Journal - Day 7

We were picked up early by Becky on Tuesday. Chloe stayed behind with the Sliedrects as some of the things we would hear today wouldn't be for such young ears. We began our trek down roads that in the US would be closed down! There were MAJOR pot holes and water holes. We said a prayer before we began and I think there were many more silent prayers said during the drive! It truly was a miracle that we arrived back without a flat tire.

Our first stop was Obalanga, where the mass graves are. This area was hit hard by the LRA army. So many were killed and thier bodies left. Team Beyond used money from the Ride for Refuge to make this cemetary. The people in this area were constantly coming across bones in their gardens and elsewhere. A team worked together to find all the bones, identify the ones they could, and lay them to rest in a proper way to add closure for this community. It was very sad hearing what this community has been through and the way they continue to struggle with the flooding, and poor crops this year.

Our next visit was to a village in the bush to visit with former LRA child soldiers. We met Francis, his wife and friend who were all abducted around the age of 12 from their village. We listened to the horrific story of the way they were chased down, captured, forced to kill, watched hundreds of children drown and then how Francis led himself and 8 others in an escape. We heard the story of a transformed life through Christ with help from alot of counseling and a retreat at Mt Moyoni for these children. Francis is now 19, married and has a baby on the way. He had a joy in sharing his story and what God has done through it. He now lives in this village with his mother, grandmother, siblings etc. Their village was very well kept, they were doing well with their crops and were living off the land. They were content. We might look at them and see poverty, but they don't and I wouldn't want to change a thing about the way they were living. I was able to hold Francis baby sister. She was beautiful and she peed on me, which to them means she loves you. Francis took us out in the field behind their homes where their crops were and it is also the place where they ran and were captured by the LRA. It was hard to imagine and visualize what they had been through.

Our minds were all ready full with what we had heard and experienced. We headed back on the BUMPY roads and went to Orungo, where Josh Shaarda was teaching a Timothy Leadership class. We entered in a thatch roof church, filled with men and women all sitting with Bibles open and pen and paper in hand, attentively listening to the truth being shared. They were hungry for it. Today they were talking about stewardship. The questions were a little different than what we would ask regarding stewardship! They spoke a lot about their goats, and animals and asked questions like; Am I being a good steward when my goat makes me angry and I beat it...since I am going to slaughter it anyway? It was really encouraging to see the desire they have in learing about Gods word. We were served lunch at the church since we were the guest.....more atop, meat...etc. I always prayed God would spare us from sickness...when eating in the village like this!

Now our heads were spinning with all we had taken in today. We headed back to the Sleidrect for dinner and it was good to do some talking and debriefing aobut the day with them. Tim finished dinner with reading out of the childrens Bible Story Book and guess what story he read? Daniel in the Lions Den. We thought he planned this since we had shared with him 2 days prior how God used this passage to work through our fears....NOPE, this is where the bookmark was and was the next story they were up to.