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PrayerPoint archive

As the crowd of believers eagerly waited to step inside their new church, Pastor Abure paused at the threshold.

“Today I want our happiness to be seen by others,” he said. “Today, we have seen a miracle in Wadupe!”

The miracle in the small village in south Sudan had been two decades in the making, passing through dark days that tested the faith of every believer.

A small church made of mud-packed walls and a grass roof had been built in 1986 to house a growing congregation of 150 members. The next year, war erupted and the people of the village stepped into a nightmare. Innocent civilians were killed, and women were abducted. Hunger and illness plagued the community.

Islamic troops finally prevailed and set the entire village on fire, including the church. They didn’t want to leave any structure standing that could be used as a shelter by rebel soldiers.

The people fled in different directions. Some sought shelter deep in the rugged bush country. Others crossed the border in search of refugee camps in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A decade passed before Wadupe was freed from government control. Slowly, people returned. They built a temporary grass-roof shelter and began meeting for worship and prayer.

Christians in South Sudan suffered violent persecution for years. Hundreds of churches were destroyed, and countless believers were killed. To help these faithful brothers and sisters, Samaritan's Purse launched a major church reconstruction project in 2005. We have completed more than 160 churches so far, including one in Wadupe.

On dedication day, Pastor Abure stood before the doors of a beautifully-rebuilt sanctuary made of concrete and steel. For the congregation, their new building was a miracle come true.

Pastor Abure offered a prayer of thanksgiving and then cut the ribbon draped across the entrance and opened the doors to the sanctuary. It was quickly filled with worshippers who were singing, dancing, and praising God for “listening to our cry!”