An Orphan and a Refugee

Little Moga James was taken to St Bartholomew’s Orphanage in Kajo Keji, South Sudan after both his parents died of HIV Aids.  He was 5 years old.

Gordon helped to build St Bartholomew’s in 2003.  He met Moga there on one of his visits after Moga’s arrival.  Moga was already pounding on the drum.  He loved playing the local African drums as the children gathered together to sing songs about Jesus.  It was this sight that prompted Gordon to make Moga James our family’s personal sponsor child.

It was through the South Sudan ministry that Gordon (and later Sharon) was able to visit the orphanage regularly.  This provided opportunity to see Moga in his own surroundings, meet his little friends, and give the little gifts from our family including a children’s Bible.  Of course, for the most part, there were small gifts for all the orphans on these visits.

When war broke out in South Sudan in 2016 and was nearing the little town of Kajo Keji, it became necessary to transport the children at the orphanage to safety in northern Uganda.

Children are not exempt from becoming refugees and especially not orphaned children!

Some of the older orphans were placed in refugee camps, while the youngest ones continued to get some care from the staff that accompanied them.

Thankfully we were able to find a Christian family in Entebbe, Uganda who had a heart for orphans and agreed to be the foster family for Moga as we continued to sponsor his education.

Moga James was taken from Uganda, where he was born, to the orphanage in South Sudan at 5 years old.  Then he had to flee the only home he knew, back to Uganda as a refugee at about 12 years old.

Moga has grown into a big boy and is 18 now.  He had learned about Jesus at the orphanage and at church over the years, but it wasn’t until our most recent visit with him this April, that he received Jesus as his Savior.

We rejoice that Moga, the orphan and refugee, is now also a child of God!

Our prayer is that Moga James will grow in His walk with God, as he studies at a Christian School, attends Chapel, reads the Bible, and spends time with us as we continue to visit him and his foster family when we travel to Uganda for our ministry with South Sudanese refugees there.