“God is on the move here. People are repenting as they enter the region, even if nobody has ever preached to them. Every day people are coming to repentance.”

So wrote Paul Harcourt on Sunday as he and Becky lead the SOMA UK mission in Liwolo close to the Ugandan border.

They arrived in Liwolo on Friday overland after a MAF flight within Uganda to Moyo town. Liwolo is an area which saw much conflict during the unrest and one of the newer dioceses in Episcopal Church of South Sudan. The UK team managed to bring the blessing of rain as they arrived (first time in 2 months). The conference began over the weekend with over 200 present and more on the way. They were joined by Bishop of Morobo, the Right Revd Amosa Data Elinama, himself no stranger to kidnapping and attacks, a young Bishop who made the news in June 2023 when his car was ambushed and set on fire. 16 leaders from Morobo joined Bishop Data and together Paul and the Bishop opened the new diocesan guest house.

They were shown around the church grounds over the weekend and had a chance to seeing the projects. Many of them were destroyed when people fled in 2017. It was only a year ago that the bishop and church leaders felt a call to come back and rebuild. What they have done in that short time is remarkable and down to the power of prayer.

By the end of Saturday Paul was reporting that:

“Today we have had a fantastic day focusing on Gods plan for his Church to be a changed people who can bring change. We were joined by the Commissioner of the region, who brought his whole senior team to listen to the preaching. The Army Commander, the Police Commander, and many others! It was inspiring to hear of their genuine faith - God had raised up born again leaders who want to follow God’s will and know that only is the hope of rebuilding and reconciliation. The Commissioner gave a speech to the conference where he said that what South Sudan needs most is not teachers or soldiers but evangelists! There are powerfully testimonies already of people meeting God. ‘Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people’”

Sunday saw the team split into three for services in the cathedral (5.5 hours!) and in two other churches. In every place they saw salvation and people encountering the Spirit.

Both the Commissioner and Commander spoke at the end of the Cathedral service, both exhorting the people to pray. The Commander was born again in 2018. He had been leading troops in the Upper Nile when they came under intense conflict. Of his 420 soldiers, only 15 survived that campaign. A friend said to him, “If you grieve too much you will die. Find a medicine. There is no other medicine than Jesus” - and he came to faith. As part of bringing a greeting, he preached from Micah 7:1-7 and gave a testimony of meeting God in the service:

“When I came today, I felt a heavy burden and responded to the message this morning. I came to the front for prayer - I want to tell you, Jesus lifts burdens”.

The Commissioner, Commander and Police Chief left late on Sunday, taking most of the soldiers with them. Their testimonies and messages of what God is doing here, however, have gone out across the nation.