Trip to Rhino Camp: Another Chapter

I’m still chewing on my trip to Uganda this season, which had me neck deep in the pains, concerns and sorrows of some dear friends from South Sudan.

Before leaving home, I imagined it’d be tough for many of them who’d fled to safety in the refugee camps in northern Uganda. Well, as it turned out, tough was an understatement. 

It’s one of those seasons when tears are a daily dessert, as pain from various life matters gnaw at the soul with violent thrusts that send reason on exile.

Many questions are asked with little or no answers offered. The frustration is off the charts. What is seen, sensed and said form a mixture that’s a harsh reality for many. The hurt is deep, trust is broken and we arrive at the point where groans overtake words and a smile seems a senseless thing to wear.

For the IDPs in South Sudan and those counting themselves fortunate to have escaped from the troubled areas; the complexity of it all doesn’t make for easy counsels. An end to the crisis seems far-fetched.

My visit to the Rhino refugee camp where the children from Dreamland and other South Sudanese were settled broke me. It was my first trip to a refugee camp.

I must confess that I was distressed by the disorder there, the hopelessness expressed in the faces of many people, the lack of organization and infrastructure; the sight of children gathered under the trees and high shrubs, sleeping, playing games on the dirt floor, shooting the breeze while waiting for the next meal. It seemed unreal.

I was overwhelmed by the well over 40 degrees centigrade heat inside the polythene tents, the challenge of leaks when it rains, the poor ventilation and sanitation.

I learned that the UNHCR set up refugee camps in line with the social status of the refugees in their home countries. Would that suggest the total lack of order seen at these camps dominated by South Sudanese?

This is a new era in the life of the children from Dreamland, their care-givers and many others here. I’m wondering how these children and the older ones among them are processing their current situation? How soon can they adjust and begin to recover? What will it take to finally resettle them physically and emotionally? Time is of the essence. 

Amidst the protocols at these UNHCR Camps restricting external visits, how can one best connect with these children and others there and help maximize their time? What partnerships need to be nurtured to make this happen?

A ministry in Kitgum, Irene Gleason Foundation (IGF), led by John Paul, is offering the Dreamland children a place there. I believe it will be far better than this camp. We await his report.

Application for their release to relocate to Kitgum has been filed by Pastor Stanley at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala. We are convinced that these children cannot thrive in this environment without deliberate and swift changes. Lord Jesus, undertake for us!

The older girls among them have all the makings of womanhood and eyes are looking. Someone may start baiting them. We need to move from fighting off the hawks and ensure that the good seed sown flourishes. The older boys nurse various ambitions; some spoken, some hidden. Minds and hands have to be purposefully engaged. Can you help?

Three close disciples shared their plans and dreams with me, as they press into this new territory. It was clear they need a spiritually and emotionally healthy community to thrive. I’ve asked them to build such a community by being ambassadors of peace there.

They’ll need support.

Our investments in them while in South Sudan will be tested for its worth. I’m convinced God has released some of them to chase Him and engage the Kingdom at another level. It’s another chapter.

We’ll continue working closely with some, to help them stabilize. Reaching the youth is integral to what we dream and dare to do as a ministry. Education, sport, music, the arts and all that attracts the fancy of young minds are tools we’ll continue to deploy. With an eye for kingdom expansion pressing northward, these youth are our arrowheads. 

We are trudging along in faith, hoping the heart finds strength with each step and stop, to pump prayers upward until heaven manifests on earth with those unwavering assurances of God’s presence. 

G.K. Chesterton said, “One can sometimes do good by being the right person in the wrong place.” This encourages me!

It’s a new chapter in the same book. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Lord has planned.

As we seek His grace and wisdom for new partnerships and strategies needed here, may our prayers and corporate efforts bear enduring fruit.

Thanks for praying for Pastor Tom and family. They tarried awhile in Koboko to mourn and receive the comfort of family and friends. They are thankful.