South Sudan: Lord, have Mercy!

“Thank you for taking care of us”

In a country in which people are always struggling with mere survival, Covd-19 has arrived only recently, months after it came to Australia. This is making a terrible situation worse and is causing more pain and hopelessness. Here is a touching letter just arrived from the frontline of human suffering.

Rev. Peter Anibati Abia

Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan/Sudan (ELCSS/S)

 Dear Pastor August/AFA,

I have been occupied lately with peace meetings as there is growing tension among the parties to the peace agreement in South Sudan. One peace mission led me to the city of Tambura for one week. Leaders from various Christian denominations and myself came to bring messages of peace to the community leaders there.

We also went to one of the villages in the area to meet with a rebel group. All went well. Later, only last night, their leader has been killed. It seems he did not take our advice and he continued to come to town to arrest innocent people and to demand money from them. This provoked the government and they went after him.

Fighting almost broke out on this Tuesday at the airstrip of Yambio (provincial capital, HQ of ELCSS/S) but thank God it did not happen. One of the Generals of the opposition was being brought to Yambio by plane on that day. It is believed that a group of rebel soldiers which had defected to the government had wanted to kill the General but the pilot was directed to turn the aircraft around and not land in Yambio.

Happiness is having food to eat. Food distribution in Yambio – a few of those who have been helped, church members and others, also pastors because in Sudan ‘pastors are the poorest of the people’. Everyone dresses the very best they can!

We are struggling with so many problems here including Covid-19 which has now been confirmed in our city Yambio. Keep us in your prayers as always.

The distribution of the $10,000 AFA funds was done in three places namely Yambio, Tambura and Juba, the capital.

I would like to say thank you so much to AFA for supporting us at this critical moment. You know well that even before COVID - 19 we are always struggling for survival. This pandemic has just added salt to our wounds but thank you for taking care of us both physically and spiritually. The lives of our people have been touched so much by your generosity. Here we say "true friends are known in difficult days."

 19 June 2020