Rebuilding South Sudan: rising from the ashes of civil war and Islamic Persecution

The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) on January 9th 2005, brought a formal end to a civil-war which had ravaged Southern Sudan for almost 23 years. These two decades of violence, suffering and destruction accounted for the lives of an estimated two million people, and resulted in the displacement of further four million from their homes. In addition to the almost total destruction of physical infrastructure, countless families were torn apart, and a society was brought to the brink of disintegration. Even as a fresh, and some say genocidal, conflict is raging in Darfur, the people of South Sudan are attempting to fashion a future for themselves and their Northern partners in government from the ashes of what was one of Africa’s most brutal and ignored conflicts. Approximately five million people have been displaced by the civil war and over two million have died. An estimated 580,000 IDP and refugees have been returning home since May 2005.This movement is a combination of: North-South returns: 58%; South-South returns: 26%; Neighboring country South returns: 16The 2005 CPA established a new Government of National Unity /Interim national Government of Southern Sudan, and called for wealth and power-sharing in addition to security arrangements between the two parties. The Constitution declares Sudan to be a “democratic, decentralized, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual State.â€�To date, other implemented provisions of the CPA include the formation of the National Assembly, appointment of Cabinet members, signing of the Southern Sudan Constitution, the appointment of state governors and adoption of state constitutions.

New commissions have also been created. Thus far, those formed include the Assessment and Evaluation Commission, National Petroleum Commission, Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission, and the North-South Border Commission. The Ceasefire Political Commission, Joint Defense Board, and Ceasefire Joint Military Committee were also established as part of the security arrangements of the CPA.

It is perhaps difficult for those of us who are blessed enough to hail from affluent, ‘developed’ countries to comprehend the scale of the reconstruction task facing the people of South Sudan. The basic services and amenities we take for granted simply do not exist. There are no health-care services to speak of, no education system, no sanitation services, and little if any experience in the mundane but vital tasks involved in running a country. The SPLM/A is attempting to build government institutions from scratch in just a few short years – a process which took the leading lights of global liberal democracy decades, if not centuries to complete. The challenge is enormous, but South Sudan, with limited assistance from the international community, is at least starting down the road to recovery. The security status in Eastern Equatorial state where Operation Nehemiah is established is stable since the signing of the CPA in 2005..

Operation Nehemiah Missions International, Inc William O. Levi CEO, Founder and President
William founded Operation Nehemiah in 1993 after receiving His B.S. in manufacturing engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is also the author of the Bible or the Axe, the book that tells a gripping story of William’s life , his eventual escape to the USA, and the persecution of the Christians in the Sudan. He has been spear heading Operation Nehemiah on a fulltime basis since 1996. His beloved wife Hannah is a fulltime homemaker and mother of 4. The Levites serve together in ministry from their home office based in Cheshire Massachusetts.

Our Vision:
Operation Nehemiah serves as a voice for theSuffering

Church and the marginalized people of the Sudan. We follow the example of Nehemiah the Re-Builder in rebuilding broken communities, families, widows, orphans and churches that have been suffering persecution. Our Mission: We are a non-profit Christian relief and development ministry serving the persecuted people of the Sudan. We accomplish our mission through creating opportunities for displaced families and pastors to return to their homeland. We provide them with hope through sharing the Gospel of Christ.

Our Value:
The compelling force driving our work is promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which brings people to repentance and eternal salvation. This serves as the criteria for the success of any of our efforts. We believe that a person’s dignity is enhanced through meaningful work, education and Christian discipleship.

Our Distinctive:
We are primarily an indigenous mission. 98% of our staff is South Sudanese Christian nationals. Our staff has a burning desire to take an active role in the rebuilding of their nation and to establish a “City on a Hill” in the New Sudan. We believe that self reliance is best promoted through partnering with indigenous leadership.

Our Focus:
Our primary focus is to prepare Beth Israel a village in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, in New Sudan for the return of people who were displaced by 23 years of the war and religious persecution in South Sudan. We are intent upon establishing a community that will provide people with the opportunity to rebuild their communities, their families, and to grow in their faith.

The Need:
Our project challenge is raise $75,000 to get the radio studio, the clinic and our mission house powered by solar power as source of electricity. These facilities are very instrumental to the community. Running them on generator will be cost prohibitive due to costly fuel consumption. Without a proper power source the station and the facilities will be unreliable. Therefore, we are opting to run the station with solar power as the main power source for the station. We have just completed the construction of a $75,000 radio tower project. This is a 300ft radio tower for broadcasting Christian Gospel messages and health information. We have completed a $25,000 Nehemiah mission house project and $25,000 Nehemiah field clinic. A $10 million medical supplies is been shipped for the clinic from Europe. The 300ft Gospel Radio Tower stands on Gordon Mountain in Nimule, Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan. The Nehemiah Trumpet Call 97.3 FM has been registered with the Government of the South Sudan and is in compliance with South Sudan communication Commission as a Christian Broadcasting station first of its kind in the post war South Sudan. The station, founded in 2003, broadcasts daily Bible teaching, community health information, and public service announcements to a listening audience of over 500,000. A solar powered broadcast studio is planned for construction adjacent to the tower that will eliminate reliance upon costly fuel for generator power to operate the station. The radio programmers share the word of God in the languages of Madi, Acholi English, Juba Arabic and Swahili and encourage the people to live wholly for God as they have return to their country. Programs include teaching on marriage and family relationships, Biblical morality, and basic health care information. Individuals and families are also invited to give their testimonies on the air and share what God is doing in their lives with the community. This is the first Christian radio station ever established in Magwi county, Eastern Equatoria, the South Sudan! 1500 donated fix tuned solar radios were distributed free to those living within a 50 mile radius to hear the word of God and health information for their families

Nehemiah Field Clinic

Through team work, prayers and with the kind and dedicated spirit of our founder William Levi, Our medical director, Robert Kirkman, international promoter and donors in USA, Nehemiah clinic was provided in place with the aim to render health service to the people of south Sudan-Magwi county and ministered to them words of God. A lot has been done to the people of Magwi County in terms of health service so far in the past few years since Nehemiah clinic came in to existence in Magwi County. Basing on the previous experiences and need to improve and uplift the health of our people, Nehemiah clinic is therefore all set to open its doors to the public and emerge as sustainable provider of comprehensive package of preventive and curative services that makes a substantial contribution to the health of Magwi population.

The Nehemiah clinic is expected to be a sole property of operation Nehemiah mission international (ONMI) as a church, running under its direct administration and it shall be a private non profitable venture serving Gods people in New Sudan. The clinic will operate as health center III as we hope to step it to health center IV (hospital) in the nearest future depending on how God blesses the project.The Nehemiah Field Clinic exists to improve the health status of returning families through providing free access to basic health care services, primary health education, clean water and nutritional support aimed at reducing mortality and morbidity. In the interest of creating a comfortable and sanitary facility, the clinic must rely upon solar power rather than unpredictable, fuel operated generators.

1. Objectives of the Nehemiah clinic· To improve the health status of the returnees and also host communities by providing basic health care services, primary health education, water and : 2. To help and improve the basic health services of the southern Sudan (Magwi county), building long term capacity through equipment of the hospital, training and support. 3. Provide Clean and Safe Water through Improved Community Participation 4. To provide general health and sanitation education parallel to the treatment of those requiring medical attention Future anticipation: The radio station will be crucial as a tool for broadcasting the Gospel, health and community related information.

The broadcast signal will be able to cover 100 miles all around with ability to reach Juba, the capital city of South Sudan with the population of 500,000 and there are 4.5 million people still living in exile, afraid to return home because they don’t have any idea what is available for them in term of basic provision such as security, water, churches, schools food, for their families. The clinic will be able to serve over 7000 people residing in Magwi County. The Mission house will be staging ground for our mission activities.

Conclusion:
One year prior to the signing of the Peace Agreement, we moved into South Sudan after 10 years serving in the refugee and IDP camps. We focused on providing hope in the Lord that the people would be able to return to their homeland to live and worship in peace. We delivered a mobile medical unit and the first Gospel Radio Station in the Sudan, built a health clinic and a mission house, planted crops, and established a church. The projects described in this proposal will enable us to take another major step in providing hope for our future. We will continue to march forward in the spirit of Isaiah 58:11-12 “…. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shall rise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shall be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.�

All contributions are tax deductible and payable to

Operation Nehemiah Missions
Po Box 2Cheshire MA01225

In His Service,
William Levi,
President

Projects to Support:

• The completion of the Nehemiah Health Center: $5,000.00
• Agricultural development budget: $50,000.00 ($10,000 needed per quarter)
• Widows of the Good News program: $1,200.00
• Furnishings for the Mission House: $3,500.00
• Renovation budget for mechanics’ garage: $ 10,000.00

Prayer points:

1. Security and continued stability for our staff and their families in Magwi County, South Sudan
2. Spiritual growth for Festo and other new believers
3. For the Pastors and Elders of the Beth Israel on The Nile
4. For our main office in Massachusetts and daily administrative challenges

Dear Friends and Co-laborers in the Great Commission,

Shalom. I pray this note finds you well and prospering in the love of our Risen Lord.

As many of you know, I was leaving for the for New Sudan on , Jan. 15th and return home to the States Jan. 31st. Praise the Lord, my trip was a successful. I want to thank God for your prayers and support.

I would like you to pray for brother Festo Kicere, 40. I called him a brother because when I was down there, on Jan 27, we showed the Jesus Movie at our Mission compound in Beth Israel ( Borongole Compound). Festo was one of the men who watched the program. At the end of the show, he gave his life to Jesus as His Lord and Savior.

I have known Festo for years. We went to the same elementary school together back in the midst seventies before the war broke out. For almost 23 years we lost contacts. The war drove the entire community into Ugandan exile. Festo’s family also escaped to Uganda where He lost his father Philip and his mother Karamela is still alive including some of his siblings living in the refugee camps. Festo made a voluntary repatriation on his own to South Sudan. But he has developed bad habits of drinkings and moving with the wrong group. I ran into Festo thrice in 2004, 2005 and 2006 in Pageri , New Sudan. He was always drunk, and always getting into trouble. In September, 2006, we launched Nehemiah Trumpet Call, a Gospel radio aimed to bring the Good News to those who have no church to attend in Pageri Payam. On my way to the USA, I encourage Festo to listen to the program and give his life to the Lord.

This time around, I only not found Festo working as one of our bricklayers, he was also involved with our mission on the ground. He wants God to help him overcome the addiction to alcoholism and depression. He just wants to find a new life in Jesus.

Pray for brother Festo to be grounded in the word of God.

Pray that we can help disciple him to mature in his new Christian growth.

Pray that his family will join him in New Sudan

Dear Friends and Co-laborers in the Great Commission,

Shalom! I pray this note finds you well and prospering in the love of our Risen Lord.

As many of you know, I am leaving for New Sudan this coming Monday, Jan. 15th. Lord willing, I will arrive on location Jan. 16th and return home to the States Jan. 31st.

The purpose of this trip is mainly to provide advanced well drilling training to our drilling team, including hands on learning as we plan to drill our first well using the drilling machine that arrived recently. I will also be participating in medical outreach, evaluation of the recent repatriation project for returning refugees, discipleship training, renovation projects, and our new repatriation program.

The security situation in the area where we will be concentrating is currently unstable. Ugandan rebel groups still hiding inside South Sudan and random thugs are creating fear once again in the region and are a constant threat to progress and development efforts taking place. The local government in our county has dispatched a platoon of (36) solders to guard the area around our compound until further notice. However, we know that our ultimate safety is found in God, and we will continue by His grace to cultivate the community He has given us.

My wife, Hannah and our three little ones will be staying home in the States while I travel. Hannah is due to deliver our fourth child in two months.

Would you please partner with me and all of Operation Nehemiah in prayer for the following needs?

• Spiritual and physical protection for our field staff and myself
• Protection over our heavy equipment and vehicles
• Successful well drilling education and practical implementation
• Good communication and understanding between staff members and local authorities
• Courage and endurance for our team
• Political and regional stability
• Strength, wisdom, and protection for Hannah and our children while I am away

- Additionally, our International Project Coordinator Robert Kirkman’s sister, Jan, my wife’s aunt is dying from cancer and is not expected to live more than a few days longer. Please pray for the mercy of God to be upon her and for salvation. The family is also in need of prayer support during this difficult and trying time.

Thank you for your love and support. May God bless and keep you with His mighty power.

Romans 11: 33-36

In Him,

William Levi, President

During the month of January, our founder - William Levi, will be traveling to Africa to oversee the progress on several operation Nehemiah projects. Please pray for his safe travels, the encouragement of those he visits, and the continued success of these projects.