In 1927 a pastor named Nathan Banja formed a small church in the village of Payawa. Within a year, they had a building with mud walls and a grass roof to house a congregation of more than 700 believers.

The Payawa congregation grew year after year, reaching more than 1,500 regular worshippers by 1987. But Sudan’s escalating civil war cast a dark shadow over Payawa and everything would soon change.

As government troops advanced, people living in Payawa fled to the surrounding countryside. Soldiers pursued the unarmed villagers, and hundreds of men and women were killed or captured. Everything they owned was brutally taken from them. Payawa believers lived in temporary bush camps for the next 11 years, always on the run and wary of surprise attacks.

The displaced Christians kept their faith alive by gathering under mango trees for worship and communion. Survivors remember the day they were ambushed by soldiers as they gathered for prayer. Several church members were shot, and many others were taken prisoner and tortured.

An aerial bomb destroyed the church during the war. Ground forces swept through and burned the homes believers had left behind. Nothing remained for the exiles, but they were determined to return home one day.

As fighting in the region subsided, believers began rebuilding their homes and a simple church with a grass roof.

Church elders were delighted when Samaritan’s Purse first met with them to discuss building a new sanctuary.

“We are always repairing our church building every year," one leader said. "A new church building would last for our children and grandchildren, and give them courage. More people would come and hear about Jesus.”

On May 20, 2007, the Payawa Church was dedicated to the Lord.

More than 500 people bowed their heads as Pastor Hillary Adeba stood on the threshold and prayed. When the doors opened, more than 200 people crowded inside. Hundreds more surrounded the building, watching and listening through every open window. People danced as choirs sang, and church leaders took turns encouraging the congregation from the Word of God.

At one point, four people held up items that symbolized the many temporary sanctuaries that had been built and repaired over the years—a stone, a bundle of grass, a handful of sticks, and a large piece of wood. Church leaders wanted everyone to remember those years of struggle and always thank God for His deliverance and blessing.

The celebration lasted for more than five hours, ending with a feast for the entire community. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten. …You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the Name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed” (Joel 2:25-26, NIV).