Sudan (MNN) — Fighting in Sudan spread to two new cities on Friday, prompting concern for thousands of people sheltering there. Witnesses described “the sound of heavy weapons,” sending a new wave of refugees flooding into neighboring Chad.

More than a half-million people fled to El Fasher, a capital city in Darfur and one of the sites of new fighting when the war began in mid-April. Tensions related to a planned transition to civilian rule erupted into full-blown war on April 15, creating today’s chaos.

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(Graphic courtesy of unfoldingWord)

“It’s impossible to know when, or if, the war will end and when or if Sudan will ever be able to recover from this national loss,” John* says.

“But we do know God’s not silent, complacent, or powerless.”

John and his organization partner with unfoldingWord, although there is no translation work currently underway in Sudan due to the current climate.

Over the past four months, around four million Sudanese people have been forced to leave their homes. One million have fled to nearby nations.

If this is the first you’re hearing about a war in Sudan, don’t be surprised.

“The Church in the West – not always, but many times – [is] driven by what is in the news,” John says.

“This war is not talked about in the news. It’s not being highlighted, so the Church is unaware.”

We can’t name John’s group for security purposes, but it trains and equips believers from a Muslim background for Christian ministry in Sudan. “We have trained and graduated 200 Muslim background believers from 25 tribes,” John says.

“Because international aid organizations have limited or no presence because of the conflict, we found ourselves [doing] relief ministry. We’re feeding 100 families of Christian leaders and house church leaders right now.”

Help meet the daily needs of suffering Christians here.

Sudanese believers may be fighting to survive but haven’t lost sight of the Great Commission. “They are sharing not only some of what we give them, but the hope that is Jesus Christ,” John says.

Ask the Lord to strengthen and sustain them. “Pray that [groups] trying to help will be able to identify the most vulnerable: the elderly, the handicapped, and minors, 17 and younger, who have become orphans because of this conflict,” John requests.

 

*Pseudonym

 

Header and story images courtesy of unfoldingWord.