The Three R's of Gulu

Two weeks ago Peter, Brady and I had the chance to go to Gulu for a day.  Gulu is the "Gateway to the North" type of city.  It is the largest city (if you could even call it that) in Northern Uganda and is used in a lot of ways as a trade post of sort between the North and the South.  It was a quick trip but two weeks later, I'm still thinking of what I learned there.

I hope you bear with me as I tell you about the THREE R's of Gulu.  The three people who taught me a lesson I hope to remember all my life.

 Say Hello to Rom. He is R#1.   He's from Gulu and is just 27 years old (he thinks he is SO old!).  He is our contact up there for one of the projects. He was SO nice in showing us around Gulu, working hard to make contacts for us at the local schools.

He just opened a woman's clothing store at the market-- his own business! Incredible! He used to work at this hotel that was built a long time ago and has a pool and everything.

He just had his appendix taken out so he said he cannot exert himself too much but he's a trooper and going on.

In showing us around town, Rom pointed out one of the local places where the Night Walkers would stay during the civil war with the LRA.  Rom's parents were both killed during the war.  We aren't entirely sure but from what Peter thinks, his parents were locked up in a house and burned.  I will remember Rom. 


Now onto R#2: THE ROLEX.  It is an egg with tomatoes and onions fried and then wrapped in TWO chapati (Uganda's version of a tortilla). Brady and I hadn't tried them so Peter bought us some to try.  Apparently they are the best in Gulu. (And BOY was it GOOD!!)

But this picture is more than just a rolex.  I want to tell you about the boy who made them for us.  He owned a little stand on the corner of the main road.  His name was Oscar, and he was 17 years old.  He was soft-spoken but had a smile that lit up the dark night.  He has owned this stand for 3 years; he said business wasn't too good but it was at least something.  

We came to found out that he too was orphaned by the War, I'm not sure of how his parents were killed.  He would've only been 11 years old when the conflict ended in 2006.   As we left, both Brady and I were struck by this boy.  11 years old? Where was he living? What was he doing after his parents were killed? Where does he sleep at night? Does he have younger siblings? What happened to them? 

It was one of those moments where my heart was confused at the sadness and hatred that could cause a war that devastated so many people's lives.  I will remember Oscar.  

 

R#3 stands for Remarkable people.  I don't have a specific person in mind for this last one but rather, a town.  I don't know the name of the town, I don't even know where it is but I know what is happening there.  A high-up member of the LRA, after the War was over, went back to his community to live.  We were shocked to hear this.  We wondered how he was received-- after all, these people in Northern Uganda have been through SO MUCH heartache for the last 30 years or so... parents have dealt with abductions of their children; children have dealt with the loss of their parents; everyone have dealt with the uncertainty that each day brought.  The LRA did all of that and now a General in their Army was living among them. We asked Rom how he was received.  What was Rom's answer?

"We are very good people. We try to be good Christians so we forgive" 

Rom then went on to talk about how they follow Christ's example of forgiveness.  He wears a wristband that says "Forgiveness brings Peace".  Those people in that unnamed town, along with Rom and Oscar have taught me a lesson I shall never forget-- the power of forgiveness.

Now, whenever I eat a rolex I will think of Oscar and I say a little prayer that he is doing alright.  Whenever I ponder on enduring and overcoming trails, I will think of Rom and all that he has seen in his life.  Whenever I think of living a Christ-like life, I will think of those remarkable people in that town who welcomed with open arms one who caused them so much pain.