The Church Rebuilding Program passed another milestone last week when Malual Bai Church in Unity State was completed, becoming the 400th church to be rebuilt by Samaritan’s Purse in Sudan. Another church completed in the village of Akwuem pushed the total to 401.

More than 2 million people died and hundreds of churches were destroyed during the two decades that Sudan was embroiled in a brutal civil war. When the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was reached in 2005, Samaritan’s Purse began helping believers rebuild their churches and their lives.

Church members work hand-in-hand with construction crews from Samaritan’s Purse to build their new sanctuary. Volunteers help clear the land, gather sand and crush rock for a foundation, and set the concrete blocks and metal beams in place as the structure takes shape. When a church is completed, hundreds of people gather for a dedication celebration that often lasts all day.

“Let us rejoice for peace in our land!” said Pastor Simon at the dedication of a church in the village of Mundu. “Let us rejoice for our family of God with Samaritan’s Purse! Let us rejoice to our God for the hope that He has given us—hope for more days of joy like this one!”

At a dedication in the southern town of Yei, another pastor said, “We now have a beautiful building, but we bring people not to a building, but to Jesus Christ. When we die let’s leave behind more than a nice building. Let’s leave behind a legacy that makes people say, ‘Surely, that person knew Jesus Christ!’”

Samaritan’s Purse has also distributed more than 260,600 Scriptures, organized 10,600 church-based Bible study groups, and provided discipleship training for hundreds pastors and Sunday school teachers.

In addition to the Church Rebuilding Program, Samaritan’s Purse coordinates emergency food distributions, clean water projects, educational programs, livestock projects, and medical outreaches throughout Sudan.

In March, Samaritan’s Purse helped Sudanese pastors coordinate the Sudan Global Day of Prayer, leading up to the nation’s first democratic elections in 24 years. The peaceful elections in April were a precursor to the historic referendum on independence for southern Sudan, scheduled for January 2011.

As the prospect for southern independence approaches, Samaritan’s Purse construction crews will continue to rebuild churches as a sign of hope for a peaceful future.

"If you want to restore hope to the people, build the churches,” said Pastor Alapayo Kuctiel at a church dedication in Rumbek. “What we are doing as a church is discipleship; calling people to church to make disciples. I am very thankful to God and to Samaritan's Purse for the good work that they have done."

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Samaritan's Purse , Sudan , Sudan Churches Project , Rebuilding Hope in Sudan