What $200 more means at Torit

GO Family, Below is an e-mail from our GO Africa team outlining another opportunity the Lord has given us to help the Church become family in South Sudan…

From: Alison L. Barfoot [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2015 8:31 AM

Dear Trace,

I was just re-reading Rose’s e-mail to me about the team’s Torit visit. There was an important section that I wanted to share with you (below). Bottom line – there is a child-headed family (17 years old) that the Bishop has taken in to the church compound, and built a hut for them to live in. They are one unit, almost adjacent to the Father’s House. He is requesting that the Father’s House “adopt” them and cater for their monthly expenses. I will learn more from Rose about how he envisions these children interacting and relating to the other children (they’re all at the same church) and the moms. Personally, I think it fits with our vision and would recommend it. It does, however, mean another $200 per month in Torit upkeep expenses. But, I like how it is a very local solution (hut) and that the children are together. Please advise!

Alison
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From Rose:

Bishop’s request for the child-headed family​

The bishop is requesting for an additional upkeep of 5 children to whom he’s given a tukul (a hut at the church compound). There are 6 in total but he is currently paying school fees for the eldest girl-Night (17, in S2) who is the mother and father of her own siblings (James Okot-15, Felix Sadrack-14, Sabina-9, Sunday-7, Emma Mezak-3).

From what i gathered in the story:

Their father (a carpenter) brought them and their mother to Torit from somewhere. The mother has always been absent form home, because she is a drunkard; she would disappear from home for a month and reappear to steal something to pay for the alcohol. So it was their father who has been fending for them. 3 months ago, their father died when their mother was away. she only came drunk at the burial. She then disappeared after burial. The landlord kicked them out of their late father’s rented room since there was no one to pay for the rent anymore.
Two months ago, the bishop was told that some children were looking for him.  Only to get a request from Night (the 17years girl): “bishop, we have nowhere to go;we have been on the street for a month now since our father died and we do not know where our mother is. But please i request you to only take care of my siblings then i can survive on any means out there.”
the bishop called Rev. Kideni and his wife, and they gave a hut to these children.
the mother showed up once in two months at night and drunk and wanted to take Emma with her but the coordinator being the neighbor of these children helped Emma to stay.

Feeding them is quite difficult (for the church) and the 5 are not going to school.
So, bishop is requesting us to add the 5 on the upkeep and they will live together as a family in that hut but under the care of the church.
So, this means that there is a need for an extra $200 per month for upkeep to Torit to keep these children together and give them a hope.

It was an honor to be able to say that we’ll send the $200 extra per month, and it will be an honor every month that God allows us to send it.  Your faithful investments in the lives of children enables us to respond quickly and generously.  Since that first exchange, someone has stepped up to say they would cover $100 of the $200 each month.  Please e-mail Ryan Hudnall at [email protected] if you’d like to learn more about investing  in the lives of Night, James, Felix, Sabina, Sunday and Emma.

What a privilege to serve the King by caring for His kids with you!  Your GO bro, t