The following is an excerpt from a letter sent by our own Minkota missionary, Pastor James Puotyual, as he goes to serve Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia.
On June 4, 2017, I left Minnesota to fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and from there connected with a flight that took me to Gambella, Ethiopia, near the South Sudan border. I was in Gambella for five days. After I arrived two of my uncles to arrive by bus from Gambella, Ethiopia; it was a two day journey for them to reach that destination. While in Gambella; I also met with several relatives who came together to make arrangements for the funeral of my cousin Dobiel Yual. He passed away on May 28, 2017.
It was a great joy for me that I went to a refugee camp near Gambella where several of my relatives are. I visited houses of many of families I know from the village. I ministered to the people there by sharing the love of God of Jesus Christ and conducting a Bible study. Some of the people at the refugee camp are not Christians and the texts focused on the need for the love of God. Many people there love God a lot and love to see people from America.
I would like to say “thank you” to the people for our denomination, the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) for your support and generosity. My wife Nyandit Rika and I will be moving to Gambella, Ethiopia in January of 2019 to begin a new life as missionaries there.
- Pastor James Puotyual & Nyandit Rika, NALC Global Worker
