A small group of believers in a South Sudanese village listened intently as a speaker shared the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. They met at the small village church house made with a tin roof, mud-plastered walls, and doors which opened to the sweltering breeze.
Most of these believers are illiterate, like many people in their country. For centuries their ancestors have passed on beliefs and teachings by speaking and storytelling rather than writing them down. Some church leaders believe that this high illiteracy rate keeps new believers from growing into mature Christians. After all, they can’t read the Bible!
CAM staff members and contacts started visiting various South Sudanese villages to share God’s Word by telling Bible stories. They desire to help believers—literate and illiterate— better understand and apply the Bible, and to equip them to share the message of God’s Word with others. Many believers soak in the clear, simple Bible stories, excited to learn that they can reach others with the Gospel even though they cannot read or write.
Believers are seeing God’s power break the chains of witchcraft, which is rooted deeply in South Sudan’s culture. One morning Helen* came to the church where our staff members were teaching, saying that the number five had appeared on her skin. According to the villagers, this is the work of demons. They said people can create a list of ten close family members or friends and give it to a witch doctor. On each person on that list, a number appears which represents their death order. After they all die, money flows to the person who gave the list. When Helen came to the church, she asked the believers to pray for her. She also said that she wanted Jesus to come into her life. Tears came to her eyes as the group gathered around her and prayed. The next day they learned that the number on Helen had disappeared!
In addition to the teaching, our contacts give each believer a printed or audio Bible at the end of each session. Bibles in South Sudan are rare or too expensive for many people. The gift of God’s written Word is treasured by those who can read, but for those who never received an education, an audio Bible “is worth more than its weight in gold,” says a staff member. Thank you, supporters, for enabling this work! Please pray that God’s Word would continue to reach villages and hearts across South Sudan.
The need for Bibles in South Sudan and other parts of the world is nearly endless. To help support the Bibles program, please click the button below to give a gift.
