Shalom! On behalf of Operation Nehemiah and my family, I would like to express my appreciation to you and your family for standing with us and pushing us through this challenging task in rebuilding the South Sudan for Jesus Christ. Thank you for considering sowing additional funding into the agricultural development.
I want to thank God for answering our prayers in getting the tractor and the implements which are much needed for farming at the Beth Israel farmland in South Sudan. God provided exceedingly beyond our expectation.
The farm attachments were purchased, transported and put to work in the field at the Beth Israel Farm.
We have a professional tractor driver plowing the field and training three other men to learn to operate the tractor so that they can make the most out of the capital invested in this equipment to expand God’s work in the South Sudan. Along with that comes spiritual discipline, faithfulness and commitment in the use of these equipments for the Glory of God.
Our most pressing need in this area has been addressed by the Grace of God with caught up with The rainy season in the South Sudan, and timing is of the essence The tractor has been put to work immediately , breaking the ground and beginning to plant . There are those who report on hunger and famine in the South Sudan, telling the world that over 3 million will die of starvation this year. Operation Nehemiah is taking action to stop famine by empowering South Sudanese men to work with their own hands and sustain their families. That is the solution to stoping hunger, not a UN handout.
Our goal is to reduce dependence upon imported food and U.N. feeding programs by encouraging the local farmers in entrepreneurial organic farming, producing both healthy food and a stable local economy, thus raising the overall standard of living.
To this end, we are currently engaged in opening 1,000 acres of nutrient dense crops with the help of indigenous nationals, who directly oversee the entire process from seed to market. In addition to this, there are local farmers who want to hire this tractor to till their own farmlands and their effort will help us maintain the tractor. This is what sustainability is all about.. Our vision in operation Nehemiah is to support & disciple local men and women to understand God’s will for their lives, their families. We encourage them to estblish an environment of sustainability.
South
Sudan needs Godly men who can raise up godly family and have entrepreneurial vision to create jobs and sustainability for their family and the next generation. I’m grateful to God for faitfhul Christian donors who understand this vision and together lifting our arms to implement this vision. Little by little, slowly but surely, the community in the South Sudan is catching up to the vision.
Prayer Need: Pray for the continous establishment of a skilled and transparent indigenous Field Management Team with a shared long term vision and commitment. The success of our mission lies on the breakthrough in training the indigenous pastors for leadership and raising up godly men to spiritually and physically lead their families.
Our vision is to equip and empower the indigenous Christians to manage and account for the investment which God has entrusted to them with and through the benevolent gifts of the fellow Christians abroad. Our goal is to build trust and faithfulness with the leadership on the ground to deal with UN incursion and the remaining element of Islamic encroachment .
Putting the face to the problem and finding a solution to the problem: One family and one village at a time Last year, Jan 2011, we ran story on a young couple with seven children struggling to meet end meet. As the story goes... "One Christian family from the local church in Borongole recently found themselves confronted with the same question that thousands of their fellow South Sudanese families are asking : Does the Bible really contain the solution to our problems? Alfred and Esther Anduga have seven beautiful children. The Andugas have confessed Christ and were baptized this past winter. They recently paid a visit to Pastor Michael Levi and I, presenting us with a series of concerns. They explained that when they were in the refugee camp in Uganda, the U.N. workers there told them that they have too many children. They were told that having many children and a lack of education is the source of their poverty. For many years their sole source of income was brewing liquor. By God's grace, they are now back in New Sudan and have inherited hundreds of acres of ancestral land . However, they lack the skills to live off this land and daily life is still rife with the pressure to provide. Esther was worn out, angry, and discouraged. She was convinced that her husband had deceived her into having children, and ruined her future . She believed that life was better back in the camps. She did not see any hope in her husband's ability to provide for the family or for the children to have a brighter tomorrow. Although Alfred was bringing the family to church and had prohibited her from brewing and selling beer, they had no income. She was considering abandoning the family and wanted to know what the church could do to help them save their marriage and get on their feet. After listening to this couple, we were compelled to respond. James 2: 14- 25 tells us "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do'". Where are the Andugas today: We have been following up progress in the lives of this couple. Alfred and Esther have both spirituallly grown and grounded in the word of God. They are faithful and loyal couple, hardworking and wonderful parents to their seven Children. The couple are actively involved in a local church and a local body. Today Alfred is an elder in his local church. We see stability in their lives. They are standing on their feet. They have a lot to give back to God and to the community.
Operation Nehemiah is training him as one of the three men to operate the tractor to plow the church's farmland and in turn he can also plow his own land so that he can raise enough food to feed his own family without the need to depend on UN handout. Esther is right behind him working together to fulfill God's plan for their lives.
The ( Nehemiah Trumpet Call Gospel Shortwave 11.950 MHZ ) is still an outstanding project to be sponsored. The short wave Gospel Network ( Nehemiah Trumpet Call Gospel Shortwave 11.950 MHZ) will cover all of South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia and virtually all of East and northern Africa 1. Cost of the transmitter and antenna is $36,000. This is a gracious reduction of cost from Energy -Onix, down from the original cost of $62,000. One of their engineers was in the South Sudan back in the 90s at the height of the war. He understood the importance of this radio station for the people of the South Sudan as it is now an independent country. First installation cost to start building of the equipment by Energy - Onix is $9,000. We have already paid this in January 2012. Payment should have been done in four (1/4) installment or pay in half (1/2) $18,000 as the fund become available.
We are behind the payment. Currently we will need $27,000 to catch up with what we have to come up with so far. Energy –Onix has began working on the project already. We hope by the end of August this project should be completed. 2. Engineer Jamie La bedia will come in person to install the unit in the South Sudan as soon as the equipment is complete 3. Power sources - 3KW Wind power The 3000-watt Whisper 500 turbine will deliver in excess of 500 KWH per month in a 12 mph wind. This machine has a 14-foot (4.26m) rotor diameter providing 175 sq. ft. of swept area. This model has been redesigned, incorporating a stronger, larger yaw shaft, new blade stabilizer straps and a third spindle bearing for increased reliability. Cost - $8,500.00 4. Registration cost with the Government of the South Sudan - $5, 500.00 5. Labor - $3000 Total: $53,000 Amount raised - $9,000 Amount to be raised: $44,000.
All contributions to Operation Nehemiah are tax deductible. Thank you for standing with us and encouraging us to press on. I will let you know more regarding the layout of the plan for this year in term of planting and what lies ahead. God bless God bless Shalom! In His grace William Levi, President Operation Nehemiah Missions International, Inc. P. O. Box 563 Lanesborough, MA 01237 www.operationsnehemiah.org Phone: 413-841-1116
God bless
Shalom!
In His grace
William Levi, President
Operation Nehemiah Missions International, Inc.
P. O. Box 563
Lanesborough, MA 01237
www.operationsnehemiah.org
Phone: 413-841-1116
