In 2011, after over two decades of civil war, the new African nation of South Sudan divided from Sudan.
All hoped for development and deliverance from extreme poverty through oil revenues. Since December 2013, hopes have been repeatedly dashed by brutal military clashes and reprisals destroying homes, crops, oil installations, and the few existing services. Thousands have been killed. Around two million fled for their lives internally to safe areas or to camps in neighbouring Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
Despite such turmoil and suffering, a vibrant ministry to South Sudanese and other East Africans has continued from the MERF (Middle East Reformed Fellowship) Centre just south of the border in Lokichoggio, Kenya. The ‘Loki’ Centre is base for gospel radio broadcasts, intensive Bible training courses, church planting among the largely unreached Kenyan Turkana tribe, and diaconal aid to the needy.
Converts need teaching
South Sudanese Christians mainly live in huts of mud and straw with few or no amenities. Most are first or second generation converts from pagan cattle herding superstitions. The Nuer Bible was only published a few years ago. However, most South Sudanese are illiterate. Despite this, many thousands came to faith in Christ during civil war sufferings. Today the majority of Nuer people have made a Christian profession of faith, mostly Presbyterian, but still know very little of the Bible. Other South Sudanese tribes have also newly confessed Christ, so Bible teachers and preachers are desperately needed.
For this reason the MERF Loki Centre was established in 2003. The Lord has blessed the daily tribal language gospel radio messages blanketing South Sudan and the intensive three-month Bible courses, gradually raising up qualified spiritual leaders.
Nuer gospel broadcasts
Every day the good news that Christ saves hopeless sinners is proclaimed over shortwave radio to South Sudanese people in the widely spoken Nuer tribal language. Each half-hour programme follows a different series, including Old and New Testament stories and teaching from the Epistles.
It is a spiritual lifeline to many who are struggling to provide for their families amid the anguish and uncertainty of a tribal nation in deep conflict. Often several families gather around a radio to listen.
Biblical training milestone
For over ten years, hundreds of South Sudanese and other East African pastors, elders, teachers, and other church leaders have received faithful instruction at the Loki Centre from guest pastors flown in from other nations for two to six weeks of volunteer service. This year, in answer to prayer, a milestone was reached. Qualified South Sudanese pastors have begun to share responsibility for teaching their own people at Lokichoggio.
Pastor Ding Gatluak Lual, Pastor Peter Reat and Pastor Tut Mai joined guest short-term volunteer Bible teachers to prepare students to minister God’s Word. Due to the difficulty in gathering students from across warring tribal zones of South Sudan, classes were smaller this year. Nevertheless, 17 students graduated in April from the first three-month course and 17 from the second in July. Most were from the South Sudanese Nuer and Anuak tribes; other tribes included Turkana, Nuba, and Kisii.
From warring to worshipping
An unanticipated bonus to the Loki Centre ministry for South Sudanese has been the establishment of a church and multiple evangelistic outreaches among their traditional rivals for pasture – the northern Kenyan Turkana tribe.
The Turkana eke out a living in small huts, cooking outside over wood fires and herding goats and cattle around Lokichoggio and beyond. Cattle raids and violent conflicts often occur between South Sudanese and Kenyan Turkana tribesmen. Yet, on Sunday mornings, the redeemed from these tribes sit down in peace together at the MERF compound to worship and praise. Through faith in Christ they have become one family, the children of Abraham. What was first a raggedy bunch of boisterous Turkana children has gradually become an organised Sunday school. Recently they formed a children’s choir, singing in worship in their new uniforms.
Fishing aid
Over the past year and a half, repeated efforts to reconcile the violent South Sudanese internal conflict between the Dinka president’s factions versus those of the Nuer vice-president have faltered and failed. Military clashes and reprisals continue to bring death and destruction. Month by month, thousands of families are uprooted and forced to flee to safer areas along the rivers feeding into the White Nile. Sleeping in the open air, exposed to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, they are also often hungry.
A year ago, at the request of South Sudanese pastors ministering to the displaced, MERF chartered a small plane to bring both fishing and mosquito nets to a remote safe area. After initial success, the project was expanded to help others, and blankets and fishing hooks were also included.
After renewed clashes this year, the project resumed to help the new refugees in other remote South Sudanese safe areas. Praise God for the opportunity to partner with South Sudanese churches in relieving the suffering in Jesus’s name.
Pray that the Lord will enable faithful Christians from different South Sudanese tribes to influence their leaders to bring an end to the miserable cycle of violence and destruction by making a lasting peace settlement.
