A Full Sunday...

What a great day in Gulu. It started out with all of us getting ready for church and then gathering the children to ride in a vehicle for the first time in their lives. They were so excited! In the picture Mama V is giving some instructions to the children because they were so excited they just wanted to jump in the van and start playing. We all got in, twelve of us, and there was plenty of room to spare. What a great vehicle for the Children of Hope Ministry to have for all they are doing. We praise God everytime we get in because not having a personal vehicle makes life very difficut. We still take plenty of Bodaboda rides, but when we all need to make a trip the van is absolutely awesome. Though I must admit it is a bit warm in the van since it does NOT have air conditioning and we are on the equator, however the conveniece of having a van FAR FAR outweighs any discomfort we may experience.


We attended a Calvary Chapel church where we had some traditional African worship...you know the kind where everyone is into it and there is a whole lot of rythum and jumping up and down. Man we could use a little of their passion. The sound system failed during worship and they never missed a beat, and that without any instruments...they just sang a little louder and harder. Such beautiful people.
They asked me to oversee the celebration of communion and then to preach. The picture is one where Dorie caught my usual quiet restrained self.

Following church we arrived home and we all spent the afternoon doing different things. I went with Mike to meet a Pastor in the city as well as an overseer for "Favor of God" ministries. Wonderful people, and I continue to get the broader picture of the suffering and pain of the Acholi people. Pete and Dorie played with our children and the neighbor's children as well. When we all arrived home, Mama Valerie had prepared our dinner...rice, cabbage and the two roosters you see in the picture. In the picture Dorie and Randi had gone into town on Saturday to purchase two live roosters for our Sunday dinner. I must say that dinner was absolutely awesome (eat your heart out Joe) Though one of them tried to attack Dorie, she successfully carried it on the back of a bodaboda (motorcycle) and I think she enjoyed eating that mean rooster today. We've decided that anyone who wants to serve in Gulu has to ride through Massena carrying a live rooster sitting sideways on the back of a motorcycle...haha.
We relaxed tonight and watched the DVD "Invisible Children," the documentary produced in 2004 depicting the profound horrors of what the children in Gulu experienced just a few short years ago. I highly recommend the film if anyone has the stomach to view raw amateur footage of what actually happened to the beautiful Acholi people.
It would take too long to communicate how many prophetic moments and conversations have taken place so far, and we have only completed two days here! I cannot encourage you enough to continue praying for us so that we can really comprehend and catch the dream on God's heart to bring restoration to this region of Northern Uganda, and also what small part NTC might have to play in their future.
On Saturday night the staff at COH decided we all needed Acholi names so they thought up what they thought would fit us. For Dorie they gave her the name, "Lakica," which means "Merciful." For Peter they gave him the name, "Ogden," which means "Trust." For me I received the name, "Omara," which means "Love," so they have been having fun calling me Pastor Omara. Out of silliness I began to tell them I was "Doctaluv..." and we all had a good laugh.
Well it is past time for bed with another full day planned for tomorrow. The plan is for us to go out in the bush about 20 - 30 miles which we are told will take over an hour due to the red dirt roads that suffer during their rainy season. We will meet Pastor James, the Pastor Christine Atcheson mentioned to us when she was in Massena. Pastor James went back to his village last year only to find 250 orphans in his village with no hope. He adopted a number of them, and tries to help take care of the rest. For us that is beyond comprehension, and tomorrow we will be able to witness it first hand.
So much more to say, but time escapes me. Please know that we love you all so much and hope God is able to communicate through this blog much more than what you are reading. If, as Bill Wilson (NYC Children's Pastor) is right, that "the need is the call," then we of NTC are overwhelmingly called. What that means in practical ways we are still praying and asking the Father to lead us in. Let's trust God together that He will lead us and guide us.
We Love & Miss You All So Very Much,
Dorie, Pete & Don