Stories From The (Mission) Field
Scroll down to read our Partner Updates, Trips Blog, and our Outreach Stories
It is estimated that around 1 million Sudanese refugees live in Egypt. It’s not necessarily new; refugees have been coming from Sudan for decades because of the country’s civil war. Sudan eventually split into two countries, Sudan and South Sudan, but waves of refugees didn’t slow as hostilities continued. Today, ongoing violence continues to drive refugees into Egypt.
Many arrive in Egypt carrying little more than what they could take with them as they fled their homeland. They leave homes, livelihoods, communities, and even loved ones behind. But reaching safety does not mean the journey is over. In Egypt, they begin again as displaced people – navigating an unfamiliar country, rebuilding their lives, and finding their place in a land that is not their own.
In response, and extending its ministry beyond new church development, the Pastoral, Outreach, and Mission Council (POMC) of the Synod of the Nile has placed a special ministry focus on the growing number of Sudanese refugees living in Egypt.
In recent years, and due to regional hostilities, the number of refugees living in Egypt has dramatically increased. Countless Palestinians have arrived through the Rafah border crossing, coming with nothing but the clothes on their backs, fleeing the violence and uncertainty back home.
Taking Jesus’ words seriously in the Gospel of Matthew, the Pastoral, Outreach, and Mission Council (POMC) of the Synod of the Nile has risen to the occasion and responded quickly to the growing crisis. Our partner is doing so much more than developing new churches.
In the remote, rural village of Nsembedzi in Tete Province, Mozambique, an incredible project is underway. Against all sorts of odds, brick by brick, a school is under construction.
This project presented many challenges for our friends at Holistic Evangelism. It is quite a distance from our partner’s Leadership Training Center, which serves as the base of operations. Because of the isolated location, Project Director Sebber Banda and Assistant Director Rev. Carlos Faquoine struggled to ensure all the building materials could be delivered to the building site. Concrete for the floors and metal roofing sheets presented the largest challenges.
However, by the grace of God, progress is being made!
While in Türkiye, Doug Stewart, trip leader and an Associate Director for Mission at The Outreach Foundation, took a few moments with Caroline Krause, Missions Director at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX to discuss her experience at the conferences with our Persian Diaspora partners. She tells us her favorite part of leading one of the conference workshops for the group.
The Outreach Foundation is traveling in Türkiye this week! It's a region steeped in Biblical history. Our travelers have been busy on this trip making connections with believers on the other side of the world. Team members spent several days at a gathering with several of our Persian Diaspora partners and learning about their experiences being faithful even in the face of persecution.
UN experts* today condemned the confiscation of the compound of St Peter’s Evangelical Church in Tehran and the eviction of the 27 members of the country’s recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities who lived within it.
“Twenty families, most of whom are low income, long-standing residents of the compound, were reportedly given just two weeks to leave their homes. The church’s leaders were threatened with arrest if they failed to comply. The final resident left on 12 July, prompting fears that the complex may be demolished,” the experts said.
After conversations with a few of our Iranian mission partners during the recent ceasefire, we are humbled to share a few key messages from our brothers and sisters in Christ. The examples shared here are a small sampling of the ways the light of the Lord is shining in the dark and challenging circumstances that arise during times of global conflict.
Nowruz is a much-anticipated holiday, marking the New Year on the Iranian calendar. It is celebrated annually in the spring, coinciding with a time of rebirth. This past weekend, March 20-22, Iranians inside an anxious and war-torn country expressed the common greetings, "Nowruz Mubarak!" (Happy Nowruz) and "Nowruzetoon Pirooz" (May your New Year be victorious), with an array of mixed emotions.
North Carolina pastor Nick Nielson reflects on how the two week journey through Türkiye with The Outreach Foundation impacted him, and how he will bring what he learned back to his congregation.