Untold stories: Compassionate mercy, the other side of social justice #worlddayofsocialjustice
Updated: Jul 23
"It started with seeing a photo"
A little girl's terror turned Kilian's life upside down. Now his humanitarian aid organization is devoted to helping her people. Back in 2007, Tom Kilian was Googling the word "humanitarian" and came across Mia Farrow's photo of a little girl in Darfur (a region in western Sudan on the African continent). She was running from a man trying to kill her. The photo affected him deeply. He printed the picture and began to pray for her.
It was the beginning of a journey that would take him to South Sudan over and over, negotiating with the militia, building camaraderie with tribal chiefs, overcoming his squeamishness about blood to provide health care to those in desperate need, building churches and a school, and so much more.
In 2008, after learning more about the genocide in Darfur, Kilian put together an art exhibit to raise awareness. In early 2010, Kilian traveled to Darfur to work as an educator at an orphanage for displaced children. A few months later, he came to believe that the mantra of many humanitarian aid organizations was that "Education is the answer." To Kilian, this mantra was not true; people needed basic assistance in housing, healthcare, and spirituality rather than education alone. Kilian went back to North Carolina and founded MERCY PARTNERS, a humanitarian aid organization not affiliated with a government but an aid organization alongside the Church to provide lasting change in conflict zones.
"Abdullah saw the worst of humanity"
"My identification tag reads 'Darfur Christian Mission' [Now MERCY PARTNERS]. The organization's purpose is to 'Provide relief for those that have seen the worst of humanity.' So the night Abdullah shared his story, DCM had become an active solution to his need. Abdullah's lungs searched for air as he told me of being the sole survivor of his family. In 2003, his unborn sibling had been carved from his mother's womb, his sister vaginally mutilated to death with the barrel of a gun, and his father executed. He survived after his throat was slashed and left for dead. These atrocities are all too common by the hired militia, the Janjaweed (Arabic for "Devils on horseback"). Abdullah's trachea bypass had gone unmonitored for seven years." - Tom Kilian
After prayer, MERCY PARTNERS wrote a promissory note to the surgeon for the operation's cost and arranged transportation for a replacement surgery.
"William's letter to you and the world"
William D., a sixteen-year-old, Darfuris boy, pressed this letter in my hand the night before my departure. He fully knew I was the only link to YOU. It is my privilege to share his letter with you...
"I would like to tell you more about my background and people of the world to hear these. I will start when
I was small, not even knowing how to crawl on knees. We were three in number, grandmother, me, and my aunt. That is when the ▉[enemy] came to kill and watch by force. My grandmother was the one who took care of me and ran with me when there was fighting. My father was killed in that year the ▉[enemy] decided to kill me; my grandmother and aunt agreed to die for us but father was forced to carry a box of guns to war, and when they reached destination, he was shot dead, as some others that were slaves with him told us of his death. When my grandmother and aunt heard the account, they cried and shouted, shouted. My aunt was married by other people who had conflict among themselves and quarreled because they had not known Jesus. When they were sleeping, the ▉[enemy] came and burned their house; there my aunt died because of the fire. Then I was about six years old, and my grandmother had no power to care for me, so I took to the bush to collect firewood for others so I would have food to eat with my grandmother. Sometimes I would go to the bush with the big people and hunt for animals to get meat to eat. In 2001, my grandmother took on disease, and in great pain, she told me to get away. In 2003, an evangelist had made an announcement of meat. Later, I became a member of the Christians, thanks to the Evangelists in the world and missionaries at work. I would like to be with you in the future; I feel pity when I see disease and killings. We need help, prayers, and the support of the people in the world. Without you, we have no medicine. Thank you for your partnership in helping the ministry."
"Children have been sacrificed by men fighting"
Raymond T., age 11, shared about the woes of war. "Children have been sacrificed in my village of Gudele by men fighting for the chair of the president." Raymond, now with tears, states "If you want to be the president then you work and wait but know you have killed, what kind of president is that?" Later that evening, Raymond took cover after shots were fired in his village. One boy his age when losing his brother in the war and exclaiming to his attackers "Just kill me now, so I can be with my brother in heaven - It will be better than here." The candor of such a statement is sincere and sobering. MERCY PARTNERS has responded to the need of these boys by providing the safety of the school, church, and the provisions collected through the “Orphan Care" project which helps endangered children like many friends of Raymond.
"They would come and rape the women
and pillage the villages"
