War tumbles so many Sudanese and South Sudanese around.
War tumbled Ismail. He grew up in a Muslim home. A man named Philip told him about Jesus, and Ismail believed. He said he had no idea what to do, and before Philip could disciple him, war tumbled Ismail to a refugee camp in Kenya.
But it was what happened outside of class that shaped him.
After the classes ended, two men took time on many evenings to invest in Ismail. James Lomude and Jackson Songa would sit with Ismail and answer his questions about the bible, how to follow Jesus, and what steps he needed to take next. But what he was really learning was that time in the evening – talking, learning, laughing, coaching and mentoring – was how discipleship actually takes place.
When he arrived in the camp:
- He started four churches in the refugee camp.
- He starting teaching in a co-sponsored high school serving mostly refugees.
- He trained and discipled leaders in those four churches, and installed them as pastors.
And like James and Jackson modeled for him, he made disciples.
But John kept coming. Ismail patiently kept loving him, and John surrendered to Jesus.
Today, John is at our School of Church Planting, and Ismail spends time with him some evenings.
“Really God has answered my prayer.
And the main vision for me with John is to bring the gospel to the lost and to become someone who can also disciple another person to come to Christ.”