Forgiveness and fruit in conflict-ravaged South Sudan

(Photo Credit: Mission Network News - MNN)

South Sudan (MNN) – In South Sudan, where years of conflict and a looming civil war plague all levels of society, the church is no stranger to poverty and destruction. But Stephen Wesley with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says believers are fixing their eyes on the abundance of Christ, rather than poverty of their circumstances. Helping them do this is the team at VOM Canada, who recently returned from South Sudan, where they held training in trauma counseling and forgiveness. Wesley says the Holy Spirit was so present that several individuals were convicted of their need for repentance and forgiveness mid-conference. 

“There was such a gracious anointing there as they were responding to the Word,” he says. “So they weren’t just hearing it. They weren’t just writing it. They were now living it.”

Even before the conference had ended, stories were surfacing of its impact. 

“We heard testimonies from the people who were there who were holding onto unforgiveness because of people who had killed their family members. Yet in hearing the training, they forgave,” Wesley says. 

The impact of a faithful church, even (or perhaps especially) in dire economic circumstances, cannot be understated. One attendee, for example, a young church leader who Wesley likens to the Biblical church leader Timothy, is being sought out by local government officials needing leadership advice. 

“When the church is doing the church right, even the world will recognize it and want to hear from you and want to have participation with you because they recognize that you can bring a difference and a positive result,” Wesley says. 

Yet this reality does not negate another: persecution. Two weeks after the conference, another attendee’s husband was murdered by gunmen targeting him for his faith. 

“I come away from that, and I’m thinking, ‘How gracious, in one sense, that this was available to her before the fact, and now after the fact we can do something to help and support them,’” Wesley reflects. 

His hope is that regardless of circumstances, the true church of Jesus will showcase the glory of God: 

“By loving, by serving, by forgiving, by caring,” he says. 

For more information on VOM Canada’s training and resources on suffering, listen to Greg Musselman’s complete interview with Stephen Wesley. 

Source: https://www.mnnonline.org/news/forgiveness-and-fruit-in-conflict-ravaged-south-sudan/