Our mission to Teachers in South Sudan

A school teacher supervising 500 students daily has greater influence
than most pastors anywhere. I confirmed this in a memorable encounter with a
class of 110 children in Yei last month.

A child lay crying on
the dirt floor in the Baby Class of the school where I live and I went to see
what was wrong with him because his uniform was messed up, covered with dirt.

“He’s being very
stubborn and disturbing the class.” The teacher said.

I picked him off the
floor and tried to intervene. As I dusted him up, I asked him to apologize to
the class. He refused. I pleaded, he didn’t respond. I then turned to the class
and asked his classmates to say they forgive him, they didn’t respond to me
either.

It suddenly dawned on
me that I was not connecting with these kids and I asked their teacher to help
me.

She turned to the class
and spoke their language,
with some unique call-outs. Instantly they responded. What I struggled to
accomplish in 5mins, this lady achieved in seconds. It was instructive for me
and I promptly used that opportunity to drive home my message on the power and
influence of  teachers to that class teacher. She got it.

The student population
in Yei has doubled within 2years but same cannot be said about the teachers and
especially their capacity to impact knowledge. They know this and seek
assistance.

The Planning Committee
for the Yei Teachers’ Conference is working assiduously to gather other
teachers to a weekend of training, instruction and discussion in May 2013. This
will be our second conference for school teachers. I’m impressed with their
preparations for this conference.

Our ministry is youth
based. Students are our primary targets and as such, working closely with
teachers is a strategic necessity.

With this conference
and our ministry, we aim:

1. To see that our
overall outreach to the youths (most of whom are students and make-up over
70-75% of our church members) is amplified on account of our meaningful
connection with the teachers.

2. To facilitate a
deliberate collaborative effort between school teachers and other faith-based
ministries like ours. Thereby providing spiritual leadership and counsel needed
to guide student morally.

3. We are looking for
individuals and corporate faith-based teacher-trainers and educators; who are
willing to come to South Sudan for a season, to offer training to our teachers
as part of their contribution to the building of this new Nation and service to
God.

4. We long to see
teachers in Yei and South Sudan make eternal commitments to follow, love and
serve Jesus Christ, thereby become fruitful participants in God’s redemptive
Kingdom purpose. Thus, this Conference will always have an evangelistic thrust.

5. We long to see well
trained and discipled Patrons and Matrons of the fast growing Christian student
fellowships. Teachers, who not only teach well but also model godliness and
take the lead in our many student meetings from term to term.

We are gathering a team
of instructors and ministers for this Conference, seasoned teachers and teacher
trainers with many years experience in the education sector. They are coming to
invest their grace and gifting in the Nation of South Sudan through the
teachers and the students under them. Please pray for this Conference.

We dream of a day when
every school in South Sudan will have teachers who love and obey Jesus on
account of our ministry. Teachers, whose perspective of their profession
shifted from wage earning to a call, because they bought into our vision.

We are building
relationships with teachers in Yei and praying God, in His masterful ways to
weave our ministry with theirs for maximum impact among the youth of the land.

Please stand with us.