SOUTHERN SUDAN MISSION532 Raleigh Dr.

Conroe, Texas 77302

SHINING THE “LIGHT” INTO SOUTH SUDAN

September 14, 2016

Dear friends and supporters of the Southern Sudan Mission, I pray you are lavishing in the love and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the October 28, 2015 newsletter I wrote one of the ways we do evangelistic outreach among Sudanese Refugees is posting a five day, four hours a day Bible Study with a completion

certificate at one or both of the universities in Gambella. We generally have 10-20 recipients from each posting. Ruach Bol, a devout Seven Day Adventist, with a thirst to learn more about God’s Word, accepted the challenge in early 2014. After completing the course, he was converted to Christ. When he heard of our upcoming School of Biblical Studies in Gambella, June – September, 2014, he requested the opportunity to attend. He was an excellent student and as one

would imagine he had many questions about “Sabbath (Saturday) worship” verses “first day of the week worship.” After completing level one, he completed his college school year. He also continued studying the things he had been taught in the School of Biblical Studies. He began his senior year in the university in October 2014, and completed his education in June. Realizing the second level class at the School of Biblical Studies would begin in late June, Rauch requested admittance and was accepted. He continually questioned the “first day” of the week worship. After completing classes in Ezekiel, Daniel & Revelation he said, “I got it!” Although he had just received a degree in teaching, he said, “I don’t want to teach in the public sector, I want to teach my Adventist relatives, friends and others about Jesus.”

James Puot, the Sudanese Brother in charge of all the South Sudanese Work in Gambella and South Sudan and the Director of the School of Biblical Studies, and I visited with Rauch about seeding a Church in Rauch’s home town of Lare, Ethiopia. Lare is one of many cities in the Gambella Region where the gospel has never been preached. It is located approximately 120 miles from Gambella and near the Southern Sudanese Border. Eighty percent of the 45,000 people living in Lare are South Sudanese. Rauch accepted the challenge and began strongly proclaiming the gospel refuting Adventism and other religious error as he taught his family and Adventist friends the gospel, and “Sunday” was the Christian day of worship.

Within a few days Brother Rauch taught and baptized thirty five people into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). He has continued teaching and preaching the resurrected Christ and the congregation now has more than one hundred members, but there was one important thing missing.

His wife had never obeyed the gospel! On Thursday, the day before our departure for the states, Brother Rauch showed up at the compound smiling from ear to ear. Upon greeting Rauch he said, “I brought my wife to the compound to be baptized.” He further said. “I have been studying with her for a long time and she finally understood the need to obey the gospel.” Shortly thereafter his wife was baptized into Christ and added to the Lord’s Church (Acts 2:22-47). There were also four people from the JEWE Refugee Camp baptized into Christ.

Shortly after Brother Rauch seeded the congregation in Lare, he contacted the government officials about some land to build a “Place of Prayer” (a church building). The government officials gave the church approximately five acres of land for a church building and a compound. When we got a deed to the land the brethren were meeting in a temporary facility. We did not have the

money to build a facility; therefore, we fenced the property with barbed wire to keep anyone from taking it from the church. Our goal was to budget a new building and tin fence around the compound in the 2017 budget, but after the authorities gave the church a deed to the land they decided to build the new city facilities next to our land and wanted the land back. The officials approached us and said we had to start the church building before September 1, 2016 or they were going to take the land from us.

Of course we didn’t have the funds in the 2016 budget to start construction, but due to the urgent need to get the building underway before September 1, 2016, we contracted the building to be constructed. The building will be the same as the newly constructed pictured building in Abol Town, Gambella Region, Ethiopia; 6 Meters X 16 Meters. NOTE: The cost of the building is $12,000.00 which we took from another budgeted project. The funds must be replaced as soon as possible. If you would like to help financially with this problem it would be very beneficial.

We graduated twenty-six Level One Students and eleven Level Two Students September 9, 2016. Most of the Level One Graduates will work with the newly seeded congregations they were converted in. The Level Two Students will continue working with the congregations they were working with before attending the Second Level. With the continued seeding of new congregations and the need for additional preachers we are striving to train as many preachers as possible.

I was blessed to have Brother Lou Eich travel with me to Gambella on this trip. He was a real trooper. He was the photographer, did a lot of physical work and repaired some electrical problems. He was also a hit with all the students and the children around the compound.

New building in Abol Town Anyuak Community

All tax deductible gifts should be made payable to Woodland Oaks Church of Christ, ear-marked Southern Sudan Mission. Please mail the same to Tyrone Mynhier, 532 Raleigh Dr. Conroe, Texas 77302 for posting and delivery to Woodland Oaks Church of Christ.

I want to thank everyone for their prayers, love, encouragement, financial support and trust. Please be assured you are as much a part of the Southern Sudan Mission as I am. Without you, the mission would not be possible.

Love in Him,

Tyrone Mynhier

PLEASE RESERVE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016

THIRD ANNUAL SOUTHERN SUDAN MISSION BANQUETWoodland Oaks Church of Christ

6:30-8:30PM

Everyone invited to come