Biu shares the gospel in a South Sudan refugee camp

By Susan Akyeampong | South Sudan in East Africa

Biu with women in South Sudan she shares the gospel with.

Biu’s story is one of remarkable dedication and creativity in sharing the gospel with women in a South Sudanese refugee camp, focusing on outreach and discipleship. For more than six years, she has faithfully ministered to people impacted by war, trauma, and displacement.  

Her journey from her home in Asia, where she shared the gospel with sex workers and street children, to one of the most isolated parts of Africa, has been driven by a calling to reach those who have not yet heard the name of Jesus.  

She didn’t know how she would reach these people, but God paved the way. When she visited another church as a singer in her own church’s choir, she heard the guest speaker —the wife of an SIM director — speak about SIM and its work in unreached areas. Biu couldn’t believe it. From that moment, she connected with SIM, received support from the very church she had been singing in, and soon after arrived in Malawi, where she would spend the next three years.  

Biu has for the past decade faithfully served in unreached areas where SIM has most needed workers. It’s why she has been in South Sudan for the past six years, where she has been ministering among women in communities with low literacy and limited access to traditional evangelism. Recognising the many barriers these women face — from illiteracy to the challenges of daily survival — Biu has developed unique and compassionate ways to share the gospel and connect deeply with them. 

The ministry has been both a challenge and a joy — years of sharing the hope of the gospel in the midst of South Sudan’s struggles.  

The camp sprawls in all directions, and when visitors or passers-by see it, they often say that it looks like a village, with rows of mud and grass houses standing side by side. The families who live there are grouped by tribe, and all have been displaced by war. Those Biu meets have gone through great suffering and loss. Yet, in their trauma, they are open to the hope Jesus offers through her. 

Biu focuses on leading Bible studies with Christian and Muslim women from different ethnic groups, even though many of them struggle to set aside time to learn about Jesus. 

But with the help of the Holy Spirit, Biu has found creative ways to overcome these difficulties. She is both learning and teaching the women that God meets you where you are, and that what you have is enough.  

Because of this, the gospel is reaching them in new ways.  

When Biu moved to South Sudan, she quickly realised that traditional methods of sharing the Bible wouldn't always work, because many people are illiterate. 

She said, "Most of the women are uneducated and can't read. On top of that, there’s almost nothing written in their language, not even the Bible. So, instead, I ask for a bit of their time — about 15 minutes — and I read the Bible to them, explaining what it means. Then I have them repeat the verses after me to help them remember." 

Biu also shares a film about Jesus’ life and a Good News picture graphic that explains the gospel visually. She also gives them audio bibles to make scripture more accessible. 

She visits the women each week to share more scripture and pray with them. When she returns, she sees they are remembering the verses and that the seed of scripture is taking root. Despite their busy lives, whenever Biu comes back, the women she has been meeting with are enthusiastic to sit down and learn more. 

Biu delivers one of her Bible studies in the refugee camp.

Biu said: “One of the things that encourages me about the women from the different Bible study groups is their passion for sharing Jesus with others in the community and their neighborhood. The Mofo women love to bring their sick friends and relatives to our Bible study for prayer, and God is working miracles here. Through God's healing touch, new people have joined the Bible study, and some have come to Christ.” 

Biu has been so encouraged by the way she has seen God change the hearts of the women she meets that she feels her time at the camp and in South Sudan may be coming to an end. 

She said: “When I first came here, it really felt like an unreached country, and I was meeting people at the point of despair who hadn’t yet heard the gospel. But now, it feels like the gospel is everywhere in the camps and the community around me! It's not just SIM; there are so many mission organisations and Christian groups. People are hearing the good news.'" 

She thanks God for what he has done and now feels energised to venture out to another unreached community and share the hope that they can find in Jesus.    

Biu is now preparing for her home assignment and is praying about her next steps, waiting to see how God will guide her and where he is calling her next. 

Prayer: