As I readjust to the blessing of this Canadian culture, I am constantly thinking over my past month in Uganda Africa. Where to begin? There are so many stories and so many amazing moments that I feel I would keep you for hours if I were to share of all the people who touched my heart. First though I will start by mentioning Paul and Anita Bertrand. Our mission team, consisting of four girls, arrived in Kampala Uganda on April 30th and were warmly greeted by Paul. It took less than a day before we nick-named Anita ‘mamanita’ and Paul ‘papaul’. Their kindness and generosity, their ministry and their passion were so evident while we stayed with them and traveled with them. They too send their ‘hellos’.
For our first two weeks we were in Northern Uganda in an IDP camp for Internally Displaced People called Padeh. The people of Padeh have all been affected by the insecurity that the LRA rebels have brought throughout Northern Uganda. Padeh has acted as a safe camp for over 16 000 people for about 6 years. It has only been the last two years that there has been a cease-fire peace treaty within all Uganda, which has allowed for NGO’s (non-government organizations) and missions groups like Emmanuel International to help these displaced families regain a bit of dignity and live in peace.
Working alongside Paul and Anita and their Ugandan Emmanuel International Representative Reverend Kenneth, our team met with the seven people groups represented within Padeh. We heard stories from the widows who have lost not only there husbands but also many of there children and are now left to raise their grandchildren alone. We heard from the elderly within the community along with the children in the community who don’t know how to live in peace because neither groups have ever seen it. Meeting with the returnees from the bush was the most intense day of all. 19 young men and women came out to share with us their stories of abduction, living in the bush, fighting as a rebel, surviving the beatings, and escaping with wounds that can never fully heal. We also meet with those living with HIV/AIDS and learnt how the devastation of this disease if taking over families and killing over 25% of Ugandan life.
We had the opportunity to visit some of the disabled and widows as well and pray with them. I was welcomed into the hut of Sulena Odoyk. She is a widow. Lost her husband to the rebels, and two of her children were taken as well and have not been heard from since. Her other two children have both died of AIDS, leaving her to single-handedly raise 7 grandkids on her own. All of her grandkids are living with HIV and have been working in the gardens since they were born. Sulena made a lasting impression on heart. She had very little to offer her sick grandchildren and yet she still had a smile on her face. She had lost those most precious to her and her hope was in the Lord. She told me that I was the first white person that has ever come into her house and that by being there it meant that God was watching her. Her face lit up with hope and peace. I will never forget her.
For two days our team ran a kids camp with over 300 kids! 4 leaders, two interpreters and 300+ kids! Needless to say, it was a stretch of creativity that kept them alert and attentive to hearing God’s word and responding very passionately through song and craft. For two other days we also ran a youth retreat with kids 14-20. This was an interesting time of not only sharing God’s word but also answering many questions regarding Canada and my life here. It was on our lunch break, eating ‘beans and poashow’ that the guys started asking the tough questions like “what is marriage like in Canada? How many wives can a man take? What kind of dowry would someone have to offer for you to become a wife?” As we were telling them about the traditional dating, engaged and married stages of life in our western culture, one of the boys stood up and asked: “So if I was to give you a ring you are saying that you will love me forever?” the next day he apologized for not having enough shillings to by me a ring but wanted to know if I really needed one to marry him!!
Another day we spent doing eye clinics and wound dressing clinics. It was here that we met Joseph, Kathy and Moses. This family of siblings had just lost there father to AIDS and their mother who has HIV, works in the field night and day so that she can send her kids to school. Kathy, when she was 12 was abducted and taken into the bush for three months. She told her abducters “In the name of Jesus Christ nothing bad will happen to me” and nothing bad ever did happen to her. Her and her brothers are very smart and well educated. We were able to give them each a bible of their own and when they received it they were overjoyed!!
Throughout our two week stay there I would have to say that the most influential time was hearing the stories and getting to know the hearts of those who had escaped from the bush. Sara is 24 years old and has been out of the bush for only 2 years after being held captive for over 10 years! She was given to any man, had a son while being a high commander and training other children for war. Joseph is a 22 year old man who was shot seven times and thought to be dead by the soldiers. After three years in the bush, and being left for dead Joseph still had the hope and courage to drag himself through the bush and found help. He now lives very painfully with open wounds and bullets still in him, 4 years later. Both Sara and Joseph have been blessed by the extra donations I received for this missions trip. Joseph is now in a hospital being taken care of properly so that when he returns he has the ability to work and support himself. Sara has been given a piece of land to garden and plant her livelihood in. She will be given the proper training and seeds and tools for a full year of use. There have also been many widows and orphans that have been given acres of land to garden, tools and proper education to care for their land. There is also a camp that we visited and were moved by their hope in God and their need for basic gardening tools, seeds, clean water and better education. With the extra raised support money we brought over we were able to help an entire town of 1500 families in their gardens and in their homes!
For our first two weeks we were in Northern Uganda in an IDP camp for Internally Displaced People called Padeh. The people of Padeh have all been affected by the insecurity that the LRA rebels have brought throughout Northern Uganda. Padeh has acted as a safe camp for over 16 000 people for about 6 years. It has only been the last two years that there has been a cease-fire peace treaty within all Uganda, which has allowed for NGO’s (non-government organizations) and missions groups like Emmanuel International to help these displaced families regain a bit of dignity and live in peace.
Working alongside Paul and Anita and their Ugandan Emmanuel International Representative Reverend Kenneth, our team met with the seven people groups represented within Padeh. We heard stories from the widows who have lost not only there husbands but also many of there children and are now left to raise their grandchildren alone. We heard from the elderly within the community along with the children in the community who don’t know how to live in peace because neither groups have ever seen it. Meeting with the returnees from the bush was the most intense day of all. 19 young men and women came out to share with us their stories of abduction, living in the bush, fighting as a rebel, surviving the beatings, and escaping with wounds that can never fully heal. We also meet with those living with HIV/AIDS and learnt how the devastation of this disease if taking over families and killing over 25% of Ugandan life.
We had the opportunity to visit some of the disabled and widows as well and pray with them. I was welcomed into the hut of Sulena Odoyk. She is a widow. Lost her husband to the rebels, and two of her children were taken as well and have not been heard from since. Her other two children have both died of AIDS, leaving her to single-handedly raise 7 grandkids on her own. All of her grandkids are living with HIV and have been working in the gardens since they were born. Sulena made a lasting impression on heart. She had very little to offer her sick grandchildren and yet she still had a smile on her face. She had lost those most precious to her and her hope was in the Lord. She told me that I was the first white person that has ever come into her house and that by being there it meant that God was watching her. Her face lit up with hope and peace. I will never forget her.
For two days our team ran a kids camp with over 300 kids! 4 leaders, two interpreters and 300+ kids! Needless to say, it was a stretch of creativity that kept them alert and attentive to hearing God’s word and responding very passionately through song and craft. For two other days we also ran a youth retreat with kids 14-20. This was an interesting time of not only sharing God’s word but also answering many questions regarding Canada and my life here. It was on our lunch break, eating ‘beans and poashow’ that the guys started asking the tough questions like “what is marriage like in Canada? How many wives can a man take? What kind of dowry would someone have to offer for you to become a wife?” As we were telling them about the traditional dating, engaged and married stages of life in our western culture, one of the boys stood up and asked: “So if I was to give you a ring you are saying that you will love me forever?” the next day he apologized for not having enough shillings to by me a ring but wanted to know if I really needed one to marry him!!
Another day we spent doing eye clinics and wound dressing clinics. It was here that we met Joseph, Kathy and Moses. This family of siblings had just lost there father to AIDS and their mother who has HIV, works in the field night and day so that she can send her kids to school. Kathy, when she was 12 was abducted and taken into the bush for three months. She told her abducters “In the name of Jesus Christ nothing bad will happen to me” and nothing bad ever did happen to her. Her and her brothers are very smart and well educated. We were able to give them each a bible of their own and when they received it they were overjoyed!!
Throughout our two week stay there I would have to say that the most influential time was hearing the stories and getting to know the hearts of those who had escaped from the bush. Sara is 24 years old and has been out of the bush for only 2 years after being held captive for over 10 years! She was given to any man, had a son while being a high commander and training other children for war. Joseph is a 22 year old man who was shot seven times and thought to be dead by the soldiers. After three years in the bush, and being left for dead Joseph still had the hope and courage to drag himself through the bush and found help. He now lives very painfully with open wounds and bullets still in him, 4 years later. Both Sara and Joseph have been blessed by the extra donations I received for this missions trip. Joseph is now in a hospital being taken care of properly so that when he returns he has the ability to work and support himself. Sara has been given a piece of land to garden and plant her livelihood in. She will be given the proper training and seeds and tools for a full year of use. There have also been many widows and orphans that have been given acres of land to garden, tools and proper education to care for their land. There is also a camp that we visited and were moved by their hope in God and their need for basic gardening tools, seeds, clean water and better education. With the extra raised support money we brought over we were able to help an entire town of 1500 families in their gardens and in their homes!
Another huge part of our time in Padeh and in Kampala was spent in handing out Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes. In villages where kids were learning in a Sunday school setting we brought over 200 shoe boxes to hand out and open with these children! It was amazing to watch the smiles on the faces of children who had never been given anything in their life. They never owned anything new, never seen a bar of soap, never tasted sweets before, never knew what a toothbrush was let alone tooth paste! It was fun being able to show these kids how to play with their new toys and how to brush their teeth properly. Basic things that we take for granted! Back in Kampala Anita put us to work in helping her plan and run a Sunday School Teachers Conference. We were each given a classroom full of eager adults ready to learn how to teach kids. A lot of these people were pastors, teachers or from local NGO’s and wanted more training. It was an experience I will never forget: Teaching Teachers how to Teach!
I wish I could tell you more of how God worked in amazing ways and proved himself faithful to our prayers and your prayers! Thank you for your support and your prayers throughout this past month. God has been glorified and his Kingdom has been preached! Hope has been given, Hope has been received and Hope has given life.
Blessings on you all!
