Sudan was not on Virginia Koon’s radar when she moved to Kansas (USA) after surviving complications from cancer surgery. But after attending a seminar about the plight in Sudan, her heart was deeply touched. She too, knew about suffering.

At the seminar, Virginia heard about SIM’s new ministry, Rebuilding Southern Sudan, and how Christians in South Sudan had been suffering for decades. Closing the session, Charles Bascom (former SIM missionary in Sudan), offered five envelopes to any willing takers. “No strings attached,” he said. “Do whatever you’d like with the contents.” Inside each envelope was a twenty dollar bill.

Virginia took an envelope and pondered how to multiply her $20 bill to help the Sudanese. She herself lived in low cost housing on a limited income. “I’ll use my $20 to buy an ad in the newspaper to announce a Sudan yard sale.” Church friends pitched in and goods for sale appeared. Her goal of $2,000 was realized! The money was sent to SIM for the Basic Education Learning Center (BELC) at Thiangrial, the SIM base that Grace Baptist Church had “adopted” the previous year.

A year later, with her health a bit stronger, Virginia announced a new goal: $5,000! Again, sale items (such as ski boots) were donated and church members got busy. The sale netted a whopping $5,015!

From 20 to 2,000 & then more than double again. Sudanese at Thiangrial received a great blessing from one woman’s vision & her church family received a blessing by their partnership to fulfill this vision.

Can one person make a difference in Sudan? SIM and Sudanese respond with a resounding YES!

This story was adapted from a report by Kay Bascom, former SIM missionary