Sam Childers helping children in his orphanage
Sam Childers with his anti-LRA militia
Have you ever heard of the man that the Southern Sudanese call the “Machine Gun Preacher”? If you haven’t, then let me tell you a little bit about the man who has risked everything to save the children of Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda in Africa. The name Machine Gun Preacher was bestowed upon Sam Childers by the Southern Sudanese locals after witnessing several of his missions. Sam decided to build an orphanage in one of the most militarily active villages in Southern Sudan named Nimule, which borders Uganda. In addition to operating the orphanage, Sam Childers actively hunts down the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to rescue children from the brutal rebel forces. All the while, Sam Childers sold his business in the U.S. and anything else that he could to help fund his own efforts.
As a child and young adult, Sam Childers was a trouble maker. While consuming and selling hard drugs, Sam eventually took up arms and engaged in extreme violence. He learned how to use a shotgun so that he could protect his partners and intimidate his competitors. However after many years of drug fueled violence, Sam began to fear for his life. His wife Lynn began going back to church and with time she was able to convince Sam to come with her. Gradually, Sam began to leave the hard drugs and start working a legitimate job as a construction worker. A few years later he became drug free entirely and opened his own construction business.
Sam Childers was now an avid church goer, a faithful husband and a Father. One day after listening to a pastor from Africa, Sam joined the man on a mission to South Sudan. The trip changed Sam Childers forever. He saw terrible things when he went to South Sudan. Children missing limbs, mothers being hospitalized after being brutally raped and many more horrifying injuries. The experience led Sam to venture on his own until finally stumbling upon the border village of Nimule, where God inspired him to build an orphanage. From that point on, Sam Childers has been fighting the LRA and operating his orphanage.
In 2011, a movie titled “Machine Gun Preacher” chronicled the story of Sam Childers. Today Sam Childers continues to fight the LRA and help the orphaned children of Southern Sudan. After watching the film and researching his story, I found that some people find his mission to be controversial. They claim that his use of weapons and violence reduces the effectiveness of his mission. However, I do not share the same opinion. While I may not agree with everything the man does, I recognize that sometimes, drastic problems require drastic solutions. Today, Sam’s orphanage has helped over 1,000 children and it is the largest orphanage in Southern Sudan. This story has inspired me and shown that one man really can make a difference in the world.
Visit http://www.machinegunpreacher.org to learn more about Sam Childers mission. There is a link on the page where you can donate money to his cause. If you were inspired by Sam and his mission, then please help him maintain his operation by giving a donation. If you decide to give money to his mission, leave me a comment and let me know that you did. I would love to hear back from you guys and know what you think about his mission.
South Sudan in Africa
Children in Turalei
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