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Thur: Down Day |
| Friday, September 22, 2006 |
As we begin to wind down, we spent the day determining if we have any unanswered questions regarding our longer-term partnership with this local village, and clarifying local and leadership's development priorities. The needs we have seen thus far include a health clinic, church shelter, nutruition program, orphan shelter, and even a school perhaps further down the line?
We came with about $1500 from some really generous supporters to meet some of the smaller more acute needs on the ground as we see them. As you may have read earlier, we got goats this week, and have left $$$ for purchase of 2 gallon water jugs (called gerry cans), a herd of 14 pigs (sows and piglets), 2 sewing machines and supplies to begin expand a seamstress training program/business from another church/village, bibles, and a 3-wheeled bicycle for a man that had an accident resulting in loss of the ability to walk. More complete details later, but this is our blurry plan to be clarified today.
We had an incredible multi-course meal at Charles home featuring the goat on the barbie that he was given earlier this week. We met several people who were also guests. One man, Nathan, a pastor from Austrailia, has spent the last month in northern uganda with a friend who is also a leading behavior psychologist who has created a scientifically valid program for rehabilitating trauma victims. With 1.8 million people displaced from their homes (living in shelters, IDP camps, etc) and several thousands of victims-now-soldiers, many of these individuals have witnessed some atrocities that can only be described as demonic and utterly evil. Nathan described the 10-day process of meeting with a small group and the process of altering their physical/mental response to the memory, their future behavior, and helping them find forgiveness toward the perpetrators. Once you've gone thru this as a victim, you get the manual and can then lead others thru it...and EVERYONE wants to go thru this! Absolutely incredible things that God is doing there...and this program is at just the right time, as the prospect of peace might lead to people returning home in the coming months. But think of how challenging it would be to do this same rehab with 2 million people spread across an area the size of Iowa? Yep....this is the right time. Praise God for the prospect of peace...pray for this peace process unfolding!
Peace to our friends and family from your servants,
Troy, Paul, and Mike
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