Dear friends,
Things are going well here in Gulu. My weekly schedule has become a little more established now that the girls are back in school. Each morning I attend devotions with the Congolese women. These are lively worship times which always include drums, dancing, jumping, and sometimes actions like stomping the devil into the ground or mocking the way he shakes when he hears the name of Jesus. Starting next week I will be teaching the women English on Tuesdays and Fridays immediately following devotions. On other mornings I spend time doing administrative work or helping with the identification of new girls to enter the children's home. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons I teach the girls in the home. Wednesday afternoons are outreach time – we go with the Congolese women into their communities and the slums and reach out to people by praying for them. It is always incredible to see how God touches people during those times. On Saturdays I go with the ECM staff out to Tegot for sponsorship club. So that's an average week in the life of Sarah here. :) I intend to do better about updating my blog (uganda-journey.blogspot.com) with things about daily life. For now I just want to share some prayer requests with you.
Ugandan Elections
As I write this in an outdoor cafe, a huge truck is driving by, plastered with campaign posters and using a sound system to blare music loud enough that you can hear it for blocks before it reaches you. Two or three guys are sitting on the back of the truck, wearing sunglasses and pretending to rap. This truck pauses in the street for a few minutes while passersby gather around and dance. This has been a common site over the last month as elections are drawing near. The air is filled with both excitement and tension, as anything could happen during this election (which is tomorrow, Feb. 18th). I encourage you to google Ugandan news or President Museveni if you want to be further informed on how to pray, but basically, there is a possibility of violence or riots similar to the recent ones in Egypt if the election is not conducted fairly. I am taking every precaution and we are praying that God has His hand on every aspect of the election.
Sudanese Referendum Update:
I want to say thank you to all of you who expressed your concern and prayers during the Sudanese referendum. I apologize for not sending an update on the situation before now, but it was partly because I was still waiting to see how things would go following the referendum. South Sudan has voted for secession and as far as the referendum, it was fairly peaceful. However, there are still issues to be resolved such as the oil-rich land along the dividing line of the two countries. In addition there was violence this past week between a rebel army and the southern army, resulting in the death of over 200 people, including women and children. The Sudanese people have suffered so much over the last few decades and I ask that you don't let your prayers for Sudan end, even though the referendum has been accomplished. Please continue to lift up our brothers and sisters there.
New Girls to Enter Home
Zion Project has, with the help of local pastors, developed a list of young girls in our community who are at risk of abuse or child prostitution. We are hoping to welcome 3 new girls into our home in the next week or so and would appreciate your prayers for them as they adjust, as well as for wisdom for us as we continue determining which girls are truly in need and seriously at risk. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the true story, even with help from the police, so we want to be extremely careful and be very sensitive to God's leading.
English Classes
I am a little bit nervous about beginning English lessons with the women. They are mostly at a beginner level and my only teaching practice was with intermediate students, so I'm going to have to adapt what I've learned and try to determine the best way to go about things.
Thank you so much for reading. I apologize that my recent updates have been mainly political prayer requests, however, these are the things that are happening here and that will have a huge impact on Africa in the future. I am thankful that you are willing to read and to spend a small part of your day lifting up Africa and her people.
God bless you!
Sarah
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