Update From Sudan

“Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously. And plead the cause of the poor & the needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9
These are the words that resonate in my mind & my heart as I consider my journey to Southern Sudan.
Over the past 1 1/2 years, through the vision & life of my friend, a Sudanese refugee named Stephen Reech, God has allowed my eyes to be opened and my heart to be softened towards the brokenness within the land of Sudan.
Stephen’s Story
I remember the day I first heard Stephen share the story of his life and the struggles of his people. He told of a civil war that had spanned over two decades, a war fought between the Northern Islamic Sudan and rebels in the South. In the genocide, approximately 2 million people were killed and an estimated 5 million people were displaced. In 1991, in order to survive, Stephen & his wife walked for 11/2months to the border of Uganda. Along the way, their only sources of food were leaves and wild fruits. Upon reaching Uganda, they lived in a refugee camp amongst thousands of other Sudanese who had also fled Sudan to save their lives. Because of the harsh conditions of the camp, 2 of Stephen’s children grew very
sick and eventually died.
In the midst of exile, Stephen & his wife refused to give up. They prayed night & day for peace to return to their land. Despite being offered several opportunities to go & live in the U.S. & Canada, Stephen refused, saying that his dream was to one day return home to
help rebuild Sudan. In January of 2005, the peace treaty was signed declaring peace between the North & the South, and for the first time in 13 years, Stephen went home. He explained that everywhere he went, he would become so overwhelmed with emotion that he would be
unable to speak. He witnessed the continued suffering of his people. He explained that the children were naked, hungry & many were sick. As I listened to Stephen, I wondered how it was possible that I could know nothing of this war that had lasted for almost as long as I have
lived. My spirit grieved that the world stood by as a modern day holocaust took place once again. A desire grew within me to go to Sudan to assist in whatever waysGod might lead. After Stephen shared, I told him that, God willing, I would one day go to visit his homeland
and to meet his people. Last Thursday, I—along with a team of six others—landed on a dirt airstrip in the desolate village of Padak, Southern Sudan. Stephen was waiting for us
as we arrived and greeted me by saying, “Thank you, Juli. You have fulfilled your promise.”
A Time to Return, A Time to Rebuild
As I traveled along dirt paths through the desolate countryside of Sudan, I wondered what the place was like before the war. I also considered what it will be like after the masses return from their time in exile. There is a generation of children and adolescents who have lived
their entire lives as refugees. As a ministry, ELI’s vision is to empower the poor and oppressed that they may be able to know, worship, & serve God without hindrance.
As the Sudanese return to their homeland, remnants of the war remain, and the Sudanese vulnerably fight to survive: physically, emotionally, & spiritually. After much prayer and consideration, it has been more than evident to the leadership of ELI that God
is expanding the ministry and leading us to be a part of bringing His hope into the rebuilding & development of Southern Sudan.
On Sunday, our team had the privilege to attend one of the churches that Stephen had helped
start before the war. As I listened to the Sudanese sing their songs of worship, I did not hear the sounds of celebration that I am accustomed to hearing in Kenya. Although I could not understand the words they were saying, I deeply felt the cry of a people who were intensely and desperately—from the depths of their lives—calling out to God. As I was confronted with the beauty & the brokenness of this people, I was moved with compassion.
In a country where the governmental infrastructure is, at best, weak, there are many
challenges to be faced.
Within the area of health, resources are scarce and disease is rampant. There are major public health crises because of the mass number of returnees living in overpopulated camps as
they await relocation. Refugees are returning from Ethiopia, Uganda, & Kenya as well as areas of hiding throughout Southern Sudan. Cholera and yellow fever outbreaks as well as
severe malnutrition amongst children are prevalent throughout the area. I visited several cattle camps where children are raised outdoors amongst thousands of cows. The children survive only off of the milk of their cattle. The eyes & faces of the children were covered with dirt and flies. One of the major health problems throughout Southern Sudan is blindness caused by an easily preventable bacterial infection known as Trachoma.
Throughout my time in Sudan, it was clear there is an abundant need for the implementation of health programs, both preventative and curative.
In May, I am planning to return to Sudan with a team of healthcare workers from Kenya. As I have shared about the experiences I had in Sudan with my co-workers in Kenya, they have expressed the desire to go and share their knowledge and services with the people of Sudan. It is exciting to see those who have been empowered in Kenya desiring to be a part of empowering people in other parts of the world.
In order for this trip & ministry to be possible, we need to raise nearly $10,000. If God would lead you to join us financially in ministering to the sick in Sudan, please write your check to ELI & note that it is for “Health in Sudan”. In advance, I thank you for your partnership. Praying for Peace
As I have left Sudan and returned to my home in Kenya, there are many images and experiences that fill my mind. I cannot forget the 18-month-old, severelymalnourished
baby that sat naked on my lap as I visited a refugee camp. Although his life has started with
so many odds against him, he is a part of the generation that is the future of the new Sudan.
I will also remember the words of 26-year-old Abraham who found God in the midst of exile. He explained, “I had lost my family when I left Sudan, and I kept asking myself, ‘Who is my guide?’ When I was sick and did not have medicine, I asked myself, ‘Who is my
healer?’” Surely it was God.
And I still hear the fervor in the voices of the Sudanese as they chanted, “Exile is over. Exile is over. Exile is over.”
In a way that I’ve never understood to pray before, I pray that the Lord will make His face to shine upon Sudan. There is much forgiveness needed for healing to take place.
Oh, I pray for peace.