Timeline
On-Going
Status
Currently Operating
Topics
Christian Education, Christian Leadership, Discipleship, Evangelism, Pastoral Training, Serving the Poor
Gang Members and Moms Study the Bible Together
The sports outreach to South Sudanese gang members operated by ITMI’s Lazarus Yezinai continues to yield exciting fruit. …
Reaching Gang Members with the Gospel in South Sudan
It was the morning of April 15, when residents of Khartoum, Sudan awoke to the pandemonium that would eventually kill thousands and displace over 2 million. …
Project Joseph: A Great Opportunity to Make Disciples
“This Project Joseph food distribution has given us a great opportunity to make disciples.” …
How ITMI Supporters Made a Resounding Impact in the Life of a South Sudanese Orphan
“My life is different,” she said, her dark, wide-spaced eyes reflecting her happiness, despite being an orphan in one of the worst places on earth to be orphaned. …
Dear Team: Feeling Weary? You’re Not Alone
There are some visitors that I love when they come to visit. There are others that, at face value, are not so welcome when they drop in unexpectedly. One of the not-so-welcome visitors is this expressionless, somewhat dark character called…
Saved During SALT Teaching
ITMI’s Lazarus Yezinai was invited to the remote community of Wau, South Sudan to encourage 46 pastors with Biblical training. Lazarus taught Chapter 1 from the Seven Areas of Life Training (SALT) material. …
After decades of civil war with what is now Sudan, South Sudan gained independence from the north in 2011. Shortly after gaining independence, the country erupted into political unrest along tribal lines in 2013.
This instability and the general lack of infrastructure has isolated many churches, creating the opportunity for overdependence on one person who enjoys the title of pastor or leader.
It's not uncommon for churches to exist for the benefit of one pastor, who promises his followers prosperity and good fortune that he doesn't have the authority or means to provide.
Revival and Fire Church
When Steve Evers visited South Sudan in 2009, ITMI partner, Vicky Waraka traveled with a group of other believers, including Lazarus, to Mundri, South Sudan, to meet with Steve.
Left to Right: Timothy Keller, Lazarus, Vicky, Steve Evers, Justin, Jahim Buli.
Vicky and the group she traveled with ended up stranded for the night in Mundri, where the ITMI team was teaching the Seven Areas of Life Training (SALT) material, a Biblical discipleship tool developed by Victorious Christian Living.
With nothing else to do, Vicky and her group stayed for the teaching.
When Steve returned to South Sudan in 2012, he discovered that the SALT material he'd presented two years before had taken such root that Vicky, Lazarus and two others had planted a church based on the principles!
Revival and Fire Ministry took what they'd learned from the Biblical teaching and implemented these counter-cultural principles:
Shared leadership - not one leader with a title.
No titles.
No head pastor.
Humbly responsive to the Spirit.
This model was so starkly different from the standard African church, that people were drawn to this church by droves.
They had already funded a church building, which is unheard of for such a young church in a war-torn, impoverished, African country, but quickly grew out of it in 2 months time!
Lazarus, Vicky and Steve Evers with other leaders from the Revival and Fire Ministry.(2016)
Revival and Fire church gathering on Easter Sunday in South Sudan.
Discipleship Training
Since co-teaching SALT with Steve in 2009 and helping Steve demonstrate that any one of the seminar attendees could turn around and teach someone else what they were learning, Lazarus has continued to teach the SALT material in South Sudan.
The Lord has opened up many opportunities for Lazarus to teach people with Biblical truth, including a large gang of marginalized young men from an area particularly hard-hit with tribal violence.
Lazarus co-teaches SALT with Steve in 2009.
Lazarus continues to use the SALT material as a discipleship tool wherever he is invited and has the funds to go.
Lazarus praying with an attendee after teaching a discipleship seminar.
Widows and Orphans
Lazarus ministers in his community by visiting widows and orphans, listening to them share about their struggles and praying for them.
With help from his church or ITMI donors, he is often able to provide gifts of basic necessities.
Lazarus visits an elderly widow.
Home and Family
Lazarus and his wife have opened their home and their resources to 17 relatives and people in need.
As part of Lazarus' household, they take turns leading daily devotions, and even going to neighbors' homes to teach them how to have a family devotion time!
Lazarus has had about 17 people living with him for several years now.
Lazarus and his wife, Mary.
Reach Gang Members with Good News Through Partnership with ITMI
When ITMI’s Lazarus Yezinai crossed paths with a gang that roamed the Kugi residential area in Juba, South Sudan, he learned many of their sad stories.Some had voluntarily left their parents’ home because of…
Merry Christmas from Your ITMI Partners!
We asked our partners to share some of the ways Jesus’ kingdom was advanced this year. We hope you are encouraged by their answers and the special messages they have for you!
7 Reasons ITMI Partners are Giving Thanks
When ITMI Director, Steve Evers visited Stone Hill, Dr. Kuhn expressed his desire to…
“I Never Thought I’d Own a Blanket!”
Blankets are commonplace for many of us. We have extras hiding in our closets and attics. They aren’t difficult to come by here in America. But for the impoverished in South Sudan, where inflation drives the price of this “luxury” out of reach for most of the population, a blanket is something they never imagined they could own.
How the Fleeting Has Led to Lasting Impact
When word of pandemic-related lockdowns first reached us, it seemed for a moment that many of our partners’ ministries would grind to a halt. Schools that were the main point of contact with needy families would be closed. Churches wouldn’t be able to gather. But quickly, ITMI’s role became clear: help our partners make the most of these God-orchestrated opportunities. Project Joseph was born.
