Bishop Joseph Aba

The Diocese of Liwolo is headed by the Rt Rev Joseph Aba who is the Diocesan Bishop.

Bishop Joseph’s Trip to Liwolo to assess the Land

Bishop and Team Working on the local bridge in order to cross with ease

Introduction

It is now five years since exile due to war between the government and those in army opposition. The largest part of Kajo- keji county has experienced peace as a result of the Revitalised agreement(R-ARCSS) and thereafter the formation of the government of national unity. Liwolo continued to experience war and some of the bomas cannot be accessed. The Diocesan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Liwolo, Rt Rev Joseph Aba Nicanor Duduka with a team of five senior clergies who are prayer warriors and intercessors made this significant and historical visit to the land with a purpose to restore hope, peace, and healing.

Aims and Objectives

Aim/Purpose

Restoration, healing, reconciliation, peace, and revival in the land of Liwolo (Ezek 36;11,2Chor7:14, Ezra 9:9b, Psalms 85;6)

Specific objectives

  • To meet the stakeholders, learn, and pray with them. (Payam director, Head chief, Army commander(soldiers), Executive chiefs, Headmen, clergy. Women leaders, youths, and other opinion leaders)
  • To Visit at least all the 6 bomas of Liwolo Payam, study the word of God together and learn from them and pray with each community according to their specific unique needs.
  • To Pray in the land for God’s will to guide us as His church on what to do next.
  • To Learn and do spiritual mapping on the land against the strongholds of the enemy, the devil.
  • To learn from the community what their needs and priorities are.

Appreciation

There are very many people that I would love to thank for their prayers, encouragement, and their moral support and these include, Caroline Lamb, the prayer movement, bishops in the bishop’s conversion group and ministry in a conflicted world, pastor Uche for being led by God and gave $200 and my team and women who supported us.

Above all, I want to thank God for the relative peace in the land and for stirring our hearts for this mission to offer sacrifices of prayers, fasting, worship, and healing of the land and for generously providing for this mission.

Achievements on the mission

The Arrival of the team

The team was led by Rt Rev Joseph Aba Nicanor Duduka, the diocesan Bishop of Liwolo, Canon Kenyi Charles Logo, the provost of St Paul Cathedral, Rev Alex Kenyi Paul, the diocesan secretary of the diocese of Liwolo, Rev Joel Abate David, Bishop’s Chaplain, and Discipleship coordinator, Venerable Simaya Anda Timon, the Mission and Outreach Coordinator, Venerable Scopas Gale Matatia, the Archdeacon of Mangalotore Archdeaconry, our lovely driver Eric Nelson, and 4 women; who not only provided us with welfare but also interceded for us. We arrived on the land of Liwolo on the evening of Monday 7th March 2022.

Accommodations.

Glory be to God! we went with 4 tents 6 mattresses and 3 mats and We sought shelter from the former deputy governor, Dr. Manase Lomole Waya’s compound as all our church buildings were destroyed.

We got one room among those houses that were still good and that was the meeting hall. All of us including our Bishop Rt Rev Joseph Aba Nicanor Duduka slept in one room. The tents have helped us so much in this mission though not enough for us all.

Devotion from Acts chapters 11-14.

We devoted ourselves to the word of God, fasting and praying.

Each day was gladly welcomed with prayers, praises, thanksgiving, and petitions. We studied a portion of scriptures from the book of Acts, our book of the year.

God was speaking to us as a father speaking to his child. The study was followed by intercessory prayers, confessions of our own sins, of our people, our Ancestors, armies, politicians, and business people, among others.

We thanked God for his goodness and faithfulness, and declared the blessings of God on the land and all people who live and will live in the land for God to prosper them. We invited God to return to the land and for His kingdom to be established in the land forever.

We have honestly experienced God’s presence and power. It was raining all the days we were in the land and particularly where we camped.

Archdeaconries / Bomas

We targeted to visit all the six Bomas that made Liwolo but in the wisdom of the Commissioner of Kajo- keji county, He advised us to only visit and be in 3 bomas of Sokare, Kendiri, and Mangalotore. With the help of the local security, we were able to visit Sokare, Kendiri, Mangalotore, and Keriwa, and pastors of Ajio and, Kala were able to join us in Keriwa and we knew what exactly was happening in those respected bomas and prayed accordingly.

Meeting chiefs and other stakeholders

On 8th March, after our devotion, we proceeded to meet chiefs and other stakeholders, who were having a peace conference in Logo internally displaced camp, to brief them of the purpose of the visit and we adjusted our programs to suit their activities as well.

Mangalotore Archdeaconry/Boma

On Wednesday 9th March 2022, Mangalotore parish was for the very first time after 5 dark years opened for prayers. The vicar, Rev Cecilia Kiden, lay readers, and other church workers, were there early in the morning cleaning tears of Joy to come back to this holy place of worship. We studied the word from Acts 12, and the word of God draw us to our knees, repentance, and worship and we pleaded for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and for God to heal the land. We prayed for the blessings of God on the land and the people in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. During our prayer, we received cool wind blowing from north to south of the land, the signs of God’s presence in our midst and in the land of Liwolo(1Kings19:12b). We glorify God!!!

Keriwa archdeaconry/Boma

Keriwa was a unique place. On 14th March 2022, we were warmly welcomed by the Archdeacon, Venerable Moses Dima, the Archdeacon of Kala Archdeaconry, venerable Timothy Modi, and the Executive chief of the Boma besides the pastors, mother’s union, and Youths.

we studied the word of God as well from Acts 12:20-24, the executive chief confessed all evils done in Keriwa Boma before God, the Archdeacon, venerable Moses Dima did the same and our hearts were broken and we began to repent by pouring our hearts to God in prayer. In the midst of our prayers, we heard a strong wind as if the roof of the church is going to be removed.  We were not moved in our prayers and we continued and declared the blessings of God on the land as well.

Pure, Mangaloti parish

This is a very strategic place. It’s close to the border of Uganda and many people turned up for the meeting on Friday 11th, the head chief of Liwolo Payam, the Executive chief and his vice of Mangalotore Boma, Clergies, Headmen, teachers and other professors, women, youths. You could tell people were hungry for peace and love of their place.  As usual, we began with prayers and study of the word of God from Acts 13:1-12.

We were deeply challenged by the word of God and the head chief of Liwolo Payam being moved by the spirit of God confessed everything before God and asked for forgiveness on behalf of the chiefs and executive chief and Archdeacons of Mangalotore also did the same and all of us wept before God for mercy, forgiveness, and healing.   We forgave those who have committed all these atrocities to us and to our people and we prayed for blessings on the land. Rain poured as well.

Logo Internal displaced person/Kendiri Boma

On Saturday, 12th, we fellowshipped with the internally displaced camp and it was emotional as well as we listened to the stories of women who were victims of the war. We wept with them and we turned our cry, grieve, and anger to God in prayer and found consolation from the word of God as we studied and listened to each other as the Holy Spirit led. The joy of the Lord returned into our hearts and we passionately prayed and blessed our community and nation.

Sunday 13th service in ST Paul cathedral

On this special Sunday, we had to pray in two churches; St Paul Cathedral from 8 am to 9:30 am which attracted Liwolo health care center workers, Payam officials, and a few local people.

Monday 14th March 2022

We met the army commander in Sokare and His soldiers, and prayed for them. He assured us that they will soon vacate civilian places such as Sokare, Keriwa and move beyond Ajio and to Keju in kala. We visited Liwolo primary school with them and we had the briefing with Liwolo Payam leadership.

Our observation 

There are two observations that we would like to highlight in this report and this is fundamentally very important for your prayers and actions as well.

Security and safety in Liwolo

Our eight days in Liwolo have raised hopes of the war survivors and those that returned voluntarily from refugee camps in Uganda. The security has greatly improved and people can move freely. However, there are cattle herder’s camps in Boroboro, Kendiri mountains, Lora, kala, and SPLA/M in opposition forces in Ajio Boma, which are the scariest insecurity time bomb if not swiftly paid attention to by the Kajo- keji county government and that of central Equatoria state government.

The grave destruction of infrastructures at the Diocesan Headquarter

To recover from the impact of this war will take years. We will highlight a few of them in this report.

  • The Water system in Sokare

The water system that provides water to all the institutions; Kajo- keji teachers college (KTC), Vocational skill training, Liwolo primary health care Center, Liwolo primary school, Liwolo trading center, Manase Lomole’s compound, Diocesan headquarters, and the community living around was utterly vandalized. See attached report of Alight (ARC) that I immediately contacted to do an assessment.

  • Church buildings

The church site was one of the most glorious and beautiful places. Bishop and the team were moving around the residence house of the bishop. The place was the center of the war and have exchanged hands, between withseveral groups.

  • Manase Lomole guest house

This was the glorious place and pride of the community. The development of the Liwolo community starts here.  The glory has gone.

  • Kajo- keji teachers’ college

The first-ever primary teachers’ college opened during SPLM/A struggles for independence that has produced good professional teachers for the country

  • Vocational skills training college

This vocational skill training had transformed hundreds of youths that attracted youths from Lainya, Morobo, and Kajo- keji counties. This vocational skills training college offers Mechanics, carpentry, Joinery, tailoring, building and concrete, computer training, and electrical and solar installation among others. This is the college we hope to revive as soon as God provides funding and other resources. This is to ensure that the youths are equipped with modern vocational and life skills training in order to transform all these youths who have lost the opportunity to advance their education and to acquire vocational skills for holistic and socioeconomic flourishing.

  • Jehovah Rapha Clinic

Jehovah Rapha Clinic was moved to Uganda due to insurgency and is saving the lives of thousands of South Sudanese in refugee and self-independent South Sudanese around the border and Ugandans. However, beds and furniture for pediatric, maternity, female, and men’s wardrobes have been taken away, windows and doors removed both in the building and toilet.

  • Other institutions around the mission diocesan headquarter

Other institutions include; Liwolo primary healthcare, Liwolo secondary school, bright star academy, and Liwolo trading center or town their pictures are not reflected here. All of them all for a serious renovation.

Recommendations

It is not only of great importance but is timely for the Episcopal Diocese of Liwolo (EDOL) to move part of the office home. This will give a lot of encouragement to those who are already home and gives confidence to others as well to return to rebuild their lives. However, there are two or three critical challenges we need to pray for and unite our hands to address;

  • Accommodation

Pray for the dare need for funds worth $35,000 to rebuild the bishop’s residential house to be a guest house as well, plus outside toilets, and solar power. This is the top priority and significant not only for the bishop and diocesan staff to have a presence in Liwolo but as a symbol of hope for the people and to provide accommodation for guests. see attached below, the first pictorial plan of the Bishop’s Residential/Guest House if it is renovated and rebuilt.

  • Rehabilitation of water system

The urgency to restore water that feeds all the institutions and communities around is paramount. At the moment patients that come to Liwolo primary healthcare center had to go to the streams to get water.

  • Community peace recovery and reconciliation. The community demanded the church to immediately lead peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation to heal the wounds of the war.
  • Agriculture, the war survivors, and returnees demanded agriculture inputs, training, and empowerment for them to rebuild their lives.
  • Relocation of the army garrison in Sokare to a suitable location

The army garrison in Liwolo is good for security purposes but its current place is in civilian places and in between institutions; Liwolo primary Healthcare center, Liwolo primary school, Liwolo trading center, the church, and other institutions such as Kajo- keji teacher’s college, and vocational training institute, Liwolo secondary school, and Bright Star academy. Not suitable at all and it must be relocated with urgency to encourage the return of the people.

ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR DIOCESE OF LIWOLO WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM.

BOREHOLE SOURCE:

  • The borehole is opened, only recently closed with block bricks.
  • The entire pipes were removed outside and burnt.
  • No submersible pump on the ground.
  • The static water level is 8.2 meters and the well’s depth is 48.6 meters.
  • Head assembly lying outside near the borehole.
  • Solar panel and solar structure not available.
  • No generator found
  • Fence destroyed.

RESERVOIR AND TOWER:

  • Tank stand cut down with welding rod and carried away together with steel tank reservoir.
  • The main distribution water meter was destroyed in the chamber.
  • The underground transmission and distribution pipeline is ok.
  • Fence destroyed

DRAW OFF POINT:

  • There are about seven (7) stand posts with four (4) taps each which initially supply the primary school, market, Hospital, the community around, and the diocese itself but the post is seriously been destroyed including the roofing of the stand post.
  • There is a subsidiary reservoir of 5000 liters capacity in one of the quarters of which its plumbing and toilet systems it serves were destroyed.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • There is a need for pump testing to understand the behavior and quantity of the aquifer (well).
  • There is a need to procure solar panels and solar structures.
  • The is a need to procure water meters.
  • There is a need to procure a submersible pump, PPR pipe, and head assembly.
  • There is a need to procure plumbing materials for stand posts.
  • There is a need to procure a Stand tower and reservoir of about 10,000 liters.
  • There is a need for the renovation of the stand post and re-plumbing.