Last Saturday, team leaders Brittany and Logan with the help of their accomplices John and Jordan woke the whole team up at 5:30am with the proclamation "you have 30 minutes to be up and dressed for the day." We were "thrilled"…
Arriving in the courtyard a little disheveled and still mostly half asleep, we began to inquire as to why we were up 2 hours earlier than normal. But the offenders wouldn't budge. They had a suprise for us. We were waiting on a vehicle to arrive at 6:00am. Somewhere arround 6:30-6:45am a taxi van pulls up in the yard. T.I.A. punctuality isn't the priority. Finally on our way, we are told we are going to Gulu!!! At that point, we quickly forgot our frustrations with being awake at such an un-timely hour. Gulu is the only other city in northern Uganda and it was one of the most hit locations during the time that the rebels were in the country. It is also the location of the Invisible Children office in Uganda. (Unfortunately they are closed on Saturdays.) If you've ever seen the Invisible Children's videos, you've been introduced to Gulu.
Our contact there was a young college student who was a mutual friend to our leader, Logan. Her name is Collins and as it turns out she is the neice to our contact here in Lira, Pastor Johnson. We had no idea! Let me just interject that this is a very small world the we live in. Collins showed us around Gulu University. It was pretty exciting to see college life in Uganda. It comes complete with dorms. The students were so welcoming and even prepared a breakfast for us: samosas (yum), chipati (our favorite), and chai!
Collins then took us to St. Mary's Lacor Hospital. Again, if you've ever watched the Invisible Children video you know that this hospital was the place were children would run to at night for sanctuary from the rebels. The hospital never turned down a single child, and because of that, they saved many young children from capture by the L.R.A. During the day children would go about their days with their families or in school, but in the afternoons they would travel MANY miles to come and sleep at the hospital. They would rise early in the mornings and return to their usual days, only to make the nightly commute again in hopes of avoiding capture. The man who showed us around the hospital told us that he isn't sure why the rebels respected the hospital grounds, but for some reason they let them continue what they were doing. He also told us that some of the hospital staff had been captured when the rebels would come to steal supplies, but one of the hospital's main doctors would chase after them to trade supplies for his staff. The man showing us around said that maybe because of that doctor's efforts, the hospital built a reputation that caused the rebels to fear messing with them.
I can't possibly imagine what life here must have been like when the rebels were terrorizing this country, but I do know that no one should ever have to experience that kind of real-life horror. Unfortunately, the rebels have not been defeated. They no longer maintain a presence in Uganda, but they are still spreading their destruction throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Southern Sudan. My team is praying for an end to Joseph Kony, and you know what? I serve a God who already has the victory. I hope you'll join us in prayer.
I've had internet troubles today and haven't been able to do much online, but you can read more of my stories from the field on my personal blog http://idwellinhope.blogspot.com! Obanga mi gum!
