Closing Thoughts from Juba, Sudan

Pastor James Mawut recommitted his life to Christ during the Juba mission.

This will be my last update from Juba Sudan as we leave tomorrow. It has been a very interesting week, as some of us have met up with new believers and others who were impacted by the evangelistic events around the city. Overall, we estimate that between 3-3500 people made commitments to Christ, and we reached more than 100,000 throughout the city, particularly because of the extensive radio evangelism coverage

We visited the prison and the police barracks where events were held. Some interesting individual stories have arisen from these visits, and the overwhelming vibe was that both these communities have been impacted as a whole. At the police station, officers said they noticed a difference directly after the meetings in the cleanliness of the compound, in the number of officers turning up to work drunk, and the lack of fighting and violence. Inmates at the prison said that the atmosphere there had also become more peaceful, and a large number of people had registered to join the existing prayer group. Both the Director of the Police Barracks and Director General of the Prison warmly invited African Enterprise to return again in the future.

Even the hotel where we are staying has changed, and has remained changed since the team left. The staff are smiling more, one who seemed antagonistic to Christianity when we first arrived is now offering to say grace for us when we eat, and it is not as rowdy at night. The co-ordinator of our team of drivers shared that all his drivers have been impacted in some way, and are more open to Jesus or actually became Christians.

The first new believer I interviewed was apparently a pastor called James. Confusingly he insisted that the first time he truly  received Christ was during an event last week. We met up with him in his locality to hear more, and he shared an interesting story with us. He had grown up in a family which practiced witchcraft, and was frequently visited at night by a “crow” which would take him from his bed and fly around with him (a common indicator of witchcraft). He didn’t attend school, but grew up herding cows. 

About four years ago, James became a “pastor.” We are not sure how this happened, or whether it had more to do with money than following a calling of God. He was a pastor in a district outside of Juba, but during the mission said that he was challenged to truly commit to Christ. He said his life has significantly changed now – he wants to follow the narrow way rather than the crooked way. He no longer drinks or smokes, doesn’t go with sex workers as he and his friends used to do, and doesn’t want to use bad words now. He grinned as he said that he now wants to devote his life to working for Jesus Christ who has freed him and saved him.

The Zonal “Discipleship” co-ordinators met again yesterday to discuss follow up arrangements. The Discipleship Chairman himself has a great testimony of how he became a Christian through the ministry of African Enterprise to the University of Juba in 1984, and it is ironic that he should be overseeing the follow up process after this mission!! Each of the co-ordinators has a team of trained counselors in their zones and will be equipped to call and visit those who indicated a decision for Christ – those whose details we actually were able to collect.

They will use the “Balanced Christian Life” booklet which is a six-week course teaching new believers about the basics of being a Christian. They will also use “Growing up in Christ,” which is a series of Bible studies from the book of John. Many of these co-ordinators had already made contact with a number of those who had come to faith during the mission, and shared some exciting testimonies. I hope to meet with a number of these people today, and need your prayers as we have now only one day left.

- Vanessa Khlentzos
(Pan African Communications,
African Enterprise)