Deep South Sudan

Despite an honest effort to spike these dispatches with hope I think you might be getting the impression that Sudan and my own psyche are on some kind of downward spiral.  Well, I can’t speak for the entire nation, but the home where I live and serve – my little corner of Sudan – is still a stunningly bright place to be.  As for myself, I’m definitely not a poster boy for sunshine and bumblebees and fluffy clouds.  (On second thought, maybe I do accurately represent the essence of bumblebees.  But sunshine and fluffy clouds – ridiculous!)

The point I’m driving at is this:  my melancholic state of mind certainly doesn’t prevent Cornerstone from living up to it’s name.  I’m not the center of this home; Jesus is at the heart of all of this.  And so, in the interest of showing you the divine imprint on this home, I’d like to offer you a few excerpts from a recent newsletter.  And if reading isn’t your thing then just check out the photos!

In the “Home” Stretch!

In the first quarter of this year we’re continuing to run as fast as we can to finish the Cornerstone Kids’ new home.  We had hoped to see the kids in the building by the end of last year, but it wasn’t to be.  Nevertheless, we remain steadfast in our belief that God will shepherd this project through to its end, and we are setting our sights on opening the home within 2010.  The roofs have been completed and tiles have been fixed in the wings where the children will sleep.  Currently, the glass windows and the electrical wires are being installed in the kids’ rooms.  Please pray with us for the full completion of the home so that the children will finally be able to move out of their huts and into a much nicer and safer house.

Gaining Speed and Success in the Drive for Academic Excellence

One of Fulaa’s big priorities is making sure the Cornerstone Kids are able to achieve success in their academic pursuits.  In 2009 we saw some huge progress in the kids performance, which is exemplified by the results of two of our children, Daniel Atwali in Primary 1 (1^st Grade) and Mono Alex in Senior 6 (12^th Grade).  Daniel was the top performer in his class, receiving nearly perfect scores in all his final exams.  [I realize you might be saying to yourself, “Shouldn’t that kid be in 4^th or 5^th Grade?” And yes, he should.  But there was a war here in the South for two decades, and it’s taking a little bit of time for the people and the nation and the education system to recover.  So I say let’s celebrate what is being achieved despite all the damage left from the longest civil conflict in Africa’s recent history.  And now I’ll get down off my soapbox and allow you to continue with the good news.]    

Alex received what are termed “first grade results,” scoring a combined 22 points in his subjects.  The most points that a student can possibly receive are 25, so Alex was 3 points shy of a perfect performance.  In other words, he knocked it out of the park!  The results were so good that Alex is now in line to receive a government scholarship to continue his studies at a university.  He plans on pursuing a degree in electrical engineering later this year, but in the meantime he’s acting as a volunteer tutor at a local school as well as organizing after school math classes for his younger brothers and sisters at Cornerstone.

Shared Pain and Shared Joy:  The Story of Lagu and Vicky

James Lagu (17) and Vicky Atto (15) have been members of the Cornerstone Family since 2006.  Though they don’t possess the same last name, they are brother and sister.  (It’s common for parents in Sudan to not give their family name to their children.)  While they don’t have a shared name, they do have a shared history, which is composed of both pain and joy, defeat and victory, radical change and divine recovery.

Veronica Auma, the mother of Lagu and Vicky, contracted a disease that was never properly diagnosed and she passed away in extreme anguish.  Gabriel Okello, the father, is an alcoholic and never took much interest in caring for his kids.  When he learned of his wife’s death Gabriel quickly abandoned all parental responsibility, leaving his sister-in-law, Regina, in charge of bringing up the kids.  Due to her commitment to her immediate family and her inability to find steady employment, Regina faced difficulties in bringing up Lagu and Vicky.  Both children were physically and spiritually malnourished when representatives from Cornerstone discovered them.  After taking a careful look at the children, the leaders of the home chose to accept them into the family of Cornerstone.

James and Vicky are flourishing in the Christ-centered environment that is Cornerstone.  Occasionally they can be reserved in their demeanor, which is probably due to the hardship that they experienced early in their lives.  However, most of the time you’ll find them laughing and joking with their sisters and brothers and acting in way that shows that Jesus is in the process of healing the deep, emotional wounds that could’ve destroyed their spirits.  Both James and Vicky desire to one day serve in the medical field, James as a doctor and Vicky as a nurse.  In response to the way the Lord has graciously provided for their lives, they want to dedicate themselves to helping others who are in need.