FAITH

Around the age ofsix, he fled forhislife Running with about 25,000 other boys desperate to escape Sudan inefforttofind refuge in Ethiopia

The Journey From Sudan To Lynchburg

Mayom Bol Achuk was from the Dinkatribe inBor, Sudan where people were not educated and could not writedown birthdays After coming to the United States in2000, hisage was approximated and he was given a birthday

Achuk grew upinatraditional Dinkan home Histribewas amale-dominant society where polygamy was practiced He was the 13th of19children and had fourmothers

Achuk and the other "lostboys" from Sudan fled afterawar against the government broke out in 1983 Many family members ofthe boys died during thewar.

"[The government]imposed alotof bad things onAfrican tribes The tribesdon'tsee themselves being Muslim,"Achuk said. People inhistribestarted to rebel because they did not want to comply with the government, which caused the second civilwar inMay 1983

The troops were told, "If you only have onebullet, use it on boys because they arethe ones who will grow up and trytofight back,"Achuk explained Rebels came inand triedto protect them and help evacuate boys Achuk said, "The boys had no safe haven anymore."

Allthey could dowas run away Without clothesor even apairofshoes, the boys ranto Ethiopia, where the rebelstrained It took Achuk about amonth, but others up tothree months to reach the camp in Ethiopia Some boys never reached the camp at all.

STORYCONTINUED ON PG 136

Iean5 Offering Cha

The dress code opened itsdoor; denim inthe fall of2005,but no one could have predicted the impact such adecision would bring justthree yearslater.

Inthe spring of2008,evangelist David Nasser challenged the student body to present an offering inthe amount they paid forthejeansthey wore thatnight.

"Inthe middle ofour night, God dropped inour lapthismandate to go out inthe world with more than our songs and prayers, butto go out with our pocketbook," Nassersaid.

Not initiallyknowing what the offering wasfor, some students immediately felt a prompting ofthe Holy Spiritto give while others were more reluctant

Sylvia Cleare said her initialreaction to the proposal was "shock."That night, Cleare was wearing $140 designer jeans.

"[As Nasser]continued totalk, I felt ^obligated to follow through with his request,"

|are said "Can I really put aprice on J:h?How much doI love God?"

|cBrunell Charles was wearing $60 arles also debated over Nasser's vonderedflHsT'v''' \MaMiM God get me through ifI gave?"

At the next service/ Charles decided to answer ' the calland the feeling ofelatedness overflowed

"Isaid to myself I can't believe I didthat That was one ofthe biggest things I have ever done forGod inmy life." Charlessaid

Inthe end $86,000 was raised and one-third ofthat was donated tothe adoption ofthree Ethiopian orphans

"It was incredible,"said Nasser "Itwasn't so much the amount ofdollars Itwas the amount of students. it was really the kingdom ofGod atwork."

SIOI^EP/MATTHEWGREGORYANDDOMINIQUEMCKAY

Week welcomed back : Nasser. Wearecalied tohelp theorpha and the wio students togivethecostof I offering tohelpthreei : ofbeing adopted weres ages Junior Amanda Sm cool presenting the family I really d : it costso much toadopt I thought [theidea was a] reallycreativeway forpeople togetto contribute."As theold saying goes, money does not grow on trees.' Thisillustration represents theway studentsdug deep into theirpockets and gave fortheseorphans PHOTO