Uganda: Pray for the Healing of this Nation

And for EMPOWER: A rehabilitation program that is breaking the strongholds of despair and restoring hope!


Bev Holmes-Brown

May 2007

As millions of christians gather around the world for this year's Global Day of Prayer their foremost intent is to see people made whole and destructive trends of violence and pain destroyed.

Stadiums will fill on Pentecost Sunday this year (May 27) and believers, understanding the power of united prayer, will call on God for the blessing and healing of the nations.

Please, at this time, Pray for Uganda

The Ugandan people are in dire need of prayer and their nation certainly needs healing.

Their babies have been born into a land that the UN has called "the most dangerous place on earth for children to live."

And, their plight has been labelled, "the world's worst unattended emergency."

A New Hope based on Forgiveness

Until now, the depths of the Ugandan people's pain and trauma has held them captive, locked in a hopeless world of hatred and anger, as cycles of violence continue to plague their country.

Yet in the midst of horrors, and devastation an amazing new 'Evidence-based Trauma Rehabilitation Program' called, 'EMPOWER,' is changing lives and setting people free.

Background: The Christian Martyrs of Uganda

Amongst the many victims of an attrocious past are those who refused to deny their faith despite the threat of death by fire or spear.

In 1879 King Mutesa, though initially sceptical of christianity, respected the teachings of the Catholic missionaries and ignored the pressure from suspicious advisers. He even died in the arms of a favoured young convert, Joseph Mukasa, who had grown up in his court and was known for his integrity and loyalty

In 1885, King Mwanga received the christians until his advisors, threatened by this new religion, hinted that "he was no longer king in his own country." Mwanga decided to banish the christian God and forbade anyone to go near a Christian mission. The Ensuing events lead to the death of Joseph Mukasa and culminated in Mwanga's declaration that there would "no longer be two Kings!”

Joseph's death did not discourage the church, instead it continued to grow. Another believer, Charles Lwanga, took Joseph's place in the court, buffering christians from the King's anger.

In 1886, thirty two young pages, who were found to be christian, were burned to death and many more deaths followed. Amongst those martyred was Charles Lwanga, who is now considered a patron Saint of African Catholic Youth Action.

In 1900 Uganda became a British protectorate and the Chief became a nominal leader. In 1962 Uganda became an independent country within the British Commonwealth and their Chief, Milton Obote, became President.

In 1971, Obote was overthrown by General Idi Amin who formed a military dictatorship and immediately began a policy of repression, persecution and murder. Many thousands died under Amin, including the entire population of Milton Obote's home village.

In 1977, after the death of Archbishop Janani Luwum, a man who had dared to denounce the violent regime, around 25,000 Ugandans gathered in the capital to celebrate the centennial of the first preaching of the Gospel in their country. Amongst these were many who had abandoned Christianity, but who had returned to their Faith as a result of seeing the courage of Archbishop Luwum and his companions in the face of death.

Transitional Phases of Government

After a failed invasion of Tanzania in 1978, Idi Amin was forced to flee Uganda and to seek asylum in Saudi Arabia where he died in July 2003. Milton Obote regained power in 1980 and was President until 1985 when Army Commanders were able to seize control for a brief period before having to submit to the guerrilla forces of the National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Yoweri Museveni.

In 1996 the NRA were renamed the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) and their leader, Yoweri Museveni, is still President of Uganda today. He is considered to have brought 'relative stability and economic growth" to this devastated land although there were justifiable suspicions and opposition to his decision to amend the constitution in order to be able to stand for a third Presidential term in 2006.

Civil War and the Attrocities of Today

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a paramilitary group led by the notorious Witchdoctor, Joseph Kony, has fought against the Ugandan Government since 1987.

A debilitating Civil war has raged for twenty years, the longest running conflict on the African continent.

The LRA is known for it's widespread human rights violations, including mutilation, torture, rape, the abduction of civilians, the use of child soldiers and massacres.

The Casualties of War

Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Robi Sonderegger has spent a considerable number of years researching and working amongst refugees and children who have experienced varying degrees of trauma. In fact his PHD focussed on trauma rehabilitation.

Much of his time in Uganda is spent training Humanitarian Aid workers as well as working amongst the Child victims of War.

In describing the pain and suffering that confronted him Robi says, "The brutality that these kids experience is beyond what our human mind was meant to comprehend. It is just outrageous.

"I've never heard anything as bad as what these children go through."

"The children are not just abducted or beaten up, They are forced to commit attrocities against other children, perhaps even against their own parents or against a brother or a sister, where they are forced to axe them to the head or nail them to trees or perhaps even eat them."

The Need to Pray

The need to ensure that those who have been abused and traumatised will not become the next generation of abusers is of paramount importance in a land that has seen so much death.

It is vital that the church prays for the healing of the land and for the Lord's strategies for wholeness and restoration to prosper in the land.

Pray also for the "EMPOWER" program and the incredible achievements of humanitarian aid workers in Uganda.

EMPOWER ... An Answer

Many thousands of formerly-abducted children have managed to escape and increasing numbers of child soldiers and former rebels are accepting the amnesty offered by the Ugandan Government.They need help.

"Empower" is the name of the Evidence-based Trauma Rehabilitation Program that Dr. Robi has developed in the hope that we can break the cycle of violence and restore, in these victims of war, an emotional resilience that will give them a hope for the future and strategies for life.

Based on foundational truths, Empower equips these children with the ability to control their response to stress. Forgiveness, life-purpose, identity formation, and leadership are core elements of the program and they are seeing incredible results.

Evidence-based, as Robi says, simply means, "It works!"

Essentially they learn to FORGIVE their torturers and to FORGIVE themselves.

The testimonies of lives changed that are coming through from facilitators of the program are amazing. People find they can laugh again, sleep again and even engage with others around them.

"The program is scientifically based," Robi explains, "but it is very difficult to tell someone about forgiveness without sharing with them how you have also been forgiven."

Please Remember to Pray for Uganda

For More information about Dr. Robi Sonderegger's Work

Visit the Frontline Websitehttp://www.thefrontline.org.au

Or is Family Challenge Clinic website at: http://www.familychallenge.com.au/

Source Links:

The Martyrs of Uganda: 3 June 1886 http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/176.html

The Story of the Uganda Martyrs Edited by Fr. Bill Turnbull W.F.
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:sVBWPzW87-UJ:www.ae086.dial.pipex.com/364ugmy.pdf+Namugongo+martyrdoms&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10

Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda - Martyred 16 February 1977
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/jek/02/16.html

Bio: Yoweri Museveni
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoweri_Museveni

Uganda is leading Africa's boom in Christianity
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060326/ai_n16174855

Bev Holmes-Brown lives in Brisbane, Australia.  In 2001 she began Link-Zone, a Christian Resource ministry with a mandate to “Bring the Body together in specific interest areas and to Believe and Pray for the Reformation of Values, Systems and Wisdom.“ In the last nine years Link-Zone has focussed on praying for governments, communities and ministries.  ‘We are currently transitioning,’ Bev says, ‘believing the Lord wants us to begin to tell people’s stories.  There are so many people living amazing and victorious lives for God against the odds, we want to hear from them, to understand their hearts and glean the treasures that God has laid up in their hearts for our own breakthroughs.    Of course we will continue to feature our favourite columnists and will not give up on praying but we believe this is a season where God wants us to identify and clarify the frontlines that need our support.   It’s exciting to venture into whatever He lays upon our heart. The website can be found at www.Link-Zone.net  Contact Email: bev@link-zone.net