Please click on the thumbnails below to view larger photos. |
 |
 |
Hope For The Future arose out of the need to bring comfort and aid to the people of Southern Sudan who had been in continuous civil war for over twenty years. The same things that are now happening in the Darfur region of Sudan occurred non-stop in Southern Sudan from the early 1980's until the peace accord was signed in 2005.
The president of The African Children's Choir, asked Gary and Louise Short if they would be willing to lead a ministry effort to encourage these Sudanese community and church leaders who had suffered so much for so long. Since 1998 Hope For The Future has been bringing leadership seminars, women's seminars, children's workers training, medical and vision assistance, and school supplies. It is now our goal to train and release church planters throughout the region.
Mark Warkentin first went to Sudan in in 2002 on a short term team, the next year he left his successful construction business to minister in Southern Sudan full-time. At that time, through his leadership, we began training young leaders and planting churches. His years of ministry experience immediately began to reap fruit in Southern Sudan. As a result of Mark's dedication and hard work the ministry there has greatly advanced.
The people of Southern Sudan have suffered greatly, with 2 million deaths and 4 million people displaced from their homes-all attributable to two decades of war. Then there is the slavery, hunger, uncertainty and inability to protect and educate the children. The amount of human pain caused by Africa's longest-running war is unimaginable to most of us.
