Sudan Reflections: Leadership Chai

The Toposa people love their chai – a mixture of one part tea, one part milk and one part sugar – add to that up to thirty Christian Toposa  leaders, four servings of American visitors and one fantastic missionary and you have the makings of a fantastic batch of Leadership Chai. 

As the rain fell quietly all around we had the great privilege of participating in Shannon’s weekly gathering of leaders the Lord has raised up from all the surrounding villages.  They come to this safe place every Monday morning to share what the Lord has been doing in their villages and to be equipped and encouraged to keep pressing on for the sake of Christ’s glorious name.   

Under the straw roof of the open air tukel the stresses of ministry melted away as we visited, laughed, sang songs and sipped endless amounts of warm cups of tea .  Behind each weather worn face with markings from the past was a story of God’s transforming grace.  Each man a believer whom Christ  had brought to spiritual life, whom had been baptized and whom was now a leading their village to turn away from idols and witchcraft and to find life in Jesus Christ.  Each man that is except for one new face in the group.  This new visitor showed up unexpectedly saying that God had led him to walk for days from his town, which was a nine hour drive away, to learn about this Word of God he had been hearing about.  Needless to say he did not leave disappointed. 

Each leader shared personal stories of the daily blessings and struggles they faced being the lone source of light in their dark sinful villages.  Some shared of great movements of God where large crowds were turning from sin and gathering regularly to hear God’s word proclaimed on their solar powered proclaimers whiles others shared how they were losing their followers to the old ways of drunkeness and sin and how they were facing verbal abuse, isolation and even stonings for Christ. 

It was plain to see the real warmth of this chai was the love of Christ found within this special group of leaders.  Perhaps the sweetest part of this chai was the time when I asked them each to tell me who had led them to faith in Christ and one name was repeated over and over in Toposa, “Shannon…Shannon…Shannon…I heard about Jesus from the Word of God and I talk to Shannon and he led me to trust only in Jesus.”  Oh what a glorious day it will be for the Lewis’ when they stand before Christ and see the tribes of Toposa standing before Jesus and when He asks who told you about me together they will say “Shannon and Carrie Lewis” and Jesus will say “Well done my good and faithful servants.”  

This batch of Chai has been brewing for many difficult years and on this rainy Monday morning we enjoyed the fruit of the Lewis’ labors.  After several hours and cups of chai one by one the leaders meandered back to their villages with a smile on their face and a song in their heart ready to face what the Lord would set before them.  Still today I thank God for the honor of participating in just one Leadership Chai.

TG
jn