After two weeks working on the compound of a western relief organization, I came to understand that western education had been perceived as a surrogate for spiritual salvation. If we think about it, we should not be surprised when you think of how the doctrine of “health and wealth” permeate our culture, churches, and educational institutes which are held in high esteem as though they are temples. God’s people need to approach the need of humanity in a practical way. God will not allow suffering to go unnoticed and without meaning; we just need to keep first things first. It was 2011, we were under a tin roof propped up with tree branches and cleaning up after our first medical clinic which cared for hundreds. Heat radiated from the Sudanese ground like a panting dog. My brother said, “let us begin a school here and teach the children.” Having witnessed the toxicity that education brings when not coupled with knowledge of a savior, I resisted the idea. Education without the knowledge of a savior just makes clever devils.
The dry season had begun and our projects were in full swing. Soon I was to take leave for a few months to recoup and report in the United States, so I could then return. While I was gone, our evangelist, Peter, asked for me to bring English Bibles. My colleague was not discouraged and assembled a growing number of children. Upon my return, a school had already been birthed and I found myself playing catch-up to what Peter, through God’s power, had already begun. Peter confessed, ”I got the idea from the Cath-O’-licks. They get the children when they are really young, and so should we to tell them about the one high priest, Jesus." Gudele Church of Christ School has been in operation for 6 years; most of which have been years of under conflict when more than 80% of schools have closed the doors, yet, we remain operational and have grown into a school from Kindergarten to level 8 for over 900 at-risk children.
