We just took a 5 minute break from the training. I briefly spoke with a Sudanese mother who is also among the leadership in her church here. She shared some of her story with me. It is a story of brokenness.

In 2008, her family (including 3 children) fled to Egypt from Sudan (I couldn’t help but think of the flight of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to Egypt). In 2015, they tried to go from Egypt to Israel, still in search of a safe place where they could finally begin rebuilding their lives. But they got separated there. Only the father made it with their 3 month old baby. The father and child were later resettled from Israel to the US.

Meanwhile the mother was forced to leave Egypt and ended up here in Kakuma refugee camp. She has not seen her baby in 5 years. The father has not seen their other two children stuck here either.

They are trying to be reunited in the US. But the US does not make the process easy or fast. Even though it is in everyone’s best interest for this family to be reunited. In fact, a US immigration counselor recently told me that the reunification process can take a decade or even longer.

Meanwhile, our sister survives in this harsh place as a single mother who longs to be a complete family again.

And while in the midst of suffering, she’s here with us this week because her faith in Jesus is what keeps hope alive.