Greetings,
The beginning of 2009 began with 25 new believers being baptized from the Loron and
Loma tribes.
During my annual conference teaching, I was privileged to travel to two new
Loron villages where the believers have decided to start their own local fellowships.
We prayed and rejoiced for the success and desire of these young believers to expand and
establish the Gospel in their own villages.
The late rains did not come and the late grain crop was a disaster for the majority
of the people. A month after the harvest many of the men were leaving the area looking
for outside work to feed their families.
The rebels continue to control the area, but there is increasing numbers of government
personnel being deployed to the area. There are some government administrators and
school teachers returning. They tend to establish themselves in the large cities and
work out into the marginalized areas and populations.
I was told that repairs will have to be made to school facilities before teachers will
be sent to areas. The focus of the government is to make repairs to the largest population,
leaving the tribal people until later.
It is my desire to help the government and tribes repair the tribal area schools so
that the Loron and Loma children can return to school sooner rather than later.
Hovare shared that he is praying about letting the medical ministry go so he can devote
more time to discipleship and Bible translation. He currently has a small clinic with a bed
where he can give IV's. He has medicines he can prescribe and a motorcycle for evacuating
to the hospital those he cannot help. The medical ministry consumes a large portion
of his time and is growing. He knows the need is great but so is the discipleship and
translation. There is no easy solution, and he desires to know the Lord's mind and will for
his decision. Pray for him.
In His Love and Grace,
Jerry Skiles
