Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we will gather in our churches in honor of the Last Supper as Jesus begins his final walk to death. Today my heart breaks once again for the people of South Sudan after reading the latest news from there. It breaks for my "Ladies of Renk" when I hear they were attacked last night and many of my friend's coworkers fled during the night.
While I cannot comprehend Jesus, knowingly walking towards the cross and willingly facing the brutality that will meet him there and along the way, I also cannot comprehend the words of this report. Sometimes there are just no words. There are no words to comprehend Jesus thoughts as he went through his torture and there are no words to comprehend the brutality and torture dealt to innocent victims that is described below. All I can do is pray for sanity to reign in the midst of this insanity and for God to reach down his mighty hand and wrap these innocent people in His loving arms...
Dear Peace-loving Friends,
Today I received two e-mails reflecting the current conflict situation in South Sudan. While I have not confirmed either, I have no reason to doubt either. It distresses me to convey these reports to you.
The first came from a friend who reported that in Bor the UN compound was attacked by SPLA resulting in the death of perhaps 100 of those taking refuge there and many UN troops. Many more were wounded. I do not have additional details.
The second report was of an attack by rebel forces on Bentiu which, although it lacks numbers, is horribly specific in the description of the abuse, particularly of women. A portion of that is reproduced below:
"Reich Marchar’s militia has seized Bentiu. These evil men stormed the city, wildly firing machine guns, randomly killing civilians and government leaders. Then they mobilized themselves to storm the churches and clinics, where they knew people would be weak and not able to run or were hiding for safety and prayer. The militia dragged pregnant women from their beds and cut out their babies, and then cut up the babies. They raped the women of Bentiu in mass, and then raped them with sticks to tear out their uterus. They killed many people praying in our churches. Many of the government officials were killed, and the rest fled. Bentiu has fallen into the hands of Reich Machar."
This illustrates that the people continue to be the victims and that the attacks have become barbaric slaughter in Bentiu and attacking defenseless refugees in Bor. This is ethnic warfare at its worst and reflects the urgency of our effort to join together to stop the conflict.
SAAF is seeking to help organize a coalition of South Sudanese groups in diaspora to try to positively impact the situation and end the conflict.
Pray that sanity will return and that God will protect the innocent.
While I cannot comprehend Jesus, knowingly walking towards the cross and willingly facing the brutality that will meet him there and along the way, I also cannot comprehend the words of this report. Sometimes there are just no words. There are no words to comprehend Jesus thoughts as he went through his torture and there are no words to comprehend the brutality and torture dealt to innocent victims that is described below. All I can do is pray for sanity to reign in the midst of this insanity and for God to reach down his mighty hand and wrap these innocent people in His loving arms...
Dear Peace-loving Friends,
Today I received two e-mails reflecting the current conflict situation in South Sudan. While I have not confirmed either, I have no reason to doubt either. It distresses me to convey these reports to you.
The first came from a friend who reported that in Bor the UN compound was attacked by SPLA resulting in the death of perhaps 100 of those taking refuge there and many UN troops. Many more were wounded. I do not have additional details.
The second report was of an attack by rebel forces on Bentiu which, although it lacks numbers, is horribly specific in the description of the abuse, particularly of women. A portion of that is reproduced below:
"Reich Marchar’s militia has seized Bentiu. These evil men stormed the city, wildly firing machine guns, randomly killing civilians and government leaders. Then they mobilized themselves to storm the churches and clinics, where they knew people would be weak and not able to run or were hiding for safety and prayer. The militia dragged pregnant women from their beds and cut out their babies, and then cut up the babies. They raped the women of Bentiu in mass, and then raped them with sticks to tear out their uterus. They killed many people praying in our churches. Many of the government officials were killed, and the rest fled. Bentiu has fallen into the hands of Reich Machar."
This illustrates that the people continue to be the victims and that the attacks have become barbaric slaughter in Bentiu and attacking defenseless refugees in Bor. This is ethnic warfare at its worst and reflects the urgency of our effort to join together to stop the conflict.
SAAF is seeking to help organize a coalition of South Sudanese groups in diaspora to try to positively impact the situation and end the conflict.
Pray that sanity will return and that God will protect the innocent.
In Christ's service,
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