November 8 - Pray for: Sudan

Sudan has known only war for its entire modern history. Violence is rife throughout Sudan, which is regarded as one of the world's least stable nations. The belligerent government/military waged war against restive populations in the south, west and east at massive human and economic cost to its own citizens. With such religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity added to civil conflicts and hostile relations with neighbours, peace is nearly impossible. Pray for sweeping change at the highest levels and throughout the land - for repentance, restitution and rebuilding of communal life.

Specific issues and groups for prayer:

• Increasing numbers of Muslims are turning to Jesus, in some cases, even entire villages. They are often disillusioned by Islam and attracted to Jesus. The openness among many is remarkable, and believers from Muslim backgrounds number in the tens of thousands. But millions remain virtually unreached by the gospel.
• Khartoum is a booming conurbation of approximately seven million inhabitants, including the vast shantytowns on the outskirts, which consist mostly of displaced Nuba Mountain, Darfurian and southerner populations. Poverty and deprivation are widespread, and Christians are often subjected to harassment, destruction of church buildings and discriminatory taxes and laws. Khartoum actually has a higher Christian presence than any other northern city, but remains dominated by Islam.
• The Nuba Mountain peoples, an island of mostly Christian peoples in a sea of Islam, suffered harshly under the government's heavy hand. Whole tribes have turned to Christ (Episcopal Church, Sudanese Church of Christ); a few others have become Muslim. There are still a number of unreached groups among the 79 peoples here. Most of the population fled during the military's genocidal campaign, but many are now returning, despite the continued threat of renewed persecution.
• Children and young people. Nearly half of Sudan's population are under age 18; almost all have grown up in a context of suffering and trauma.
  • Education. An entire generation has almost no schooling, with potentially disastrous future implications. The education sector is being rebuilt. Training teachers is a great need (9,000 needed in the south alone), but getting kids into school is just as important. CMS helps Christians with an "Under Tree School" programme. Hope for the Future and Aid to the Church in Need are two of many agencies providing Sudanese Christian children with education. Only 22% of children are enrolled in school - partly due to compulsory fees introduced in 1999 - and only 1% of girls in Sudan finish school. ACES, the Association of Christian Educators in Sudan, is a united Christian voice on issues of education.
  • Street children - over 70,000 just in the northern part alone. Orphaned street kids in the war-battered south are uncounted. Almost all of Khartoum's more than 30,000 street kids were born elsewhere and are nearly all boys. Pray for Christian ministry to these vulnerable children. Operation Mercy, SOS Children, Kids Alive International and Living Water work with children at risk, but many more such ministries are needed.