The East African Project 2006
The East African Project included visits to Southern Sudan, Northern Uganda and Rwanda in August and September 2006.
Following the visit to Southern Sudan in September 2005, Flame International was asked to return to run a further three trauma and healing
conferences. We had the wonderful privilege of building on the
work that we did last year. From Sudan the team traveled into Uganda. Since
the late 1980s Uganda has rebounded from the abyss of civil war and economic
catastrophe to become relatively peaceful, stable and prosperous. However,
military action and tentative peace talks have not halted the massacres
and violence perpetrated by the Lord's Resistance Army against civilians
in the north. The violence has displaced more than 1.6 million people and
tens of thousands have been killed or kidnapped in the course of nearly
two decades. Flame International was invited to run a Healing Conference and Trauma Workshop
in Lira for Pastors and Leaders. Finally we travelled into Rwanda. A small
recce team investigated whether Flame International might have something
to offer this hurting country and discern what the Lord would have them
do there in the future.
One of the team shares her experiences of Sudan….
‘One year ago we were invited to speak at the local army garrison, and, having expected a couple of hundred soldiers, ended up with nearly 2500 on the first day. What a blessing and encouragement that was to us and later to hear that over 200 men were baptised subsequently!
This year, quite unexpectedly, as well as leading a trauma workshop for
pastors, we were invited to visit another camp. Many
of the men there have been totally isolated from the world for twenty years.
It was indeed a great privilege for us to visit these men and as we travelled up the rough track to the camp, we knew that we were breaking new ground. On arrival at the camp we were immediately struck by the order and smartness of the area in contrast to the local area. We were greeted by two chaplain friends, dressed in smart camouflage with badges on the left arm proclaiming the words from Esther 4:14, “Maybe God has called you for such a time as this.” All the men greeted us dressed in clean, new-looking camouflage uniform, shiny boots and neat commando style green caps, but with no weapons in view.
We gathered in a clearing under a large baobab tree. Once a group of about
sixty men were assembled, the Commander welcomed us and told us that he
was a Christian and a lay reader in the church. He asked us to pray for
the soldiers, “Let God forgive them. Pray for us and for God to bring peace.” We were there to teach about the
healing and forgiveness that is available freely for ALL who ask of the One who
died for our sins.
Jan started the teaching and shared how God had humbled her and how He had had to remove her pride in the rank of Lt Colonel in the army in order to use her - you could see amazement on the faces of the men. We all introduced ourselves, many of the group having held military ranks, from Captain to Brigadier, and all women, which also amazed the men and appeared to give us extra credibility in their sight. It seemed inconceivable to me that those men who for the last quarter century have only received instructions and orders from their superiors were now prepared to sit and hear words of compassion from us. The simple large cross we carried with us became the focus of an act of forgiveness as, after the teaching and lively drama of the “Unmerciful Servant” (Luke 18 :21 – 35) the men were invited to hammer red paper discs into the wood of those they needed to forgive – the key to spiritual healing. This is always a poignant and precious moment and never more so at this time.
We spent two full days with the men, and also some women and children
who joined us at intervals. On many occasions we prayed for individuals,
for healing, for forgiveness and for deliverance and were rewarded by some
powerful testimonies of God at work. One soldier shared how he had had
words ringing in his ears day and night: “you killed me, you killed
me” and after prayer this accusation had left him and he felt deep
peace for the first time in years. Another said: “because
you have come, you have lit the fire of faith again. You came to help those
suffering in our hearts and I give thanks for you in Christ Jesus.”
As we concluded our time with the group, Jan felt compelled to pray for wives for those who were not married. About three quarters of the group came forward, much to our surprise and with this phalanx of lonely hearts before us, we understood that due to their lifestyles and lack of civilian exposure, these men had sacrificed any chance of normal family life. As peace returns to this troubled, devastated land, may the Lord restore all “the years which the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25) to the men, women and children of Southern Sudan. We left our new friends feeling so privileged for the time with the elite of their military and overwhelmed by this door which had opened to us.’