A rebuilt church brings joy to a village recovering from two decades of civil war

Many called the dedication of the new Wuji Church a miracle. In a ceremony that has become a tradition in South Sudan, believers marched around the sanctuary three times, singing praises to God. Then the doors opened and the pews overflowed with worshipers who continued the celebration inside.

The history of Wuji Church dates back to 1928 when a group of believers first gathered under a pastor named Alia Logworo. His youngest son is an elder in the church today.

The community endured more than two decades of brutal civil war. The village and church were burned to the ground twice and many people were murdered by invading troops. The people of Wuji escaped to the rugged bush country, always on the move, hiding from soldiers, and surviving off leaves, boiled roots, and prayer.

"If you were caught, you were slaughtered," one survivor recalled.

During the dark days of death and struggle, few imagined a day when they would live in peace and celebrate the dedication of a new church sanctuary, built of solid brick and steel.

"Our community joined together with Samaritan's Purse. That's why we have a church building," Pastor Moses Lobung said. "As we united with God and Samaritan's Purse, we now have a church that cannot be destroyed easily. We are one in Christ."

He recounted the dedication of Solomon's temple, repeating the words found in I Kings 8:23: "O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing loving kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts." The pastor encouraged believers to follow the Lord in humility, remembering His grace and mercy. Visiting church and community leaders shared messages of encouragement and promises from Scripture. The people sang songs of praise and danced before the Lord for hours.

Through the Samaritan's Purse church rebuilding project, 237 churches have been reconstructed out of the ashes of war in Sudan. Another 110 churches are expected to be built by the end of 2009.

Despite the harsh realities of post-war poverty, the people of Wuji have hope for the future. The rebuilt Wuji Church is a symbol of that hope, built upon a foundation of answered prayer.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

PRAY:
- Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Sudan, as well as for Samaritan's Purse staff and ministry partners there.

- Please pray that the peace agreement would continue to be honored.

- Pray that Sudanese Christians will recognize God's faithfulness as churches are completed.

GIVE:
To support our Sudan Churches Project, please visit our Donation Page .