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James Lual Atak's Story
An Orphan with a Heart for Orphans
James says the most memorable day of his life is the fifth day of being alone during the Janjaweed attack on his village. That was the day that a family came walking by the tree he was crying under and they took pity on him, including him into their clan as they fled for safety. He hid himself under a bush crying as he heard people say they had seen a big fire coming from his homestead. This family filled him with hope that (maybe) even though everyone told him that his whole family was dead, someone might take care of him; he was about nine years old. The attack lasted for many days. In the chaos of thousands of people running with no food or supplies sadly, within a couple of days, James got separated from the kind family. For the next 15 years, James lived ‘on the run' in some form or fashion. To sit around a circle and chat with James about his childhood is to hear of him as a little boy watching his friends, that he made along the desert roads of Sudan, getting eaten alive by wild animals or scrounging for food by eating flesh off the bones of carcasses that other animals had killed. Finally, James made his way to Nairobi , Kenya . Life didn't get much better as he lived on the streets, slept in doorways and begged for food. Then he met George William, the President of Open Doors of Sudan. George and his wife took James in and helped him along the way to get his education. George also discipled James in his walk with the Lord. As many of the Lost Boys of Sudan did, James was desperately trying to get a Visa to the West ( America , Great Britain or Australia ). His girlfriend, who he had met while in a refugee camp in Uganda , and he had dreams of getting married as soon as one of them got a visa. However, God had different plans for James. Now, a young adult, James kept being troubled by the thoughts of how many orphans were still left behind in Sudan with no help and no hope. He was troubled for two reasons: 1) he knew first hand what their lives were like 2) he felt powerless as an impoverished young man himself to do anything about it. James took his concerns to George. George prayed with and for James and he encouraged James to trust that the Lord would equip him if He called him. As James prayed daily about what he should do, he continued to check with the immigration authorities for his visa status. One day his name appeared on the list for an American visa. His girlfriend's name was on the list for an Australian visa. His girlfriend was so excited and told James she would marry him and then they could go to either country they wanted together.
George William gave James enough money for a ticket back to Sudan and $300 for food. James returned to Sudan alone. His girlfriend accepted her visa and moved to Australia . His own people thought he was crazy as he preached under a Mahogany tree and taught orphans to read from one textbook. When his $300 was gone, he sold the extra set of clothes he had so that he could buy tea, sugar and biscuits. By the time I found James under that tree three years ago, he had 153 orphans all trying to learn to read from that one text book! We all laugh and talk about how BIG James' story is but it is a true story of faithfulness that will be continued to be told over time. Today I wanted to share another piece of his journey with you and invite you to rejoice with me in his wedding announcement! Some six years after losing the woman he hoped to marry, James has found a Sudanese partner who is willing to commit herself to him and the call on his life! James' fiancée is Angelina Achai. She is from Sudan and currently lives with her parents in Kenya . She will return with James after their ceremony later this year to serve their people together. Praising God for the orphan with a heart for orphans. In Christ, - Kimberly Smith, President To read more of James Lual Atak's Story (click here)
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These
last few weeks, our Wednesday reports have been sharing different
stories of our Sudanese orphans. Today, we are happy to introduce
you to our indigenous leader, James Lual Atak, an orphan with
a heart for orphans. 
James,
however, felt all the more burdened. He had begun to really
believe the Lord wanted him to return to Sudan and help his
people. But, this was a golden opportunity to live in the
land of wealth and plenty with the woman he loved. He went
to his girlfriend and told her that he was not accepting his
visa. Instead he asked her to marry him so that they could
return to their people together and serve God. She told him
he was crazy! People were dying there! Everyone wanted OUT
and they were the lucky ones – why would they go back? James'
only answer was because his people needed them and God was
calling them.