Friday 9 February 2018

Dear BGC Prayer Partners,
Here is our principal’s update. It is, as the first sentence incates, a testimoy of living by faith.
There is much in this report to give thanks for.
We pray for the students making their way back to the college for the new semester and Samuel as he travels to the UK to begin his PhD.
Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Trevor Stubbs,
International Consultant.

Subject: Termly update for March-June 2018
Dear Canon Trevor,
It is yet another time of God at Bishop Gwynne College in an environment where only faith in Christ can push an institution in Juba to survive this economical storm. Despite the odds of our time, BGC has reached the outmost parts of the country with its graduates. In the last few years especially in their involvement in the national dioceses of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. Individuals have been aspired to pursue their theological education at BGC and it was vividly shown in our 2017/2018 intake. Over 124 aspirant students came from all over South Sudan to do written interview and 45 of them made it through.
They came with inspiring stories of hope that are now available on the college website: www.bishopgwynne.juba.anglican.org.  We host 93 students of which 9 of them are female while 84 are male students. Over the last few months, some students came up with dreams which they believed to have been birthed in their first semester at the college. They have established an agricultural demonstration programmes. These students are both ordained and lay students. As a principal, I am honoured to support their idea and give guidance in the process for that entity to gain legal status. The aim of that is to encourage idle youth to work as they their motto says, “Don’t eat if you don’t work.” They have acquired pieces land for farming demonstrations around Mangala in Jubek State, and Bor in Jonglei State.

Secondly, our new Primate has been elected in the person of Bishop Justin Badi Arama, who has been serving BGC as a chairperson for Board of Trustees. In his capacity as former Chair of the Board and in his new role as Patron, that would surely be a robust to the vision the college to move further in training young leaders to go to “Share the Love…and Preach the Word.”

Third to that, during the Principal’s Hours with students, a time we spend to share our great moments and reflect on issues we cannot handle on our own as community. One of our major struggles we have had has been the shortage of water on the campus. We no longer get water from Juba City Council. We use 4800 litres of water per a day. It was financially draining us. Each time I meet them, water concern does not get missed out from the questions hurled at me by students. My response has been, “Let us talk to Jesus! He will listen to us.” It was God-given opportunity to practice our faith to trust in Him.  Indeed, he listened to us and acted through Samaritan Purse. This happened after knocking multiple doors which has taken me 18 months to get an answer. Mark Bennett, Samaritan Purse’s Country Direction, South Sudan called me for a meeting in October 2017 and shared with me that there was money to drill a borehole for BGC. On the 15th December 2017, the fresh water that used to lodge under the soil of BGC was finally pumped to the surface. With expertise of Indian based Drilling Company span their heavy drilling machines and it was a matter of four-hour operation for BGC to own a borehole with fresh and clean water. Not only that, Samaritan Purse also installed a solar pumping system, pumping water automatically to one main collecting point to supply the rest of our premises.
It is something to thank God for!

Scholarship window
Alex Paul Frazer, and Kasmiro Ofuk John, are now happily together with Elias Bonga John, and John Jal Deng, at George Whitefield College in Cape Town, South Africa. We have four determined men who are hopeful to serve the Lord after their training to join us in teaching ministry. It was quite a disappointment for Joy Keji Bashir, and Samuel Makuac Mayom to miss going with Alex and Kasmiro, this year but we trust God for more blessings next year. In addition, the good Lord has also opened a study window for Principal Rev. Samuel Galuak Marial, to start a PhD programme at Oxford Centre for Religious and Public Life (OCRPL) in the UK in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa. He is due to start with his PhD seminars in Oxford from 5th February 2018.

Prayer items
  1. Pray for our students in South Africa for good health and God’s wisdom to successfully finish their studies.
  2. Pray for Samuel Makuac Mayom, and Joy Keji Bashir, to get scholarships.
  3. Pray for Principal Rev. Samuel Galuak Marial, as he attends his PhD seminar in the UK.
  4. Pray for safe return of BGC students from their respective dioceses, displace, and refugee camps.
  5. Pray for more finances to sustain the BGC
  6. Pray for general health of BGC community.

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