Go Out as a Boy, Come Back as a Man

The threat, "either convert to Islam or we will annihilate your race," drives the Christian black tribes of southern Sudan to send their young boys ages 7 to 14 out of their homeland to fend for themselves in Ethiopia while a war rages with the Arab Muslims from northern Sudan. Deng Ding, one of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan, flees from his home at seven years of age along with 26,000 other young boys. Deng finds Jesus to be his faithful friend and protector as he sees more than half of his companions die from hunger and thirst, animal molestations, Arab Muslim raids, and hopelessness. Three years later, under attack in Ethiopia by the Eritrean Muslims, the boys flee to northern Kenya where The United Nations establishes Kakuma refugee camp for their protection. Baptized "Jacob", Deng spends nine years at Kakuma where he earns a high school level education that secures him the opportunity to further his studies in the United States. Flying to Chicago is a grand adventure, but Jacob soon finds that he faces different enemies of discrimination. Overcoming them with God's Word and forgiveness, Jacob has the opening he needs to win new souls for Jesus.