Jacob's Flight will Happen!

Jacob Acier and Levin Pugsley fly out from Seattle August 12; the flight leaves at 8:50 a.m. That means those transporting and coming along to see them off will have to catch the 5:20 a.m. ferry from the north end. Please let me know if you can drive and who is able to come along. Jacob would love to have a big send off group and both will appreciate the support.

Levin returns August 28 at 3:55 p.m. and Jacob arrives September 8, 3:55 p.m. I am also looking for drivers and participants for these two dates.

Donate Now!

Help Jacob reunite with his mom after over 16 years apart!

The following is a letter written by one of the organizers of the trip, and is eloquent and to the point. Rather than spend time trying to write something else, I am reprinting his letter asking for donations and updating the situation. Instead of sending the money to Kevin though, I am asking that people donate to the account at Bank Of America on their own (the account is named The Jacob Acier Group) and then send me an email if you wish so we know where the money is from, and we can thank you.

Hello friend:

I’m writing to ask you to support my friend Jacob Acier, and a trip he is planning to Uganda at the beginning of August. He’s going to see his mother, and other family members he hasn’t seen since he was 8 years old.

Jacob is a 25 year old Sudanese refugee, living on Vashon. He’s one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan, who escaped the civil war by walking hundreds of miles under unimaginable circumstances, and then spent 12 years growing up in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

He was brought to the US by the United Nations in 2002, and arrived on Vashon in 2007. Since arriving in the US, Jacob has had to work through some serious problems, to be sure, but is well on the way to making a successful life. He is settled, works full time at Pacific Research (Sawbones) on Vashon, is able to meet his current day to day expenses, and is attending college classes in Tacoma.

Along with a small group of Islanders, I have been actively working to support Jacob here on Vashon, and help him find ways to support his family in Sudan.

After over a year of waiting, and with the very active support of Congressman McDermitt’s office, as well as Senators Cantwell and Murray, Jacob’s travel documents arrived two weeks ago from Homeland Security. His refugee status would be jeopardized if he went to Sudan, so he plans to go to neighboring Uganda, and have his family meet him there. His employer has given him time off with the guarantee that he will have a job upon his return.

I am hoping to raise enough money through this effort to send someone along with him as a companion and support for the trip. It will take roughly $4,000 to cover airfare and expenses for an additional traveler to go with Jacob to Uganda, help him carry supplies and travelers checks, make sure he meets up with his family, and return home.

Jacob is taking out a personal loan to pay for his trip, including his travel, rent and bills during his absence, and paying for as many family members as possible to travel by bus to Kampala, Uganda to see him. He will be renting a small house for them during their stay. He is committed to going, and to paying as much as he can of his own money.

If we raise more than $4000 through this effort, additional money will go to support Jacob’s family, including getting his mother settled in her village (Jacob recently helped move her back to Sudan after 16 years in refugee camps, but she is still homeless, staying with relatives).

The timing is critical, and very short: we’re trying to raise enough money to finance the trip and provide some support for his family in the next three weeks. Will you please consider giving what you can?

I’ve made it easy for you to contribute to Jacob’s trip. Enclosed are a stamped, addressed envelope, and a deposit slip for the “Jacob Acier Group” account at Bank of America on Vashon. The envelope is addressed to me so I can track these specific donations. The account is managed by two members of the Jacob Acier Group: Mary Fran Lyons, and Nancy Vanderpool. They’re both in the Vashon phone book if you have questions. And please feel free to call me for any information about Jacob.

Jacob’s story is both tragic and incredibly inspiring. Thank you for your possible support!

Kevin


Kevin Joyce, EnJoy Productions
PO Box 1301, Vashon, WA 98070
O/206 463 0002 C/206 818 8136

jayne@sistersageherbs.com

Jacob Acier

Jacob Acier is a former "Lost Boy of the Sudan" who lives on Vashon Island. He left his village when he was about 8 years old and walked across the desert with thousands of young boys and girls to Ethiopia. Then when the war broke out there in 1989, he left there to try to go back to Sudan, but since it was so dangerous they ended up going to Kenya to a refugee camp and school. He was brought to the US by Catholic Community Services, and given a place to live for a few months and helped to get his first job- in his life. He landed on Vashon Island a few years after that. The Beachcomber has written several stories about him that you can read here. You can learn a bit more about the community that helped him get to this point by reading the
Beachcomber story. If you check out the "Lost Boys of the Sudan" PBS documentary, he is in the first scene with Peter when he is giving away all the things he owns in the camp before he goes to America.
Now he is at the point of needing to raise money and airline miles by July 25th to allow him to visit his mom this summer! He is taking a loan from Sawbones (the company where he works) for about $6000, but needs about that much more to make the trip successful.