While Chris was resting in bed with ecoli, I decided to get out of the house for a bit and head to one of the local coffee shops in Gulu to update our blog and grab a cup of coffee. As I was sitting in the corner, sharing my table with an Acholi friend, an interesting man walked through the door. He was in his late forties and literally looked like he just hopped off his Harley at the Ocoee Express across the street from our TN home. Of course I couldn't help but try to eavesdrop as to who this Muno (white person) was, because all of the munos running around Gulu are usually 20-somethings that look like river hippies. So, I started listening to him talk to people... and it dawned on me as to who this old biker dude was... a man I had seen a Dateline special about on NBC a year ago, and also read about him on the IC blog... the infamous Sam Childers, the machine gun preacher. He is a man who has lived here in Northern Uganda for about 15 years. He moved here shortly after he became a Christian because he had become aware of the situation here with the LRA, and he felt inspired to move to the region to create an army of his own and fight Joseph Kony's fire with fire. As I sat quietly listening to a conversation that was not necessarily intended for my ears, I heard Sam proudly tell this group of Canadian girls at the table next to him that he had been fighting the LRA for 15 years and it was because of his Sudanese People's Liberation Army that Kony and his child soldiers are now in the bush of the Congo and Sudan. I felt my blood begin to rise to my face at the thought of this older man taking a gun to fight the child soldiers who were once violently abducted and victimized... moreover, this man was claiming to be a preacher.
So, as I was walking out the door of the coffee shop to head back to the house to check on Chris, Sam touched my arm... "Hey young lady, and what country are you from?" I looked him in the eyes and responded by telling him I was from the U.S. Upon further inquisition, I proceeded to tell him I was a teacher and from TN. Then, I couldn't help myself... I had to ask him... "How do you reconcile the message of Jesus Christ with taking a gun and fighting victimized children?" He calmly smiled and said... "All I can say is that if I am in line in front of you before the judgement seat one day, you will have a long wait..." he chuckled... "I don't justify what I have done with the Word, I just felt as if there was no other option. I have seen people skinned alive, women mutilated beyond belief, and children abused in the most violent ways... if you ask them if what I have done is right or wrong... I am sure they will testify for my actions." I listened intently and he went on to say..."I have started 3 orphanages and rescued over 1,000 boys and girls from the bush, and I've never pulled my gun on a child. If someone was getting killed across the street right now, you may stand here and pray, but I am going to pray and then run over there to stop it." We continued to talk and he expounded upon his cause... as well as telling me that a movie was being made about his life called, "Machine Gun Preacher" with Gerard Butler from 300 as his character (I honestly thought this was a complete lie until I googled it and saw that it is totally for real and the movie comes out September 23). He concluded the conversation by sharing with me a story..."I discovered where one of the most infamous LRA commanders was staying and I travelled there to personally assasinate him because he had raped and abused many of the children at my orphanage in Gulu. When I arrived at the Acholi Inn, I walked up to the man and felt God speak to me. I wanted to kill this man so bad, but the Lord was urging me to share the gospel with him. I reluctantly sat down and began to talk with him. At the end of the conversation, he had confessed his sins and accepted the love and grace of Jesus Christ as his personal saviour. I left the Acholi Inn so angry because I wanted to kill that man so bad... but then I felt God speak to my heart and say, 'Sam, that man is dead... the old man is dead and he has been born again. You did kill him.'"
I walked out of Coffee Hut that day with a million thoughts running through my mind and I knew the exact person I wanted to share this experience with... one of our Spiritual Fathers here- Father Martin. When we got back to Anaka and sat down to dinner at the Parish, I shared the above experience with the Father. He smiled and mumbled, "Hmmmm..." Father continued to respond, "You know, during those dark times of war, almost every person in Acholi land was abducted by the LRA. Including myself and Father Thomas." Father Thomas said yes in agreement. Father Martin went on, "We have seen so much suffering and we have personally experienced the things that that preacher told you about (Father Thomas shared his abduction story and escape... then Father Martin continued to share his words of wisdom). However, you cannot heal a land filled with violence with more violence. That may seem like a quick solution, but in the end it only brings more pain and revenge. We need to look to Christ's true example of reconciliation in order to learn how to heal this land. Forgiveness must exist in the darkness in order to bring about Truth and Light." As we sat mesmerized by the wisdom of God, Father Martin told us about the coalition of Acholi religious leaders (Christian and Muslim) who have come together for the past decade to work for peace through non-violent means. He shared the powerful successes that they have experienced in bringing about peace to this place. Peace and healing through relationship, truth, and love. Perhaps we should all process through the commands of Christ, even in the most horrific and extreme situations. May we all humbly continue to work out our salvation with prayer, experience, and the grace of Christ. I love you all... and by the way, Chris is doing much better. Thanks again for your prayers.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The man, the myth, the legend...Norman Okot
In the same way that wise Athena directed Oddyseus on his long journey home, we all are blessed to meet people who drop nuggets of wisdom that help us in our pursuit of Truth...
The phone rang and one of our housemates told us that Norman Okot was at the Ethiopian restaurant. We met Norman last year at the "Move for Uganda" race in Chattanooga. He is a 73 year old elder of the Acholi people and amongst many other things, a teacher. He held us and our students spell bound as he went to work on a chalkboard describing in detail the history of Uganda from Colonialism by the British to the war that left the North devastated. So now that we were actually in Uganda we were psyched that God allowed our paths to cross once again. I wasn't sure if he would remember us since he traveled for three months throughout the Southern part of the U.S. bringing awareness of the plight of Ugandans. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, with a beaming smile, he yelled our names and gave us one of those hugs that leaves people feeling loved. We chatted for awhile and promised to meet again before we left for the States. Last night the promise was fufilled.
"A fire in Acholi culture, is a classroom." As such, we all sat by the crackling wood as Norman told how the British made their way from Egypt into Sudan and Uganda at the turn of the century, motivated by those deadly vices that are common to empires: greed and power. He remembers how the British pressed the Acholi people into service during WWI and WWII, wars of which they had no interest, nor would they gain anything. His British teachers in school, many of them former soldiers, were very harsh and one in particular would keep order in the class by reminding the students of how many people he had killed.
Norman's father was a polygamist and culturally was a very important man. He taught his son many lessons by the fire like how to read the stars to know when to plant crops and when it would rain, or the sounds that certain birds make when there is trouble nearby. Above all he taught his son that a real Acholi man is brave. So in his youth when some local boys threw a spear at him that pierced his thigh, it is no surpirse that he drew his arrows out and let them fly.
Norman told us of the losses that he had experienced during the war between the L.R.A and the government. In one day, 40 of his nieces and nephews were killed in an attack by rebels. They were unable to bury the bodies because they had been hacked to pieces, so they had to be put in a mass grave. I asked Norman what seperates someone like him who has experienced so much pain and horror in life yet has so much joy, from others who are lost in depression, anger, or madness. The wisdom that he answered with transcends Acholi culture and enters into the realm of those Truths that are eternal. "Forgiveness," he said. A person cannot expect to be healed from heartache without forgiving those who have caused them to hurt. The words of Christ rang in my mind that we are to "love our enemies" and "pray for those who persecute us." In front of me sat a man who had lived those commandments and was left with a hope and confidence that the world cannot understand. The choice to love and forgive is, above all other responses, the most difficult. But the hope is that those choices that are made by individuals, families, and countries will bring us closer to that Kingdom that was spoken of by Christ.
The phone rang and one of our housemates told us that Norman Okot was at the Ethiopian restaurant. We met Norman last year at the "Move for Uganda" race in Chattanooga. He is a 73 year old elder of the Acholi people and amongst many other things, a teacher. He held us and our students spell bound as he went to work on a chalkboard describing in detail the history of Uganda from Colonialism by the British to the war that left the North devastated. So now that we were actually in Uganda we were psyched that God allowed our paths to cross once again. I wasn't sure if he would remember us since he traveled for three months throughout the Southern part of the U.S. bringing awareness of the plight of Ugandans. As soon as we walked into the restaurant, with a beaming smile, he yelled our names and gave us one of those hugs that leaves people feeling loved. We chatted for awhile and promised to meet again before we left for the States. Last night the promise was fufilled.
"A fire in Acholi culture, is a classroom." As such, we all sat by the crackling wood as Norman told how the British made their way from Egypt into Sudan and Uganda at the turn of the century, motivated by those deadly vices that are common to empires: greed and power. He remembers how the British pressed the Acholi people into service during WWI and WWII, wars of which they had no interest, nor would they gain anything. His British teachers in school, many of them former soldiers, were very harsh and one in particular would keep order in the class by reminding the students of how many people he had killed.
Norman's father was a polygamist and culturally was a very important man. He taught his son many lessons by the fire like how to read the stars to know when to plant crops and when it would rain, or the sounds that certain birds make when there is trouble nearby. Above all he taught his son that a real Acholi man is brave. So in his youth when some local boys threw a spear at him that pierced his thigh, it is no surpirse that he drew his arrows out and let them fly.
Norman told us of the losses that he had experienced during the war between the L.R.A and the government. In one day, 40 of his nieces and nephews were killed in an attack by rebels. They were unable to bury the bodies because they had been hacked to pieces, so they had to be put in a mass grave. I asked Norman what seperates someone like him who has experienced so much pain and horror in life yet has so much joy, from others who are lost in depression, anger, or madness. The wisdom that he answered with transcends Acholi culture and enters into the realm of those Truths that are eternal. "Forgiveness," he said. A person cannot expect to be healed from heartache without forgiving those who have caused them to hurt. The words of Christ rang in my mind that we are to "love our enemies" and "pray for those who persecute us." In front of me sat a man who had lived those commandments and was left with a hope and confidence that the world cannot understand. The choice to love and forgive is, above all other responses, the most difficult. But the hope is that those choices that are made by individuals, families, and countries will bring us closer to that Kingdom that was spoken of by Christ.
Sick
When it was suggested that Oddyseus descend into Hades in order to find the best route home, his men were hesitant. But our hero braved the darkness and despair to recieve the answer to his question. So too did I have to descend into the bowels to recieve an answer......
It all began when we were in Murchison park on Safari. We were on top of our SUV enjoying our surroundings when my stomach went from slightly upset to full on cramps. I chalked it up to too much food the night before coupled with some wild dancing around the fire that would have made Native Americans proud and left our Acholi drivers very confused about the culture of white Americans. But after I had a "long-call" and puked my guts out I realized it was something more. Long story short we finished the Safari and by the time we all were going to board the boat to go to Murchison Falls, I was laying on a mat with severe cramping being told by locals that I should really go to the hospital. I opted out of the river cruise and went with Bonnie and Catherine to the local doctor.
I crawled out of the car and walked to the stool sampling room in the back. The sun shone bright on the local livestock feeding and children playing as I shut the door into all that is unsanitary. A healthy sized lizard ran up the walls of the latrine obviously unable to go when another is in the room. The fecal stains on the wall resembled ancient cave paintings and with the number of dung drawings so high, it can be assumed that this "cave" had been occupied many times. Sample gathered, I exited the prehistoric potty and resumed breathing through my nose. The doc was back in ten minutes to inform me that I had a parasite and Ecoli going to work in my tummy.
When we got back to the parish I was checked out by Father Martin's nurse who said the dose of medicine I took was wrong and that I probably had malaria. (This seems to be a common form of consoling among Ugandans since our guide on Safari, upon seeing what I had for dinner the night before, assured me that it was surely just a touch of malaria.) We went to Gulu to get the test and it was negative for malaria, but they confirmed that the first doctor's results and advice was correct.
So sadly I spent the next week in Gulu and Anaka in the bed, but did enjoy some wonderful conversation with the priests and workers at the parish. I am so blessed to know those beautiful people. I also want to thank everyone who was praying for me. God is so good! I am excited to finish strong at Anaka these next two weeks and continue to develop the service club with students to help garden and work at the Parish. Peace.
It all began when we were in Murchison park on Safari. We were on top of our SUV enjoying our surroundings when my stomach went from slightly upset to full on cramps. I chalked it up to too much food the night before coupled with some wild dancing around the fire that would have made Native Americans proud and left our Acholi drivers very confused about the culture of white Americans. But after I had a "long-call" and puked my guts out I realized it was something more. Long story short we finished the Safari and by the time we all were going to board the boat to go to Murchison Falls, I was laying on a mat with severe cramping being told by locals that I should really go to the hospital. I opted out of the river cruise and went with Bonnie and Catherine to the local doctor.
I crawled out of the car and walked to the stool sampling room in the back. The sun shone bright on the local livestock feeding and children playing as I shut the door into all that is unsanitary. A healthy sized lizard ran up the walls of the latrine obviously unable to go when another is in the room. The fecal stains on the wall resembled ancient cave paintings and with the number of dung drawings so high, it can be assumed that this "cave" had been occupied many times. Sample gathered, I exited the prehistoric potty and resumed breathing through my nose. The doc was back in ten minutes to inform me that I had a parasite and Ecoli going to work in my tummy.
When we got back to the parish I was checked out by Father Martin's nurse who said the dose of medicine I took was wrong and that I probably had malaria. (This seems to be a common form of consoling among Ugandans since our guide on Safari, upon seeing what I had for dinner the night before, assured me that it was surely just a touch of malaria.) We went to Gulu to get the test and it was negative for malaria, but they confirmed that the first doctor's results and advice was correct.
So sadly I spent the next week in Gulu and Anaka in the bed, but did enjoy some wonderful conversation with the priests and workers at the parish. I am so blessed to know those beautiful people. I also want to thank everyone who was praying for me. God is so good! I am excited to finish strong at Anaka these next two weeks and continue to develop the service club with students to help garden and work at the Parish. Peace.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Speechless...
Anaka.... wow. I feel quite speechless when I even begin to think about the past two weeks we have spent there. The village is located on the edge of Murchison National Park, which is where people travel to for Safari. The school and the surrounding village (as well as the Catholic parish where Chris and I are staying) are located on the top of a large hill, so as you walk around the perimeter and scan the countryside- the view of the landscape is right out of a dream. The area is very rural, and as far as the eye can see, the green terrain of agriculture fills the horizon... and every once in a while you catch a glimpse of a woman walking with a bundle of g-nuts on top of her head or the sight of a grass-thatch hut comes into view. It is picturesque Africa.
Most evenings Chris and I sit on the front porch of Jacob's villa (a peace-corps volunteer) and sip hot tea as the sun goes down. The horizon is also gorgeous in the morning. Every day we walk to school at 7 am- we walk past the church and the soothing sound of African worship fills the air, the children from the village are up pumping water at the well, and we are greeted by everyone that we pass. We now have Acholi names... Father Martin has given me the name "Lamaro" which means "one who is greatly loved" in Acholi... and Chris has been given the name "Okeny" which means that he is the "only man in a family of women" because he is the only male teacher among our I.C. group at Anaka. Those names are becoming a beautiful part of our experience here as we build relationships with folks and share life together.
The parish, where we live, is a beautiful community of believers and Father Martin has truly become a spiritual father to us here. Chris has started a service club with students and they are working in the garden at the parish everyday after school. He is hoping to inspire them to serve others in a great way. The gardening at the Parish helps support the feeding of those in need in the surrounding villages. The students love Chris, and I think they are pretty fond of us all. It warms my heart to even reflect on the joyful smiles that conquer their faces when I am teaching. We have fallen in love with the kids that we are interacting with, and our relationships with the staff at the school are growing into strong friendships. Because of student interest, I have started a writer's club. The student leaders at the school have applied to be a part. Together with them, I am trying to help develop a school newspaper where the students can express their views and build an intellectual culture at the school.
This past Saturday morning we received such a gift. We heard amazing music filling the air from the parish, so Chris and I followed the sound down to a classroom filled with students who were playing instruments, singing, dancing, and praising Christ with their whole hearts. On their own, they were holding a church service. Tears were streaming down some of their faces and their prayers echoed off of the walls. The spirit was so heavy in that room and God used their worship to touch my soul.
We have received so many gifts like this while we have been a part of the Anaka family. Beautiful moments that I am already cherishing in my heart so much. A few of them... Chris and Father Martin exchanging worship songs on the guitar out underneath the stars in the Parish garden... going for a walk with Doris, a young English teacher, and getting invited to harvest g-nuts with an elderly Acholi woman during our stroll... playing scrabble for hours with teachers in the staff room after school... going for fieldwork on a 3 mile hike through the bush with the entire history department and 200 students... watching Chris be the only white guy in the staff vs. students soccer match (he played awesome by the way)... sitting in my partner teacher's (Florence) living room looking through albums of pictures and listening to her heartfelt stories of her life and the war... and watching the students perform traditional Acholi dances on the soccer field in the evening. All of these moments... and many more... leave me so thankful and literally, speechless, when it comes to articulating how my heart feels in this place. Chris and I are so humbled, and blessed, to have this incredible experience. We love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated and the fruit of them is being witnessed by us everyday.
Most evenings Chris and I sit on the front porch of Jacob's villa (a peace-corps volunteer) and sip hot tea as the sun goes down. The horizon is also gorgeous in the morning. Every day we walk to school at 7 am- we walk past the church and the soothing sound of African worship fills the air, the children from the village are up pumping water at the well, and we are greeted by everyone that we pass. We now have Acholi names... Father Martin has given me the name "Lamaro" which means "one who is greatly loved" in Acholi... and Chris has been given the name "Okeny" which means that he is the "only man in a family of women" because he is the only male teacher among our I.C. group at Anaka. Those names are becoming a beautiful part of our experience here as we build relationships with folks and share life together.
The parish, where we live, is a beautiful community of believers and Father Martin has truly become a spiritual father to us here. Chris has started a service club with students and they are working in the garden at the parish everyday after school. He is hoping to inspire them to serve others in a great way. The gardening at the Parish helps support the feeding of those in need in the surrounding villages. The students love Chris, and I think they are pretty fond of us all. It warms my heart to even reflect on the joyful smiles that conquer their faces when I am teaching. We have fallen in love with the kids that we are interacting with, and our relationships with the staff at the school are growing into strong friendships. Because of student interest, I have started a writer's club. The student leaders at the school have applied to be a part. Together with them, I am trying to help develop a school newspaper where the students can express their views and build an intellectual culture at the school.
This past Saturday morning we received such a gift. We heard amazing music filling the air from the parish, so Chris and I followed the sound down to a classroom filled with students who were playing instruments, singing, dancing, and praising Christ with their whole hearts. On their own, they were holding a church service. Tears were streaming down some of their faces and their prayers echoed off of the walls. The spirit was so heavy in that room and God used their worship to touch my soul.
We have received so many gifts like this while we have been a part of the Anaka family. Beautiful moments that I am already cherishing in my heart so much. A few of them... Chris and Father Martin exchanging worship songs on the guitar out underneath the stars in the Parish garden... going for a walk with Doris, a young English teacher, and getting invited to harvest g-nuts with an elderly Acholi woman during our stroll... playing scrabble for hours with teachers in the staff room after school... going for fieldwork on a 3 mile hike through the bush with the entire history department and 200 students... watching Chris be the only white guy in the staff vs. students soccer match (he played awesome by the way)... sitting in my partner teacher's (Florence) living room looking through albums of pictures and listening to her heartfelt stories of her life and the war... and watching the students perform traditional Acholi dances on the soccer field in the evening. All of these moments... and many more... leave me so thankful and literally, speechless, when it comes to articulating how my heart feels in this place. Chris and I are so humbled, and blessed, to have this incredible experience. We love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated and the fruit of them is being witnessed by us everyday.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The Wisdom of Michael
Oddyseus has just been released from the island of the goddess Calypso and was off for "home at last" when the god of the sea Poseidon wrecked his ship and left him to his fate in the churning waters. But with the help of Athena and Ino he reached land on the coast of Phaeacia. It is here that he is welcomed by king Alcinous with the utmost hospitality... I can say that I have felt the same here in Northern Uganda among the Acholi, as Oddyseus felt among the Phaeacians. We spent a couple hours this afternoon at St. Jude's Orphanage playing with the children there. I had a blast playing soccer with Joshua and Paul. These kids are ballers. When I missed the ball on our record setting attempt of kicking it to each other in the air, I was assured that "there is no need to sweat." The only thing that can rival their coolness on the field is their suave personalities; joyful dudes to be sure. It seems odd or even awkward dropping into an orphanage for a few hours and then leaving. However I was very glad to hear that Invisible Children has developed a relationship with this orphanage for several years and we will have an opportunity to go back each week. At the least, it was humans interacting with humans, all with smiles on their faces. This afternoon I sat underneath the well built pavillion in our compound with its architect Michael. We talked about the history of Uganda, the Acholi people, religion and I felt as if I was receiving a private lecture. This 30 year old father of three who finished O Level(high school) but did not go on to A level talked with the ease of any University professor. When we came to religion, he told me that there are people in Northern Uganda who are becoming turned off by religion because it is becoming more and more like a business. So many branches and denominations are popping up and many are modeling themselves after churches in the west where building size and programming takes precident over actually taking Christ's Kingdom to the poor of a person's community and helping to transform their lives. We talked about the passage where God says "heaven is my throne and the Earth is a footstool for my feet, what manner of house will you build me?" Also where Christ prays that believers would be united, not divided, so that the world would recognize His followers. There is so much to process in this life and I think that two of the main tools needed along the journey are humility and awareness. It was good journeying with Michael today and having "church" with an Acholi member of Christ's Kingdom outside while the rain beat on the thatched roof of our pavillion.
Teacher Exchange in Northern Uganda
click on this picture link to see more pics of our first few days! :)
Beautiful Community... the Body of Christ
Today we attended Watoto Church. As we walked down the African rich red dirt road this morning, children ran out of their huts to greet us (the "munos"- white people), and the sound of worshipful singing filled the air. It was beautiful. We entered the church and I began to pray. It was incredible to catch a glimpse of what the heavenly kingdom of God will be like; many nations praising and worshiping Christ in every language and tongue. We felt so welcome.
The Pastor mentioned something that was so powerful, he said... "When you came to know Christ and were born again, God did not immediately take you up into heaven to be with him because you are suppossed to rub shoulders with His loved ones, the needy of the earth." He went on to speak about Christ and how we have all be called to love and serve those who are suffering. He spoke about the needy in the community here, and encourgaged the body of believers to reach out and love them. We also partook in communion with one another- a beautiful demonstration of the Spirit that we share.
Humanity is humanity. There is nothing new under the sun. Gulu is beginning to rebuild and there are some people here who are prospering, but there are many who are suffering, very many. It is very similar to our own communities. We often turn a blind eye to those around us in the U.S. who are hurting. Our eyes, all of our eyes, must be opened to the least of these in the world. Those who Christ loves and has called us to love. Chris and I hope that yesterday's post did not come across as our saying that we, or you, should not be reaching out to the people in Northern Uganda (or other developing nations)- we are just trying to encourage thoughtful consideration about how people should reach out... as Christ did... with real relationship, education, and sustainability. We know that we have been called to serve here. If you think about it, all of our bible studies, prayers, songs, and services mean absolutely nothing if we don't actually live a life that resembles Christ's... one that fully loves God, and wholeheartedly loves others in such a way that we die to ourselves so that it is not we who live, but Christ in us and through us into a lost and broken world.
We love you guys. We go to Anaka tomorrow... so the next update will be in about 5 days. Keep us in your prayers. :)
The Pastor mentioned something that was so powerful, he said... "When you came to know Christ and were born again, God did not immediately take you up into heaven to be with him because you are suppossed to rub shoulders with His loved ones, the needy of the earth." He went on to speak about Christ and how we have all be called to love and serve those who are suffering. He spoke about the needy in the community here, and encourgaged the body of believers to reach out and love them. We also partook in communion with one another- a beautiful demonstration of the Spirit that we share.
Humanity is humanity. There is nothing new under the sun. Gulu is beginning to rebuild and there are some people here who are prospering, but there are many who are suffering, very many. It is very similar to our own communities. We often turn a blind eye to those around us in the U.S. who are hurting. Our eyes, all of our eyes, must be opened to the least of these in the world. Those who Christ loves and has called us to love. Chris and I hope that yesterday's post did not come across as our saying that we, or you, should not be reaching out to the people in Northern Uganda (or other developing nations)- we are just trying to encourage thoughtful consideration about how people should reach out... as Christ did... with real relationship, education, and sustainability. We know that we have been called to serve here. If you think about it, all of our bible studies, prayers, songs, and services mean absolutely nothing if we don't actually live a life that resembles Christ's... one that fully loves God, and wholeheartedly loves others in such a way that we die to ourselves so that it is not we who live, but Christ in us and through us into a lost and broken world.
We love you guys. We go to Anaka tomorrow... so the next update will be in about 5 days. Keep us in your prayers. :)
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