Africa

My mom left for Africa last week. She is in Uganda teaching a course on counseling. Uganda has always been close to my heart and I did my best to go this year, but due to a lack of funds and conflicting exam schedule I didn't get to go. I now know why. All my life I had heard stories of the carnage left by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). They enter villages raping and killing as they go. They take children as young as six or seven years old and force them to kill their family members and other tribes people. These children usually do not survive (often being killed by their captors when they feel they are no longer useful). Many of the girls are treated as sex slaves or forced to marry soldiers in the army.
God has been doing something in my heart these past few weeks, He has been calling me to action. I did not know what He wanted me to do, or how He was going to provide me with resources to do it. However, I know now why I stayed home fro Africa and what He wants me to do. He wants me to raise awareness of this horrible disaster that is taking place on His earth. He wants me to wake everyone around me up from their "white suburban" comas and take action. This is what I propose. To whoever is reading this I want you to send letters. Send letters to your elected officials, but most importantly send letters to me!! That's right..to me. I want to have 40,000 letters, one for each child who walks for miles to escape the clutches of the LRA.
In the villages of Northern Uganda most of the children disappear everyday by a bout 4 o'clock in the afternoon. They all walk to the cities where it is safe, so that they may survive the raids of the LRA. The LRA rarely raids the cities. The children congregate in bus terminals, on the street and in vacant buildings, by the thousands. 40,000 children walk everyday, some as young as two. I want each of them to have a letter, so that they know that there are people out there who care and are trying to help. Please don't leave me to do all of those letters alone!!
How can we speak of social justice and human rights if we just stand by and forget that this is happening. Please stand up.... The change starts with you!!
Please contact me if you are interested in helping. I need action and not just words.
God Bless

my e-mail is quakergruau@gmail.com
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/uganda0303/uganda0403-03.htm Read this article for more info

Praise the Lord Almighty

One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
Job 1:13-21
I was sitting with my brother and talking about God, our spiritual lives and where we are going and we came across this scripture. Job's response is amazing!! He had lost everything, EVERYTHING, still his response was to praise God. I am reminded of a scene a few years back. I woke up early and was watching the news, I saw a plane crash into a building, then just a few short minutes later I saw an other one and the heard that a plane has crashed in Pennsylvania. My heart was sickened and my first thoughts went to those who I watched leap from the 60th floor of the World Trade buildings. I have seen distruction on a worldly scale and on a personal scale. Job witnessed the same. However, unlike me Job had the maturity to fall to his knees and remind himself that all that he had belonged to God. He praised Him and never blamed Him. If only we could follow that example. To be honest all that we have from our cars, the money we use for gas down to the very air we breathe belongs to God. We don't deserve any of it. It is because of His loving will that we have anything. Could you imagine what the world would be like if our first reaction when tragedy strikes was to fall to our knees and praise God. That doesn't mean that you have be happy that God ended your relationship or killed your family, you just have to praise Him. Praise Him in tears, praise Him in anger. To quote a great author, Rick Warren, "God loves it when you wrestle with Him, because wrestling is an act of passion." If you have faced trail and praising God was and still is last on your list, its okay- the best part is that it isn't to late. God will give you strength to do it and you will be surprised at the freedom that it gives you.
Lord Jesus. To you I lift everything. My life and the lives of those around me. May you give them strength to praise your name in darkness and it light. Give me that strength too. You are the Great King and I will worship you all if my days. Amen
This week's song is Come and Listen by David Crowder Band

Come and listen, come to the water's edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
Come and listen, come to the water's edge all you who are thirsty, come.

Let me tell you what He has done for me.
Let me tell you what He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Come and listen,
come and listen to what He's done.
Praise our God for He is good.

He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.


PS-The photo is called Abbey in the Oak Wood by Caspar David Freidrich