01-19-10

Our first day in Entebbe was kind of a restful day. Trying to get everyone on the right time zone and feeling a bit better before heading off. We visited a small zoo where friendly monkeys run wild and pose for the camera. Then we went out on a boat for several hours on Lake Victoria. It was stunningly beautiful. There were islands everywhere and we even got to get out and wander around a small island. We met a family there who lives in a hut with several children and they caretake the island. Other than the unbelievable amount of bugs swarming us, it was breathtaking. We journeyed on across the lake and crossed the equator. We spent a good amount of time arguing whether or not it really was warmer right at the equator. I personally think it was just hot everywhere. The most fascinating part of the trip, other than a goatherder with a flock of island goats, was a small fishing community we ran across. It was unreal! A very small island inhabited by fishermen and their families. The whole island was a mass of tin huts. There was no ground at all to be seen. Just huts on top of each other on this tiny island. Hard to explain. There was one satellite dish in the middle!

The next morning we got up way before dawn to get ready to fly to Northern Uganda in a small plane. On our flight we crossed low over the Nile River and it was wide and powerful, sparkling in the early morning sun. I kept thinking about Moses floating down that river in a little bamboo basket. Wow!

We were flying into Gulu where the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) used to terrorize and abduct children, only a few years ago. The whole area is still recovering. Our first visit in Gulu was the Children of War Rehabilitation Program which is run by World Vision. It is a Center where children are brought after being rescued or escaping the LRA. I tried to prepare myself for the horror of the thought of children being taken but I was still overcome. We heard story after story of children being snatched from their homes, their whole families taken in the night, the village burned. Often the parents would be shot or just released and forced to go home without their children. The target children were between the ages of 8 and 13. Old enough to work and fight but young enough to not think much on their own. The boys were trained to be soldiers, the young girls were forced to marry rebels and the healthy girls also forced to fight. They were told that if they tried to escape they would be shot or beaten then killed. They made examples of many children in front of the others to keep the children in fear. They also knew if they did manage to escape and return home, they would be hunted down to their village and their whole family killed. They were trained to shoot and were the first to go out in front of the army, used as human shields. Sometimes they had to raid and kill in their own village. Their friends and families. Many, many children perished and were never heard from again by their families.

We met Grace. She is in her twenties now and is a remarkable woman. She was abducted at age 13 and forced to become a soldier and a general’s wife. In fact, the rebel she married was second in command of the LRA. She lived as a captive and faced horrors I can’t even write about. After 5 years captivity, she and another captive with a baby, ran. They were being held in Sudan and they escaped and were taken back to Uganda. She was brought to the Children of War Center with gunshot wounds. World Vision staff helped her with counseling and medical treatment. She is now completing her schooling and recently was given a very distinguished award by the country of Uganda and was able to visit the US, even meeting then Secretary of State Condaleza Rice. Grace is a beautiful young women with her whole life ahead of her and is an incredible inspiration.

We also met Samuel. He was abducted at just 10 years old. By the time he was 11 he was a seasoned soldier. I can only imagine the horrors he faced in the 12 years he was held. Twelve years. Over half of his life. He also escaped just last year with many gunshot wounds and shrapnel. He was brought to the War Center in bad shape. He has undergone several surgeries and is still recovering. He hopes to return home soon and continue his education. He shared his story with us and I couldn’t help but think about my own teenage boys. I can’t wrap my mind around having them snatched from me and forced to fight in a war they want nothing to do with. It is unspeakable. World Vision here has attended to and aided over 14,000 child soldiers. 14,000 children kidnapped and abused. I’m sorry to sound so depressing but sometimes we need a wake up call don’t we? I know I do. The petty things we get all wound up about don’t matter a bit in the scheme of things. And this number, this 14,000 children, is only the children that were found or escaped and brought here. Thousands of others died and thousands of others treated in various places.

I guess I just want to say, if you hear me speak about World Vision and you hear passion and urgency in my voice, it is because they are doing an important and critical work. They are saving children’s lives. Whatever the different circumstances in countries all over the world, World Vision is on the ground, saving children. This war is over now in Uganda. The LRA has moved on but the ravages remain. Children are still being helped. A new crisis has arisen in Haiti. World Vision is on the ground, bringing aid, bringing hope.

Well, that was only the first few hours of my day and I’m worn out. I’ll bring chapter two next time. For now I’m going to crawl under my mosquito netting and get ready for the life changing experiences that are waiting for me tomorrow.