Edward Dima is the president of the Baptist Convention of South Sudan (BCoSS), and in that capacity he serves as the main contact for the work we do with S. Sudanese refugees.
I first met Edward in Kajo Keji, S. Sudan in November of 2011. I and several colleagues traveled there for the first ever large gathering of all S. Sudanese Baptist leadership. The convention itself is young, having been founded only in 2007. The terrible infrastructure of S. Sudan made it extremely hard for leaders scattered through the country to ever gather in one place. So that meeting was one of great joy and warm fellowship.
The life stories of Edward and Rose mirror that of many other Sudanese, in that they have spent large chunks of their lives as refugees. When Edward was a refugee in Uganda in the early 2000s, he attended the seminary in Jinja sponsored by Global Outreach. Others of his brothers in Christ attended the school with him. After graduating, they worked alongside Ugandan believers to do evangelism and plant churches in northern Uganda and even in the DRC. Throughout that period, a strong bond was developed between Edward and his Ugandan counterparts.
When things settled down in S. Sudan and Edward and his compatriots returned home, they went about doing the same Gospel work. Edward is of the Kuku Tribe, and during the decade they had the freedom and security to work among his people, over 100 churches were planted. Edward and others also started a Bible school in Kajo Keji, and through the years S. Sudanese of many tribes, and even believers from Dar Fur, have graduated and gone on to serve the Lord throughout S. Sudan.
Edward and Rose, like hundreds of thousands of their countrymen, had to once again flee their home in 2016, and return to Uganda as refugees. However, being on refugee status in a land not their own has not slowed them down when it comes to serving as the point persons for what the BCoSS is doing to serve the leaders and pastors of their churches.
In June of 2016, Renee and I, along with Edward and Rose, spent a week in Adjumani together. During that time we visited our Sudanese brethren in the camps. Renee and Rose spent significant time together, and out of their fellowship came a plan for how to train and minister to refugee women. The first event took place in January of this year, and, by the grace of God, was a smashing success. Renee and the American ladies who ministered alongside her were extremely impressed with Rose's leadership and teaching abilities.
What a blessing it has been to us to be in a position to partner with people of such faith, commitment, endurance and integrity as Edward and Rose. Please pray for them daily as they are carrying a load most Christians cannot imagine or relate to.
David Crane
No comments:
Post a Comment