Abim

I arrived back from Abim yesterday. Also went up to Moroto for a night. Abim was beautiful. The people were welcoming. I basically hung out with about 15 girls for the week. All of them have some how been affected by karamojong warriers (which are the cattle raiders who have wreaked havoc in those parts for several, several years, or they were affected by the LRA which was in that area briefly. There was much pain in many of their stories. So many who didn't have any parents still living. They are in situations I can't even imagine. One girl was living with a guardian who said that she had to marry her son or else move out, when she went to stay with an aunt, the aunts husband said she could only stay if she would become his second wife. I just can't imagine. and she's probably like 15 yrs old or so. Another girl was being pursued by her primary school teacher to have sex with him, and yet she was able to stand firm and not give in to him despite his efforts to effect her school performance if she refused him. She's a full orphan meaning no parents, since she was born. She was shot by the LRA in her knee. She was raised by a guardian who loves Jesus. She knows that she has a purpose, she cries out to God when she has a need and knows that she would not be alive today if she did not have faith in God. She's seen His hand too much in her life not to believe. It was encouraging to speak with her. Though there are many problems in her life Jesus has given her hope. There's hope for the others as well. Though many have left them throughout their life, they have One who will never leave them nor forsake sake them, who hears their cry and saves them. My prayer is that their eyes would be open to how He loves them and is with them and that they see their God given purpose in this life.