ABOUT AID SUDAN A 501(c)(3) non-profit, Aid Sudan (www.aidsudan.org) is an interdenominational Christian organization with a vision to impact South Sudanese communities in both spiritual and physical ways. Started in 2000, Aid Sudan began by ministering to South Sudanese refugees in the United States but soon expanded to South Sudan. Based in Houston, TX, the organization also has offices in Dallas, TX and Kampala, Uganda and takes several mission trips per year to South Sudan. A third area of focus is the Moses Project, a missionary program for South Sudanese refugees in the United States who are now returning to South Sudan as missionaries to their own people. With thirteen staff members in three countries, Aid Sudan focuses on community development and the spread of the gospel among South Sudanese communities in the United States and in South Sudan. In South Sudan, this involves operations in the areas of health, education, water, and church. WHY AID SUDAN? Aid Sudan balances physical and spiritual development, highlighted by: An indigenous, long-term approach Values of strategy, intentionality, integrity, faithfulness An average growth over 26% per year the past five years
VISION STATEMENT To aid in growing strong South Sudanese communities committed to serving Jesus Christ STATEMENT OF FAITH WE BELIEVE the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17). WE BELIEVE that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 4:4-6). WE BELIEVE in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His present rule as Head of the Church and in His personal return in power and glory (John 1:1-4; Matthew 1:22-23; Philippians 2:511; Hebrews 1:1-4 & 4:15; Acts 1:11 & 2:22-24; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). WE BELIEVE that, for the salvation of lost and sinful men, repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ results in regeneration by the Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation (Titus 3:4-7; Luke 24:46-47; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Acts 4:12). WE BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life (Galatians 5:16-18; Romans 8:9). WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (Revelation 20:11-15; 1 Corinthians 15:5157). WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church, with equality across racial, gender and class differences (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:12,27).
PARTNERSHIPS In an effort to work together with different organizations or churches that can match the necessary resources with a passionate focus on missions, Aid Sudan enters into strategic partnerships to more effectively impact South Sudan with sustainable projects. While each partnership will look different from the next, there are specific requirements to maintain a unified approach. Before entering into partnership, Aid Sudan expects these initial qualifications:
The partnering organization will support and uphold Aid Sudan’s statement of faith. The partnering organization’s long-term and short-term strategies will align with those of Aid Sudan. The partnering organization will provide clear communication regarding their future commitments and plans with Aid Sudan. The partnership will work toward strengthening the projects already in place by Aid Sudan.
With the initial qualifications in place, a partnership with Aid Sudan will be individualized to consistently support both the goals of Aid Sudan and the partner. There are several ways in which an organization can work with Aid Sudan, but in general, the most beneficial partnerships combine multiple resources to enhance the long-term projects of Aid Sudan. The key resources of a partnership are listed below:
People:
a partnership includes passionate individuals committed to aiding the South Sudanese people through service either in the U.S. or in South Sudan. Finances: a partnership matches long-term development projects in South Sudan with the necessary funds to achieve these projects. Prayer: a partnership undergirds all physical work with persistent prayer support.
Aid Sudan’s long-term projects are outlined on the following pages with a brief description of how the partnering organization can support each project. It is merely an outline of what a partnership can resemble, but each partnership will be individualized to match all partner strategies.
STANDARD PARTNERSHIP MODEL A standard Aid Sudan partnership involves the below commitments: One specific adopted location One or more mission trips each year to that location Three years of working in that location Support of Aid Sudan’s long-term projects in that location through funding and commissioning AID SUDAN’S STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Step 1: Open Project: Mission Trips Purpose: Teams initiate relationships and open doors for future work in an area Step 2: Build Project: Water Wells Purpose: Wells meet a critical human need while also establishing organizational credibility in an area Step 3: Reach Project: Moses Project Purpose: Indigenous missionaries are best suited to reach the people with contextualized planting and reproducing methods Step 4: Saturate Project: Radio Station Project Purpose: Radio broadcasting supports the missionaries’ work by spreading the gospel & community teaching to the masses CURRENT PROJECT SITES Aweil: Mvolo: Nasir: Tonj:
Mission Trips, Radio Station Project / Hand-Held Radios Mission Trips, Water Wells Mission Trips, Water Wells, Moses Project Radio Station Project / Hand-Held Radios Mission Trips, Water Wells Moses Project, Radio Station Project
MISSION TRIPS Overview Aid Sudan mission teams take several trips per year to key target areas in South Sudan. During trips to South Sudan, teams visit local churches, fellowship with the people by attending village functions and cultural celebrations, engage in community development, and share oral Bible stories. Mission teams travel exclusively to South Sudan and work in specific areas that support the long-term work of Moses Project missionaries and Aid Sudan’s community development projects. All mission teams have a spiritual and physical focus. For the spiritual work, teams share an oral form of the gospel, called Chronological Bible Storying, with the local people to whom they are ministering. Whenever possible, teams hold pastor training sessions to equip South Sudanese pastors with the powerful knowledge of the Word of God. For community development, each team has either a medical, educational or water well related focus. Medical teams bring in prescription level medicine and host clinics to diagnose and treat the sick. Educational teams bring in much needed school supplies (i.e. paper and pens) and train teachers in basic teaching techniques. Water well teams assess and repair broken water wells that provide a village’s essential supply of clean water. Partnership Opportunities People: It is powerful when an organization uses the skills of their members to meet the physical needs of the South Sudanese. If an organization chooses to adopt a village, they can send multiple mission teams over a period of several years to establish deep relationships working toward discipleship and life transformation. Finances: When a partner sends a mission team with Aid Sudan, each team member is responsible for raising their own support to cover the trip cost of $4700. The partnering organization can assist its members in this fundraising as well as provide support for any extra project costs. Prayer: When a team is on the ground serving in South Sudan, the prayer team at home is equally as important. Aid Sudan mission trips are covered in prayers of which the partnering organization is a large part.
WATER WELLS Overview The physical needs in South Sudan are profound, especially in the area of water. Over half of the population is estimated to be without a clean water source. Because of this lack of access to clean water there are many preventable water-borne diseases taking thousands of lives each year. In response to these overwhelming needs, Aid Sudan has initiated the drilling of water wells throughout South Sudan, targeting the neediest villages in the area of water. Consistent with Aid Sudan’s overall strategy, this project will install water wells in selected villages after an on-the-ground evaluation of the population and its current water sources. Partnership Opportunities People: While the drilling is performed by professional contractors, mission teams support the physical work by pairing it with a spiritual emphasis. Upon completion of a water well, teams participate in the commissioning of the newly completed project through the sharing of Bible stories and prayer. In addition to commissioning services, teams bring critical knowledge necessary to long-term impact through the training of the people in health and hygiene best practices as it relates to water. Finances: To establish a sustainable ministry in an area, a partnering organization can adopt a village in which to invest financially to drill one or more water wells. The partner can finance these projects in successive years and send mission teams in to support this development work. Prayer: As the physical needs are so great in South Sudan, there is the ongoing call to prayer on behalf of the South Sudanese people. Not only is it important that the people would be able to physically develop through clean water provided by new water wells, but it is equally important that the doors for spiritual transformation would be opened by the physical labor.
MOSES PROJECT Overview The Moses Project is an indigenous approach to missions by empowering the South Sudanese to reach their own people. Long-term missionary work in South Sudan is inherently grueling, with rustic living conditions, foreign tribal languages, and local indigenous culture. As such, the South Sudanese people are the best equipped to handle such living conditions, linguistic barriers, and cultural expectations. The Moses Project is a program where South Sudanese refugees in the U.S. are trained and supported as they return to their home areas as missionaries to their own people. Utilizing relational, gospel-centered ministry that incorporates Chronological Bible Storying, the missionaries work to develop effectively contextualized disciple-making and churchplanting strategies. Partnership Opportunities People: One of the most important ways for an organization to support the Moses Project missionaries is to send mission teams into South Sudan to provide support to their work areas. Through ministering to the physical needs of the people, teams are able to encourage the missionaries in their faithful service and enhance their reputations in the local community. Finances: Through the ongoing financial support of a Moses Project missionary, an organization is able to provide for the projects costs that enable them to do their work. If a partner chooses to officially adopt a missionary, they can give project updates while in the U.S. on their training rotations. Prayer: It is crucial to lift the Moses Project missionaries up in prayer asking for spiritual protection, strength and discernment as they faithfully serve their brothers and sisters in South Sudan.
RADIO STATION PROJECT Overview South Sudan is composed of 64 tribes, most with different languages or dialects and there is only one complete Bible in any of these dialects. Furthermore, with a functional literacy rate of less than 1%, South Sudan has no way to readily receive the gospel. The Radio Station Project begins with a base in Houston, an uplink to satellite, and a downlink to repeater stations across South Sudan that broadcast Chronological Bible Storying, community health and development teaching, and local/world news in the local languages of the people. Partnership Opportunities People: The most specific need for people with regard to the Radio Station Project is to support the ministry of the programming on the ground in South Sudan. As the radio towers are completed, Bible stories and community health and development teaching will be broadcast to the people. Mission teams will bolster this programming with continued education in person. Finances: An organization can become involved in the financial support of this project as a group or through the network of individuals within the organization. After the initial cost of radio tower construction, there are ongoing costs for satellite programming. Prayer: There is very little infrastructure of radio towers or local programming in South Sudan making the potential for lasting impact great. Prayer is needed for the planning and logistics involved in the implementation of such a revolutionary project.
HAND-HELD RADIOS Overview In tandem with the Radio Station Project, the goal is to distribute radios to the masses as the medium from which the people can hear God’s Word. In South Sudan, only a small fraction of the population has access to a radio or the ability to receive the signal of Aid Sudan’s radio towers. The solution is found in solar-powered, hand-held radios. With a life span of up to twelve years, the radios are distributed in radio tower coverage areas and tuned to receive only Aid Sudan’s local station. Each radio will impact an average of 10-15 people. Partnership Opportunities People: As a radio tower is completed in a new area, Aid Sudan will send mission teams to that area to distribute the hand-held radios. In addition to the distribution, teams will train the local people in Chronological Bible Stories and community health topics that support the radio programming. Finances: Each hand-held radio costs $20 to manufacture, transport and distribute to the bush of South Sudan. Partnering organizations can raise support through member donations or planning of radio fundraisers in schools, churches or other institutions. Prayer: At the very heart of these hand-held radios is the desire for God’s Word to be spread to the masses throughout the land of South Sudan. Partners can pray that the Word would deeply impact the people who hear it and would not return void.
2012 MISSION TRIP MAP
2012 MISSION TRIPS DATE
STATE
VILLAGE
TYPE
Mar. 17-27
Various
Various
Partner
Jun. 30-Jul. 13
Upper Nile
Nasir
Partner
Jul. 7-20
Jonglei
Pieri
Open
Jul. 15-28
Warrap
Tonj
Partner
Oct. 20-Nov. 3
Jonglei
Pieri
Open
Oct. 28-Nov. 10
W. Equatoria
Mvolo
Open
NOTE: dates and locations are subject to change.
MISSION TRIPS
WATER WELL PROJECT
MOSES PROJECT
RADIO STATION PROJECT
HAND-HELD RADIOS