By Kori Allen, USA

In Victory Village, we met countless of kind and beautiful people. From the Western World, we’d take one look at this conglomerate of disheveled, run-down apartment buildings and say, “Why on Earth is it called Victory Village?” (Believe me, I did).

What we don’t see from the outside, is that this is a beloved safe-haven for families from Sudan; for men, women, and children alike who fled war in their homeland.

Roughly 2.5 million citizens have been killed through civil war in Sudan in past years, with nearly 400,000 in recent years. Some deaths came from mass killing, and some from hunger, disease, and other causes exacerbated by the conflict.

What we view as a mostly unlivable village is a shining beacon of hope for the Sudanese people. It’s a shelter from the terror of their former lives, and a symbol of victory over death.

The video of Joseph’s family features two children we had in school with us all week. Our young boys who never stopped smiling at school went home to an empty apartment without electricity, food, or water.

The filthy, fly-ridden home housed a hopeless-looking family of seven. The new baby laid on the ground. Their family had fled the war in Sudan after their farm was bombed by rebel forces.

There is hope…

Our team members, along with family and friends, bought Joseph’s family a sofa, table, wardrobe, food, beds, backpacks, books, medicine, sponsorships for school for a year and more.

The best part was the the honor of meeting Joseph’s family and giving them the gifts personally - something I’d only dreamed about. My heart soared as our two boys and their one-year-old sister jumped for joy. Their mother smiled from ear to ear, cradling her new baby as their father Joseph looked on with ultimate appreciation.

The children’s grandmother, a kind-looking elderly woman looked on as well. I could see pain in her eyes, but felt her heart from across the room. We’d been informed earlier that she had cancer with no money for medical treatment. Through it all, she wore a cross necklace around her neck. She asked me to pray for her, and I was honored.

The eyes filled with light and recognition

Her tired eyes filled with light and recognition as I recounted my moments of fear, loneliness, despair, and complete hopelessness. I described the times when I was sure God had left me, and when I thought I would surely die. Then I told her of the miracle God had done in me, and the victorious strength that inexplicably filled my body and mind during my time in North Africa.

The moment we prayed for her was a true gift. God gave me the words as we prayed for healing, peace, and for God to move the mountain in her heart and body. Tears flooded her eyes as I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

When we let go, she pulled me back in tightly, turning her ear against my chest. I’ve never been more grateful for the fire I’d walked through that allowed this woman to feel in some way I understood.

The pain of my new family

Only God can take a middle-class white girl from America and give her a way to reach His children who escaped genocide and live in poverty halfway across the world.

God showed me the true definition of how He works all things together for our good through my time in North Africa – even our darkest days and lowest valleys. The lesson I’ve learned that stands above the rest, is that when you think you can’t, GOD CAN…so if you can go, go.

If you can stand up, stand up.

If you can declare your faith, do it. If you’re called to “jump out of the boat” headfirst and face your greatest vulnerabilities, DO it - even if you’re shaking with fear and have no clue how it will work out. In my experience, when God asks you to step out, you will most likely be shaking with fear. This is so we’ll have no choice but to keep our eyes on Him, and when it comes to pass we’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Him. When you think you can’t, God can, and He will.

Let’s make this our prayer as we move forward, in whatever season you’re in: God, your love is too good to leave us here. We thank you that you will work all things together for our good, and use us to be a light for You. In Your name we pray forevermore, Amen.

Thank you for your generosity and kindness shown towards this family.