July: Month of Hunger

month_of_hunger“Please come to my tukel to see my wife. She is very ill and cannot get up from her bed”, pleaded Pilot, one of Akot Christian Ministries employees. Dr Raymond and I made the house call and found that his wife was not ill. She was pregnant, anemic and very weak. There was no food in the home, and she had consumed only milk for many days. Even the milk can was empty, and she had consumed nothing for the previous two days. Of course we provided some food for this family. However, the food shortage is a problem for everyone in this area of South Sudan, at this time of the year. All the stored food is depleted and no crops are ready for harvest. This cyclic problem requires a long-term solution. Famine contributes to the very high annual death rate among mothers and children in South Sudan.

Agricultural Ministry

ag_ministryLiving Water Community Transformation, in partnership with “Baptist Global Response”, has added Agricultural Ministry to the existing ministries of Primary Education, Women’s Ministry, Pastor/Church Development and Men’s Discipleship Training. The Agricultural ministry was established to assist the community in raising enough food, to improve the variety of their diet, and to practice sustainable agriculture. Like all of LWCT ministries it will serve as a platform for presenting the gospel and discipleship. The 12.5 acre piece of land has been cleared and fenced. A large bore water pump has been installed and supplies water to the surrounding neighbors. The farm has been plowed and is being planted now.

A Sustainable Future

A question that we ask to filter every decision for our ministry is this, “is it sustainable?”. There are always urgent needs that must be met to get through each crisis. However, in order to transform a community, long range planning for the future must be a priority. Living Water CT is committed to assisting the community of Akot move closer to becoming self-sufficient in the near future. The ability to generate income is necessary for ACM to sustain the ministries which have been established (salaries, food, fuel, equipment).

In addition to the goal of reducing the cyclic food shortage, feeding the school children, and teaching new farming methods, LWCT hopes to produce surplus food to sell in the market. The profit would be used to sustain the ministries of ACM. Producing this much food will require a solar powered pump and an irrigation system. This is our next major expense for the agricultural ministry.

South Sudan is not only the newest nation, it is now considered the world’s most fragile nation. It is without governmental structure of resources to provide for the basic needs of its people. Your prayers and financial support are desperately needed to help our brothers and sisters in Christ get on their feet. If you would like to partner with LWCT financially, you may contribute by mailing a check or by credit card via the website. See below for contact information.