While Recho went on this appointment, Matt and I had a couple of hours to spare so we asked a driver to take us to the Kubaka Palace. It is high on the hill and overlooks Kampala. It is beautiful but it is vacant. It once housed the king of the Buganda tribe. In 1971, Idi Amin overthrew the elected government of Milton Obote and declared himself president. He stayed in power from 1971-1979 torturing and murdering anyone he felt did not support him. Most of those terrorized were Christian Ugandans. They estimate that while he was in power, he brutally murdered over 300,000 people. He was overtaken in an ambush in 1979 and fled the country. We toured the torture chamber while we were there. Horrific. I won't even go on.
Tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the house with the girls and staff. I met two college girls from America this morning who are studying abroad in Kenya. They have come to Kampala to visit for a few days and asked if they could accompany us to the house since what we do pertains to what they are studying. Young people are changing the world!
I felt some real heaviness of heart today. The people here have been through so much pain and suffering. But they are brave and they are survivors and they keep moving forward. My heart breaks for them and at the same time Ihave so much respect for their culture that it is not honorable to them for anyone to remain in a state of pity They deserve so much more than that.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelation 21:4
Idi Amin torture chamber
Kubaka Palace
Thank you for sharing your heart and knowledge of what these people are going through. It reminds us to count our blessings and to pray for those in need.
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