Dear Friends,
We've just returned from Sierra Leone. In the midst of all the demands that await me each time I return from being away, I'm determined to live out a promise I made to a little girl. Living through the brutal deaths of both her mother and father, Veronica barely escaped with her life and lived in hiding for months. As I was leaving her refugee camp, she started to cry, “Please don't forget me! Please don't forget me!” I promised her I wouldn't.
Being back in America, only a few days later, it seems that everything can easily distract me and take me away from the needs of this child and all the others like her. However, the word of God challenges and inspires me to speak up for Veronica and all the children whom she represents.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 31:8-9
One day as we were leaving a camp for internally displaced people in Freetown, a 12 year old girl walked up to Chris and as if in a daze started to spill her heart. “They killed my father, they took my mother. They raped my sister in front of me and made me watch. They killed my grandmother and they killed my aunt. Only me and my sisters escaped alive… there are only four of us left.”
Daphne and I had spent the morning in this little girls' tent with her 3 sisters. Victoria had been separated from her sisters for 3 years and was just reunited that very day… when we were with the girls, she didn't say a word the entire time. Obviously traumatized, this is another child that has left a deep mark on us.
Our time in Sierra Leone was like no other. We spent most of it with children–former child soldiers, girls who were raped and forced into sexual slavery during the war (referred to as “war brides”), war orphans, and children who had limbs amputated by the rebels and the government army (There was a 32 month old little girl whose arm had been cut off when she was just 3 months old!).
Now that we are back, we feel stronger than ever that we must echo the cries of the poor…to be a voice for them. The poor of Sierra Leone have a unique set of needs because of the horrific atrocities the people have lived through. Poverty itself is devastating enough, but the brutality of war impoverish people even more.
In Sierra Leone there is a whole generation of children brutalized and traumatized by war. What kind of future is there for a people when their children are seen as expendable? Thousands of children orphaned, forced to kill and mutilate, forced into sexual slavery, and now left with nothing and no one.
In the midst of so much sorrow and suffering, “the fields are ripe for harvest.” The Christians regularly expressed that the Word and presence of God is there only comfort. They are so thankful when someone visits them and encourages them with the Word of God. Most of these people no longer have Bibles. They've lost everything. For those who don't know Christ, they are hungry for His peace and consolation. I've never been anywhere where the hearts of people have been more appetent for Jesus.
It's been a month since Chris and I touched down in Africa, starting in Kenya and traveling south to Johannesburg and up to Sierra Leone. We really can't thank you enough for your prayers. We had no health problems while we were away and the Spirit of God gave us the grace that we needed to embrace some of the most broken-hearted people we have ever encountered.
Our assessment trips for the Sudan and Sierra Leone went really well. Both trips were very productive, though the crises are overwhelming. We are praying for God's further leading as we seek to minister in these areas. Please refer to the next issue of The Cry for our in-depth report on Sierra Leone.
While in Kenya, we spent most of our time with James, a Sudanese refugee from the Nuer tribe. James lives with his wife and son in a small refugee community outside of Nairobi. James' family fled Sudan because of the war and many of his family members are now separated. James has been trying to get his daughter and younger brother out of Sudan to live with him in Kenya. The process is very slow and expensive for him. They're getting closer to being reunited, but please pray for them as the separation weighs heavy on his heart daily.
James helped us make contact with various organizations and missions working in Sudan. Because of the on-going conflict, most organizations working in the Sudan have headquarters in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. To our disappointment, we were unable to go into Sudan, but staying in Nairobi was better for our assessment. This provided us much needed time to meet with people who are already working in this war-torn country. We learned a great deal about the complexities of ministry in this nation. There are many challenges to be faced because of the on-going conflict and corruption. By staying in Nairobi we were able to get a good overview of the situation, learning about the issues involved from all angles.
Please pray with us about Word Made Flesh involvement in both Sudan and Sierra Leone. There are so many needs everywhere, but our God is more than able to meet all of them. Let us petition Him together on behalf of the cries of the children in these war-torn nations. I know He will respond and surprise us with the amazing things He will do.
For the broken children,
Phileena