Dave & Jess Ray's 'Music For The Radio' Campaign Sending More Than 500 Radios to Southern Sudan

Husband and Wife Duo Team-up with Aid Sudan to Reach Out to Sudan‘s Hurting People

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

HOUSTON, TX (ANS) -- A special campaign is under way to get more than 500 hand-held radios, giving access to Gospel messages as well as vital health and community information, into the hands of South Sudanese.

South Sudan earlier this month recently became an independent nation following a 20-year war with the North. During this time more than 2 million people have been killed and 4 million displaced. There is currently a humanitarian food crisis in the region.

Officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, the nation is a landlocked country in East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Juba. South Sudan is bordered by Ethiopia to the east; Kenya to the southeast; Uganda to the south; Ethiopia to the east; Kenya to the southeast; Uganda to the south; the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west; and Sudan to the north. South Sudan includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd formed by the White Nile, locally called the Bahr al Jabal.

What is now South Sudan was part of the British and Egyptian condominium of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and became part of the Republic of Sudan when independence was achieved in 1956. Following the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon developed and ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011. On July 14, 2011, South Sudan became a United Nations member state. It joined the African Union as its 54th state on July 28, 2011.
South Sudan is one of the poorest countries with possibly the worst health situation in the world.

Cover artwork for Music For The Radio

"Music For The Radio," the campaign launched by Houston-based worship leaders Dave & Jess Ray in conjunction with Aid Sudan, has raised funds for the purchase of 584 hand-held radios to date for people in South Sudan.

According to a media release, the radios will be distributed this fall, each one allowing 10-15 South Sudanese to access Gospel messages, as well as vital community and health information.

The release says that through the campaign, all proceeds from Dave & Jess Ray's Music For The Radio CD, which released May 15, have gone directly towards the purchase of the radios. Produced by Scott Williamson, Music For The Radio features six songs inspired by the Rays' trip to Sudan in 2008.

"Our hearts are deeply stirred by Dave and Jess and their love for God and the people of South Sudan," said Peter Swann, Executive Director, Aid Sudan.

"Their partnership on this project will enable us to reach masses of people with the greatest Message of all. There are overwhelming spiritual needs in South Sudan, and the people are hungry for the message of Jesus Christ," he said.

"There are also overwhelming physical needs, from water to health to education and a whole host of other community development issues. In light of this, we've found nothing to be a beacon of hope like the radio, as Bible stories and community development teaching help holistically reach and bless village after village."

"We are so grateful for the unique opportunities we've had to tell the story of the South Sudanese and invite people to be a part of impacting that nation with the Gospel," said Dave Ray. "Our continuing prayer is that God would do incredible things in South Sudan through Music For The Radio."

"Seeing the hearts of others deepened for South Sudan has been such a gift to us," said Jess Ray. "It's inspiring to see people learn about, pray for, and give to a people they've never met so that they might hear the Gospel. God is choosing to use this project not only to bring His life-changing Word to South Sudan, but to deeply change us."

Dave and Jess Ray

Based in Houston, Dave & Jess Ray lead worship at Tallowood Baptist Church, where Dave serves as Worship Associate. Dave & Jess Ray's prior recordings include 2008's self-titled debut as well as 2009's The Doorpost Songs: Next Generation.

According to their website, husband-and-wife duo Dave & Jess Ray have a new outlook on music and ministry. The beginning of their marriage was immersed in the Christian music industry in Nashville. Dave was a member and songwriter for Creative Trust artist BDA, and Jess worked tour publicity for bands such as Jars of Clay, David Crowder Band and Charlie Hall. But in 2005, God called them out of Nashville to begin leading worship together at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.

Since their move to Houston, God has been leading them to something new, and redefining success in their ministry through a series of pivotal encounters. One of those encounters took place on a trip to the remote bush of southern Sudan with a woman named Asinita.

Most of Asinita's possessions had been carried off in a tribal raid just a year prior. She still had six chickens, which represented the sum of her material wealth. As an expression of gratitude and hospitality, Asinita gave one of her chickens to the mission team to which Dave & Jess belonged. It was a beautiful gesture, but left a haunting question: "What would it cost me to give up one sixth of everything I own?"

That question became the heart of Music for the Radio, the new EP from Dave & Jess Ray. Every penny received from the sale of the EP will go to purchase hand-held radios that allow the people of southern Sudan to hear the Gospel in their own tribal languages. For Dave & Jess, music has become more than melody and lyric. It is an expression of lives that are committed to obedience and sacrifice for the sake of God's glory.

Founded in 2000, Aid Sudan is an inter-denominational, non-profit organization serving the South Sudanese through U.S. offices in Dallas and Houston. Their vision is to aid in growing strong South Sudanese communities committed to serving Jesus Christ.

Music For The Radio is available at www.daveandjessray.com  or www.musicfortheradio.org . For further information on Dave & Jess Ray, visit www.turningpointpr.com . For further information on Aid Sudan, visit www.aidsudan.org .

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** Michael Ireland is Senior Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Ne wswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior Reporter