UGANDAN POSTER CHILD

Several years ago when I was in Soroti, Uganda, to help with the IDP situation after the LRA rebels had invaded the general area a few months earlier, I went to the local rescued children's camp to interview some of the kids. Out of the hundreds that were there, even though I was able to touch and bless many, many of them, I only interviewed about 20 during the visits -- and not one of those were "rescued" [as the camp was named] ... instead, each one had escaped, sometimes during very dangerous times, such as cross-fire between the rebels and the army/local militia, or were abandoned by the rebels because their legs or feet were damaged and they were no longer able to carry the heavy loads. They were left to die and had no food, water; miraculously they were found within a few days and survived. Some escaped simply by walking off when the rebels were distracted. Most stories made me cry or scream [which I did when I returned to the ministry compound where I was staying] and some made me want to laugh, simply because of the way God had opened a door for them to walk through.

The Lord laid it on me recently to start writing the book I've worked on off and on over these past few years. Just re-reading my journals and emails and letters has caused my heart to explode towards those children again. I have SO desired to return to Soroti to track down the children I interviewed [most aged 10 to 16 at the time, so young adults now] and see how they and their families have come through that terrible stretch of time.

This is one of the children I always think of. I didn't interview her. She was a young girl who had, most likely, been separated from her family while fleeing the rebels, and had either not been able to reconnect or was being kept in this camp because the parents in another camp couldn't feed her, which was not at all uncommon. I've always thought of her as a poster child for any person who says, while digging through their dresser drawer or closet, "I can't find anything to wear." To see her wearing this "fancy" dress, and smiling gently ... it always makes me make sure I keep my mouth shut if I am ever tempted to think that "nothing to wear" way.

She is definitely a child I would love to find....