WARRENTON, MO — If you were chased out of your home at gunpoint and had to live in a refugee camp, could you turn it into something good? National missionaries from South Sudan did.
They fled their country in 2017 with over 2 million people. Tarp tents, food, and firewood shortages, sanitation and water problems—nothing stopped the missionary workers from their calling. More than ever, the children in these camps needed hope. Now in their third year of exile in Uganda, the CEF® missionaries have amazing results to show for their efforts.
Before the civil war, they traveled long distances in South Sudan to reach 10,000-15,000 children a year through Good News Club®. Their first year in the Ugandan refugee camps, with so many people in a small area, they ministered on a weekly basis to 50,000 children. As adults and teens attended club too, missionary workers began training them to be teachers, who in turn, reached more children and teens. This year they reached 180,000 youth and they believe they can reach 500,000 in 2020.
Huge crowds of children listen with rapt attention, sing with all their might, and pray fervently. When they are able to return to South Sudan, “the children will take Jesus with them.” Daily reports of tragedy across the African Saheel make this even more critical.
“The reason for the crisis [war] is that people have not heard the Good News of Jesus. This generation will grow up knowing God. They will be in position to transform South Sudan. They will be the future leaders and South Sudan will not be the same again.” –Francis Candiga, National Director, CEF of South Sudan.
Child Evangelism Fellowship®, headquartered in Missouri, sent a camera team and captured these missionary testimonies, teen testimonies, and footage of crowds of children hearing the Good News. View this incredible story at cefonline.com/SSudan. Interviews with the Vice-President of International Ministries, Moises Esteves, are available by request. Contact Lydia Kaiser, at 636-456-4321, ext. 1339 or corporate.communications@cefonline.com.