Sudan (MNN)—As a brutal civil war and extreme persecution rage on in Sudan, Christian ministries continue to see God moving in powerful ways. John, a Gospel worker focused on Sudan, notes that, instead of persecution inhibiting the message of Christ, ministries often see the two together—”We don’t find them separated in any way.”
He shares one story of an 18-year-old Sudanese woman who found Christ.
“We have translation ministries in 13 unreached people group languages, and each one is led by a graduate from our school of mission. And so one of the leaders–first believer in his tribe—his sister found his Bible and secretly began to read it and, through several months, on her own, made a decision to follow Christ.”
When the young woman’s family found out, she was beaten, locked in the house without a phone, and told if she did not recant her new faith, she would be disowned by the family and possibly killed. She managed to get out of the house and went to a church pastored by another leader from the same ministry as her brother. From there, a partner ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, was able to get her to safety.
“Our team sat down with her and said, ‘We really want you to think about this decision and the consequences, because it is life and death.’ They were very serious and wanted to make sure she knew what she was doing, and she said, ‘Now that I know God, they can take my life. I will not turn back.’”
She is currently living with female students of the ministry’s school of mission and taking Bible classes.
The ministry John serves continues to see persecution. Indigenous Gospel workers have been shot and had their small businesses destroyed—“And it just goes on after that,” he says. “But in the context of that, there are baptisms in the face of persecution, because the Spirit of God is moving.”
According to John, Muslims who are also fleeing from the war are taking note that it is often Christians who are bringing food and medical help, listening to survivors, and offering hope. In one refugee camp where a Gospel worker was previously shot, a ministry leader and Christian convert has since been elected as the community leader.
“They said, ‘We want you, because you’re fair and because, although they’re different than us, you’ve brought people who have loved us.’ So God is doing amazing things.”
Continue to pray for the safety of Gospel workers in Sudan and for the work the Holy Spirit is doing there.
Header photo by Mohamed Zekry via Pexels
