Sudan, Africa

Well, a new adventure for Shad will begin in a few weeks. He will be ministring with e3 Partners in sounthern Sudan. He will be talking with the Taposa people and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Below is some info on the country and the people that Shad has put together...

Kapoeta, Sudan

Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) (Arabic: السودان ‎al-Sūdān) is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest in the African continent and the Arab World, and tenth largest in the world by area. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. The country's name derives from the Arabic Bilad-al-Sudan, literally "land of the blacks." Sudan has recently emerged as the world's most unstable country according to the 2007 Failed States Index, mainly due to its military dictatorship and the ongoing war in Darfur. The country has long been plagued by civil war stemming from political and economic inequality: most people in Sudan's northern region, which includes the capital city of Khartoum, are Arab Muslims; while most southerners are non-Arab Black Africans who mainly practice traditional African religions

Toposa: is an ethnic group in Sudan. The population of this ethnicity possibly exceeds 100,000. The Toposa who are cattle keepers and armed to the teeth with old British rifles and AK’s. The Toposa are a fierce people who conduct raids on other tribe’s cattle across the border in Uganda, Kenya and even in country in Sudan. They love their cows and do not eat (Unless it dies naturally) or sell them. The Toposa diet is blood of the cow mixed with milk and a sort of kasava. Decorative markings made by knives and razors, along with the lack of clothing, save a blanket wraped around the waste, give the Toposa a very distinct look. Wealth means‚cows, and guns mean‚ power.
Important Facts About the Toposa Culture:
- The Toposa abhor the practice of circumcision and indeed despise any circumcised person.
- They also do not accept and frown upon the idea of head count of humans and animals. (so… It’s not a good idea to ask how many children they have or how many cows!)
- Also to say very much about how wonderful a person is or a child is they believe can bring bad luck.
- They Toposa adults attend meetings, gatherings and functions in which important decisions concerning the clan or whole community are made. Women and children are kept at a distance while the men discuss the people’s affairs. Tradition has it that important matters are discussed and decision made in the early hours of the morning before sun rise. Respect for elders is mandatory for the younger generations.


Spiritual beliefs of the Toposa:
As you read their beliefs it is interesting to see that they may stem from the truths of the Bible. Their morals are essentially the morals of the spirits. Shadows are spirits--their shadow is a picture of their soul. The shadows of the dead can be seen as clearly as those of the living. The Toposa God lives in the largest physical area (the upper sky). They call it the realm of God. Their God is called Nyakuj and so is the realm He lives in.

The lower level of the sky, just above the trees, is called Kidiama and is referred to as "flying area of the birds.The spirits are called Nyekwam (the same word for "wind". Nyakuj is not included with these spirits.
Nyakuj is a mystery to them. He is always up in the sky, far away. They do have a story that explains man's origin and fall. The Toposa participate in the supernatural world because it IS their world. The Toposa are separated from the upper world but the spirits are not ...they live in both worlds and are Nyakuj's messengers. Therefore, Nyakuj sends peaceful messages as will as messaged of punishment: if someone is killed by lightening (which is a spirit)it was a punishment from God). It is believed that the spirits enforce theToposa customs, thus making sure that Toposa people behave lilke Toposa people.

The spirits of the dead are called ngipara and they are usually considered separate from the othe spirits called nyekupe who are in the form of snakes. Since the spirits who live in the sky just above the earth,
some of the stones are so sacred that the people cannot go near them (stones are a part of the physical world.).Only members of a certain clan can sacrifice a bull at a certain sacred stone. This particular stone
is connected with the power of Nyakuj or the spirits to bring rain. Rain is expected soon after the death of an old man. Their ancestors are a very significant part of their lives.Trees are also part of the spirits. A bent tree is associated with malaria. I have touched on a few of the examples that were given
in this chapter to explain the importance of the physical world--there are many others.


As you can see they are a colorful and genuine people. May God be at work in the tribe of the Toposa people! Thanks for taking the time to learn about the people that we will be reaching in the name of the Lord!!! Again, PLEASE join me in this opportunity to do as we were commanded in the Great Commission.