing about this situation is that the church leaders in the camps are describing an even deeper hunger - for God’s Word. They seem to truly understand the ultimate Source of Help. We, at The Outreach Foundation, are eager to help them meet this priority need. Through our past involvement in trauma healing, literacy training, and Bible distribution, we now have learned of an opportunity to ship a container of 5,000 Bibles in the Nuer language to the refugees!

Frank Dimmock - October 2019 Update

Imagine going into a grocery store and not knowing how to read. Think of the extra time it would take to navigate the aisles looking for what you need. Or imagine attending worship and being unable to read the Bible or the hymnbook or the words on a screen. Imagine not being able to text! More than 75% of the 2.3 million refugees from South Sudan are women and children. Most have never been to school.

Now imagine fleeing from your home, fleeing for your life, responsible for your children and maybe several others with no parents. Imagine walking for days and weeks until finally reaching a border crossing into “safety.” There you are handed forms to fill out for registering as an asylum seeker or refugee and for food vouchers. What does it all mean? Being unable to read is embarrassing, frustrating and isolating, and it makes you vulnerable!

Frank Dimmock - February 2019 Update

Greetings in Christ Jesus, peace to you all. In reflecting over this past year with The Outreach Foundation, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the privilege of working with such wonderful, committed colleagues and international church partners. It has been a year of challenges and victories, healing and encouragement. All praise is due to our wonderful Heavenly Father, from Whom all good things come.

I recently reflected on PEACE. What does it mean in the context where I serve? In and around South Sudan there is violence and conflict. Where can one find peace?

In John’s gospel when comforting his disciples (14:27), Jesus says, “... my peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” And again, following his resurrection when Jesus appears to his disciples, he comforts them saying, “Peace be with you!” All refugees have been traumatized, and their hearts have been wounded by their experiences. In order that Peace can be restored in their souls, the heart wounds must be healed, and forgiveness given and accepted.

Africa, Projects, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationFebruary 20, 2019Frank Dimmock, Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan

Greetings from the New Wilmington Missions Conference

Greetings from the New Wilmington Missions Conference in Pennsylvania

The theme of the conference this year is, “Love your neighbor.” It has been a busy three days with inspiring presentations on the mission work with refugees and neighbors in many countries. I have participated in the South Sudan mission network meeting, The Outreach Foundation display at the mission fair, and daily teaching of high school groups. It has been a privilege to be here and meet and make friends.

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - March 2018 Update

The project, “Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan,” has a number of on-the-ground partners. This project update comes from Mr. John Jock Gatwech, Coordinator for the Education Ministries of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan in the refugee camps in Ethiopia. Thank you, brother John Jock, for this report and for all the work you do.
Jeff Ritchie, Mission Advocate, The Outreach Foundation

From November 22-24 of last year, I accompanied Dr. Frank Dimmock, The Outreach Foundation’s Mission Specialist for Africa, the Rev. Stephen Pal Kun, Coordinator of Ministries for the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS) in the refugee camps in Ethiopia, and the Rev. James Gatdet Tang, President of the Western Gambella Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, on a visit to PCOSS Schools in the refugee camps in the Gambella Region of Ethiopia. Over a three-day period we covered the six camps – Kule, Tierkidi, Nguenyiel, Jewi, Pugnido One and Pugnido Two. In each place we were received with great joy and enthusiastic singing by the children of the preschools we visited.

Africa, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationMarch 5, 2018Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia

Rebuilding Hope in South Sudan - April 2017 Update

South Sudan has been in crisis since December 2013 because of a civil war which has devastated the land, killed tens of thousands of people, and driven millions into Internally Displaced Person camps inside the country or into refugee camps outside the country. The Outreach Foundation has re-framed our mission with the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS) to rebuild hope among the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled to camps in Ethiopia.

One of those refugees is John Jock Gatwech. I met him in 2013 when he was a teacher at the leading school of the PCOSS, Good Shepherd School in Malakal. John also worked in the Department of Education of the PCOSS. In addition to being trained as an educator, he has also studied theology.

The next time I met John Jock was in Gambella, Ethiopia in 2015. He had fled for his life when the civil war reached Malakal, headquarters of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan. Living in Gambella with an uncle, John had no income and had lost most of his belongings. But John wanted to make a difference through his calling as a teacher.

After we met John Jock on our initial visit to the refugee camps, he sent us a proposal to establish preschools in three of the parishes of the PCOSS that had been established in the camps. The target group would be almost 400 children. Additionally, adult literacy classes would be started. All the classes would be taught by volunteer teachers.

Partner Updates

Nuer Bibles for Refugees

Misery “by the numbers”