DART Newsletter

“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, 'It is a ghost!' and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.' And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'”

Matthew 14 is familiar to many and is a powerful testimony to Jesus' authority over hunger, disease, and the weather. Recently, something fascinating struck me as I read the story again. Peter asks Jesus, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” This is a moment when Peter is obviously trying to determine if what he is seeing is actually Jesus. He is in the middle of a very dangerous situation with his life potentially on the line, and he sees Jesus walking on the water. Even after Jesus says, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid,” Peter still says, “Lord, if it is you…”

I strongly identify with Peter. When things get dicey and uncertain, sometimes I have a hard time identifying where and how God is working. We could easily criticize Peter for sinking, but he has the awareness to identify that it truly is Jesus walking on the water and has the faith to step out of the boat. He got in trouble when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves instead.

I don't know what dangers you face today, but I know that Jesus has the authority over all things. I pray with you that our eyes and our hearts will be tuned to Him, and that we will have faith to step out of the boat.

In Christ,

Dave Phillips Deputy Director, International Projects

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Gedaref, Sudan, Emergency Field Hospital

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war between two rival factions (the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces) in which more than 61,000 people have died in Khartoum State and an unknown number have died across the country. Roughly 10.9 million people are displaced and 25 million need humanitarian assistance. The nation's healthcare system is suffering from a lack of staff, funding, and medical supplies. Samaritan's Purse is sending a tier 1 Emergency Field Hospital (EFH) to Gedaref with a medical team on the DC-8 due to arrive on Dec. 12. The EFH is capable of operating 24/7, has the capacity for 24-36 inpatients, and has one focused operating room. Please keep our team's safety in your prayers and all those suffering from the ongoing conflict.

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Valencia, Spain, Flooding

On Oct. 29, Valencia and the surrounding region received 12 inches of rain in a few hours, triggering widespread flash flooding. Vehicles were swept away and homes were inundated with water, trapping entire families and killing 220 people. Samaritan's Purse responded by sending a team to work through local churches. We have supplied four congregations with generators, trash pumps, pressure washers, shovels, boots, gloves, masks, and Bibles. At five churches, we're operating a micro-grant program to help with immediate needs. Additionally, we are providing machinery to skilled tradesmen to help communities rebuild.

Please pray for the Valencia region of Spain as it continues to recover from these historic floods. Pray also for the churches that are being a lighthouse to their surrounding communities.

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Church and Community Outreach on DART

In November, we conducted our third specialty training that focused on designing community outreach programs and church coordination. Throughout 2024, we have emphasized position training, innovation, and intentionality with working in and through churches. The Community Outreach program manager will lead these efforts on future DARTs. We encourage you to listen to the On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse podcast featuring Edward Densham, director of International Projects, for more information on our work with churches in Brazil, Jamaica, and Grenada through DART in 2024.

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