South Sudan Project
GCC's South Sudan Project
The Spiritual Boot Camp Discipleship ministry at GCC providentially became connected with South Sudan through two SBC conferences attended by a key leader of South Sudanese refugees, Bayak Puoch. The first conference, in 2015, was in Cairo, Egypt, where Bayak attended an Evangelism Explosion conference conducted by GCC, which was held along-side an SBC conference in Cairo. At that time, we discovered that Bayak was the founder of the Naath Community of South Sudanese Refugees in Cairo. The second conference was in Alexandria, Egypt in 2018, where Bayak and other SS refugees traveled by bus from Cairo to attend the SBC conference taught by Pastor Ted Groves.
From these initial contacts, Bayak became friends with Pastor Ted Groves [Founding Pastor of GCC and founder of the SBC Discipleship ministry] and regular email communication developed between the two. Bayak began to further educate Pastor Ted about the history and current situation in South Sudan. Bayak sent graphic photos, various examples of the crimes against humanity [especially against Bayak’s ethinic group, the Neur people] being committed largely by the government forces of South Sudan [forced cannibalism – the forced eating of the body parts of family members, rape, torture, bodily mutilation and burning. - Pictures too graphic to include in this website].
In July of 2017, Bayak notified Pastor Ted that his family’s village in South Sudan had been attacked and burned. Many were raped and killed. Members of Bayak’s family were forced to flee in the bush, where they remained for days without food or water. His mother, who was 70 tears old, managed to arrive at the Ethiopian border and make a phone call to her son, Bayak, informing him that all the members of his family were missing. Bayak contacted Pastor Ted and his church, asking if they might be willing to arrange to fly him to Ethiopia to search the border area for missing family members. The GCC Missions Team arranged the round-trip flight. Bayak wrote to us describing his experience, walking for miles along the Ethiopian border with his 70 year-old mother. As they reached the Ethiopian Refugee camp, they began to encounter various family members. As they traveled, they were forced to sleep in the bush at night, where they faced the problem of rotting dead bodies and the threat of hyenas. Bayak had to stay awake at night with a spear to guard against hyenas. Eventually, Bayak managed to find all his lost relatives and help establish them in an Ethiopian Refugee camp [not a nice place, but better than the bush.] Bayak then flew back to Cairo.
Understanding the situation in South Sudan – a brief summary – The need for this facility...
After a 21-year civil war with the Muslim dominated government of Sudan in the north, South Sudan became independent in July of 2011. A leadership crisis among various factions, together with the death of the key leader, Dr John Garang, in a helicopter crash, eventually led to a decision to make Salva Kiir the new president of South Sudan. His corrupt leadership [largely due to a power struggle with his vice-president, Riek Machar], along with other instability factors, led to a civil war in South Sudan for the next 5 years. This war was caused by tribal tensions, rivalry over lucrative oil reserves and by ethnic cleansing [largely President Salva Kiir’s Presidential guard slaughtering thousands of Nuer’s – Kiir is a Dinka and his vice president, Riek Machar a Nuer]. Politically, Kiir and Machar have struggled for power and money through war and violence.
All this has left South Sudan and its people devastated. . Many towns and villages have been burned down and destroyed. Because of the ethnic cleansing, many have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and/or children, in addition to their villages and homes. Also, one writer says the civil war in South Sudan has caused “… a land rich in agricultural resources, deemed a bread-basket, to suffer the most sever famine. About two million people are short of food.” Clean water, food, education, economic renewal, medical care, orphanages and other humanitarian aid is desperately needed by the people of South Sudan.
The current plan is to build incrementally.
Estimated Building costs/ Fundraiser goals:
- Stage 1: $90,000 – Fence, Offices, Meeting Hall, Common Toilet
- Stage 2: $110,200 - Store, Guest House, VIP Lounge, Common Toilet
Concerning the present situation in South Sudan – especially Maiwut County, where we hope to construct the new facility...
Bayak was recently asked to comment on the present situation in South Sudan, especially Maiwut County where the property is located and where the proposed facility is to be built. Franklin Graham, of Samaritan’s Purse [and others], have commented on the situation in Nigeria, where Islamic extremists have/and are killing hundreds of Christians. Bayak was asked if South Sudan is anything like this at this point. Here is his reply...
"Yes, there is a political situation in South Sudan, as evidenced by some internet reports, but the area where we intend to build a facility is very safe, and nothing can stop us from doing so and informing donors that the area is safe, so we can proceed with our plans.
While government corruption exists in South Sudan, it does not affect our project since we manage our own funds. I am willing to travel with anyone to South Sudan to begin construction and report back to donors. For your information, South Sudan is 95% Christian, and there have been no killings by radical Islamists like what happened in Nigeria, so we are good."
God's providential working and GCC's responsibility to work toward fulfilling the Great Commission [Matt. 28:18-20] as God leads 'providentially' ...
The construction of this proposed facility in South Sudan will certainly provide a base of operation for humanitarian aid [clean water, food, education, economic development, etc], but it is also planned to be the headquarters for the SBC Discipleship ministry of GCC in South Sudan.
South Sudan is full of "denominational Christianity." [Bayak says SS is 95% Christian, and the corrupt President of SS, Salva Kiir, is Catholic, and Riek Machar is Presbyterian] It is our conviction that South Sudan is in great need of Biblical Christianity. The SBC Discipleship ministry has a proven success record of Biblical evangelism and discipleship in many different countries [see the SBC website at sbcinternational.com ...]. Also, we are in contact with officials from Samaritan’s Purse - a Billy Graham organization specializing in humanitarian aid. We are hoping to join with Samaritan's Purse in this great endeavor. Samaritan's Purse is already at work with various projects in South Sudan, indicating their confidence of the relative stability and security of this location.
*** NOTE: Please read the article about the proposed facility fundraiser titled: "Please Help My Friend" ...
"Above and Beyond" Giving...
GCC has adopted this fundraiser for the South Sudan Project as a long-term project. It is designed to be giving on a regular basis until the goal is reached, and the proposal is for each giver to give "above and beyond" regular giving to the church. Obviously, our home church is dependent upon the regular offering of our congregation for salaries, bills, maintenance, etc. Our hope is that, over a period of time, our congregation will give "over and above" its regular giving to accumulate the amount needed for the South Sudan project. We hope to develop a community of regular givers in the congregation of GCC who work together to contribute as often as they are able to make this project possible. Hopefully, some will be able to make special donations occasionally. Others may even be willing to head up creative fundraisers to help reach our goal. We are confident that God will make a way if this project is pleasing in His sight and according to His will.