Greetings! I pray that as you focus on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, He will bless you with the richness of His presence.

Our God is so awesome in the ways He works in and through us who were once His enemies! Praise Him for drawing us back to Himself through His incredibly good news! In Colossians 1, Paul writes “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

By God’s grace, I get to share in the proclamation of the gospel in Sudan at the end of May. I will be joining another Engineering Ministries International (eMi) team led by Henry Watts. This team will work on plans for a school and water wells in Jalle, southern Sudan, a country that recently entered a season of peace after two decades of civil war.

Most Southern Sudanese people are Christian, but they endured severe persecution and major displacement during the war. After the war, the area remains devastated, with crippled infrastructure and without education programs for children. Rebuild Sudan, the ministry we will be serving, was founded by Michael Kuany to fill the need for schools. Michael is one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”, a group of tens of thousands of boys who fled the attacks by the Arab militias in the 1980s, miraculously survived two thousand-mile journeys without food or water through the African savannah, and spent their childhoods in two refugee camps–first in Ethiopia and finally in Kenya. Rebuild Sudan has acquired approximately two acres to construct an eight classroom school to serve 400 children. More infromation on Rebuild Sudan is available at www.rebuildsudan.org.

The dates of the trip are May 21-June 3. I will assist with well, water, sanitation, and site plans, as well as get a chance to interact with eMi construction management staff in Uganda at the end of the trip. I am especially looking forward to observing construction management in action on several Ugandan projects, as I may have this role with the hospital project in Sierra Leone once funding is raised. Continue to pray for God’s provision with that project, both for finances and a missionary doctor to run the hospital.

This trip to Sudan is another opportunity for me to trust God’s provision: spiritually, physically, mentally, and financially. Please lift up the team, which I will soon meet via e-mail, and our preparation for the trip. I will post additional Sudan trip prayer requests soon.

To those of you who would like to contribute financially, I appreciate your support. The trip is estimated to cost $2400. You may give online through eMi’s website or contact me if you would like to give by check. I am thankful for your generosity to support this trip, whether you donate $50, $200, or even $500.

The website for online donations is https://emisecure.org/donate.html Please include “Project 5493 – Agee” in the Designation box.

Pray that God would continue to lead in my life as I trust Him, and pray that He would work powerfully through this trip. I am excited to see a different part of Africa and to get to observe construction in Uganda! Pray that, above all, God would be glorified and be working in the hearts of people I will encounter on this trip.

Praising God for reconciliation through Christ Jesus,
John

Sierra Leone pictures are available in my album at http://SierraLeone.JohnAgee.com.

I look forward to opportunities that I will have in upcoming weeks to share more with you individually, as well as through presentations at work and church!

May God bless you as you rest in Him!

John
Psalm 116:7

Besay (thank you)! I appreciate your prayers and support for my recent trip to Sierra Leone!

The entire eMi team of 8 returned to the U.S. early last week and most of us are back into our daily routines. Praise God for safe return travel and for His grace through our integration back into this culture!

As I have had time to reflect on this trip, the picture that comes to mind is the reflection of the moon in the Atlantic Ocean as we took an evening stroll along the beach near Freetown. God has continued to reveal a truth that He made clearer to me through this trip: Just as water and the moon reflect light from a source we cannot look directly at, so a holy God faithfully reflects the glory of His Son-shine through human lives. I praise the Lord for using me as an instrument throughout the trip, with what seemed like so little of my effort! My life has been blessed, and, more than ever, I cannot wait to get back and serve on a long-term basis in West Africa.

I departed the U.S. wondering whether my technical skills would be adequate to address engineering needs, and I return knowing God used my technical skills and worked through my weakness. Moreover, He used my surrendered life to share compassion with people in desperate need of encouragement and hope that only comes through Christ. I wish I had more time to spend with the people God placed in my path as I worked around the hospital site because I saw in them a hunger to learn, both about engineering and about living for Christ. There is significant Islamic tradition and practice within the villages surrounding the hospital, but I believe God will use the Mokanji hospital to reveal His greatness and draw more people to Himself. We heard encouraging testimony that one of the chiefs had turned to Christ after the hospital was entrusted to Global Outreach Mission! Please pray that this is only the beginning of a people-movement to Christ.

Praise God that He is “a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” He does not forsake, even when His people are disobedient and stubborn! (Nehemiah 9:17)

In closing this message, I decided to include a prayer excerpt from my journal entry last Saturday, March 7 while we were resting in Freetown. I spent most of yesterday going through journal entries and pictures from the trip, and I have attached another picture to share with you of the madame chief leading singing after our preliminary design presentation to the community. Watch for details on where to look for more trip pictures later this week.

Madame Chief leads song and dance

“About all that’s left to say is, ‘Wow’, God! I try to give, but I feel like I end up being more blessed through giving. How can I not give my entire life to You? How can I not say ‘Yes’ to Your call? How can I not serve You? Please don’t let me get caught up in life back home in the U.S. and forget about these people, God! … Please have Your way, Lord Jesus, and do a mighty work in the Mokanji area through the guys that I had the privilege of talking with and giving to while I was there. I trust You, both with that and my future involvement here–I really do not want to leave–I’m so torn right now, and West Africa, specifically this country, is heavy on my heart. Please provide direction and guidance! Thank you for being ‘God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries’ (Daniel 2:47)! Thank You for bringing me here and touching my heart!”

Reflecting God’s glory,
John

Bowa! (Greetings in Mende, the local language in the Mokanji Hills area of Sierra Leone)!

Thanks be to God for His amazing provision on this trip! I have a few minutes for a quick update from Freetown. Our team worked very well together, often late into the night preparing drawings of the existing hospital building and plans for the renovation. Upon our arrival at the hospital site, we were greeted by most of the surrounding villages with a brief meeting, song, and dance. I am amazed by the eagerness of the nationals to begin work on the hospital, as they are desperate for work and a functioning hospital. Several babies were born during our stay, but one infant died due to complications after the mother was sent to the nearest hospital in Moyamba. Please pray about how you might be involved in the continuation of this hospital restoration project in Mokanji, Sierra Leone.

I included a picture from after yesterday’s community meeting to present preliminary plans. The meeting went well, and the community remains very supportive and is eager for the project to start. Please be praying that God would raise up an experienced doctor to serve in the hospital and that donors would be generous toward the construction project. Praise God that funds for a deep, bored well have already been raised by a church in Buffalo, NY! Pray that Global Outreach Mission would have wisdom in sorting through well drilling proposals and select the best one for the community.

eMi Sierra Leone Team with kids at Mokanji Hospital

Please also lift up our team as we return to the U.S. after our time away. We each have responsibilities and obligations when we return, but pray that we would spend time in reflection, rest, and prayer before getting back to our busy lives. Pray especially that God would provide direction in my life, as I feel called to return and assist with construction management when the project gets started. I am not sure how all of the details will work out or how long I would be back here, but I praise God that He knows and He is faithful to direct my steps.

I look forward to sharing more about the trip with all of you in the coming days and weeks! Kay an Goma! (Thanks be to God!)

By God’s grace and for His glory,
John

As I read through Ezra this morning at London Heathrow Airport this morning, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness to reestablish His temple in Jerusalem through Nehemiah and many others who returned home to Israel. The builders had an amazing excitement and dedication to see the task accomplished, even though opposition hindered the progress.

During the 11 year conflict in Sierra Leone, more than 1/4 of the population were displaced, and the country plummeted to the bottom of the human development index according to a UN report. There is a great need for believers to return home and establish places to worship the Lord within Sierra Leone. Please pray that God would raise up leaders to take on this effort and to continue spreading His name and His gospel around the country. May God’s glory spread through places like the community hospital/school site that our team will be preparing plans for, as well as through rebuilt churches and homes. Pray that the gospel would break through and bring lasting change to this devastated country as they rebuild.

I would also appreciate your prayers for the spiritual opposition that I anticipate our team will experience. Pray especially that the power of Jesus would bind the power of the occult and evil influences, and that many eyes would be opened to the truth of God’s Word. May we as a team be strong representatives for God’s heart to reach the peoples of Sierra Leone. We desperately need His strength and grace!

Speaking of our team, I am eagerly awaiting meeting them here in London before we leave for Freetown. Continue to pray that we would work well together for the glory of the Lord.

Thank you again for your prayer support! It is a crucial part of this trip.

Rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord and this opportunity to serve the God of heaven and earth,
John

Praise God that we all have our passports back with visas for entry into Sierra Leone! The process went smoothly, thanks to Global Outreach Mission (GOM). You can learn more about their ministry at www.missiongo.org. Our team of 8 engineers and surveyors will be serving GOM by producing plans for the hospital/school site. Please pray that our interaction with GOM staff in Sierra Leone would encourage them to continue ministering and serving on a long-term basis.

Additional prayer requests for the next few days include the following:

• Pray that our packing & preparation would go well, not requiring excessive time so that each of us can spend some quality time with the Lord before departure.
• Ask the Lord to strengthen us and sustain us through the airports and flights. I will be flying through Chicago to London, where all 8 of us will finally meet and continue on to Freetown, Sierra Leone.
• Pray for the team as we prepare to leave our jobs after a few days this week. May this sacrifice of time off stimulate discussion with coworkers about why we are going and Who we are ultimately serving.
• Lift up the people we will encounter along the journey to our ultimate destination. Pray that God would lead us and give us boldness to speak His name and share His gospel.
• Pray that our 8 hour 4×4 drive on unpaved roads to the site/camp area will go well. Praise God that it is the dry season, or this drive would be even longer!
• Pray for the team that will be welcoming us, driving us around, and hosting us at the camp about 30 minutes from the hospital site. May God bless them for their gracious hospitality!

Thank you all for your commitment to support God’s work through me in Sierra Leone over the next two weeks! I can hardly wait to leave Denver for Freetown on Thursday morning.

Safe because of my Strong Tower,
John

Proverbs 18:10