03/20/2026
Serving in South Sudan: Hope in One of the Most Remote Places We’ve Ever Been
Our recent trip to South Sudan was unlike any mission we have experienced. Even before arriving in the villages where we would serve, the challenges of reaching this region reminded us just how isolated these communities truly are.
We flew into the capital city of Juba, where security is extremely tight due to ongoing political instability. Travel by road is often unsafe, with reports of theft, violence, and checkpoints along major routes. Because of this, our team relied on Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to transport us and all of our medical supplies by small aircraft into the remote region where we were serving.
MAF had not flown into this area since 2022, so extensive planning was required. Prior to 2020 an aircraft was stuck in Arilo for 6 months. MAF would only consider flying our team there in dry season December -February. Our team and equipment had to be divided into 4 flights due to weight restrictions for landing and taking off from this small dirt airstrip. All medications and supplies were flown in on small planes because the road infrastructure is poor, and during the rainy season, the area become completely unreachable. These are some of the worst roads in the country.
Even hospitals in the capital city of Juba struggle to keep medicine in stock. In some cases, facilities have been raided and supplies stolen. In the region where we served, access to healthcare is almost nonexistent.
One nurse we met told us that even in the nearest town, several hours away, they often have no medicine at all. Patients can test positive for malaria, but there may be nothing available to treat them.
Our team was serving the Tennet people group. When we arrived in the villages, the need was overwhelming.
This was the first time on a mission trip where the people did not come with smiles and excitement. Instead, many looked tired, discouraged, and hopeless. Families walked miles often barefoot, just to reach the clinic. Because so many people travel without shoes and without access to treatment, we treated more wounds on this trip than on any trip before.
In total, our team saw 1,572 patients during the outreach. Many of the illnesses we treated were directly related to poor sanitation and unsafe water.
Almost every family we saw was dealing with intestinal parasites or stomach illness’. The water available in many villages comes from small ponds that are also used by animals. Families walk long distances to collect this water, carry it home in unclean containers, and then use it for drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Repeatedly, we had to explain to mothers the importance of boiling water before drinking it. Some had as many as seven children, and the risk of serious illness was very real. Without clean water, children suffer from constant stomach pain, diarrhea, and infections that can become life-threatening.
There are several borehole wells in the region, but most of them are no longer working. In many cases, the wells were never maintained, and the community does not have the structure or leadership in place to keep them functioning.
We spoke with village chiefs about repairing one of the wells and offered to help provide the funds if the community would commit to maintaining it. We explained that real change would only come if the people worked together to care for what had been given to them. Sadly, there was little response. What we sensed most was not resistance, but hopelessness. Many people seemed to believe that nothing would ever change.
Sanitation is another major challenge. In some places, there are pit latrines (toilets), but they are not maintained. Hygiene practices are limited, and illness spreads easily. We spent a great deal of time teaching basic health education — washing hands, boiling water, and safe food preparation — because without these changes, the same diseases will continue to return.
The burden on our team was heavy. We were able to treat infections, wounds, and parasites, but we knew that without long-term change, many of these problems would come back. We are currently looking at programs to address this need on a long-term basis.
At the same time, we also saw God moving in powerful ways.
Every mission trip we take focuses not only on medical care, but also on sharing the Gospel. We know that true healing is both physical and spiritual.
We spoke with the local pastor about the importance of follow-up after our team leaves. Hundreds of people heard the message of Jesus during the outreach, and 563 people made decisions to follow Him. But the long-term impact depends on local believers continuing the work.
We encouraged the pastor that even simple changes could begin within the church itself. Teaching people to wash their hands, boil water, and care for their health may seem small, but those habits can save lives. If the believers begin to live differently and their health improves, others in the community will notice.
Still, the overwhelming feeling in this region was hopelessness.
One moment that stayed with us was a young girl, maybe 17 years old, sitting quietly in front of the nurse. She never smiled, never reacted, and seemed completely withdrawn. When we asked the translator to tell her she was beautiful, she showed no expression at all. It was a reminder that poverty is not only physical — it can affect the spirit as well.
In many ways, the challenges we saw are the result of generations of hardship. Culture, lack of education, isolation, and limited opportunity all play a role. These are not problems that can be solved in a single trip. Real change takes time, prayer, and people who are willing to invest their lives in these communities.
Living in this region is extremely difficult. There is no electricity, no reliable clean water, no internet, no cell service, and very little food security. Even for those who love the people deeply, staying long-term requires great sacrifice.
This is why we pray that God will raise up leaders — both local believers and missionaries — who are willing to stay, teach, and walk alongside the community for the long term.
Health education was a key part of this trip. Each day began with teaching about hygiene, sanitation, and basic care, along with sharing the Gospel. These lessons are simple, but they are life-changing in places where this knowledge has never been taught.
GOD MOVED IN POWERFUL WAYS.
One evening, the team attended an outdoor showing of the Jesus Film in one of the villages. There is no electricity in this region, so the film was shown using portable equipment powered by battery packs.
As night fell, people began gathering from all directions. Soon, more than a hundred people were sitting on the ground under the open sky, watching the story of Jesus for the first time.
Many of the children had never seen anything like it before, yet they sat quietly for hours, completely focused on the screen.
That night, ten people gave their lives to Christ.
On another day, after spending time praying over the area where we had been serving, the team later learned that 139 people responded to the Gospel during the film showing that evening — the largest number of salvations we have ever seen on a single trip.
Moments like these remind us that even when the physical needs feel overwhelming, God is already at work.
Expandable shoes that were brought for the outreach were gone within the first hour each day because so many people had none. Children walked miles barefoot over rocky ground just to reach the clinic. For many, receiving a pair of shoes was as meaningful as receiving medicine.
There are no vehicles in this region. No motorcycles, no bicycles, and very few roads. The only vehicles people saw were the trucks that brought our team in from Juba. For many villagers, just seeing a vehicle was unusual.
Along with the medical care and evangelism, there were moments on this trip that reminded us in a very personal way why we go.
One evening, several members of our team felt led to wash the feet of the local missionaries who serve in South Sudan every day. These men live in extremely difficult conditions, yet they continue to care for their communities and share the Gospel faithfully.
Our team gathered around them, washed their feet, and prayed over them. It was a powerful reminder that while we come to serve, we are also there to encourage those who are already giving their lives to this work.
There were also moments that were heartbreaking.
One of the most difficult cases we saw was a baby who was about one year old but weighed only six pounds. The child was extremely weak and barely responsive when the mother brought him to the clinic. We were able to give IV fluids, pray over him, and provide what little treatment we could.
Malnutrition is a constant struggle. Some mothers are not producing enough milk, and culturally it is not common for women to share breast milk with another child. In several cases, we had to explain very directly that without additional nourishment, the baby might not survive.
Before this trip, the Lord had placed the story of Lazarus on our hearts — the moment when Jesus waited so that His power could be revealed. We prayed that God would bring life to places that felt lifeless.
We believe He did.
We saw people who felt forgotten begin to experience hope again.
We saw the sick encouraged.
We saw families prayed for.
We saw hearts opened to the Gospel.
Life in this region is extremely hard. Most families survive by raising small herds of animals, which are often their only source of income. Conflict sometimes breaks out over cattle or goats because losing an animal can mean losing everything.
The population in the area we served is estimated to be around eighteen thousand people, spread across 13 villages in the mountains. Many have never seen consistent medical care before.
And yet, even in the middle of these difficult conditions, God is working.
We saw people come to Christ.
We saw missionaries strengthened.
We saw wounds treated.
We saw children fed.
We saw hope where there had been none.
This is why we go.
Not because we can fix everything in one trip, but because every visit brings light into places that feel forgotten. Every act of care reminds people that they are seen. Every prayer plants a seed that God can grow long after we leave.
Please continue to pray for the people of this region, for the pastors and believers who remain there, and for the strength to keep returning to the places where the need is greatest.
