Spiritual Warfare

Wednesday 5/26

We dropped off our team nurses, Diana and Mary, at Wentz Medical Clinic for the day. The biggest realization of their time spent there was how far behind the United States they are in medicine and lack of sanitary procedures (sterility). At the medical clinic, patients don't have insurance - they pay cash for their visits and medicines (and any lab work needed), so if people can't afford to go to the doctor, then they don't go. Another interesting fact is that doctors won't talk to women about birth control until they've had 8 (!!!) children. The people of Uganda are superstitious (stemming from ancient witchcraft practices), even in their medical care. One lady got her medicine and asked the doctor if she could have something else to take, because she didn't want to take yellow-colored pills! At the clinic they saw an outbreak of "red eye" (not referring to a flight!), but what we would call pink eye. All of the clinic employees as well as the doctor (Dr. Martin) are born-again Christians and their faith is something discussed often with each other and the patients.

A piece of great news is that our remining bags came in, so Kevin and Patrick journeyed to the airport to pick them up. All of our bags went through Nairobi, Kenya (??) on the way to Uganda, and the crazy thing is that it seems as though the inspection officials emptied all of our bags out in a big pile and then repacked them. None of our bags were packed the way we had originally packed them and we had a smorgasboard of teammates' contents in the bags.

That same day, the other 9 of us went back to Bweya Village to visit the orphans at Mercy Home. Honestly, I'm not usually speechless, but I'm really struggling with how to capture what we experienced there in this blog. Words like oppression, injustice, deprivation, corruption, starvation, neglect, and evil come to mind. Yet still, words like hope, forgiveness, grace, and unforgotten also come to mind. It's a struggle between good and evil - a visible spiritual warfare - that is taking place on a daily basis in that location. Most of us had heard stories about this place and the administration and children before, so it wasn't a surprise that we wouldn't be in ideal conditions or that this is not a good place, but nothing could have prepared us adequately for the feelings we'd feel while we were there or would later process. It's unlike any other place on Earth and unimaginable, but I'm going to try and capture it as best I can for you in this blog post.

When we first arrived, all of the children greeted us at the gates of the orphanage grounds, shaking our hands, not really making eye contact, and eager to get the introductions with the muzungus over with. It's like they really didn't want to look at us for fear that we would realize their feelings in their eyes and face. Like if we had looked into their eyes, we would have surely recognized the pain and fear and they didn't want to take that chance, for fear of reprocussions from the older children or administration. They emotionally & physically kept their distance from us the entire time we were there (unlike the other people of Bweya Village we had met with the day before, who were very affectionate and warm). Rejection was written all over them, from their expressionless faces, to their dirty, ratty clothes, to their broken or nonexistent shoes, to the dirt and dust that covered their entire bodies. The hollowness of their existence and the lifelessness of their sweet little bodies were almost unbearable.

The only time the children showed expression (and we suspect it is packaged and/or manufactured) is when they were singing or dancing for an audience. The children did what we referred to later as the administration's "dog and pony show" of singing and dancing which was actually quite amazing. These children are incredibly talented. All of a sudden, the children came to life, smiling while dancing and singing about Jesus. The downfall of that is that the children aren't getting the real story of Jesus - the sacrilidge of the teaching of Jesus is overwhelming there. This "show" was the administration's way of stealing your heart so you would give money, which likely would be misused.

We did a Bible story with them about Joseph and the coat of many colors, talking about jealousy, sin, and forgiveness. They listened intently but were still so stoic and it makes you wonder how a child who has gone through so much could ever experience pure joy, love, grace, and mercy. Thankfull the Lord can do all things for those who believe in Him, but you can't help but think that it would have to be a long and grueling process for these particular children.

After the Bible story, the younger children colored a picture of Joseph and the older children went outside to play a game of football with the soccer ball we brought them. It broke our hearts that the children coloring did not want to keep their pictures after they colored them - they insisted on giving them back to us. It was puzzling, since these children have nothing to call their own - we thought they would want them, but this may be the very reason they didn't keep them - they didn't feel worthy of having any possessions, even if it was just a picture they had colored.

I've never seen Satan in such a visible and recognizeable way than I have at Mercy. Pastor Moses, the group's spiritual leader, was evil - there's no other way to describe him. He talked a good talk, he was charismatic, he was attractive, it's almost what you imagine what the anti-Christ will be like (albiet much more polished, and Moses wasn't able to deceive us). It's literally a form of brainwashing. They take everything from the children - food, clothing, independence, innocence, confidence, self-respect, a sense of safety, love - to break them down enough to have control and power over them. Abuse is overwhelmingly rampant in the orphanage - sexual, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Even when a child there dies, they receive no dignity. They burn the child's body in a large fire pit located in plain view beside of the dormotories - no proper burial is given. It's like the child never even existed.

It's so hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, the children at Sozo home (where we visited on Monday that was founded by the college students from Alabama) were at Mercy - were just like these children I'm describing. However, their basic needs are being met at Sozo and the difference between those children taken from Mercy to Sozo and the children still at Mercy is radically and indescribably contrasting. The children at Sozo are getting regular meals, clean clothes and shoes to wear, love, play time, a safe place, medical care, education - the result is that they've come back to life. Undoubtedly, the children at Sozo have many issues they're dealing with & will deal with for probably the rest of their lives, but they've been given the one thing they desperately needed - HOPE.

It's so ironic to all of us here that the name of this hell on earth is Mercy. Words like compassion, love, forgiveness, and grace come to mind when you hear the word "mercy" - here it is a complete oxymoron. When we think of this Mercy, our thoughts go to words like oppression, deprivation, injustice, and sacrlige.

One of our teammates said something very powerful - "the most potent thing we can do for Mercy is to pray for them." Pray that these children are somehow rescued. Pray that they hear the true story of Jesus and know the love of Christ. Pray that their basic needs are met. Pray for wisdom and discernment for those trying to minister and help Mercy. Pray for safety of the children. Pray for strong & honest spiritual leadership of people who are interested in the welfare of the children. Pray for the distinct spiritual warfare taking place in that location.