It’s Holy Week and the road to the cross is before us. It’s hard to fathom the betrayal and suffering that Jesus faced could lead to Sunday Resurrection. How can such pain and injustice lead to hope and new life?
From where I sit, none of this ever adds up, but I trust that God is always at work transforming tragedy into triumph — and offering healing for a heartbroken world.
Over the years, I have witnessed how God’s miraculous power and lovingkindness brings forth beautiful transformations that have breathed new life into impossible situations.
One example that comes to mind is the story of a trafficking survivor named Majok who arrived at New Life Ministry (NLM), our partners along the border of Darfur, in 2007.
He shared, “I came to New Life Ministry when I was a 14-year-old child. When I was five years old, Sudan soldiers came to our hometown, and we ran into the bush for safety. They captured our area, and they killed many people in the village. We were hiding in the bush, but the soldiers kept on searching for those who had hidden themselves. They started setting fire to the dry grass because it was summertime and the flames forced us out. They killed my father, mother, and the other elder people and then they took us kids with them — including my sister. At their home, the commander took my elder sister as his wife and I was given to one of the soldiers as his son. Other children were distributed too. He took me to his home and told me to look after his cattle.”
Despite the impossible realities that kids like Majok face every day, our God is greater still. As author Frederick Buechner powerfully expressed, “Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.”
Majok’s story didn’t end there. He shared, “One day, I went with the cattle [I was forced to watch] on a very long distance to the forest and escaped with two other boys with whom we made an agreement. We had planned ahead and carried with us gourds* to carry milk for the very long walk ahead of us. When we reached South Sudan safely, I came to New Life Ministry as an orphan, and I was accepted.”
With your help, Majok was protected and educated through our anti-trafficking network and graduated from high school in 2018. Today, he is in his final year of a nursing program.
Recently he wrote, “I would like to give you thanks and show you how you have transformed me from an unknown place to the light and bright future. New Life Ministry has taught us how to fish, and not how to only eat fish. I pray to God to give you a reward, protect you from evil, and encourage you to keep helping the vulnerable children around the world.”
Like Majok, nearly 2,000 children, women, and men in our programs are experiencing the mystery and hope of the resurrection.
Because you care, hundreds of kids in war-torn homes and communities are being protected and restored from human trafficking in some of the hardest-to-reach places in our world today.
Even when it feels like all hope is lost, God is at work. Easter is coming!
This Easter would you consider making a special donation in Majok’s honor?
In May, a short-term mission team is heading to South Sudan. While there LUV’s medical volunteers will serve alongside the NLM nurses and nursing students (like Majok!) to offer a free clinic for the community. Read reflections from two return members: Dr Kyle and Marna as they share about their experience and the critical needs in the communities of South Sudan. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we prepare and travel. Follow our team’s journey on social media for more updates!