Today the team broke up as we had our last full day of ministry. We headed as a team to the Methodist Church in Layibi to be introduced to the pastors/community leaders conference. Part of the team stayed at the conference and shared their testimony and taught on various topics (such as stewardship, the Holy Spirit, etc). The whole team joined the conference for some worship time and then I led a group into Gulu town for the day. Mike, Richard, Dottie, Randi, Susan, Cheryl, Emily, and Erica did not have a teaching segment so we decided to go into town to visit some other organizations.
We started out visiting the head quarters of Invisible Children. This group has done a great job of raising awareness about the situation in the North, but we learned today that they have continued to expand their programs to educate and empower the people, as well. They have a program to refurbish schools, a scholarship program to send children to school, a mentoring program, a micro finance program, and a new hand bag program that employs seamstresses. I am always impressed when we visit with them to see they are still empowering and employing local Ugandans to help the area recover and grow.
We then went to the World Vision Children of War Rehab Center. This place is holy ground to the mission. I first read an article about this center in a magazine from World Vision and it is what God used to stir my heart for Uganda. The work this center did and does to help rescued children to recover and heal is truly amazing. We met with Emiliano (the Program Manager) and Patrick (the Program Director for all of Gulu) and Concy (the center counselor) and they filled us in on their work. The center has cared for 15,000 children since it opened in 1995. They have been able to successfully reintroduce all but one young man to their homes and villages. Currently there are 4 young men at the center, but we did not get a chance to meet them as they were in Kampala for medical treatment. This place is truly light in the middle of darkness. I love to walk through the center. My heart breaks, and is warmed, when I think of the children who have come through here and recovered and healed. It is an amazing place with an amazing staff who are serving the Lord with all their hearts. I love this center.
We also visited Baby Watoto Gulu which is an orphanage that cares for children ages 0 to 2 years old. After 2 they go to the children's center. The older kids center has a choir that has toured America before. The children are brought to this center when they are abandoned. The children at Watoto are not available for adoption. Their plan is to raise up and educate the future leaders of Uganda. I must say the facility was first rate. It was of the highest construction and was clean. We were able to play with the babies and hold them;it was a blast. I am not sure how the center gets their funding, but they seem to provide a wonderful and caring environment.
We also stopped and ate lunch in town and then walked to the market. We went to the main market in town where the people shop for their needs. It is a maze of wooden structures that makes you feel like you are under ground;it is many city blocks long. You could get lost in the maze! It is a sight to see. Fresh meat and fish hanging in the stalls! It started to rain and so we had to run under cover and wait it out. We headed back to the hotel and rested while the conference team finished up and met us for dinner.
I will post some details on the conference later when I talk to the team. I did find out that at yesterday's clinic we had 240 people visit the doctor and 67 to the dentist. Wound care saw 101 people (plus they saw an additional 71 that did not see the doctor for a total of 479 patients cared for.) Amen!
Tomorrow we travel to Jinja and begin our journey home on Saturday. A small group will be doing a half day rafting trip on the Nile River and the rest of us will spend Saturday in Jinja town with Edward. The float trip is a once and a lifetime trip!
Talk to you later!
God bless!
CRT
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