Soldier for Christ by Michael Sokiri Sudan is a nation that has been at war with itself since before I was born. When I was 12 I joined the army. One day as I walked along a path near a village, I heard a group of people arguing about religion. I had no religion, but I was curious, so I stopped to listen. In our culture we listen to what visitors have to say. But these villagers were arguing with their visitors. I urged them to let the visitors speak. They were discussing the Sabbath. The villagers listened for awhile, but they started arguing again about which day is God’s day. “Let those who want to worship on Sunday do so,” I urged, “and those who wish to worship on Sabbath, do so.” I learned that the visitors lived near me. So I went to talk to them about religion. I sensed they knew the truth, but I tried to provoke them to argue. When they refused I began asking sincere questions. Eventually I studied with them and decided to follow them. But before I could be baptized, I was sent to the front lines. When I shared my new faith with fellow soldiers, they were surprised, for they knew I used to smoke opium. When they learned that I had cut down my opium bushes, some soldiers were angry, for they had bought opium from me. They found the lay evangelists who had taught me the Bible and beat them. The evangelists dared not flee because the soldiers would kill them. The war turned against us, and we soldiers fled. I fled into Uganda, where I lived as a refugee. There God taught me to read the Bible. I became a gospel evangelist and returned to Sudan to work for God. I shared my faith with Simon and told him what God was doing for me and the beliefs that Adventists hold dear. Simon became an Adventist, but his wife rejected his new faith and left him. However, when she saw the changes in his life, she returned and joined him in baptism. His sisters also accepted the Adventist faith. Word spread about Simon’s conversion, and people from his village were so amazed at the changes in him that they studied the Bible with him and became Adventists too. I share my faith with everyone I can, both in the refugee camp and in my home area. How precious it is to read God’s word and share it with others, to watch their faith grow until they accept God’s truths. Your Sabbath School Mission offerings support the work of the church in difficult-to-reach areas such as Sudan. Michael Sokiri is a church elder in Yei, Sudan. |
