The Family of a Servant
Though I only met Mahagoub for a couple of days, I will never forget him. He was a man of enormous heart, character, and passion–and even though we did not speak the same language, his fist-pumping encouragement ministered far beyond any language barriers.
His story is as amazing as the joy he spread to all around him. He had been a member of the Sudanese parliament, an influential
leader and able representative of the tribes of the Nuba Mountains. But he gave up his position of influence for one simple reason–to preach the gospel of Christ. He used his political influence and charismatic personality for the greatest good of all, bringing souls into the Kingdom.
The time spent with Brother Mahagoub was precious, and in just a couple of days I felt as if he were a good friend, as well as being a brother in Christ. As he traveled with us throughout Sudan, he could barely hide his excitement for Remember's work and the movement of Christ throughout the Nuba.
A couple of months after our first Sudan trip, we received the word that Brother Mahagoub was dead. I was heartbroken, and I wasn't the only one; everyone involved in ministry in central Sudan felt the loss.
We are still not sure what caused his death. In central Sudan they do not do autopsies, and Brother Mahagoub died on the mission field, in the midst of the Nuba Mountains. It would appear he died of heart failure, which could
easily have been the result of an assassin's poison (a tactic known to have been employed by Muslim extremists in the area) or just the result of many years of hard work, poor diet, and the stress of being a Christian in Sudan. One thing is certain, though–Mahagoub died doing the work of the Kingdom.
His wife had died of cancer a couple of years before Mahagoub went to be with the Lord, leaving their four children orphans. Three daughters and one son, each in their teens and early twenties as far as we can establish, left without anyone to provide for their needs. They can work, but in doing so, have no opportunity to obtain the education necessary to give them a chance to prosper–and to continue in the ministry footsteps of
their father.
I am so happy to say, in the face of all of this sadness, that Remember is reaching out to these children in the love of Christ. We have undertaken to provide them with enough money, on a monthly basis, to provide for their education and basic needs. Because of your generous work and donations, we are able to make sure that they get back on their feet. Our support is not a permanent entitlement, but a gift of love to give them the opportunity to be mighty weapons in God's Kingdom.
Will you join me in praying for these four? Pray for them through the grief of loss and the pain of hunger. But don't just pray for their current situation; pray for their futures. They have seen the Body of Christ at work, and the sacrifice the Kingdom is worth. Pray that this memory will never leave them, and as they grow up that they will become powerful tools in the hands of their Eternal Father.
Only that Father knows what value our investment will be worth. Let us pray that our assistance to these persecuted children will be the tool of revival throughout the nation of Sudan.
Members of Remember's Sudan team with Mahagoub's children - Khartoum, December 2007.