Sudan | Day 5 (Sunday)

Whoa, this was a good day. This was a day that was unforgettable. I experienced 3 things in the first 5 hours of this day that I never imagined I would experience.

I wrote about this day very briefly here, but allow me to go into more detail because it was so good.

Let me start at the beginning, all of our rooms were in a row and we all slept with our windows open to let in the cool evening African air. Sunday morning at about 7:00 Heath and I woke up to a goat bleeting outside our window. It wasn't directly outside our window. But it was close enough to wake us up. No big deal though right? I mean we are in Africa. It's not unusually to hear animal noises.

Our normal routine in the mornings was, we would all get up and go outside to get ready, like "do our hair" and "make up". Because we didn't have electricity most of the day it would be too dark in the rooms in the mornings to see much.

So this morning, we go outside and much to my astonishment THE GOAT that was bleeting moments before, was now sadly hanging upside down from a tree 20 feet from me just having been slaughtered! You can imagine the shock from this city girl.

After several minuges, I was able to recover and move on with more shocking/amazing things that the day was holding for us.

We got ready and headed for church on the compound.
Our boys sitting in church.


Yes, they made us dance.


It was an amazing service with a lot of people. Our pastor spoke and 8 people came forward to accept Christ.
Corey snuck some video of them praying the pray of salvation.

Sudan | Bishop leading 8 people to Christ at Church from Janelle on Vimeo.

What was so INCREDIBLE was that these 8 people prayed the prayer and then we all went down to the river and they were baptized IMMEDIATELY! It was the coolest thing I've ever witnessed. And not only do they baptize them, but they have a party! After each one was baptize, the drums were going, the singing was loud and the oh the dancing! It was an full out celebration. Our pastor said it perfectly when he said he thinks us baptists are going to be shocked when we get to heaven and see how worship is done.

The 8 people being baptised, plus our Pastor and the Bishop walking down to the river!


The baptism PAR-TAY!






Our Pastor John! We love him! It was so amazing being on this trip with him.




The precious white girl is named Deborah and she is the daughter of one of the German missionary families that live there on the compound. It was the most precious, PRECIOUS sight seeing her running around with the Sudanese children!! Oh I could cry just thinking about it!


THEN, as if things couldn't get any better/shocking, one of the ladies who was just baptized told the Bishop that she wanted to totally turn her life to Christ and in order to do that she needed to BURN all of her witch craft charms.

So, we marched back up to the church and had ourselves a witch craft burning ceremony!!! Y'all...what an awesome day. I have goosebumps all over again thinking about how incredible this day was. We saw the Lord work in mighty, MIGHTY ways!


The Bishop throwing the charms into the fire!


Hanging out with the kiddos!


It was definitely one of the best and most interesting days of my life!

Oh yea, and goat was served for lunch that day. I am not joking!