Despite continuing protests and violence in the nation of Sudan, Abraham Deng sees God opening a door for the church to bear fruit particularly among Muslims.
Deng, who came to America as a refugee from what is now South Sudan, frequently visits both his hometown area in South Sudan as well as the nation of Sudan where his wife and three children await approval to move to the United States.
Deng recounted that three women came to the local church during his visit to Sudan this spring saying they needed to follow “the son of Mary” after seeing Him in a dream.
“I had heard accounts of people saying, ‘I saw Jesus in a dream’ or ‘I heard it in movies,’ but I never talked to someone face-to-face telling me they have seen Jesus in a dream and ‘He asked me to follow Him and directed me to come to the church.’”
This is not a unique occurrence as the events happening in Sudan have “opened the door wide open” to sharing the gospel with Muslims.
“We prayed with them and they accepted Christ and many others have given their lives to Christ during this crisis,” Deng said.
In addition to sharing the gospel in Sudan, Deng is one of the founders and current worship leaders of a congregation of Sudanese refugees meeting at Clarkston International Bible Church (CIBC) in Georgia.
Host to the world
Lead pastor Trent DeLoach said CIBC has been hosting a number of different ethnic congregations for years with the Sudanese meeting the longest at more than 10 years.
The opportunity to work with different ethnicities has helped DeLoach realize the importance of praying for foreign-born brothers and sisters when crises arise worldwide.
“I believe the most fruitful and beneficial cross-cultural ministry is born out of prayer,” DeLoach said. “I guarantee you every city in our great country has some element of foreign-born people that live there and we want all of our Southern Baptist family to step toward refugees and internationals with the love and compassion of Christ.”
Deng used a metaphor of God shaking up a tree to describe the crisis in Sudan — a difficult and painful experience that ultimately will produce great fruit both in Sudan and in America.
“God has shaken up the country, and the Muslims now are falling as fruit and the church has to go and pick up that fruit.” (BP)
How to pray
- Pray for civilians in Sudan to be given government control so the country can move toward guaranteeing religious freedom for Christians.
- Pray for Christians in Sudan to step out in faith and boldness to do what God has for them. (TAB)
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