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Sudan

Profile:

Formerly known as the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Africa’s largest country in land area (2,376 million square miles) is dominated by the Nile River and its tributaries, with mountains rising along its Red Sea coast and bordered by Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Libya, and Uganda. With a population of 41,236,378, SUDAN is slightly more than one-quarter the size of the USA. Life expectancy for men at birth is 57 and for women, 60. Major agricultural crops include cotton, peanuts, wheat, mangoes, sesame seeds and sheep. Some primary industries are oil, soap distilling, pharmaceuticals, and armaments.

Military dictatorships favoring an Islamic-oriented government have dominated politics since independence from England and Egypt in 1956. SUDAN has been embroiled in civil wars for all but 10 years of this period. Since 1983, war and famine have resulted in 2 million deaths and 4 million people being displaced. The current North-South war has pitted Arab Muslims in the northern desert against black Christians and animists in the southern wetlands. At only 39% of the total population, Muslim Arabs control the government from the capital, Khartoum.

Ethic groups consist of 52% Black, 39% Arab, 6% Beja (tribal), 2% foreigners and 1% others. By religion 70% of the population is Sunni Muslim, 25% Indigenous Beliefs, and 5% Christian. The official language of SUDAN is Arabic due to a program of ‘Arabization’, forbidding the use of all other languages including English.

Rev. Philip List, IPHC Regional Ministry Coordinator for East Africa,

reports approximately 20 churches in the southern part of SUDAN. Dedicated

workers, willing to work under extremely adverse conditions, and more funds are

needed to strongly plant the IPHC in this very large and strife -ridden country.

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SUDAN

BEJA
The BEJA are the descendants of Noah’s grandson, CUSH, son of Ham. They have occupied their current homelands for more than 4,000 years. They are mainly nomadic shepherds and their grazing range covers over 110,000 square miles in eastern SUDAN. With a population of over two million, they represent the largest non-Arabic group between the Nile River and the Red Sea. They are often referred to as the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzies’ because of their enormous crowns of knotted hair. They are an aggressive people with small strong, wiry frames, long noses, and oval faces.
The BEJA live in portable tents that are put up and dismantled by the women. The tents are rectangular in shape and are made of woven black or gray goat hair. Their daily diet consists of camel’s milk, meat and some grain. The BEJA are divided into clans named after their ancestors and the line of descent is traced through the males. Each clan has its own pastures and water sites. Clans vary in size from one to twelve families and most day by day affairs are settled by the head of the clan. The BEJA prefer cross-cousin marriage and a large bride price is always paid to the bride’s family. The goal of the young couple is to have many male children and acquire many female camels.
All of the BEJA are Muslim; however, they practice ‘folk Islam’ which brings in a rich variety of traditional superstitions into their religious beliefs. They believe a man can place a curse on another man by giving him the ‘evil eye’ and that wicked jinnis (spirits capable of taking on animal forms) can cause sickness, madness and accidents. Black magic is practiced and animal sacrifices are used in sacred pagan ceremonies.
There are no known BEJA believers. Please pray against the spirit of Islam mingled with witchcraft, that keeps the BEJA bound and far away from God.
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Please Pray: *Mature, committed and called laborers are desperately needed.
*Ministry funds for establishing the work in Sudan – Account # 03004 Sudan
*God’s continued hand of favor

Uganda

IPHC Church in Uganda

Uganda, in East Africa, is bordered by Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Tanzania. Uganda, fronting on Lake Victoria, source of the White Nile River, was called the ‘Pearl of Africa’, by Winston Churchill. With an area of approximately 85,000 square miles, it is slightly smaller than the state of Oregon. The climate is tropical and the terrain is mostly plateau. The main agricultural crops are coffee, tea, cotton and tobacco and the primary industries are sugar, tobacco, cotton textiles and cement, with the main natural resources being copper, cobalt and hydropower.

The population stands at 25 million people with a life expectancy for males of 44 years and females, 45 years. The HIV/AIDS rate is 6.10%. Ethnic groups include Baganda, Bagisu and Acholi with non-Africans being 8% of the total population. English is the official language but the Niger-Congo languages are preferred by the majority of the population. Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are the major religions at 33% each with Islam at 16% and Indigenous Beliefs at 18%.

Uganda achieved independence from the UK in 1962 but with Idi Amin’s dictatorial reign from 1971-79 the country was plunged into turmoil with more than 300,000 opponents killed. Then came the equally violent reign of Milton Obote (1980-85) with over 100,000 lives lost in genocide raids and total lost of human rights. In recent years a form of legislative government has been installed.

After short-term mission trips since 1998 by IPHC missionaries, Mike and Lori Reed, we now have 45 churches with a membership of approximately 2,000. In January, 2006, the Reeds arrived in Jinja to establish a home and continue the work of building the church in this war-torn country where the needs are great.

Unreached People Groups

GUJARATI HINDUS
Of the 5 least reached people groups in Uganda the GUJARATI, with a population of 257,000 are mainly Hindu with only .03% Christians. The Gujarati migrated from the western state of Gujarat in India and are usually from the higher, wealthier castes. In Uganda they have maintained many aspects of their own culture.
Their villages are divided into social groups of clusters and sub-clusters based on the caste system
which includes occupation, customs, manners and habits. The structure of their society incorporates the principles of ‘purity and pollution’, with the priests considered pure and the laborers polluted.
Most marriages are arranged and caste and social ranks are the most important considerations when choosing the bride. The folklore of the Gujarati Hindu reflects the mythology of the Hindu deity, Krishna, in the form of the popular folk dance known as garaba.
Since the Gujarati Hindus hope to better their positions in reincarnation, they are quick to exhibit charity, give devotion to the gods and show mercy to fellow humans and animals, especially cows which are considered sacred. Hindu shrines contain sculptured images of their gods and each day the priests wash, dress and bring food. This is not considered idolatry since the Hindus believe the gods are actually present in the images. The Gujarati show little interest in Christianity partly due to their involvement in doing good and in preparing for their reincarnated life. Prayer alone has the power to release these Gujarati Hindus from the worship of many gods.

Click on the map for information on SIERRA LEONE

Click on Picture for information on Maninka.

Rev. & Mrs. Ernest Turner

Overseas Ministry Coordinator for Africa

P O Box 36

Krugersdorp 1740

South Africa

011/2711/953-3738

Fax: 011/2711/953-1981

turnerafrica@aol.com

International Pentecostal Holiness Church

P O Box 12609

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73157

United States of America

IRIS CHAU Sui-kwan and MATTHEW WONG Yat-ming in Nairobi, Kenya. Click on pic for info.

Click on map for information on Madagascar