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About eighteen months ago I was given a couple books as gifts, books mainly to do with war and politics in Africa. Sadly, this entire time, these books have sat on my shelf as I never really had the time to read them, well, I never really wanted to read them after reading numerous medical journals and pathology texts. Now that all the reading for my nursing degree is tucked away on my shelves for another year I thought It’d be an ideal time do dig out some ‘holiday’ reading.

Girl Soldier is a book about a girl and her personal account with the Lord’s Resistance Army. The book was co-written by Grace Akallo, a survivor of the LRA, and Faith McDonnell, a woman who works to inform Christians about persecution of believers around the world. This combination of authors painted a very real picture of the monster that is the LRA. The personal accounts, as described by Akallo, were coupled with historical and spiritual insights by McDonnell. Although not a relatively large book, it still provides the reader with more than enough to grasp the horrors that are occurring in Northern Uganda and South Sudan today.

Quite early on in this book it became rather apparent that this twenty-year old war is not one of flesh and blood, but indeed it’s one deeply seated in the spiritual realms. Spiritually inclined or not, there can be no denying that there is a force at work far greater than anything any one man, such as Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, is capable of doing. Although there is much focus on a man (Kony), in my opinion he is nothing more than an empty shell filled and controlled by evil in its purest essence.

Throughout reading this book I drew many parallels to all the literature I’ve read on the Rwandan genocide. There is, without question, a very real and tangible darkness present in both cases. Although too complex to properly articulate, it can at least be said there is a heaviness to this darkness, a heaviness so strong it can be felt in the pages of this book.

I’m writing a review on this book because books like this need to be publicised. Although it’s probably nowhere near the best book i’ve read, in terms of flow and style (I ended up skipping some pages), I do believe people still need to know of the horror young children in Africa are living with, well, those who’s lives are not snuffed out before they have a chance to live through the horror. If you get a chance, pick it up. Don’t wait eighteen months like I did.

The last couple nights at work I’ve taken with me the book I’m currently in the middle of reading, Girl Soldier. About halfway through there are a handful of small testimonies from some of the children who managed to escape the LRA. As I read these last night I was just overwhelmed with the sheet horror and evil that resides in that part of the world today. I certainly knew of the atrocities, but to actually read word for word accounts from children was simply incomprehensible. I read the words and just could not fathom these actions taking place, actions that are occurring even now as you read this. It was also a stark reminder that the so called problems we have in the West seem so insignificant by comparison.

“LRA commanders often force children to kill their own siblings, just to ensure that the children’s loyalty will not be movement, not to family. The leaders require every abducted child to kill another child within a week of being captured. This helps to create alienation against society in the mind of the child.”

“A boy of twelve had to participate in the killing of an eleven-year-old boy who had complained that he was tired while carrying a heavy load of stolen food. They (the children) were forced to chop the boy, foot by foot and hand by hand. Then they were told to slice off his eyelids with razor blades. While the boy was still conscious, they hung him up on a tree and were told to box his head until he was dead.”

One of the many things I miss about my time in Kabale was this view from my bedroom window that was waiting for me each morning. I recall we had shortlisted our house selection down to two or three but ended up settling on this one mainly because of the view it offered, plus it was very practical for all of us staying there. I used to sit out on the back patio for ages and just gaze out at the town below. Ahh the memories! 

Machine gun preacher - It sounds like the ultimate paradox, doesn’t it? A preacher who goes around town with a machine gun by his side. It certainly puts a new spin on ‘bible-bashing’. 

Last night I drove up to Buderim on the Sunshine Coast with a few friends from my church to hear the machine gun preacher speak about his work and ministry. I was attracted to the meeting for three reasons, first was my intrigue of a man of God who works with a machine gun by his side, secondly was the type of work he does, and thirdly the church he was speaking at was close to the Super Bee, so I was told. The last one was incredibly random, I know. Not many of you may recall, but back in the day the Super Bee was a little fun park for children. I went a few times when I was really young, so I was really looking forward to a trip down memory lane.

It was a bitter sweet moment rolling into the church carpark as I quickly realised there was no Super Bee, the church was the Super Bee. To be honest I can’t remember when they closed the park down, but there it was, a dilapidated and run down fun park. I was shattered, but still happy to be there. The three bears cottages might not have been there anymore and the little kart track was long gone, but the honey taste testing building, which now serves as the auditorium, was still there in all its former glory (minus the honey).

At this stage I should probably clarify the reason for the gun. The gun is not to ensure his conversion rate remains at one hundred percent, as he intimidates people while getting them to repeat the sinners prayer, but it’s for protection as he goes about rescuing children from the war-torn areas of Southern Sudan. 

If you took one look at this guy, like I did last night, you’d think there is no way he is a preacher, not like some of the clean-cut “TV friendly” preachers we see today. He had a solid build, a thick beard, slicked back hair, dressed in biker clothes complete with pocket chain, biker boots, and spoke with a rough tone, like he had gravel wedged in his throat. 

The church (AKA Super Bee) he spoke at wasn’t big by any means, which was great because it meant he spoke for longer than what he probably would if he went to a church full of suits. As he spoke he recalled many stories about how God spoke to him whilst in Sudan. It was just so encouraging for me hearing someone with a similar heart for rescuing African children. There were no frills with this guy. He was just so real. His love for God and the children of Africa was so raw. He recalled the first time God spoke to him whilst on his first trip to Sudan. He recalled seeing the body of a little boy who had been ripped apart by a land mine. As he stood over the body he felt God clearly tell him to return and save these children. His story went on about different encounters he had with God and the opposition he faced from the rebels of the LRA. It was so fascinating to sit and hear. Today, he successfully feeds and shelters thousands of Sudanese children, all because God got a hold of his heart and he was obedient to his voice. 

You can check out more of his ministry and work here - http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/

It appears I have video fever at the moment. I managed to pull this one off my external hard drive tonight when I went looking for photos from Uganda. This vid was taken by Kathryn one afternoon when we brought all the kids up to our place. I can’t remember what the occasion was (if any) but I do remember there was plenty of laughter from the kids, the Ugandan nationals, and all of us from Australia. They were good times.

Was chatting with a friend of Skype this afternoon and she was telling me she had coffee with a girlfriend who is about to head off to Calcutta, India to work with the organisation Free to be Kids. While we were talking she sent me the link to this sobering video above. I never really thought about taking justice into my own hands until this afternoon.

* Just an addit - I read this in the book of Malachi this morning: “I will come to you in judgement. I will be quick to testify against those who… exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me, says the Lord who rules over all.” - Malachi 3:5

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