FROM SUDAN WITH LOVE

Dear Friends and Family (sorry - these are getting longer and longer, but I feel like it's important to give you all the full picture since you're praying for these brothers and sisters)-

Thank you all for your prayers - I promise you that they are so necessary and evident in these peoples' lives. We have just completed our first week of our recovery group. We have 14 members and about 12 attend regularly each day (some get labor for the day, have chores or attend funerals - which are frequent - there have been 4 in the county since I arrived two weeks ago). We have gotten great feedback from our time on the radio when five of our group members vulnerably and confidently shared their victory from the past week. We had two new people join the group today - Michael and Jackson.

Today, Kenny (our translator) led the group and I assisted where needed. At our last meeting, Emmanuel spoke up and said that the group needs to start coming together as a family, meeting for dinner fellowships at homes and also must become self-leading. This was a great thing for them to realize - he told the old fish/fisherman story in first person about him feeding a friend by giving him a fish each day, but one day he died and the friend starved. He continued by saying that I could leave anyday and that they would need to know the skills to continue without me. In light of Emmanuel's story, it was a great time for Kenny to lead a meeting and also opened the opportunity for other's to lead as they feel comfortable (this is a similar model to Alcoholics Anonymous). Speaking of, here's our typical format - the meetings last between 1.5 and 3 hours.

Welcoming - Meet and Greet (handshakes, hugs and I try to read from the Bari-translated Bible sometimes during down time as we wait for the others to arrive). Holly Lungren comes to every meeting to work with the women and loves them so well.

Opening - Statement of Purpose "We are gathered here because we share a common struggle. We are all addicted to alcohol and seek daily healing from the Lord. This is not a place of condemnation or judgment, but a place of hope, healing and encouragement. Anything that is said and all persons who are present are confidential and private and not to be used for gossip. Anyone is welcome here; the only thing that is required is an honest desire to quit drinking.And lastly, the reason why we sit in a circle is because we are all the same and we all share the same struggle and seek the same healing."

Prayer and Worship - someone volunteers to open us in prayer and dedicate the time to the Lord and we sing three songs in KuKu - this is one of my favorite times in the day. One of the songs we regularly sing is roughly translated to, "Satan, we are not following you anymore. I don't want anything to do with you. We are putting you behind us; we have decided to follow Jesus."

Communion and Share time - this is a time that we have a meal of bread and hot sugar-sweetened tea together. Each person eats two or three little rolls/loaves of sweet wheat bread (about $.13/each which you all have paid for with your support) and then we share challenges and victories from the week. Each person typically speaks up, although it's not required, and the others politely wait and say, "Tenate' Moses (or Rose, Joseph, etc)" after they finish. This part of the meeting is beautiful. These people are very open with their lives. They freely share their pain, mistakes and humble circumstances. And also celebrate little things - like two of the women who were invited to have tea with a woman who previously would not greet them because she didn't approve of their lifestyle...the woman gave them 1,000 Ugandan Shillings (about $.50) and they were confident that it was God's provision that they had received favor from this woman and a financial blessing. Moses also shared. He said that the brewers had asked him to gather/carry firewood to their moonshine still. He did so and when finished was offered a large amount of "white stuff" (horribly strong and poisonous moonshine...one of our members suffers from mild blindness b/c of it). He declined and said that he was done drinking and would like to be paid. She laughed at him and said that she would give him credit so that he could come drink in the morning. He said he wouldn't be there in the morning, he had quit for good and would like to be paid immediately. She questioned him and said, "What's going on here? Where have all the drinkers gone? All of my best customers never come anymore." He said that they are all leaving alcohol together. She said, "Then who is it that is giving you the medicine to quit?" Even she knew the power of the addiction and how people traditionally can't quit without having to be taken to the hospital for IVs, vitamins and treatment. He said that there was no medicine. That they had given their lives to Jesus and He was healing them. Thank you, Lord, for this miracle of healing, and thank you all for your prayers - they have been answered in miraculous ways. Not a single person in our group has had ANY withdrawal symptoms.

Lesson - This is a time that we teach through one of the 12 steps and give an accompanying scripture and Bible lesson. They LOVE learning about God's word and quickly write down the reference of where to find the Scripture verses. If applicable, we go through one of the steps as a group.

Commitment - We state that we will commit to remaining sober for the next 24 hours by God's help and strength (this is something that my AA sponsor in Austin, Charlie P., taught me).

Closing - someone volunteers to close us in prayer, beginning with the Lord's Prayer.

PRAYER:

Please pray for Moses M. - he got a letter that his separated wife had been raped and they were trying to get back together. Alex J. - two deaths in his family this week and he doesn't have money for his children's school fee (especially his 12 year old son John). Rose K. - she had a relapse last week during one day, but continues to come to the meetings and will always be accepted. Also, our little group needs a name - send any ideas you have. Big Kenny has $10 in outstanding alcohol credit to a brewer that he has to pay back in one week - that's a huge amount of money here - he wants to be honest and pay it back and never spend another penny on alcohol. Moses K.'s wife tried to commit suicide last week - we are going to visit with her and the local pastor tomorrow.

Also, I feel like I should write something. I don't want anyone to feel like I am condemning having a drink. This program, blog and mission is about alcoholics. Many people can drink without any problems and keep it in moderation. But for us, once we have a little, we always had a lot. Some people can have one or two drinks and then quit for the time. An alcoholic has one or two just to get started and almost always get drunk each time we drink. It's like a car with no brakes. This is all clear in the AA literature and website if you want more information and my email is johnaelmore@yahoo.com.

Love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers.

From Sudan with love-

john a. elmore
johnaelmore@yahoo.com

We just finished talking on the Grace FM of Kajo Keji, Sudan, for 2 hours straight.

I was there with five of my new favorite people in the world...here is a little about the people you are praying for...

Scopas (a young man who I am convinced would be an instant movie star - he is lean, muscular and is the most animated talker I've ever met - he gestures with his hands, inflects each syllable and smiles from one corner of his mouth with bright white eyes while wearing his tattered shorts and a used-to-be-white button down - he's getting used to my hugs slowly but surely),

Rose K. (she's a ex-moonshine brewer and alcoholic as of last week - she professed over the radio tonight that she used to hate people like me...Christians who talked about the hope of Jesus - in fact, we first met because she was mocking me from the brew pots as I walked by her...we began talking, I told her my story of pain and addiction and the mocking stopped...she has attended every meeting since...tonight she told about her relationship with her husband and how it's improved immensely in just a week and that her skin is changing),

Joseph L. (he's the one you keep hearing so much about. He literally looks like a different man. He drank for 25 years straight. He would drink himself into unconsciousness daily and then eat the spoiled moonshine mash for food. He lives across the street from the brew house and has been sober 5 days...his hand and hip are crippled from the war, but he is quickly on the mend. His mud and straw hut used to be a complete mess of overgrown grasses and trash. When I jogged by this morning, he was out cutting it all down w/ a machete. Literally, the most incapacitated town drunk is now God's greatest picture of transformation here),

And there's Emmanuel (He told me his friends are asking him why he doesn't sleep during the day like a dog anymore, why isn't he passed-out at his little shop in the market place. He started drinking when he was at the refugee camps in Uganda and drank every morning since. Last week his daughter asked him why they can't eat meat like the neighbors - he knew it was because he spent all of their money on alcohol. This week, he has been repairing bicycles and is providing for his children),

Finally, there's Kenny S., my translator (this man faithfully arrives at 7am every morning to our compound. He rides his bicycle beside me as I jog a little loop through the dried, cracked mud streets and sand past the children in uniform walking to school...in the mornings, I call him Coach. He's a brilliant guy who always sees the big picture. He's been sober 11 days now. What I love the most about him is his shepherd's heart - I'll often be thinking that we need to go buy bread for the communion meal or get him through another step and he'll say, "Yeah, okay, but I think we should go and pay a visit to Peter or Moses...they should know that we are thinking of them and that we want them to come to the meeting."). I put my arm around him and thank him for teaching me.

I love you all. Thanks for your prayers - God is at work in mighty ways and seeking and saving the lost sheep...like me.

John A. Elmore

Friends-

Thank you for your prayers. God is at work in huge ways. Please read through to the end if you can spare the time. I can't convey how much we need your prayers.

Eleven people attended the meeting today and are beginning their fourth step (of twelve).

Yesterday, these same people moved through Step Three: Surrendering their lives and wills to Jesus.

Before the meeting today, something HUGE occurred to me. When a person is deep into years (even decades) of alcoholism, they can go through significant and life threatening withdrawal symptoms. NONE of our group members have had ANY side effects or symptoms. There is no hospital here. No doctors. No IVs. No Advil. In fact, clean water is in shortage. And yet, everyone is doing incredible. Clear eyes, clear speech, strength, walking miles to the meetings in heat and joy - such joy and peace....you see in their smiles and hugs. God, thank you for this miracle. We know it's from the Lord and answer to your prayers.

I told Joseph L., the old crippled soldier, today that there are over 400 people praying for him by name. He smiled after the translation came and shook his head. He physically looks like a different man. I joked with him by asking him if he had seen Joseph L. because I didn't recognize him and then checked the tag in the back of his shirt. He laughed and said praise God.

We now have four women in our group, which is amazing to have men and women sharing and finding healing in the same room. Three of them were brewers and hopeless alcoholics just three days ago. They have all given it up and are sharing the stories of destruction that they have been through and how thankful they are to now be on a journey of healing.

Tomorrow night we have been given 1.5 hours on the radio (Grace FM of Kajo Keji, Sudan). They've asked me to share my story of healing from alcoholism and then asked for five of our new Sudanese recovery group members to share about their experience and healing from this first week. These people will be on the radio testifying to the work God is doing in their lives and confessing openly to their peers and their community that they are alcoholics and that God is saving them. Amazing. Pray for their strength.

At our group, we talk about how difficult it would be to try and think about staying sober for 10 years starting today. Instead, we follow Jesus' instructions and we don't worry about tomorrow, or next week or even the month to come (Matthew 6). We look to God to give us strength to stay sober for the day - just for the next 24 hours. He is faithful to do this as we submit to Him. Tomorrow has enough worries of it's own and God will take us through those just like He did today.

Please pray for their strength through the weekend. Idle time is never good - no matter who you are or what your struggle is.

Love you all.

john

Subject: Sobriety in Sudan

Friends-

I can't thank you enough for your prayers and beg you to continue.

UPDATES:

Saturday night, we were given one hour on the local radio station to tell about God's healing from alcoholism in my life and about the alcohol recovery group that is starting. We just finished our second meeting and it was incredible.

Please take 10 seconds and pray for these people by name - for God to keep them sober for the next 24 hours until our next meeting (tomorrow at 3pm...and we'll continue to meet daily, except Sundays):

Akudi'
Rose K.
Rose (the moonshine brewer)
Joseph L.
Scopas
Henry
Emmanuel
Peter M.
Moses M.
Big Kenny
Alex J.
Kenny S.
Julius

There is one man that normally is so drunk he can't even speak or stand - doesn't matter if it's 10am - he's completely out of his mind every time I try to talk to him. He's an old crippled soldier. As of today, at Step 2, he's been sober 36 hours. He walks 2 miles with a bamboo staff to attend the meetings in 100 degree heat and made a commitment to remain sober another 24 hours. His eyes are clear for the first time since I arrived and he smiles with joy as he hugs me. I tell him, "Matat pura! Do jullio and kitana boo't." (Praise God. You are my friend. Good job). He laughs at my Kuku and says, "Tenate parike." (Thank you very much).

We handed out 4 bibles today to people who asked for them - so that they could read throughout the day when they are idle and tempted. They were so excited and proud of them (thanks First Baptist Kajo Keji and all of our US donors).

Eight people completed Step 2 today. Their faith, humble confessions and stories of pain are inspiring.

You can see the fellowship of the group already forming. The first meeting was pretty heavy, but today there was a sense of victory in the sobriety of 24 hours.

The group is very open to sharing their struggles and the destruction that alcohol has brought into their lives. We are going to celebrate communion each day this week and then will have communion every Monday moving forward. Our communion is in the style of the Corinthians...no little wafer, each person gets two or three little sweet rolls for a meal we share together, remembering the Savior, Jesus. Many alcoholics lose their appetites because of the addiction and this serves as a great way to also re-introduce food.

After the meeting, Pastor Edward Dima of First Baptist Kajo Keji came and welcomed the group members individually. Kajo Keji is a small community and a drunk's life here is no secret. For the local pastor to greet and love them is a powerful and beautiful thing.

Please keep praying and I'll keep telling you how God is at work in mighty ways.

John
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Sorry these updates have been delayed. We only have a dial-up connection and many people need to contact their families. I will promise to be better about regular updates. I had posted a couple to a Facebook Prayer Group called "God Save Sudan" and I will post those now....it will give you a background of our last couple of weeks here.

Love you all.

FIRST UPDATE

Dear friends and family-

Thank you for your prayers. We are safe and sound in Sudan and quickly falling in love with the people and country. The Sudanese are the most incredible people I've ever encountered. They are loving, generous and joyful.

For the last week, me and my translator have been walking through the stick and mud hut villages talking with alcoholics at their homes and at the moonshine stills (where people gather to drink and talk).

I tell them my story and invite them to come to the new group. We have talked to many people and every single person has been willing to attend our newly forming recovery group...even the brewers come to listen and ask if they can hear our story and attend the meeting! The word is spreading and we have people coming to find us to tell them about this healing they can receive from Jesus to be freed from alcoholism.

Our first meeting will be Monday at 3pm and will probably last for hours. We will hold meetings daily and First Baptist Church of Kajo Keji has offered us the use of their building. My translator has been sober for 4 days now and has already completed 3 of the 12 steps.

Please pray for our new group, for the first meeting, for God to raise up Sudanese leaders for the recovery group, and for God to deliver the following people from alcoholism: Moses, Joseph, Scopas, Kenny, Big Kenny, John, Peter, Cecilia, Rose, Akidu, Robinson, Alex, Julius and the others we will meet in the next few days. I pray that God will be glorified by the change that the community will see in the lives of these brewers, fighters, and seemingly hopeless cases. God alone can save them and He will.

Thank you for your prayers - God hears them and is acting in mighty ways here. I am AMAZED at the favor and response we are having...it's kind of surreal.

Love you all. And I'll try to send another update in a week or so.

john