In the past fifteen years over 2 million Sudanese Christians have perished, and eight million have become refugees, at the hands of the Sudanese Muslims. The perpetrators have been the Arab Sudanese from the North, with the aid of the black Sudanese Muslims of Darfur. The army that burned villages and slaughtered so many in Southern Sudan was 75% Darfurian.

Now it is the Darfurians who are suffering at the hands of the Arab population of the North. Six months ago Colin Powell described this slaughter as genocide, and the UN declared it was the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today. Something like 70,000 Darfurians have died in the past year, and close to 2 million are refugees.

In a stunning example that I am praying the whole world will learn of, Sudanese Christians are determined to rescue of their former persecutors. But to do so the Sudanese Council of churches-USA desperately needs your help. Darfurians who are dying in the bitter cold of the refugee camps in the desert of Eastern Chad. Last week we received an alarming report (please, God, may it be an exaggeration) that 500 children are dying each day, primarily for the lack of warm clothing.

The Sudan Council of Churches - USA (www.sudancouncilofchurches-usa.org) is made up of 38 congregations of different denominations. But the Sudanese are recent immigrants to the US, and they have very limited resources. By helping them to save the lives of Darfurian refugees, we can non only save the lives of so many innocent children, but we can also hold up an extraordinary example of forgiveness, that just might echo in acts of mercy and forgiveness around the world in Muslim - Christian relations.

In November the Sudan Council of Churches sent an exploratory team of four to Chad to visit refugee camps. They reported back a extremely urgent need to get clothing to the camps. In January $15,000 was wired to the capital of Chad, which was used to buy 5,000 articles of used clothing (primarily for children), which was trucked to the two camps visited by the team in November. The Darfurians were deeply moved, and have said it is "too wonderful a thing" that of all the people to come to their rescue, it would be the very people they victimized for so long.

This is a holy mission, and it is not only bringing much-needed relief and reconciliation, but also it is a profound demonstration of the character of God's love. There have been some pretty horrible things done in the name of God in our time. Isn't it just like God to show up in one of the darkest and most remote places on earth, to demonstrate what doing his will really looks like?

The Sudanese Council of Churches would like to make another emergency wire transfer to Chad to for another, large shipment to the camps of used clothing. We have learned with the earlier shipment that it can be done quickly and efficiently. This time we would like to send $50,000 to $100,000 to be used to buy clothing in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, to be trucked ASAP to the refugees. Help is needed right now. The urgent need is for clothing so children survive the winter. They can't wait four months for our help. They need it now.

You can make a tax-deductible donation, of which 100% will be used for the relief of the Darfurians, through Christ Church, Overland Park, KS (www.christchurch-op.org), and make out your check to "Christ Church" for "Sudan".

For more information:

Sudan Council of Churches - USA www.sudanesecouncilofchurches-usa.org World Magazine story - www.worldmag.com/subscriber/displayarticle.cfm?id=10253 Sudan Mercy e-mail list - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sudanmercy/

In Christ's service,

Tom Prichard

Tom Prichard is Pastor for Missions at Christ Church, Overland Park, Kansas www.christchurch-op.org