Mission Challenges in South Sudan During Covid

“The Coronavirus pandemic has added another misery to the lives of South Sudanese who for decades have been struggling just for survival. Due to the lockdown, there are already food shortages in town, and prices have gone higher since most food items are imported from the neighboring countries. The whole nation is in big trouble right now because many of our people live “from hand to mouth” which means today’s earnings are tomorrow’s food. NO WORK. NO FOOD. NO LIFE. That is it! Many are starving right now!

“Not only that, it is very challenging for the church to reach out and comfort her members with the message of the Gospel because the entire country is locked down, and yet it has no infrastructure. There is no electricity. Few have access to the Internet and as such, the possibility of livestreaming or video clips on YouTube cannot help the majority of our people who live in the villages.

Thanks be to God that in every situation there is always a way out no matter how small or narrow it might be!

“Although we are not able at this time to hold normal Sunday services at our churches or visit our members in the refugee camps as we normally do, thanks be to God that the people are receiving comfort and healing through the books printed by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation!

“Here there is not just a shortage of food, but also a shortage of books, especially at this time of the pandemic. We are running out of catechisms, booklets like “Jesus Never Fails,” “Trusting in His Love,” and the newly-published book: A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories in Zande. At this time when all the school kids are at home, we have received more requests for this new publication than the copies we printed, because it is the first of its kind in our part of the world!“

As the people maintain social distance and isolate themselves during this Covid 19, LHF books are bringing them closer to God. Praise be to God!”

– Bishop Peter Anibati Abia, Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Sudan/Sudan