Aid Sudan Becomes Every Village

Tue, 8 May 2012 21:08:39 -0500

As you may know, huge change happened in southern Sudan this past year. The people of southern Sudan declared independence and became the country of South Sudan. This made our name inapplicable since our focus has always been on the people of southern Sudan. We are excited to announce that Aid Sudan is now Every Village.

Though our name has changed, our mission remains the same. We exist to bring glory to God through the transformation of Every Village in South Sudan by the spread of the gospel and community development.

As a valued supporter of our family in Dallas, we want to let you know how this change will affect you. As of May 4, 2012, any donations are now processed under "Every Village” and this will show up on your statements from now on. For recurring donations online, our system will automatically make the change so there is no action you need to take, as your gifts will be processed as previously designated.

If you prefer to post mail donations, make them out to - "Every Village" and note our new address:

Every Village
Attn: Nathan Bogue
2100 West Loop South, Suite 600
Houston, TX 77027

March Mission Team Touches Lives

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:45:54 -0500

The March survey team was definitely on a mission, covering four villages in just six days. Visiting areas of current and potential work, the team flew and rode across South Sudan to spend time in Tonj, Aweil, Nasir and Akot. While most mission teams focus on one area, the purpose of this trip was to evaluate the ministry of Aid Sudan’s work as a whole. As the nature and goals of this team were different from other trips, the team was comprised of business professionals that provided third-party counsel to Aid Sudan leadership regarding current and future projects. In each location, they checked up on past community development projects, surveyed sights for future water wells and dialogued with local church leaders about the impact of the radio station broadcasts.

In order to document all of the findings and conversations, a professional videographer was on board to capture key moments in every village. However, no matter the goals or intent of a trip, team members cannot escape moments with the people that truly touch and change their heart. This trip was no different.

On Sunday, they headed to the nearby village of Guaria to see a new water well drilled by Aid Sudan and visit a new church plant of one of In Deed and Truth's Bible students. At the church, the team was able to share eight chronological Bible stories and pray for several church members. After church and lunch, they drove out to three more villages to see the new water wells recently drilled in each area, praying over the wells and rejoicing with the local communities for the clean water flowing abundantly and bringing life to the people.

One of these moments happened when the team visited with a colony of lepers, witnessing the manifestation of joy in the midst of great hardship and experiencing an array of emotions with the people. Together, the team from America and their new friends from South Sudan, worshipped and prayed to the same God. A detailed trip report, along with video and photos will be posted shortly. For now, visit the Aid Sudan blog for a recap of team’s time in each village.

Andrew Cannon Bogue is Born

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:46:41 -0500

It has been a busy couple months as Andrew is just over a month old and our lives have entered a whole new season. People share about the reality of having two kids in the home and now we can testify with them! Enjoy Andrew’s pictures:

At 2:42pm on March 1st Andrew was born weighing 7lbs and 9 ounces which is just a bit lighter than Lillie’s 9lbs and 12 ounces weight! Mary Margaret and I kept talking about how little he was although he was only one inch shorter than Lillie was. Lillie loves being a big sister and helping to get stuff all the time for him whether diapers, wipes or a new outfit to change into!

Andrew has been so fun to see grow up with his eyes open wide and his little dimples showing more and more in his checks. Nathan thinks he looks like Mary Margaret’s side of the family but time will tell. We are so thankful and give praise for how Andrew has been perfectly healthy thus far. He has begun to sleep a little longer each night and that has certainly given mom a little more rest for her days taking care of two now. We cherish so many for their generosity in gifts, thoughts and prayer for this great season for our family!

Tonj Radio Tower Goes Up

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 09:47:04 -0500

Tonj is the site of Aid Sudan’s third radio tower and where Kerry Snow spent time this year. This new tower will take the population in our network coverage area from 20% to 25%, bringing our total potential impact to 2.2 million. Now, prior to this time, she had no idea about the construction of radio towers or the satellite system that facilitates radio broadcasts. Her position with Aid Sudan is Director of Health and currently, her work is to write lessons on health and hygiene that will be broadcast on the radio. She was thrilled to be on the ground when the German-owned company Diguna, based in Nairobi, sent a team of five men to the compound to erect the radio tower. This was a long awaited and much prayed over event and the process captured the attention of everyone in the area.

On the outer edge of the compound, a cement foundation or base had been built prior to the Diguna team coming, so everything was in place to begin adding sections or elements. There were 23 elements in total which came to a height of 69 meters or 226 feet. As they were lifted into place, many of them watched from the ground. You might ask, how does one “lift” these elements into place? There is a piece of equipment that I learned about called a “Hangman” and this tool makes it possible to raise the elements and place them on top of one another to construct the tower. It involves pulleys and without photos, it’s a bit hard to explain. This all sounds quite easy and straightforward but during the daylight hours, the temperature would soar into the low 100s.

Winning her respect, two dedicated men who were harnessed onto the tower handled the elements, lowering and securing them in place. While the two men, worked on the top part of the tower, the other three were busy securing the 21 guide wires of which there ended up being twenty one while local men pitched in where needed. Many gathered around the perimeter of the tower to watch the progress. Some would stay all day, and others would observe as they passed by with their herd of cattle or as they transported water from the well.

Close to the tower, there were several mud huts and the children came out to play and interact with the team as they worked. Upon completion of the tower, a big cheer went up from the crowd and then the compound staff was asked if they wanted to climb up the tower using a harness and she couldn’t resist. It was a little scary at first, but then she just got into the groove of the movements using the carabiners. Up and up she went until she made it to about 150 feet. The view was amazing and she couldn’t help but think about the thousands that will hear the Gospel message for the very first time. It seemed like she was on a staircase to heaven.

New Water Wells Bring Hope

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:56:19 -0500

It’s easy to take basic necessities for granted, especially when you never even have to think about them. In contrast, thinking about basic necessities consumes most of the day in South Sudan. Take water, for example. Water from the river spreads disease and to get clean water, many women have to walk for hours to access a well. This everyday hardship is one that Aid Sudan seeks to relieve in villages, and it’s a passion we share with many organizations in Africa. Working with partners and generous donors, we are excited to announce that there are four new wells in South Sudan.  The people in the village of Tim Thok had been drinking water from a 25-foot deep bore hole dug by hand. Because the water was dirty, many people became sick, and some even died from diarrhea. One night while Uganda staff member Bob Livingston was speaking at Crossroads Baptist Church in The Woodlands, the church decided to take action. Now, this village has a well.
 Clean water was a huge issue for the people in Tonj. As many defectors from the North settled in this area, there was a limited supply and fights often broke out as villagers struggled to get their share of water. Now, this village has a well and it is our hope that the well will not only quench thirst, but also bring peace.   The people in the village of Mapel had a hard time getting water due to the nature of the ground. It’s made of solid rock, making it very difficult to drill a water well. The first attempt to drill a well yielded a dry hole, and for the second attempt, the team chose a place closer to town. Now, this village has a well and a plentiful supply of clean water.  The village of Agur in the Luo area is very remote, and in turn, there had never been a well drilled here. Each year during the dry season, the community had to move in order to access water. Now, this village has its first well and can remain in their home area throughout the year.  Working with In Deed & Truth Ministries, the villages of Tim Thok, Tonj, Mapel and Agur were selected based on their immense need for water. Construction took place over a two-week period in November, which included moving a drilling rig into the area (not an easy task in South Sudan) and drilling 50-70 meters below the surface until water was found. During that moment in each village, the water shot up like a geyser and all the people watching cheered as if the drill had struck gold. For the South Sudanese people in these villages, clean water is not an expectation, but a gift for which they are immensely grateful.

Compass Students Jump In

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:57:05 -0500

There are many ways one can serve our God. You can pray for others. You can go on a mission trip. You can give of your financial resources. But did you know that you could also strip and install flooring? That’s just one of the ways that the student ministry from Compass Church served the Sudanese in Dallas while they spent three days learning about the need and response to missions and assisting Dallas international churches.

For ServeWeek, 125 students were divided into 10 groups. On Sunday, the group assisting Aid Sudan’s Dallas Director Nathan Bogue worshipped with the Dinka at Ascension Sudanese Church during an afternoon service and then led children’s Bible studies at All Nations Sudanese Church later that evening. Then on Monday, they arrived at the For the Nations Learning Center ready to get their hands dirty. Giving the building a much needed facelift, they re-carpeted over 1400 square feet of carpet, deep cleaned the entire building and laid down mulch to improve the outdoor landscaping.

The goal for the three days of exposure and service to missions was to develop students’ passion for the church by exposing them to global & local experiences, combined with nightly worship, teaching and training. We are so grateful to Compass Church for letting Aid Sudan be a part of this engaging encounter with the international church and for donating over $3,000 in materials for the serve project.

We love to coordinate serve opportunities for those who have a heart for the South Sudanese.