Sudan: project archives

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EMAIL UPDATES FROM PROJECT LEADERS

2005 Assessment and Food Distribution

Conducted by

Jean-Pierre Rummens

Director, FTH Germany

30/6/05 - Email Update from JP

Dear Friends of Feed the Hungry.

The space in west Sudan, called Dafour, gets smaller and smaller. More and more refuges are arriving in that area. Some of the refuges escaped in to neighbouring country Tschad. The situation there is a little bit better, but only a little bit. Tschad cannot absorb all those Sudanese people. Sometimes the boarder is closed and those people, most with children, have to return back into hell. And that’s what it is, hell. The Arabic militant “Janschrid” group are riding trough on village after the other. They burn down the villages. They kill everybody who is not willing to leave the area. Strong men, young ladies are getting kidnapped into slavery. This is not story of the middle age, this is 2005. What they sometimes do to the poor people, I don’t want to describe in this email, simply because I don’t know, if your children may have access to your emails.

There is no space around the tents. No space not even to cultivate a little bit. Even the tents are not really a protection to the elements. Sometimes strong storms are going trough the camps. The strong winds not only blow the dry sand in the air but often enough also the last belongings of those people. They are totally depending on help from the outside. Officials talking about 3,5 Million people. For us as Feed the Hungry we have an open door now in Dafour. I will fly on July 1st to Khartoum the capital of Sudan. A business here in my area is paying for the trip. I will meet several Pastors and missionaries that are already working in Dafour. Please pray that even more doors will open to help those precious people. I try my best to get through Dafour myself to get a clear picture of what need to be done and of what can be done.

I will return on July 9 and I will send you a report and an update of what our further plans can be.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

Director, FTH Germany

14/7/05 - Email Update from JP

Dear Friends of Feed the Hungry.

I returned from Khartoum last Saturday.

During my time in Sudan’s capitol Khartoum, I med several pastors. I was not able to travel into the Dafur Region, simply because of the lack of the right visa. There is a special visa necessary to travel into Dafur. Mawan my contact tried his best to get for me, but it just did not worked out. Mawan and his church that is linked to Safe Harbour Ministries, have already an ongoing operation in Dafur. There theme for their operation is “To the Last, to the Least and to the Lost”.

I think this is a good name for an operation like that, because these attributes fits on the poor refugees that live there. Food is really a problem in the area where they work. It is the mountain area of Jebl Mara. There outreach is into Feina, Sabuna Al Fagur, and Al Malla.

The roads are very difficult, because of the rebels. One of their convoy as well one of Samaritans purse got into an ambush some month ago. Because of that the African Union provides guards now that go along with the convoys.

A local newspaper I red, that the African Union send an additional of 7.000 troops into the region, to stabilize the situation. Food is available in Khartoum and also there is a chance to get food from WFP. The area that I mention above is small and the big organization would like to go there. So the “Khartoum Christian Centre” started a work there November 2004. The number one targets is preaching the gospel and provide food and water, non food items like cooking utensils , Mosquito nets and so on. They have a constant medical team there, and sometimes I was told up to 600 people show at this little tent.

Milk powder is a big need and almost impossible to get. I will go back to Khartoum on July 31. I made a deal with UN they will fly me from Khartoum to Nyala and from there by Helicopter into the Jebl Mara Region. I will spend on week there in the camp among the refugees.

I highly would recommend a project there. We can share the love God by preaching the Gospel of JESUS, we can encourage the small churches in the areas and we can pass out food to feed the hungry people in Dafur.

If you need photos from Sudan, I am happy to mail some to you from my previous trips into the North and into the south of Sudan.

Thanks for your prayers while I was gone.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

Director, FTH Germany

30/7/05 - Email Update from JP

Dear Friends of Feed the Hungry.

I am leaving sunday afternoon again for Sudan. On tuesday I will travel by an UN Helicopter to Dafour. I will spend thre a few days among the refugees. I let you know what can be done there, after I am back. I will be back in my office August 15th.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

Director, FTH Germany

2/8/05 – Prayer Request - Jean-Pierre in Sudan

As you may saw in the news, that Dr. John Garan (Sudanese Vice-President) was killed in a helicopter crash last night. Dr. John how everybody called him was a rebel for many years. After he became a Christian he was the forcing power of the peace agreement for the south. Insiders think that it was not just a crash but maybe an attack.

Today I eyewitnesed a bad day in Kharoum. Four weeks ago I was here also and people were rejoicing about the peace agreement and also about Dr. John being called into the office as a vice president for South Sudan. Today there was the opposite of the scene from a few weeks ago. I saw four houses on fire. People were throwing stones, demolishing shops, cars and buildings. Traffic stopped completely. Thousands of people were on the streets. With Dr. John died a vision for a peaceful south.

Please keep praying that the government here in Khartoum will keep their part of the contract.

The Japanese person here next to be in the internet shop just said that thirty people got killed today and how many people got hurt nobody knows as right now.

I took another walk later this afternoon. On every streetcorner are police with guns. Traffic is still down. Phones were shut off for many hours.

I have scheduled meeting with Pastor Mawan for lunch. He could not come because it was to dangerous to come first of all and that police would had him to turn around. He called my mailbox in Germany via satellite phone to tell me, that he could not make it. I got that message four hours later, when my phone was running again.

If things calm down I meet him on Tuesday. Then we will discuss if we go on with our plans to go to Dafur or I may fly home.

Pray for Sudan, this is a critical hour. Security says everything is under control. But here in Sudan a lot of things are not under control at all. I am safe here in the hotel, don't worry about me, I am ok. I try to stay in touch with you to keep you updated.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

3/8/05 – Prayer Request - Jean-Pierre in Sudan

Hello just a quick update on my situation here. I moved into the Hilton. The hotel where I used to stay was in the heart of downtown. I met pastor Mawan yesterday. He confirmed that the situation is getting worse and worse. Also other cities facing the same situation.

Heavy street fighting was reported from Port Sudan, also from Juba
in the South. So I decided yesterday not to go on any further.

There are several reasons for that. First of all this is the situation to use wisdom. Feed the Hungry is not an agency for adventures trips! Pastor Mawan's wife is also expecting a baby very soon. He is evacuating his family to Uganda. He was willing to stay here with me to fly to Dafur.

I told them that I felt very strongly that he has to stay with his family in this time, especially because his wife is expecting. To go by myself is too dangerous. (I know I look stupid, but I am not that stupid).

Another fact is that UN will not guarantee that they will fly us back out of Dafur on Tuesday. We may end up there for who knows how long. UN has already made plans to evacuate people from Dafur into Tschad.

Lufthansa will not fly me out unless I pay the difference to first class. All the other seats are booked out. I don't want to wait a week onger until my scheduled return. My agent told me yesterday Lufthansa may stop to fly to KRT.

Thursday morning I will fly out with Egypt Air to Cairo and than on to
Frankfurt. Not my favourite airline but I get out of here.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

9/8/05 – Sudan Update - Jean-Pierre Safe at home

Thank you so much for your prayers for me and my family.

Since an hour I am back in the office. After spending 12 hours at Khartoum airport (we have fishmarkets in Germany they are nicer and cleaner than that airport), I was able to fly out to Dubai Thursday night.

After another 8 hours in Dubai, (which is a nice place to stay), I took off this morning towards Frankfurt. Yesterday morning at KRT airport, I really felt alone. I was afraid that I cannot get out, after Egypt Air kicked me off the list. But somehow in my spirit I knew that there is a way out.

Since my time in Bosnia in the very beginning of my time with FTH I have not felt so hopeless and afraid, but thank you for your prayers, they lifted, gave me new ideas what to do and the right people there and over here to get things done.

Thanks for your prayers!

God bless - JP

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Jean-Pierre Rummens

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