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Welcome to the African Enterprise February Newsletter

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. - John 14:27

Aerial view of Juba, the capital of South Sudan during final descent into Juba airport near the beautiful Nile River.

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from an incredible mission trip to Juba, South Sudan! It is a beautiful country and a beautiful city, built on the Nile River. Much further down this same stream in Egypt is where our Old Testament hero, Moses was born.

I have had the privilege and joy to have met with our South Sudan AE staff, Alex and John and volunteers. They are carrying out the important work of sharing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ among their people in their language and culture. Each day the Team live out the hope they have in Jesus and share it with those that do not know Jesus.

South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation and Africa’s 54th country. It is a nation that has suffered extreme violence and experienced outbreaks of civil war in 2013 and 2016. Over the last decade, South Sudan has faced severe droughts and floods. It remains in a serious humanitarian crisis.

The physical work of rebuilding a nation is underway as South Sudan attempts to break free from civil war. There are many aid agencies, including the UN, in Juba attempting to bring peace and stability – but it is very fragile. The South Sudanese desire long-lasting peace, but they also desperately need healing – healing from the trauma of war and suffering that has scarred each and every person in different ways. As indigenous evangelists, our AE Team continues to point people to the true peace and healing that comes from the Lord Jesus - the Prince of Peace.

AE South Sudan has been in Juba for 10 years and we're so inspired by their resilience, faith, grit and joy, which comes from the Lord. The Team are now in the final planning phase for the Annual Mission which will take place in October in Juba.

This mission is bringing local churches together. The AE Team are praying and equipping the local church in evangelism and discipleship. It is wonderful to see churches unite around the Word of God, discipleship centred on scripture and the raising up of new leaders.

Please pray for the safety of the team in South Sudan, and for continued unity of the church. Most of all, pray that there will be a great of harvest of souls and that Jesus will be glorified in South Sudan.

We are now just over two weeks away from the missions dinner. At the end of this week, we will have the joy of welcoming Stephen Mbogo, AE’s International Team Leader who is our guest speaker at the dinner. Stephen and I will be speaking in some church services in Perth over the weekend. 

May the Lord bless you abundantly,

I’m often told that it is easier to share the gospel in Africa than it is in Australia or New Zealand. I believe there are a number of reasons for this perception, today I’ll explore just one. 

Africa is a continent of 54 countries comprised of many diverse cultures.Despite their many differences, every culture in Africa is a communal culture – African people’s lives are centred around community.

The communal culture is founded on relationships, togetherness, the generalcare for each other, wanting good for the next person and showing hospitalityto others in all situations. The communal culture brings joy to African people – they have time for one another…time to build relationships. For many Africanstheir wealth is found in relationships – it is the joy of listening to one another. African people will stop and listen to someone’s story – it’s not considered rude to stop someone and spend a long time talking with them. This is theAfrican culture and it builds a wonderful gateway for sharing the gospel, simply because someone has time to listen to your story. 

Western Culture is stereotypically very different to African Culture. In the West, life revolves around the individual. Time is precious and days are planned with precision to cater for the needs of the individual and their immediate family. It’s considered rude to visit someone’s home unannounced and either an inconvenience or an invasion of personal space if strangers speak to you on the street or on public transport. Gatherings for friends or family are usually planned well in advance, with expectations on hospitality communicated ahead of time. 

The individualistic world view in the West makes it very, very difficult to sharethe gospel. In addition to this we often self-sensor, retreating from conversations in the belief that we would offend, be ridiculed or dismissed if we shared the gospel.

Whilst it may be easier to share the gospel in Africa, it doesn’t necessarily mean a person will be led to Christ on every occasion. In both cultures, you must be wise, discerning, prayerful and rely on God to reveal himself to the lost individual. In the West, I encourage you to share the gospel in the relational networks and everyday conversations you have. The opportunities are there, you will be surprised when you step out in faith.

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