Ayila

2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

During our week in Gulu, our afternoons were spent at Ayila. The drive takes about 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how fast we fly along the dirt roads. Ayila is quite different from what Andrew McCovy is like. Yes the people here still went through the fear and struggle of a 20 year war. However, Ayila is still struggling as a village today. Abaana is finishing the construction of the school building for the 450 students. Presently they meet under two 25x8 yard long grass huts and several large trees scattered across the property. Ryan and I were here in early October and gave mosquitoes nets each house in the village. It really is a poor village and isolated village. Everyone comes out each day, whether they are 80 years old or eight days old because it is something to do or at least something to watch.
When we arrived the first day everyone was waiting for us. The local officials welcomed us as big the school officials. It still feels really odd to be greeted with such undeserved reverence. However I am beginning to see Isiah 52:7 differently, “Beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.” That is what we hoped to do. We thanked them for the greeting, introduced ourselves and got to work. We started by teaching them games. The kids faces lit up in spite of the dirty and tattered and torn clothes they wore to cover their bodies. The adults sat in the shade and enjoyed a good laugh or two at the kids expense when they could not figure out how to run the relay me and Ryan started. I must say we did our fair share of laughing too and it was hard to tell who was having more fun the adults or the kids. It was a break from the life of suffering. While we were introducing ourselves I looked at Katie and said, “I think you should just do medical here each day.” She agreed with me and so the girls went off under a tree to start seeing the adults and the babies who were there. After each one was seen they politely smiled and walked away. As I finished the memory verse and leaned the makeshift blackboard against the tree, kids quickly sat in front of it to copy it down for memory.

As we ride back the fires are being lit in the bush. The practice of burning the bush to prepare it for planting the next year goes on here. I don’t know, but I feel like these people have already been through the fires and God is about to plant something new. I know he is doing some refining of me and it is just day one.
Day two
I awoke to find that my sinus headache had turned into so much more. I didn’t sleep much because it had moved to my lungs and I was having trouble breathing. The pressure in my head was not very pleasant nor was the fever I was running. The bus ride over is like riding a wooden roller coaster for 45 minutes and so my already sore body was yelling at me by the time we got there. The day was full of its regular ups and down once we got going. We organized things the same as we had at Andrew McCovy in the morning. The time with the kids was good. Ryan and I are getting pretty good at making the time last. He is the secret king of games and passing time. I taught the kids “Jesus Love is Bubbling Over” at this school as well and it went great. I passed the kids off to Ryan for some more games before going over to help the girls with medical. The adults are who they see the most, but it is the children who are in the worst shape. Every cut and sore is severely infected with flies crawling around in it. We would be in the hospital for every one of them but it is just a part of their life. Severe burns and blindness to dehydration and diarrhea, we see it all several times. It makes you angry. However the anger is holy. It is a desire for something better and a drive to help. The medical community in the US is busy fighting over money, let’s face it. You can ask kids in the US what they want to be and why and they will answer a doctor because I wanna be rich. It is true there are those who join the profession because they want to help but there are also those who are in it for greed. We need more people who just want to help. A doctor who remembers the holy calling to assist those in need could do so much good here. As we rode back I prayed for such people.
Day 3
My morning was filled with Katie pouring salt water down my nose in an attempt to overcome whatever is fighting me. Experiences I wish to forget. However, the afternoon will NOT be soon forgotten. As soon as we got there the girls pulled out the drums. It was the first time we had pulled them out in Ayila. We have 12 of them each a different size and tuned to a different pitch. Katie and Malory started the drum circle up, which of course let people know we were there. Ryan relaxed on the bus and awaited his time to shine and I walked around. I found some men playing cards in the shade. They are always surprised I know how to play, but that is what a month and a half working with street kids has taught me. After a couple of games they asked me for the soccer ball as they had seen me with it the day before. I came back and told them it was theirs to keep and off they went. As I walked back over to the drums the crowd had begun to grow. After the kids finished, Katie asked the adults if they would like to play.

Sidenote – Ayila is an event. Everyone from great grandparents to grandparents to parents all come and sit under the tree and watch. The women all seem to have babies and the men all seem to have canes, either sugar or wood.

So here we go with 12 adults. Some old some in their 20’s, some clothed, some half naked, some with teeth, some without, but as soon as Katie gave the command to start the joy exploded. Smiles light up their faces. The children are laughing and soon the elders begin to get up to come see what is happening in the circle. In this place where every day is a struggle, the laughter resounds like thunder. It’s appropriate because when God comes to take us home I think it will be loud. And God WAS joining us today and dancing.

Next the kids got into groups and took turns being in the middle of the circle and dancing while the adults played. It was community at its best. We then asked the adults if they would like to dance. After many nervous no’s we got a couple in the middle. However, as soon as the clapping started and dancing started others pushed their way in and joined. All I could think of was the hymn Lord of the Dance “Dance then wherever you may be. I am the Lord of the Dance said he, and I will lead you on wherever you may be, and I’ll lead you on in the dance said He.” God Was leading the dance as the dust flew up from stomping on heartache, pain, disease, loss, and fear. What a moment. As the girls were leaving to go and start treating people I felt I was supposed to grab Katie and pray. I don’t know if it helped her but it made me feel better.

The kids all sat down to listen to me talk. In case you haven’t picked up physically I feel horrible. I’m having trouble breathing, my nose is pouring snot, my head is pounding, and I’m achy. However, there are times when I get this life with God thing right. I know I am not here for myself. I have been reading AW Tozer recently. In one book he talks about how mans problem is the “self.” We have replaced God with ourselves and have removed God from the throne of our hearts. We have made ourselves the focus. It’s only when we have God where he belongs that we can ever truly live the life designed for us. Now I would not have wanted to speak or even had the energy if I would have been focused on me. But slowly I am learning to get rid of myself. Oh sure, it’s still there most of the time, but I’m starting to crawl and maybe even take baby steps. I can only hope that one day I am running after Him. As I finished and turned the kids over to Ryan I realized my focus had been on God and I had not noticed the “me” stuff at all and for that I was thankful.

I headed over to help Katie and Mallory and they were busy. My job is support. I get things they need, cut tape, and handle infections they don’t want to touch or are too busy to get to. The needs seem endless, but at the end of each conversation, patch up, or administration of medicine there is sincere gratitude. Most of the problems could be fixed if they could just see a doctor, but they can’t and one doesn’t come to see them. So that’s why we are here doing what we can. Katie and Mallory look tired as Katie yells at me about keeping a sterile environment. It is Africa in the middle of the dust if she doesn’t remember. However, they bust out the smiles after they are done with someone who is getting better and even laugh at my jokes while we work.

In the back ground I hear screams. They aren’t from pain, but from fun and joy. I see Ryan in the middle of about 150 kids. He is a master of keeping kids laughing. As I had a break from being needed I walked away to blow my nose and watch Ryan play with the kids. His almost matted dreadlocks are pointing everywhere. His Grizzly Adams beard is hanging from his chin, and a big smile is between is rosy cheeks. Before the dreads everyone yelled “Jesu” at him wherever we went. Today he is living up to the name by showing love to all these kids.

As we finally pulled Katie away from another mother and pulled the kids of Ryan’s arm we were on our way. My head hurts, but not my heart. It has been such a blessed day to serve. I am so thankful to die to myself and I pray it happens more often.
Day 4
We decided before we arrived that the girls would need to do medical the whole time in order to have a last shot at seeing everyone. So, Ryan and I had control of the whole day. One of the teachers helped us out a little at the start by having them play some games that they already knew. Somehow we ended up doing the hokie pokie after that. We played a couple more games and then it was time for me to talk. We went over the memory verse and then over the songs, which we kind of had to relearn.

Since Katie and Mallory had been busy helping people they had asked if I would take their spots talking. That usually happens about 10 minutes beforehand and while I am doing something else. As usual God got me through just fine. While talking about sharing the wonderful gift that is the Love of Jesus, I asked them if they were given a whole sugar cane, how many would eat it all and who would share it. Two of them said they would eat it all, and after I got on to them, I said, “Of course you would share it because we all like to share the things that are good. Besides, Jesus is sweeter than sugar cane.” After I said that some of the kids smiled and the translator kinda laughed. She told me there was an Acholi song that all the kids would know called “Jesus is sweeter than Sugar Cane.” I asked her to have them sing it to me, and they did. It is moments like that when you know God is directing conversations and making holy appointments. I turned the kids back to Ryan for his usual game time and went to help the girls. We were all busy and were running out of supplies. We did laugh because Mallory hates mouths and putting her hands in them, but she had about 20 cases in a row of tooth problems. She said that is what she gets for not liking something. We said our good byes and pulled ourselves away from everyone. All of us would love to see a medical team come back there. I would love to see the school buildings get finished. Most importantly I want to see those people understand they are remembered, not just by us, but by a God whose Love is sweeter than sugarcane.