“Words of declaration of God’s glory” – a missionary moment

Joel was born in Kosti, Northern Sudan into a Catholic family. In 2011, they moved to Torit, South Sudan. They went to church on Sundays, he attended Sunday school and learned from the Bible, but it never clicked. He did not understand what Jesus had done for him and why we need church. He eventually stopped attending church and went his own way. In 2016, he found some worship songs on his brother’s phone and sent them to his own. He listened to them over and over again and the lyrics really touched him.

They spoke to him. He said it was as if a voice was speaking to him. And so he did what that voice told him to do. He fasted and prayed, isolated himself from people and took time to really understand what was going on.

One day, he had a dream. In it, something fell off of his eyes and ears and he recognized who that voice was. It was the voice of God. He decided to follow Jesus and started to attend church again. Worship music changed his life and led him to know Christ. “What touched me were the words, because they are living words and words of declaration of God’s glory,” said Joel.

In 2018, two years after he had joined the church, God started to give him songs. And so he went and wrote them down. In 2022, he recorded his first album called “God’s Favour Album” with eight songs and released it in 2023. Joel said, “It was the biggest thing that the Lord had done in my life. I have seen his favour.”

Most of his songs are written in Juba-Arabic, the most commonly spoken language in South Sudan, but he wants to also translate his songs into his tribal language so that more people will have access to the Good News. Joel says, “My vision is to reach unreachable places and tell people that God is still good in his promises and share the Good News–the Word of God– through worship songs.” What an amazing way to share the Gospel–through music! Many people in South Sudan are still illiterate and so the only way to reach them with the Gospel is through audio. And people love music.

Listen to Joel’s songs here: https://youtu.be/Sa3el33D9MM?feature=shared

-told by a missionary to South Sudan

Representative photo

Published by AfriGo on 15 April, 2024