Why not?” The young Sudanese man quietly asked.
“If God can use Sudanese people who have been persecuted for a long time, why not use people in the United States?” he asked.
This is the question on the heart and mind of Bullen Dolli Jangara, a Sudanese Christian in his 20s intent on sharing his story of surviving 22 years of civil war. His story reflects that of other southern Sudanese Christians.
As the region now looks to rebuild, Jangara and three others from Lui, Sudan — Jeffreys Sibirni Kayanga, Andrew Mohandis Elispana and Stephen Dokolo Ismail — are traveling in the United States March through June. They are trying to raise awareness of the issues facing southern Sudanese and are seeking support from their Christian brothers and sisters.
Through the help of It Took A Miracle Ministries, the men have spoken to civic groups and churches nationwide. In Alabama, they spoke to Wadley Baptist Church in Randolph Baptist Association; Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, in Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association; and The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association.
Wadley Baptist Pastor Tripp Skipper first met the men when he and two others traveled to Sudan in 2004 while the war was still raging. “It was an honor for me to go there and work with people who have been through so much and yet still had so much joy,” he said.
That motivated Skipper to host the men at his church for their first stop in the United States, March 23–26. “So many people in Alabama have no clue what’s going on there,” he said. “Baptists in Alabama need to recognize we have a responsibility and obligation to help bear the burden of suffering brothers and sisters around the world.”
Skipper plans to travel back to Sudan sometime in 2007.
In 1983, civil war broke out between the Government of Sudan, based in the predominantly Muslim, Arab northern Sudan, and the non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudan, which contains the majority of the country’s Christian population. During the war, approximately 2 million people were killed and about 4 million were displaced, according to the United Nations.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement formed in 1983 to fight for the independence of southern Sudan and to fight the implementation of sharia — Islamic law — by the Government of Sudan.
The army of the Government of Sudan — which served northern Sudan’s interests — attacked southern Sudan villages and settlements, forcing the able-bodied into army service and killing, raping and wounding countless others. Christians who refused to deny their faith were either crucified or horribly maimed, according to Kayanga.
The war ended with a peace treaty in January 2005. The treaty gave southern Sudan a co-vice president position in the Sudan government. It also set up an autonomous government for the region and instituted a process by which it could become independent within six years.
During such times, one’s faith in God might be shaken. But for these four men, God saw them through the war. “The essence of our existence depended on faith in God,” Kayanga said. “Through faith alone were we able to persevere [during the] war.”
The men are focused on meeting immediate needs in southern Sudan, as well as looking toward long-term plans for the region’s independence and evangelizing the Middle East.
Some of the most immediate needs are food and water, they said.
A drought that began in August 2005 is already causing famine conditions in some areas of Sudan. If this year’s rainy season again fails to bring rain, then there will not only be a severe lack of food but also drinkable water, as the wells are already drying up.
Education for southern Sudan’s estimated 8.5 million people is also needed, Ismail noted. The war left very few educational facilities, but UNICEF is working to establish schools across southern Sudan.
Another urgent need is health care. Although hospitals and clinics are slowly reopening, some people must still walk 400 miles — two to three months — to see a doctor, Kayanga noted. This need is intensified among the children who are being attacked by “nodding disease.” The disease causes seizures, stunts growth and seems to affect the brain. As yet, there is no known cause or cure.
The spiritual lives of the southern Sudanese also need attention, Kayanga said. The war’s end brings an opportunity for Christians to delve deeper into Bible study and discipleship.
Kayanga and the others also hope to spark a revival that will claim the Middle East for God. Kayanga outlined a plan whereby southern Sudanese Christians plan to reach one group, then teach that group to share with the next. They plan to first go to the Darfur region of western Sudan — where a peace plan was signed May 5 to end attacks by the Sudan government on non-Arab civilians — then Ethiopia and beyond.
Although this means traveling into areas populated by their traditional enemies, the men expressed no fear. “As Christians, we can’t fear death for the sake of the gospel,” Ismail said. “If Christ sacrificed His life for us … it is our responsibility to sacrifice ourselves to share the gospel.”
Kayanga said prayer is one of the best ways to support Sudanese Christians. “We are appealing to you Christians in the United States to pray that God’s finger will touch southern Sudan,” he said. “And when you pray, you will hear God saying, ‘You, child, are my finger.’”
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