I Hear The Cry of the Acholi

I've been in Uganda now for almost six months. During these past six months, I have not felt as broken as I do now for the people of Northern Uganda. The realization and depth of the damage done to the Acholi people during the war in Northern Uganda is hitting me more and more. I thought I was broken before.... little did I realize.

As many of you are aware I have been spending almost all of my days in Acholi Quarter - a slum in Kampala. This area is where currently over 10,000 people live. They came during the war to seek refuge. The more time I spend in the Quarter - the more I hear and see the devastating affects of the war.

I don't know if I can express to you in words how much these people have been through. I wish I could. Even I can't fully comprehend what their past was truly like. I sit and listen to their stories and I try and comprehend as best as I can - but you and I will never fully comprehend. I hear the stories of husbands being killed right in front of their children. I hear how brothers were abducted and up to now have not been heard from. I hear how families were forced to leave their homes and live in the squalid conditions in the IDP camps. I hear how the people were herded into grass huts only to be locked inside as flames consume the hut and those inside. I hear of sisters taken as wives. I hear of how young boys and girls became fathers and mothers in one moment when the caregivers were killed or died of AIDS. I hear how women and young girls were raped within the IDP camps. I hear of how everyone was sleeping in the bush even if it was pouring rain because its safer than sleeping in the huts at night. I hear of how lips, ear and noses were cut off to cause fear. I hear... I hear... the stories continue.

But mostly I hear the cries of the Acholi.

All of the above was during the war. Now, the affects of the above are taking place. The damage is seeping into a people that once lived in peace and freedom. A culture that was strong has now been weakened. A people who once had beautiful land and grew crops now lays desolate. Familes are now literally killing each other over land. The widows and orphans that survived the war have little or no rights.

As I walked through the slum yesterday I was hit with a reality. There are so many children in the slum. Almost all of them were born in Kampala. They have lived in the slum their whole lives. As I walked around the slum and I smelt the stench from pit latrines, and the open sewage drains that run through the slum I saw countless number of children. These children with no shoes, ripped and torn clothing, protruding stomachs and desperate eyes. I was reminded of something. They were not suppose to be born into this. These children that are now suffering in the slum were not suppose to be born there. These children have been robbed of a beautiful life in their villages. These children have been robbed of their childhood. Life in the village was free and peaceful. There was always food to be eaten from the garden. Here in the slum there is a battle to get enough money to eat. A people that used to dig and plant no longer know how to. Life was good in the village... As much as I hear the individual stories of the war - this war has damaged an entire culture. The children have been stolen from. The children - this generation is the one that is paying the price.

I hear the cries of the Acholi.

I hear the cry of justice.

I hear the call of The Father.

Africa - the people of Acholi - ARISE!

Where Are The Men?

As I walk through Acholi Quarter I see babies tied to their mother's back. I see mother's cooking, washing, sewing or making beaded necklaces. Paper beaded necklaces have become a source of income for many women and their families. Often times, I see young children rolling paper or creating necklaces with their mother. If I don't see the women cooking, washing, sewing or making necklaces they are covered in dust working the various stone quarries found within the slum. Here in the quarry they will earn at most 70 cents per day. The women will sit with hammers made from sticks, rope and hard stones and pound large stones into small stones.

I have met a few women that are working for someone making beaded necklaces or sewing purses to be sold. They tell me of the "mzungu's" that have come in to the slum to give them jobs. The women are creating these items to be sold in various western countries.

Now, the question is what are the men doing? When I walk through the slum I see men sitting. Simply sitting outside their homes. I see men in the many bars found within the slum. I see a few men trying to help out their wives by making necklaces or working at a manual sewing machine making purses for their wives "mzungu" boss. A few men are breaking stones at the quarry. But the majority of men that I see within the slum are either drinking or doing nothing. While a few "mzungu's" from the west have come into the slum with extremely good intentions in raising the quality of life for the people in Acholi Quarter they have forgotten a group. Helping the women and children are definitely needed and in no way am I diminishing their efforts and even successes by doing this. But we are missing a huge piece. We are missing the sons, the brothers, the husbands, the fathers even the grandfathers. We are missing a large piece of God's intentional family... the men.

As I sit and talk with the women, I hear of how they are the one's working endlessly while their husband's drink away their earnings. When I ask the women and even some men why they are drinking or not doing anything they give me two reasons. The first, the trauma of the war. Drinking is a way for them to forget the incredibly painful and traumatic experiences in their homeland of Northern Uganda. The second reason they give me is that there is simply no one helping them. They are an unreached group that have no one ministering to them or providing job skills or jobs for them. They literally have nothing to do.

I believe that as Africa Arise begins to disciple the people within Acholi Quarter, provide job skills, and eventually help them get back to Northern Uganda and out of the slums that we will reach the men. As I have shared the vision of Africa Arise with a few people I have heard a Ugandan Pastor tell me that, "this ministry will restore the Acholi Culture." Africa Arise will minister to the women, the children and the men. The damage that the war in Northern Uganda has done to the family structure within the Acholi Culture is severe. It was the men and boys that were captured to become soldiers in the LRA. If the men were seen to be useless or too hard to train they were the first to be killed. The men that were not captured by the LRA have their own "hurdles" to overcome. The Father's were left feeling useless as their sons were captured by the LRA. The father's and brothers were left devastated as their daughters and sisters were taken as sex slaves. The Father's in Acholi Quarter slum are feeling useless as their wives work to provide for the family. The men of Acholi Quarter need to be raised up into the men the Lord has commissioned them to be. I'm excited for the coming season of Africa Arise and how entire families will be reached through the gospel! Africa Arise!

"I Love That Captivity"

Meet my new friend Margaret.

Current Residence: Acholi Quarter Slum

Previous Residence: Gulu (Northern Uganda)

Age She Left Gulu: 17 years old

Why She Left Gulu: Parents and siblings killed in the war except one brother.

Current Age: 37 years old

Marital Status: Widow

Number of Children: 3

Margaret's Story
I met Margaret a few weeks ago in Acholi Quarter. This tall thin woman came and sat before me as she worked on her Acholi beaded necklaces. As we began to talk and share about ourselves I saw that she was like no one I have ever met.
Margaret shared with me her story of leaving her home in Gulu due to the war. She shared with me how her brother who lived in Kampala encouraged her to come with him to Kampala for safety and work. She had married three times - each one has died. Time and time again she was left alone. She told me how when she came to Kampala that people would call her a rebel, how they would spit on her, tell her to go back to the bush, beat her and mistreat her in every manner possible. She told me of her trials of finding work to raise enough funds to send her three children to school. She shared of times when people would not even sit within 3 meters of her on a bus. She shared how she had lost three husbands and how AIDS is currently ravaging her own body.

Through all of this, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said,

"But Tricia, I love that captivity...
I love that captivity...
it forces me to go to God."

She began sobbing. Her tears where not tears of sadness - they were tears of a deep love for the Lord. I sat there speechless. Here before me was a woman that had been through war, death, disease, persecution, discrimination, hopelessness and so much more than I could ever imagine. In my mind I thought of how beautiful her words were... that in her suffering she has found what many of us have not. She has found her hiding place....

"I love that captivity."

Acholi Quarter

The Acholi Quarter is one of many slums in Kampala. This is an area where the Acholi people of Northern Uganda have come to take refuge from the war. I had been to this area in June 2009 with a missions team but this time was different.

I was with a few friends from Canada that had come to minister in Uganda. We decided that Acholi Quarter would be area that they would like to go and minister. As we walked into the slum area I met the Grandmother of one of the children in the home I am staying at. She greeted us with a genuine smile and a strong handshake. By her side I saw a boy about 2 years old. On his head there were many bandages. He had a hairnet over top of his bandages to keep them secure. As I bent down to this young child I could feel his pain. I asked the Grandmother what had happen. It was translated to me that while someone was boiling water to drink he had fallen into the hot charcoal. I could feel the pain and suffering of this little one. I held him close and prayed for healing.

We continued on deeper into the community. We came upon a mud bricked building that was a bar. We saw a few men and women sitting in a circle drinking some local brew (homemade alcohol). One of the men, feeling bold came outside the hut and and introduced himself as Philip. He encouraged us to come in and have a drink with them. We respectfully declined and moved on only to find three more men sitting on a bench enjoying more local brew. They too encouraged us to have a drink with them. Again, we declined.

As we moved further into Acholi Quarter we began to have a following. Children began to surround us and followed our every move. These children with their dirty faces, runny noses, torn clothing, broken sandals or no shoes at all greeted us warmly and with joy. Their big smiles brought both joy and pain to my heart. We sang with them, tickled, played simple games, and attempted to understand their language when they spoke to us. I could feel the deep love the Lord had for these little ones. Tears came to my eyes but none fell.

We walked even deeper into the slum surrounded by the children. Men and women greeted us with gentle smiles. We came upon a quarry area. Here we saw women and children with hammers in hand pounding large rocks to create smaller rocks. They looked tired and worn. I wondered where the men were. I felt a burden upon me. The Lord was burdened for these ones and he was allowing me to experience it with Him. These were His women and children and He was broken for them. A deep love and sadness came upon me.

We continued through the area and I prayed and asked the Lord to tell me why I felt so burdened in this community. It was His deep love for the orphan, the widow and the poor. His heart is burdened for these ones. I knew then that the Lord was asking me to minister to these ones - because the Kingdom belongs to them.

Again I prayed. I asked the Lord to speak to me through a child to confirm His calling me into ministry in the Acholi Quarter. As we began to make our way out of the slum a small child not more than 3 years came running behind us sobbing. Most of the children had now turned back and returned to their homes but this small one had continued to follow us on her own. I had not spent anytime with this child or spoken to her at all during our time in the Quarter. A friend bent down and tried to calm her down. She would not stop crying. Her name was Abu. We had someone translate and ask her why she was crying. She turned and pointed at me and in her own language said, "I want to be with her. I need to stay with her." Something broke inside of me as I heard these words. I knew this was the Lord speaking to me through this small child. I knelt down and picked her up. She immediately calmed down. As I looked at her face I could see the Lord. This little one was His. With her tear streaked face, runny nose and dirty over sized sweatshirt I could feel the Lord's deep, unfathomable love for her. I knew in that moment that the Lord was asking me to care for her and others within this community. With tearful eyes I looked her in the eye and told her that I loved her and that I would comeback. I knelt down and placed her back on her feet and she left.

"Listen my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:5

Beauty in The Poor

In this nation I am consistently reminded of need. From the mother sick with no money to pay for health care to the thin, frail desperate child begging on the street. This people of Uganda are ripe with desperation for a breakthrough... they are desperate for the Lord.
I see all around me so many with nothing. Literally, many have nothing to help them in their most desperate hours. No money, no health care, no parents, no media, no clean water, sometimes no food... and I see something beautiful. I see a people that understands that this world is fading. I see a people that understands that they cannot rely on the things of this world - whether that is their government, their families, electricity, water, their friends or strangers. And this is beautiful to me. There is nothing in this world that can bring a satisfaction that will last. The riches of this world will fade - but the Lord is everlasting.
There is a danger in being poor. Sadly, I am seeing it here. Believing that I am poor causes me to become desperate and at times turn to things that will satisfy for only a brief moment. Over the past few weeks I have heard many stories of witchcraft and the damaging effects it has had on this nation. So many people have stories of how it has affected themselves or their loved ones. There is a deep root of this in this nation. Child sacrifice is on the rise in Uganda... while this nation is desperate - at times they are turning to the wrong source of satisfaction.
The Lord loves the poor. Its written all over the scriptures! These past week I have been meditating on it more and more. I want to become so desperate that I have no where else to turn but the Lord. I have so much in the physical that its hard to come into this. I have family, a church, friends, finances, health care and so much that if something should go wrong I have a backup plan. But can I imagine not having any of this? Can I live without any of this? Can I become so poor in the material that I must become more hungry and desperate for my God?
In this desperation, in being poor it is an opportunity for more of the Lord. I pray that the Lord will arise in the poor of Uganda. Whether they are physically without or spiritually without - let God arise in each one in Uganda! I pray that the poor will recognize how rich they are in Christ. That the Lord says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5. Let the kingdom of heaven invade the poor in spirit!! I realize that I have SO much to learn from the people of this nation... and I can't wait!

First Week Back In Uganda

I can't believe that I've been here only a week! I feel like I haven't left since my last trip this past February. I am feeling quite a home and am happy to see so many familiar faces.

This past week I have been staying at New Creation Family Home. I will be staying here for the next few months. Its an AMAZING ministry by Loving One By One Ministries. There are 16 children in this home and each one has their own story. These children are from a variety of backgrounds - some are orphans and some are not. Each one is absolutely beautiful!
Sherry (the director of Loving One By One Ministries) is here in Uganda as well. I'm so glad I was able to get here while she is still here. She's been a wealth of information. She has such a heart for the children of this nation.

Yesterday I had the privilege of ministering on Nakalaka Island. Its an island on Lake Victoria. It reminded me so much of rural Africa. Much more peaceful and restful compared to the bustle of Kampala where it seems there are SO many people everywhere. The island reminded me yet again of the cry of justice that the Lord has placed within me. One of the residents of the village we were visiting took us on the path that a local resident would have to walk should they need water. We began at a home walked a long path down a hill. It seemed to go on for about a mile. It took us about 20mins to reach the "spring." As I looked at the water source I was saddened at how filthy the water was. We saw many coming and filling their jerry cans of this cloudy water and then begin the journey back up the hill. As I walked back to the home where we began I was feeling tired... and I was not carrying jerry cans full of water!! I cannot fathom how so many in this nation do this daily. Most family use at least 6 jerry cans of water per day... how many times would I have to walk back and forth to get this water? How much time of my day would be spent just on getting the water?

I recognize that "This is Africa" and that for many this is the norm. I do not desire Africa to become like the western nations. There is a wealth of faith and hope found in these nations. I wonder where the middle ground is? In my time on the island I was surrounded by children all wanting to see the mzungu (white) up close. Many asked me if I had something in my bag for them. This again saddened and frustrated me. How has this nation and so many in Africa become so dependent upon western society? I long to see this outlook destroyed. My prayer is that Uganda - all of Africa would become independent. One day, I pray that when people like myself come to this beautiful nation I would not be seen as one who has what they need because of the color of my skin - that Uganda itself would arise and become sufficient through the grace of God. I long to see the people of Uganda understand all that they have to offer. There is much need here - but it is time for Uganda to find its needs met here. God is in this nation - His grace is sufficient. Africa Arise.

SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS

The Shock

I left home today to begin the season ahead in Uganda. The "shock" of leaving Toronto wasn't really hitting me the past few weeks... even the morning of my departure! But as I arrived at the airport I began to realize just how much I will miss my friends and family. This is not just a simple "trip" as at times it has been in the past. This is my life now.
As I arrived at the Pearson Airport with my sister and my niece, reality began to kick in. As friends came around me to pray for me and say their goodbyes I realized just how much I will miss them. Don't misunderstand me - I am VERY excited for whats ahead in Uganda. I can't wait to see all that God is going to do! But I will be missing a lot of dear friends and family... I hope that I will not comeback to them a stranger nor they become strangers to me.

To Know Him...

I will be living in a completely different culture for these upcoming months and I can only hope that through this blog I will be able to clearly describe the amazing things that God is doing in Uganda. While I know He is going to do (and is already doing!) great things in Uganda, I also want Him to do greater things in me. I long to know Him more and more. This must be a main focus - to KNOW Him. One of my fears of heading to Uganda is that I would become consumed by miracles, salvation and wild moments with God and forget just how much more I have to learn about Him myself. To know Him is my greatest reward! I don't want this ministry to be about what I can do through Him. This must be ALL about Him!
I was reminded today about Moses and his encounters with the Lord. I love his honest heart, and desire to know God. Exodus 33:13 "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." Moses put it all on God. He knows that in order to keep going - in order to lead Israel, he must know the Lord and His ways.

He Must Be With Me...

My desire is as Moses cried out in Exodus, to know Him and to have His presence with me. I NEED His presence... more than anything else. If He is not with me I cannot and do not want to move.
As I walked through the security at Pearson and on to my gate I went straight to the washrooms and into the bathroom stall and sobbed. I felt so alone. As I was sobbing I heard Him. He gently spoke to me and said, "Surely I am with you always... surely I am with you." This comes from Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Surely, my God is with me always...