Last week you read Regina’s story of brokenhearted bravery. Today, get to know a little more about the determined, faithful, and tenacious Martalina and Elizabeth who will graduate with Regina, Deborah, and Susan in December and are crafting love, compassion, grace, and courage in their lives.
These young women are part of the next 2018 high school graduation at New Life Ministry (NLM), along the border of Darfur, South Sudan. In her book, Rising Strong, Brené Brown’s “Manifesto to the Brave and Brokenhearted” aptly names and celebrates the transformative work begun in Regina, Deborah, Susan, Martalina and Elizabeth’s lives: “We craft love from heartbreak, Compassion from shame, Grace from disappointment, Courage from failure. Showing up is our power. Story is our way home. Truth is our song. We are the brave and brokenhearted. We are rising strong.”
My name is Martalina Arek Mou. I am an orphan because I lost both my father and mother. When I was young I was left with my aunt and uncle. It was wartime in South Sudan and there was not enough food at home. So my aunt used to go to the forest to collect the tree leaves and cooked them for us as food. Sometimes, I used to help her with the cooking. She even dug the roots of the trees and also cooked them as food. It is a very long story to explain how we survived at that time. Suddenly, we heard that James Lual Atak (director of New Life Ministry) opened a school for orphans. We didn’t understand that there would be food and even clothes. When I told my uncle and my aunt that I wanted to go to the orphanage school, they refused. I cried thinking that if my parents were alive; I would have gone to the school. But I was determined and when I ran to James for help while I was very small he accepted me into a future of hope.
My name is Elizabeth Agoot Atak. I am very thankful & grateful to share my story with you as you are my family in Christ who have taken care of me all of these years. By the time I was brought here in NLM, I was indeed an orphan who lost my parents during the war between South Sudan & Sudan. I was left with my aunt who was also very old. She brought me to NLM and later died in a road accident. I was 8 years old when she brought me to NLM school in 2006. Before I was in NLM, I was like somebody who doesn’t know how to swim & when she goes to the river for bathing, she nearly drowns but is luckily rescued. That’s how my life was. I was about to die but instead I was helped by NLM and also by you.
As Elizabeth bravely names, “I was about to die but instead I was helped by NLM and also by you.” Your partnership saves lives, restores hopes, and lifts up the vulnerable.
With much THANKSGIVING we celebrate Susan, Regina, Martalina, Deborah, Elizabeth and your partnership which saves lives, restores hopes, and lifts up the vulnerable. With your help thousands are protected, graduations are now possible, and love is crafted from heartbreak.
With much LUV and appreciation,
Audrey Moore
Executive Director