When Faith Is Forbidden: On the Frontlines With Persecuted Christiansنموونە

It was in a village near Turalei that Pastor Abraham had led a church of four hundred Sudanese Christians—with his small red pocket Bible, the only copy of the Scriptures in the entire congregation. Abraham had been thrilled when a previous VOM team brought boxes of Bibles to Turalei. 

Four days after that conversation with Abraham and those Bibles being delivered, radical Islamic mujahidin attacked Ayien. The just-delivered Bibles were burned, over twenty people were kidnapped from the village, and Pastor Abraham was shot in the head.

The team I was part of, months after that brutal attack, planned to replace the destroyed Bibles. But heavy rains in Turalei flooded the airstrip at both ends, and the pilots weren't sure it was long enough to land, so took off again.

Our team leader decided to switch the order of our trip. We’d come to Yei first. We have Bibles to take to the SPLA (Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army) troops closer to the battle lines, but the truck we thought we’d rent wasn't available.

Finally, we found other mission workers heading our way and joined them. But, two hours into our trip, the bridge over an unmapped river was out. Our lead vehicle plunged in and made it halfway across before the rain-swollen rush of water began to slide the four-wheel-drive truck downstream.

Our teammates climbed out the window onto the roof of the vehicle, and we were able to throw them a rope and stop the truck from sliding any farther, as well as give them a (wet) way back to shore.

So instead of handing Bibles to soldiers near the front lines, we were stuck there waiting for the river to go back down so we could retrieve the other truck.

What are you doing, Lord? We’re on Your side! We want to replace Bibles the enemy destroyed. Couldn’t You at least stop the rain long enough for the airstrip to be dry? Couldn’t You at least arrange so we could get a truck when we needed one? Couldn’t You keep the river levels low enough that we could cross?

Of course, God can do anything He wants to do. He can stop rain or make it rain. He can dry up rivers or make them overflow.

I wish I could point to some significant milestone result from our trip and say, “See, that’s why God let the rains come.” I wish I could point to some soldier we handed a Bible to—in a place we didn’t plan to be—who went on to become Sudan’s Billy Graham. We did deliver Bibles, even though some of them had to be laid out in the sun to dry before being read. We did deliver food, in one case taking high-protein mix to a “hospital” (you and I would probably call it a clinic) caring for dozens of malnourished kids. We had fellowship with the missionaries who hosted us, and I hope we blessed and encouraged them. 

But, due to circumstances beyond our control, we didn’t accomplish the goals we set out to achieve. Beyond our control. Those aren’t words I like. I want to be in control.   

But, once we choose between cornflakes or toast for breakfast, isn’t most of the rest of the day beyond our control? Isn’t the whole point of the Christian life to give up control to a loving, holy Father who will organize our journey through life for our greater good? 

We must allow His timing to trump our plans. And we won’t always know why. Why is for Him to figure out. It’s beyond our control.

Prayer Response:

Father, I admit I want to be in control. I want to make my plans and have You bless what I want to do. Help me trust You to see what I cannot see. Help me surrender my need for control and allow You ultimate control, to trust Your plans are for my greater good. Help me each day to seek Your face and Your will, and allow You to work in and through me to accomplish Your purposes for me and those around me.