Praying for South Sudan - A Nation in Crisis

Praying for South Sudan.

South Sudan is desperate for peace. Despite international calls for reconciliation and the recent arms embargo, this week's peace talks in Addis, Ethiopia, were boycotted by the South Sudanese government. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. 

According to the head of the UN refugee agency, the cost of the South Sudanese conflict has reached "epic proportions" with the number of refugees to surpass three million by the end of this year. Currently, two and a half million people have fled the country and seven million are in need humanitarian assistance.

We sat down earlier today with Rev. Saphano Riak Chol, the general secretary of our local partner the Faith Evangelical Baptist Churches (FEBAC) to hear his perspective on the crisis and the response from within his churches.

There is a lot to thank God for as Saphano is seeing young leaders emerging and taking responsibility for the ministries of the church.  The churches are growing as they reach out to their neighbours. But there remains much to pray for.

"Let me begin by thanking the Canadian Baptists for your partnership and support. As a Church, we are receiving persistent requests to respond to the humanitarian crisis that is affecting our entire country.  

People are pleading for help. We know that one day these wars will end. The ones behind it all will not live forever. Our prayer is that peace will come quickly and that those who wait will be able to survive.  

Every day new people are coming to the camps. My wife is there now, she has left Nairobi and is receiving new arrivals and providing counselling and care for them. Please do not forget to pray for our churches and the ministries in the camps.  

Those who travel with me into South Sudan need your prayers as well. When we go we do not know if we will return, we have to be ready to die. Every time I leave, I tell my wife, 'If I do not come back, we accept it as God's will.' Our ministers must be able to endure hardships. We must continue to speak for peace. We must reason with those who only want more bloodshed. 

The relief assistance that we are bringing is very important, but with this food we bring a Gospel of hope and reconciliation. Only by God's spirit will South Sudan be saved."

Please join us in praying and supporting this ministry.

You can learn more about the relief efforts of Canadian Baptist Ministries and the Faith Evangelical Baptist Churches by visiting our website at www.cbmin.org