Mountain Corps

Nuba Mountains

This is the report we received from the Mountain Corps. Every year FRM journeys to the Nuba Mountains with a select group of pastors to encourage the men and refresh them with fellowship and in God’s Word. These chaplains have lived through the worst of the war and some of the most difficult conditions in Africa. Yet, it is evident they have allowed hardship to strengthen them rather than break them. Because we can only come once every 12 to 18 months, we find them with their boots worn out, uniforms faded, and t-shirts torn. Worst of all, their bodies bear the marks of hardship, lack of food, and dehydration. The region lacks clean water to drink. During the dry season bathing and washing is out of the question. Yet, the chaplains thrive on trusting God to sustain them in hot arid temperatures.

There is no room for complaining or feeling sorry for yourself in the Nuba Mountains. You will not survive. For the men, the refresher course is the one time of the year that they are ministered to. It is a rare opportunity to invest in their lives. During the breaks we are inspired as we listen to how God has used them and protected them. God has delivered many of them from the mouths of lions and they firmly believe it was only so that they may server Him another year.

When I was with the men last year, I shared that one day this will all be over; but that time is not now. War will come again and this is their time of R&R. For the mountain corps chaplains R&R does not mean Rest & Relaxation, but rather re-arm and re-equip. As soldiers of Jesus Christ, we do this by studying God’s Word and corporate prayer. We discussed that this was their time to live for Christ. After the persecution and the brutal torture and killing at the hands of the Islamic government, this war will end. Then will come the marriage supper of the Lamb! I told the men it is my hope we will all sit at the same table. Our fellowship then will be filled with praises as we look back at all the battles He fought for and with us.

I told them to use the time we have wisely. The Word tells us that life is a vapor. We are here but for a moment; yet, what we do here shapes our eternity. This is the time that God has given us to store treasure in heaven. God forbid any of us would squander that gift and miss out on all that God wanted to do through us in this life.

Sometimes when I share with the men I can see a glimmer in their eyes. I can discern they are being moved by the Holy Spirit. God is touching their heart and training the mind for a higher purpose; this was one of those times. The Word tells us to throw off everything that so easily entangles us, to run our race with endurance, and to be devoted to winning the prize. So often people miss the opportunity to glorify God. They allow hardship or suffering to break them rather than embracing the opportunity to be used of God.

I was sharpened in my faith recently by the example of the Chapman family who lost their five-year-old daughter in a terrible accident. As a family, they chose to live Christ before the world rather than let this tragic loss embitter them. Having traveled with Steven and his family to visit the night commuter children in Northern Uganda; I witnessed the love they have for each child and know this is a great loss for them. Yet, in their suffering, they were a light to the world for anyone who had ever lost someone dear to them.

I had hoped that I would have one more year of peace-time with the men; but it was not to be. The Islamic government of Sudan wants war but does not want to be seen as the aggressor. They hire local militia forces called the Janjaweed to fight their battles for them. The Janjaweed are terrorists funded and trained by the Government of Sudan that provides them plausible deniability. The militia is accused of tribalism when in fact they are committed to Jihad. The same is happening in Darfur. The United Nations said that after the genocide in Rwanda (where the Hutu tribe brutally murdered the Tutsi tribe) that they would never let this happen again; yet, it has been going on for years in Sudan.

A part of being able to fight a physical war effectively is to know where the battle lines are and to get trained men into a position as quickly as possible. I believe that is a model of spiritual battle also. FRM is looking for men from Darfur to train in this class of chaplains. We want to equip them with the sword of the spirit, and send them back to their people. These men will start training in June, and Lord willing will graduate in May 2009. I know that most of the men are battle weary and wounded but they are also battle hardened. Please pray for them, that God would strengthen them and give them the heart of the Lion. Just as the chaplains know that this is their time so should we recognize the times that we are living in and realize that this is the time that God has allotted us to server him knowing that He is a rewarder of those who faithfully serve.

Wes Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries

© 2009 Far Reaching Ministries