Abuk surrendered her life to Jesus after a group of Christians rebuilt her home.
The South Sudanese widow, a mother to four children, found herself trapped with no options when her house burned to the ground. When a local church, whose pastor had just completed training by Samaritan’s Purse, found out about Abuk’s situation, they immediately jumped to action.
“Our church was moved by Abuk’s situation,” said Pastor Daniel Lual, whose church helped rebuild the woman’s home with the help of the North Carolina-based Samaritan’s Purse. “She was among the most vulnerable.”
Without their partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, which is helmed by the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, Lual said his congregation may have missed the chance to help Abuk.
Lual’s church was one of more than 500 destroyed during the decades of war that ravaged the African country. The American charity helped rebuild his church several years ago.
Because of the local church’s actions, not only does Abuk have a home she can be proud of — “I love the fact that I now have a house to live in with dignity” — she has also found new faith in Jesus.
“I became a Christian, which is making me joyful every day,” she said. “My life has totally changed. I love sharing Jesus with others.”
Abuk’s story reveals the importance of doing for others and caring for those around us. Because of their good works — proof of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the lives of the church’s members — Abuk became curious about the Gospel and ultimately surrendered her life to Christ.
“We need to love God and we also need to love our neighbors,” said Lual, referring to Matthew 22:36-40, when Jesus explained the “greatest commandment.”
Before, Abuk was downtrodden and depressed. Now she is filled with hope about her future because she knows “it was Jesus who touched their hearts to come and help me.”
Please continue to pray for Abuk and her children as well as Lual and his church.