In the fall of 2005, ITMI Director, Steve Evers had  been on the road for 8 physically, emotionally and spiritually draining weeks.

For the past 10 days, he had been serving in what was then Sudan, (now South Sudan) encouraging and challenging Sudanese believers, helping the ITAM (It Took A Miracle) team conduct their outreaches, and listening to the needs of the local church.

They made it to the nearby dirt airstrip where a plane would be picking them up to take them home.

But when the plane landed, the pilot was unaware that he was expected to pick up passengers for the return journey to Kenya. Eventually, Steve convinced the unwilling pilot to take the ITAM team and a limited weight allowance of their belongings with him on his return flight, leaving Steve stranded on the runway with a pile of all of the things the team had to leave behind.

Steve watched the plane lift off the dirt strip and clear the trees, then surveyed his situation. He was alone and surrounded by the clothes and other equipment of the recently departed team. He had given away most of his own clothes, food supply and gear the day before when he had visited a recently ransacked village to share the Gospel, so he was unprepared to spend three extra days in Sudan.

Vicky Waraka, a local believer Steve had fellowshipped with earlier in the week had heard about Steve's situation and came to Steve's aid after deploying one of the men from the church to rally some others with bicycles to help transport the baggage that was left behind.

Steve learned that Vicky was an educated woman who turned down a high-paying position with the Ugandan government to return to her people in Sudan and serve them. She is not married, but was raising 11 children (none of whom are biologically hers) on an irregular and virtually non-existent income.

Steve learned more about Vicky, her love for the Lord and her ministry during his extended stay. When he returned to the US, he began the process of forming an official partnership between ITMI and Vicky.

Years later, after South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan, Vicky moved to the new country's capitol, Juba, where she helped plant the Revival and Fire Church with several other like-minded believers.