Day 5: Children of War Center
I arose to a beautiful Friday. There was not a cloud in the sky, quite a change from the rest of the time I have been here. Yesterday it didn’t rain, but there were times when it looked as though it would, at least in the morning. In any case, it was a great way to spend my last full day in Gulu.
I returned to the Children of War Center today and spent most of the day there. In the morning I met about 2 1/2 hours with Dora, Christine, and Concy, the three counselors who work at the center and do the psychosocial work in the surrounding communities. I think we accomplished a great deal during the time that we met, and I was able to be helpful to them both in terms of documentation, and in encouraging them to take care of themselves psychologically and emotionally. The kind of work that they do is extremely draining, and it is so easy to suffer from what psychologists call "compassion fatigue." I am glad that I had the time to spend with them. I spent the afternoon talking with Concy (the counselor assigned to the former abductees ) and meeting with about 18 former abductees. Two of them arrived on Aug 3rd, and one of them is having nightmares and a very difficult time readjusting. One of the abductees is from the Sudan. About 7 of them arrived in mid-July. One person was not an abductee but was badly burned when he was 1 1/2. He must now be about 20 y.o. but his burns never healed properly. So he is there to get medical treatment. Doctors have done some skin grafts on his head, and they are healing, but he still has unhealed burn wounds on his legs. I think he is going back for more skin grafts soon. Many of the abductees have bullet and shrapnel wounds like those I met in March. On a happier note, one of the former abductees, Geoffrey, who was there in March, and was visiting the center today was reunited with his family and has a successful business with his mother. I recognized him and was glad to see that there is some success. I asked permission of the former abductees to take their picture and explained what I had done with the ones from March. They all gave permission, so I took a picture of each one, and Concy wrote down their name, the number of years they were in captivity, and any prayer requests they had. I was touched because after I had taken everyone's picture and they had given there personal prayer requests, they asked us (I told them that the congregation was praying for them) to pray for those abductees who have not been freed and are still with the LRA. One young man tried to escape with his wife and two children, but those pursing caught his wife and one child, and he escaped with one child. When it was time for me to say something to them, I tried to give them hope. I told them that while I didn't understand why God allowed the misery and trauma to happen to them, I wanted them to know that each one was precious in God's sight, no matter what had happened to them or what they had done. I told them that I wished I could get inside each of their heads and somehow make them believe this. I think it was good that someone like Geoffrey who had gone through the Children of War Center and has integrated successfully was there as an example. I also think the fact that someone from overseas came to listen, take their pictures, and tell them that people from his church would pray for them was important to them. One of the young men came up to me and told me as much. I hope that you will pray for them. I believe that God has answered many of our prayers concerning the former abductees I met in March. During the week I spent here, I ran into three of them who appear to be doing reasonably well. Tomorrow I head for breakfast and a latte with Joseph, my driver, and then we head for Kampala and Entebbe. I asked if Joseph would take me to meet his family on the east side of Kampala, which he has graciously agreed to do. Then on to Entebbe. My flight to Nairobi leaves at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. I heard today from Patty MacDonald the New England World Vision Rep who works with our church, that she finally was able to make the needed contacts so that I can visit the area where our deep well will be drilled in Ethiopia. It looks now as if that will occur a week from today. I wasn't sure if that was going to happen, so I am very excited that I will be able to visit and bring back pictures of the area. Starting tomorrow, I think that my access will be very limited if I have any at all. I might be able to blog tomorrow from the hotel in Entebbe but after that, all bet are off. I would ask that you would continue to pray for my trip. God is good!