“It was just before dark, and Charles was pulling weeds with his father in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state when roughly a dozen armed rebels appeared, demanding he join their ranks. Charles was terrified. His father tried to intervene, but he was outnumbered. That night, Charles, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, was separated from his father and forced to become a soldier. He was just 13 years old.’
– Newsweek, March 2017
There are many more stories, just like this one. According to UNICEF over 17, 000 children have been forced into the life of a child soldier, many of them orphans, having watched the very men they are told to protect kill their parents. The war in South Sudan has already killed tens of thousands of civilians, and displaced more than 3 million, many of them have fled to refugee camps in Northern Uganda.
War continues to separate families, ripping people from their homes, causing fear, hunger, desperation and hopelessness. Their needs are greater than any I have seen this year in my travels throughout the globe, but God reveals great power in times of great need. I have witnessed his power first hand, to bring healing, restoration and hope within my family – God is not limited! His power can restore nations.
On September 29th I will be walking 5 km, a short distance compared to that of most refugees, to raise money for a program that is working together with many of these devastated people.
Serving South Sudan is working on providing self sustainability for Sudanese refugees, both physically (raising funds for “seed” capital, which means the giving of “seed” for crops, goats & chickens for small animal farms, or products to begin a small business) and spiritually (training pastors & leaders from the refugee camps for church planting and providing skills and empowerment towards self – sustainable communities).
I hope you will consider partnering with me financially to help a ministry bring hope into hopelessness.
To DONATE NOW visit:
This year I am captain of team LIVELY LOLLYGAGGERS, through Ride for Refuge, my team will be walking to help support the orphan, widow and the outcasts whom God mentions so often in His word.
For more information about Serving South Sudan, visit:
http://avantteam.com/servingsouthsudan/
For current news on the situation in South Sudan, visit:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/aug/17/south-sudan-refugee-families-uganda
