I want to take a quick moment to give an update on a project that is currently underway in the Nuba Mountains. As you may remember, I was in Nuba at the start of the current Covid-19 crisis.
To give a little background on our work in Nuba, about two years ago, ATC was involved in bringing about 50 at-risk kids back to safety in Nuba. They were caught in the middle of the war in Sudan, while the Khartoum government conducted bombing campaigns against the Nubian people and surrounding areas.
This particular area, where the kids were located, had not received any outside aid since 2015. As you can imagine, the conditions in the village were devastating and showed no signs of improving.
Through the Lord’s hand and divine appointment, we were able to make a few connections with political figures and were able to access the area. It was a pretty precarious mission, and the ATC Team had to be accompanied by a team of armed soldiers, but the Lord allowed them to reach the area and bring this community much needed aid. From there, the ATC Team was able to move the 50 kids to a safe zone to have access to education, medicine, and food.
This happened in 2019. I was there at the beginning of 2020 and was able to follow up this successful mission and bring more food and clothes to sustain them for the next year. Since the beginning of 2020, another 17 children have joined these kids, but the year of food began to quickly run out.
As you can imagine, Covid restricted all the aid coming in and out. They closed all the markets, so the food shortage became a significant issue. Although the threat of starvation is not a new reality in this region, the battle against it was rearing its ugly head in a whole new way with the pandemic.
The last month of the year commitment was nearing, and the plan that the government came up with was to essentially just send the kids home. This would mean sending them on a ten day walk through the plains of Africa with no food, maybe some water; hoping that lions or other predators and enemy soldiers didn’t overtake them.
In order to keep this from happening, we knew we needed a large sum of money in a matter of days. It seemed impossible, but it’s crazy how fast God can move. With two days left on the clock, God took only 12 hours to raise all the money. Now those 67 children will have food, medicine, new clothes, and education for another year.
In addition to this amazing generosity to care for their food, medicine and well-being, we thought it would be incredible to raise money to build them beds. Right now, they sleep on the ground and on tarps.
We would love to give them the gift of a place to lay their heads so they can truly feel at home and secure. It’s a small thing, but for kids who have lived through war, a bed is a big deal.
We can’t wait to see how the Lord provides for these kids even beyond what He has already done.
EDIT: In less than 3 days, donors came together to FULLY FUND beds for all 67 children! Thank you so much for your support! We can't wait to surprise these amazing kids.
JAKE FULLER
FIELD COORDINATOR
Jake never thought he would follow in his father's footsteps, but after stepping in to lead an emergency relief trip to the Nuba Mountains in the fall of 2017, he knew God was leading him into mission work. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Agricultural Science and a minor in Social Change and Leadership in 2018, Jake accepted a full-time position as a Field Coordinator. When he's not leading trips or coordinating projects, you can find Jake working on the family farm or hanging out with his wife A.C.