By donkey, camel or plane?

Pilot Achim Appel recently flew a group of Sudanese students from Kauda to Nimule for chaplaincy training with Far Reaching Ministries (FRM).

My flight from Kauda to Nimule took only 3 hours but it saved 13 chaplains at least a month of painful travel throughout the entire South Sudan.

FRM is working to bring the gospel to SPLA soldiers (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) by training chaplains among their own ranks. SPLA bases are wide spread throughout Southern Sudan. Physical barriers - wide rivers and huge distances - make it very difficult to connect them.

FRM provides a 12 month training course for new chaplains at their main base in Nimule. Bible teachers and pastors, mostly from the USA, travel to Nimule to provide teaching. Following completion of the course, chaplains move back to their units for ministry.

With smaller bases in Bor, Malakal, Wau, Kadugli and Kauda, FRM also provides support to the chaplains in the field. However, a chaplain might still travel several days to reach such a base.

Transport options

FRM usually provides local modes of transport like donkeys and camels. These animals serve well when reaching the soldiers in the field, but crossing the whole of South Sudan is extremely difficult. Depending on their location and the time of year, it could take more than a month to reach Nimule overland. That’s why FRM uses MAF.

Chaplaincy work
• sharing the gospel on a personal basis with soldiers
• providing discipleship to new believers
• leading Sunday services and bible studies
• providing adult literacy training
• leading devotions during the daily parade
• counseling soldiers traumatized during military action
• showing the Jesus film