Shoebill Stork
This prehistoric-looking bird, with a shoe-shaped bill nearly a foot wide, stalks the swamps of South Sudan hunting lungfish with eerie stillness.
Flag of South Sudan
Field Report
South Sudan sits in the heart of East Africa, sharing borders with Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan, and it is one of the youngest nations on Earth, having only become a country in 2011. Its landscape stretches from enormous tropical wetlands teeming with rare wildlife to wide savannahs where cattle herders have walked for centuries. More than 11 million people call South Sudan home, and many of them have never had the chance to hear about Jesus.
From the Field Notebook
Shoebill Stork
This prehistoric-looking bird, with a shoe-shaped bill nearly a foot wide, stalks the swamps of South Sudan hunting lungfish with eerie stillness.
Nile Lechwe
This shaggy antelope has specially splayed hooves that act like snowshoes on the floating papyrus mats of the Sudd wetlands.
African Elephant
South Sudan is home to one of the largest elephant migrations on Earth, with herds crossing Boma National Park each year in a river of grey.
Asida
This thick, smooth porridge made from sorghum flour is the everyday staple in South Sudan, eaten by hand and often scooped with a stew of greens or meat.
Ful Medames
Slow-cooked fava beans mashed with oil and spices, this dish fills the air with a earthy, savory smell and is eaten for breakfast across much of the country.
Kisra
A thin, slightly sour flatbread made from fermented sorghum, kisra is baked on a hot iron plate and used to scoop up soups and stews at family meals.
South Sudan is the world's newest country, having become an independent nation on July 9, 2011, which means it is younger than many of the kids reading this.
The Sudd, a vast swamp in central South Sudan, is one of the largest wetlands in Africa and can swell during the rainy season to cover roughly one-fifth of the entire country.
South Sudan has more than 60 distinct ethnic groups, and people across the country speak over 60 different languages, meaning a child in one village might not understand a word spoken by a child two villages away.
The Dinka people of South Sudan are among the tallest populations on Earth, with many men reaching well over six feet in height.
The White Nile, one of the two great rivers that join to form the famous Nile River, flows directly through South Sudan on its long journey north toward Egypt.
Daily Life
58
Years life expectancy
27%
Can read and write
35%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
South Sudan is home to 80 distinct people groups — 6 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
A majority of South Sudan's people follow Christianity (63.7%). Evangelical Christians make up about 19.8% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Arab, Sudanese
369,000 people
Arab, Mongallese
238,000 people
Deaf
55,000 people
Nyangatom
12,000 people
Daasanach
5,100 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.