A letter from Lynn and Sharon Kandel preparing to serve in South Sudan
July 2014 - Returning to Africa!
Hello Family and Friends,
Well! There are some big changes coming in our lives! We are returning to Africa—more specifically, Juba, South Sudan, where we met 34 years ago! Can you tell we are excited? J We have accepted positions as mission co-workers with Presbyterian World Mission, PC(USA).
Lynn’s call to mission began about 36 years ago when he felt that he needed to “do” or “be” more as a Christian than what he was doing. After much prayer, this young man who grew up in an Amish community where not many people went into mission decided to follow God’s call. He went to Suriname and then to Juba, Sudan, where he met a missionary kid named Sharon who was visiting her parents—and the rest, as they say, is history.
Sharon grew up in Ethiopia, the child of PC(USA) missionaries, and always knew she wanted to do the same thing as her parents. The call became reality when they went to Tanzania for six years with Eastern Mennonite Missions. For Sharon there was always a sense of call, a desire to reach out, to be helping or living simply alongside others doing what she could to show God’s love.
God’s call became a call to return to Africa about a year ago when a friend mentioned that South Sudan had an opening that seemed just right for us. We had been wanting to return to Africa for many years but God wanted and needed us in the States, and so we had given up on our dream of Africa and were praying about what to do here in the States. We followed up on our friend’s suggestion and put the whole thing in God’s hands. Actually, what we said was, “If God wants us to go to South Sudan he has to make it happen and has to get our application to the right desk and has to nudge the right people.” Even when we were giving up hope of ever hearing anything or the situation in South Sudan calming down we were still praying for God’s leading in our lives. Through all this we were reminded once again of how important it is to rely on God’s strength and not our own. While in South Sudan we will both be doing logistics work, Lynn with rebuilding school buildings and Sharon with missionaries and visitors. We will both be administering funds for projects in South Sudan. Most important, we will be showing and sharing God’s love. You can watch a short video of us sharing our call to God’s mission in South Sudan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8hWAospJW8
As we begin our new adventure we would love to have you join us in any way that you can—through prayer, giving of your time, hospitality, and financial contributions to PC(USA). We would be delighted to come and share with you our story of how God can use us and you to help address issues of reconciliation in areas of unrest, education for children and continuing education for teachers, and sharing the powerful saving love of God. We will be available to schedule visits with you through September. You can contact us at sharon.kandel@yahoo.com. Please send us your mailing address and also your email address.
Just a note about our time of itineration... We will be on salary during that time, so while an honorarium is not necessary, the travel expenses, lodging (which can be in homes) and meals are covered by the hosting congregations.
Thank you for the prayers that have been lifted on our behalf and the continued prayers for us. We want you to know that we are praying for all of you as well.
God’s Peace,
Lynn and Sharon Kandel
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms 1 Peter 4:10.
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, South Sudan, p. 129
Read more about Lynn and Sharon Kandel’s ministry
Write to Lynn Kandel
Write to Sharon Kandel
Individuals: Give to E200524 for Lynn and Sharon Kandel’s sending and support
Congregations: Give to D507585 for Lynn and Sharon Kandel’s sending and support
