God in Trinity, My Life Savers

My Picture Taken in 1987MyselfHey, I am Dr. Deng Diing and am a survivor, an educator, a leader, and a speaker. I have over 16 years of experience in Education, and about the same years of progressive leadership and management experience in community, nonprofit sectors, and public speaking.

I was born on July 24, 1979, in Makuach Village in Aweil, South Sudan. I am the first born son of Diing Diing Akec (my father) and Ajok Athian Mayuen (my mother). My parents were farmers and livestock keepers. I had ten siblings: four boys and six girls in my family. Today, my three sisters, the mother and I are alive. My father, two brothers and two sisters were killed in the hidden genocide in Sudan. One sister and brother died of natural causes.

From the age of about seven to eight, I was subject to brutal attacks and killings in my villages by the Arab-militias and Islamic Government of Sudan. I survived several attacks and eventually escaped the last one that could have taken my life. The last attack on my village separated me from my family. As a youngster, I ran and walked day and night searching for my safety.

On the narrow edge of fortunate, I met my kin uncles who also escaped attacks and killings in their villages. I joined them and walked along with them to Ethiopia. While walking for thousands of miles to Ethiopia, I witnessed thousands of people included my little brother suffer and die of severe hunger, wild animals, thirst, dehydration or fatigue, illness and exhaustion. There were many other people died while we were crossing rivers. Without knowing that I would survive or die ahead, I walked in the wild bushes and deadly deserts, not sure where I was going, following adult groups for many mothers. More often, I fainted and fell down as the results of walking for months without food and drinking water. I never knew that I would rise up again. The glory of God and angels treated me with the power of singing in my mind. I rose up from the death.

We survived and battled chronic hunger, illnesses, and exhaustion and arrived in Punyidu Refugee Camp, Ethiopia in 1987. We thought that our lives would possibly change in the camp, but life had no difference from over our half-year journey. We spent many months in a refugee camp without food. Again, many people suffered from, and died of, severe stomach churning or diarrhea, sever famine, and outbreak diseases. I survived chronic stomach churning, famine, and major illnesses. Thanks to the Glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ, my Savior. We began to reestablish a life again, but tough times were still ahead to happen.

In May 1991, all refugees including me were forced to leave Punyidu Camp at gunpoint. We were attacked and chased away by the rebels of Ethiopia who overthrown our hosting government. We ran back to the border in Sudan, which became deadly journey in which thousands of people died while crossing the River Gilo. God in Trinity saved my life. I managed to across this river. We walked for many miles and in dangerous deserts across the borders of Sudan into Kenya.

Through God’s powers, I survived nearly 2000 miles of walking from Sudan to Ethiopia, returned from Ethiopia back to Sudan and from Sudan to Kenya. I was seeking a refuge from the hidden holocaust, hungry, frightened and weakened by sleeplessness and disease. I became a child soldier, joined the war, and survived battle at the frontline.

Fortunately, I was among over 30,000 children between 5 and 17 years of age who separated from their families, who trekked enormous walks, distances over a vast unforgiving wilderness, and finally arrived in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya in 1992. In the camp, I was admitted to the hospitals four times due to chronic anemia, malaria, typhoid, and dreadful hunger. Nobody knew that I would be alive again, but God in Trinity had once again risen me from the death. Life continued in hard ways, but God was and is always my only hope, protector, and savior.

After living in the refugee camps for 14 years in despair, I was finally granted refugee asylum to come to America. I arrived to America in 2001. I thought I had finally come to a safe haven. No doubt and I did. Unfortunately, my last pain had yet to happen. Within seven days of living in America, I got involved in a bicycle and car accident, hit and run. I was hit by an unknown car while I was on my bicycle. Not knowing that I would be alive once and for all, I found myself in one of the best American hospitals.

After fourteen days of being hospitalized in the hospital, I found myself alive. If the accident had occurred in one of the refugee camps, I would have already been in a grave. As of speaking to you, I am the only survived son among three survived sisters out of eleven siblings. God is my Hero. He will always be!