The Road Now Traveled

200 yards. That was the distance I walked the dirt road in the village of Guru-Guru in Northern Uganda just days ago. Just years ago, the villagers walked that road in fear of abduction, if they walked it at all.

The LRA was strong and active in Guru-Guru. Everyone, and I mean everyone that we met and talked to had either been abducted or knew someone that was.

As I walked, I imagined people running, rebels yelling, kids screaming. I could hear rebels telling a young boy that he must kill his brother. I could picture a young girl watching her father being taken. I know no fear even close. It is unthinkable that people, any people live or ever lived through such pain and fear.

Simon, now in is mid 20's, was abducted but was able to escape. What was heart breaking about Simon's story, is his brother. Simon watched the taking of his brother, from just across the road where I walked. That was 14 years ago and he has not seen him since. He may be dead, he may now be a rebel leader in the Congo. Nobody knows. Nobody may ever know.

Today, just 4 years after the last known rebel attack (and the first year that we visited Gulu), the road is peaceful. People walk it. Life is returning to normal, though ever slowly. You don't hear screaming or gunfire. But the fear is still there. The pain still strong. Wounds have not healed. Families still ripped apart. There is shame and guilt.

I count it a tremendous privilege to walk the road with my new friends, becoming a part of their story and recovery.

Ugandan travels

For the past year we have been preparing to launch our work through the Childrens Heritage Foundation in Gulu. This trip, joined by 22 others from San Diego, marks the beginning of our work there. Gulu is a town in the Northern region of Uganda and was home to some of the most tragic rebel attacks by the LRA. Though the area has been peaceful now for 4 years, there is an overwhelming sense of need. 22 years living in fear, witnessing abuse, experiencing abduction and walking the edge of death every day has left the region in shambles.

Because the work there is so emotionally heavy, today I will write about the lighter side of our time there.

• The drive to Gulu from where we stay (Mukono) is about 5 hours if all goes well. It took us 10. The journey North was adventurous to say the least. At the half way point, after numerous car troubles, I suggested that we leave our van (we had hired a car and driver) and look for an alternative mode of transportation to Gulu. As I was speaking, I notice a large military transport vehicle to my right, and I jokingly suggested that we ride in that. Our Ugandan friend did not notice my humor, and minutes later we found ourselves joining Ugandan forces (Ali and Perez had been sent ahead in another car). What I learned along the way, was that in the back of the transport was a coffin carrying 2 dead soldiers. The soldiers had been killed in action, flown to Uganda and were now being moved to their burial site. We stopped several times to gather various supplies, including about 10 people from one village who were going to attend the burial. I still find it hard to believe that I sat for 2 hours in the front seat of a military vehicle with 3 soldiers (It was only designed for 2), carrying a coffin and several villagers en route to a burial, listening to a soccer game on the radio in a language that none of us could understand. This is Africa.
• On Tuesday, construction began on a new home for a woman who had spent the last 22 years in the camp and did not have the means to return to her village. This lady had become a Christian just two days early.
• Ali worked as hard as anyone clearing away grass (the slasher was particularly satisfying), bushes and trees at the location of the new soccer field. Ugandans love their soccer. But in addition to the game, the field will serve as the community gathering place, located adjacent to the church.
• Perez labored extensively on a termite mound (6 feet high). I think he enjoyed playing with/torturing the termites more than he did swing the pick, but at the end of the day he had a blister.
• A Ugandan wasp hive did not appreciate that I was chopping down their tree...one let me know it by greeting me on the jaw.
• We lead devotionals, talked with locals, learned from pastors, joined a soccer game and didn’t sleep much.

The team is staying the week in Gulu, but the Denney’s returned to Mukono to finish some work before their flight home. The drive from Gulu to Mukono is about 5 hours if all goes well. It took us 12.

• An hour off the main road between Gulu and Mukono is Murchison Falls National Park. The water fall requires a full day, but the drive through the park was like a self guided safari. We decided to make the drive. It was really amazing, and props to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, they really got it right. We say elephants, baboons, a bunch of “deer” like animals, pumbas and were treated to a close up of several giraffe. The end of the drive through the park requires a river crossing on a barge...we arrived 1.5 hours before departure, so we waited (but a family of hippos lived there so the wait was entertaining). The 2 hour, dirt road drive back to the main road was terrifying at 110 kilometers an hour.
• At exactly the same spot as on our journey 3 days earlier (give or take a 1/4 mile), we broke down again. Even my limited knowledge of automobiles was enough to inform me that this vehicle would not be moving again anytime soon. There was only one other stopped vehicle in the very small road side town where we were stranded. We politely asked for a ride, and moments later we found ourselves traveling once again with a stranger, in his Hummer (some people in Uganda do have money). We were dropped 1.5 hours later, still 45 minutes from home (so we had to hire one more private car). 3 cars, 1 pseudo safari, many "near miss" accidents and 12 hours from departure, we were home.

Our Gulu experience was incredible and we are excited to be able to share life and off assistance to some of the most resilient, hopeful people we have ever met. We'll tell you about some of them in our next post.

Until then, from Uganda with love.

Transformational Experience

David Platt, author of the book, "Radical," pastor of an Alabama megachurch and a frequent traveler to places of extreme poverty wrote, "Spending 2% of your time living out the gospel in another context can radically effect the 98% of time you live in your own."

5 things that have influenced me this week from my place of 2%:

One

The kids at the school where we stay (all 800 of them) do get to eat, but it's nothing to blog about. The other night after preparing an interesting stir fry dish, we discarded a few remaining pieces of meat and some vegetables in the small trash can outside our door. Later, while cleaning up, 8 or 10 boys were digging through our scraps, just hoping to find "1 more piece of meat." I live in such abundance, taken for granted and often not given thanks for.

Two

Ali has the overwhelming task of taking update photos of all 315 children. These kids are scattered across some 20 different schools and several towns. On Tuesday we went to Hope secondary school in Lugazi town where about 40 of those kids had assembled for their photo and letter writing. We (mostly Ali, I spent much of my time with a child named Ruth), got to work. One boy, just before his photo, looked at Ali and said, "I remember you, do you remember me?" Ali said, "I remember you!" The boy replied, "What is my name?" To his surprise, Ali said, "your name is Jofrey." "Thank you for remembering me," Jofrey answered. Everyone wants to be known, to be remembered. And when we are, it makes a difference.

Three

Perez was able to spend some time with his Ugandan mom, Justine on Wednesday. Because of language, they struggle to communicate, but he loves to see her. For the past year Perez has been saving his money to give to his mom on this trip. After about an hour with Justine, he came to me and said, "Dad where is the money?" I gave him his money and he ran back to the office where she was waiting. Perez explained how he had been saving his money so he could help her because he loved her. When I entered the room, Perez, Justine, Ali and the translator were all crying. Perez told me, "Dad, its okay, these are happy tears!" At times you don't need words.

Four

Caning is the norm in Uganda. If a child needs to be "made straight" as they say, they are spanked, with a "cane." For the American eye, it borders on abuse, for the Ugandan, it is common. We woke up at 6:00 the other morning to a mass caning. The entire p7 class was being punished. One at a time, they assumed the position, girls got it once, most boys got three. The event went on for over 30 minutes. It was unbearable. We later asked a boy why his class got caned. Tardiness. That's it. They were late for class (which begins at 5:45 for the p7 class, ends at 4pm and then they return at 7pm for another hour). Sometimes even the norms are out of place.

Five

Yesterday I was able to spend an hour with my sponsor, Eron. Her school is far from where we stay, but the journey was worth it. Her school was preparing for a track meet, it was fun to watch the kids here have fun (and Perez joined some older boys on a few laps...the coach really wanted to recruit him). Eron introduced us to her friends, we watched the high jump, and walked the campus. It was a really cool time. When we were saying goodbye (the first time Eron released my hand), we hugged and I told Eron I loved her. Her response, "Nange," or, me too. There is no more powerful force in the world than a tangible expression of love. It knows no boundaries, cultural divide or language. It is universal.

May our transformational experiences leave a life changing impression on you.

From Uganda, we love you.

My Son

You'd think that being surrounded by more than 800 Ugandan kids, Perez would not stick out (and that I'd have someone else to write about). Without apology, there is no kid I'd rather write about, and there is no denying it, he sticks out.

Sure, he sticks out because he wore a red shirt today and the school uniform is blue. He sticks out because when the others get there portion of rice, he gets a meal. He sticks out because when night comes, he goes to the apartment and the others go to the dorm. He sticks out because he does not go to class. He just sticks out.

He also sticks out because of his incredible heart to share and help. He brought a backpack of his toys, all to give away. Each night a mob of kids come to his room, they get out the toys and they begin to play. Perez steps back and says to me, "dad, I just love watching them play." Today he bought a small bag of cookies (biscuits). He loves the school cookies (so do I). After eating one he noticed his many friends watching him with the cookies. Perez gave the rest away. At lunch today, he did not eat a single french fry, he wanted to hand the out (which he forgot to do so by evening our kitchen counter was home to 10 billion ants, and yes, I counted). This kind of "sticking out" goes on all day.

As much as Perez sticks out, he is so at home. Watching him run across the school lot, dirty, laughing and seeking out the next adventure...that's the Perez we first met and fell in love with and it's good to see him at home. We love to see Perez in his culture, with his friends (all of whom he has outgrown by at least 6 inches) and surrounded by people who love him (not that each of the above aren't true back home).

Perhaps most surprising, is that we have discovered that Perez can indeed run out of energy. Each night, Perez has fallen asleep on the couch by or before 8 oclock (tonight, before eating dinner). Not the sort of slowly nod off and drift away, but more of an instant out. One minute he's speaking, the next minute he's sleeping.

The downside to his early bedtime, as I discovered this morning, an early wake up (4:45 this morning). That means enough for now, I need to get my sleep. Good night, from Uganda

Steve

We're back

This blog chronicles are time in Uganda, our work with the Childrens Heritage Foundation and the adoption of our son, Perez.

On Thursday, March 24 we leave again for Uganda, so I am resurrecting this blog. We are so excited for this trip. Perez gets to spend time with his family and friends. Ali and I have some really great projects we are working on for the foundation and...

We will be initiating the process for a second adoption.

We will do our best to make time to post here. Please keep us, our travels and our work in your prayers.

We look forward to sharing,

the Denneys