Sunday worship in Yuai

In March our healing and reconciliation team conducted a workshop in the rural village of Yuai. On Sunday after the workshop, we worshipped with the congregation there, and I want to share a few pictures and descriptions of the congregation here.

Early Sunday morning, we followed the narrow dirt path through the village towards the site where the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) meets. The roof of the church had been destroyed in the flooding some time ago, so while they worked to replace it they were worshipping outside. There are not many large trees in Yuai, so they met at 7am while the sun was still low to maximize the shade. Mats were spread on the ground for people to sit and they were nearly full with people when we arrived. A large choir of youth and children sat on one side, and the women’s choir on the other side.

Gathered for worship on Sunday morning

There was an air of excitement at the service because of all the visitors. Pastor John Tut, who started these congregations before going to Juba to study at Nile Theological College, was part of our team. He was eager to reconnect with church members after two years of being away. There were also members of sister congregations in other villages who had come for the workshop and were there at worship that day. And then there was our team of 4 facilitators who came from Juba to conduct the workshop. The congregations in Yuai had felt isolated and forgotten as they suffered attacks by a neighboring community and floods that caused repeated displacement to other areas. Now, they expressed how grateful they were to be remembered.

I appreciated the exuberant worship and the sincere prayers. Several people from those who were visiting took their turn greeting or sharing a word of encouragement. One man from a distant village, Elder Thomas, had sold his own cows to support the building of three different churches over the years. But this day he lamented that he was old now and because of the war he had no more cows to give. But he testified of God’s faithfulness and his joy in serving the Lord.

Elder Thomas shares a word of greeting. He walked for

several hours from his village to reach the church.

It was wonderful to see Pastor John Tut’s care for the members and the generous gifts that he brought to them. With his own money he bought four Bibles in the Nuer languages to give to the churches (one Bible for a whole congregation to share). During the service on Sunday morning he presented the women with several pieces of purple cloth. This is the ‘uniform’ of the women of the church and an identifier that they are part of this church. All women in Nuer culture traditionally wear a cloth in this way, called a lawa. 

Pastor John Tut (center, in white) with some
womenleaders in their new purple clothes (lawas)

At the end of the service, Pastor John also presented the three congregations represented with several large bags of clothes and shoes, donated by an organization in Juba. We were grateful that God provided room on the flight for this extra cargo to reach Yuai, since it is very remote and getting goods there is not easy. It was encouraging to see Pastor John’s care and hopes for the people of Yuai, like a father caring for his children.

The children's Sunday school met after the service inside the shell of their building.

Pray for this congregation, as they seek to be a faithful witness to the love of Christ in a community where there has been much suffering. They are working on re-thatching the roof of their church, but have hopes to build a more permanent structure along with a school. Rev. John Tut finishes his studies in Juba this year and looks forward to returning to Yuai next year, with a vision for discipling people and reaching to more remote villages.