God’s Kingdom Advances Despite Armed Conflict

Although forgotten by the media for the most part, the war in South Sudan continues to end people’s lives, separate families, force citizens to flee as refugees, and bring unimaginable suffering to all. So it was amazing to receive an upbeat report from the Scripture Union National Director of South Sudan. He reported that between April and September, Scripture Union had impacted more than 9,000 children in South Sudan and Refugee Camps in northern Uganda.  Most of the children were in schools!

Of added interest to us, were reports that about 81 volunteers were trained to teach the Biblical Values curriculum in schools and seemingly all of them are now using that training to share God’s truth with children/teens, either in schools or churches!

Here’s excerpts of a few testimonies that were included in the report:

A certain William wrote: “In my Primary 6 class of 53 pupils, I have seen a lot of changes. I began with the Truth book and in the midst pupils begin to speak the truth. Most of children learned to speak the truth among themselves and to everyone in the school compound. I have seen God is doing amazing work in the lives of children in school through SU program. I also taught both the Truth and Honesty books in a Sunday School. Most of the children don’t lie to me or their parents."

From a refugee named Rose – “In the school I’m teaching, students like fighting but thank God after teaching VOICE for six weeks, they stopped fighting. Some said they hated the [enemy tribe] but now they have forgiven them because of VOICE program which encouraged them to forgive through the songs and the scriptures from the Bible.”

God’s Work Continues

Earlier this week we received via email a report of the annual Scripture Union Uganda 2-week Mission which this year focused on saturating the Jinja/Busoga region. When we left Uganda in mid-June, the Mission was just getting off the ground. 

Each year we are amazed at how much the Scripture Union staff and volunteers can accomplish in such a short time and this year was no exception. They divided the workers in ten teams and between all of them visited and spoke to 258 Primary Schools, and 117 Secondary Schools.  

Using the CrossTalk tracts at one of the schools

Many presentations were evangelistic and more than 12,000 CrossTalk tracts were distributed and 11,000 Welcome To God’s Family used.  Literally thousands of children and youth made professions of faith.  

Often they also used the VOICE curriculum, especially on Purity. Pray for follow up and more volunteers to teach Values Education Classes in these same schools.  

Here is how Scripture Union Uganda summarized the Mission:

Short term benefit: Among Busoga’s children, youth, and adults, God’s Word was sowed.  As a result they made choices for Christ including salvation, sexual purity and positive behaviour.

Long term benefit: Seeing people following Jesus, filled with hope and contributing to the transformation of Busoga.

Scripture Union’s strategy is to start clubs in primary and secondary schools so that children and youth who make faith responses have a place where they are nurtured.