I Peter 5:6-10 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kids of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Acts training in Tanzania (happening this week)
The ongoing war in Sudan started one year ago as of April 15th. Only by the grace of God did a CRM team of 10 people avoid being swept up in its start. In the providence of our Lord, such was not the case for the majority of Darfurian believers. However, because you have prayed and given sacrificially, our brethren caught up in the chaos and violence know they are not alone. Over the last several years, giving to CRM has increased by almost 45%. That increase, in large part, reflects your commitment to standing with “your suffering brotherhood throughout the world.”
In this newsletter, I want to share how our Lord has blessed your giving, prayers, and going. Additionally, I will share some urgent prayer requests.
However, let me mention up front that CRM currently stands in need of your gifts and prayers as much as at any other time. This is largely related to CRM’s ministry to our Sudanese brethren.
Below, I’ve outlined how we’ve utilized your generous gifts to foster Kingdom growth since the start of 2024:
- A CRM sponsored team in January ministered to the 116 children of the Oloika Children’s Home and trained 26 Kenyan Maasai pastors using the Acts Cloth.
- CRM sent $4,000 to Tanzania to enable Emanuel Lazier and other Maasai leaders to train over 40 believers in how to utilize the Acts Cloth in discipleship.
- In March, CRM sponsored a team of 10 to train 72 Darfurian believers in how to use the first Story Cloth in evangelism and discipleship.
- CRM paid $17,000 to purchase 2,000 Bibles for Darfur and has invested a further $4,100 for their transport. The transport cost includes Adam stopping off along the route so that some of the 3,176 Bibles can be distributed in refugee camps within South Sudan.
- The Voice of the Martyrs committed to sending $10K for Bibles, enabling CRM to add a further 1,176 Bibles to the 2,000 previously purchased. Their cost is $8.5 each.
- Adam was given $2,400 for his round-trip travel between Uganda and Darfur. God willing, he plans to oversee the distribution of the Bibles, train local church leaders, and carry out other strategic ministries over a three-week period.
- CRM continues to rent 5 houses in Arua, Uganda for Darfurian refugees. We also supply them between $2K and $2.5K per month to buy food, pay medical bills, and for other humanitarian needs.
- In late January, CRM sent the funds required to pay for the school fees of over 30 refugee children.
- Typically, when CRM sponsors a team to lead a training on the field, the cost is over $10K as CRM covers the cost of the airline tickets of the Cranes, and Lori Bryan. The March trip required the team to travel round trip between Entebbe and Arua via a MAF charter flight at a cost of $2,500 to CRM.
- Pastor Raj of India received $2.5K to carry out Story Cloth trainings in two different venues. Andrew Chapuma of Zambia received $2.8K to carry out a strategic evangelism event in a village in northern Zambia that has no evangelical church.
- CRM sent $1,300 to enable 13 Darfurian leaders to join a seminary in Jinja, Uganda.
- CRM invested approximately $5K in resources for Darfur. They were carried to the field by CRM’s teams in January and March.
Brethren, we can rejoice and give God praise for such accomplishments within just the first three months of this new year! And what I listed above does not tell the full story. However, they say enough to clarify why I have said we request you ask the Lord of the Harvest what amount He would have you give at this time.
Praise Reports
- Our Darfurian partners report that 54 Sudanese people have received Jesus through the witness of those trained in March.
- Zainab, the wife of Alamadin, delivered a healthy 15 KG boy.
- Adam has packed up the Bibles for delivery to Darfur. We praise God for healing his wife, Kusar, who fell ill on the threshold of his departure. The plans of the devil were thwarted by Jehovah Rophe “the God who heals.”
- The seminary in Jinja allowed the Sudanese brothers whose school records were lost in Darfur to join their school while they pursue Uganda’s version of a GED.
- Church leaders representing 18 villages within Jebel Marra gathered last weekend to meet with SLA leaders. The latter have agreed to make sure that Christianity will be guaranteed full freedom for all activities.
- One leader based in Jebel Marra reported visiting 14 villages during Ramadan. His goal was to encourage believers because he knew persecution would be higher given that they would not be fasting. He was delighted to find believers in every village listening to a Messenger, or reading a Bible, all supplied by CRM. In one village, a believing couple reported leading 41 people to Christ during Ramadan.
Prayer Requests
- This week, please place at the top of your prayer list the need for the safe arrival of Adam, the Bibles, and other supplies to Darfur. Pray for his wife and 6 children.
- Pray that the South African Bible printer would totally heal up and get permission from the Int’l Bible Society to print NTs in the Sharif Arabic Version.
- Pray that CRM will receive sufficient donations to continue supporting the refugees in Uganda by paying for rent, school fees, and their ongoing humanitarian needs.
- Pray that those on the ground in Awiel, South Sudan will gather all the data required for CRM to submit a project request to Send Relief for food aid.
- Pray that the project request submitted to the Shai Fund will be matched to willing donors. This would help purchase more Bibles and with humanitarian needs.
We are one year out from the start of this awful war. How heartbreaking its consequences have been. And the end is not in sight! However, we can still rejoice and give glory to God for enabling you, His people, to respond in such a wonderful manner. May He enable us to keep our hand to the plow.
David Crane,
President, Calvary Road Ministries
