Goals, Prisoners, and the Gospel

Well, the team safely arrived in Gulu yesterday.  Pretty much in record time too--7ish hours, which included two bathroom stops and a walk across the roaring Nile River.  Not bad for a group of 30.  Robert, Sam, and Wilfred had to serve as shepherds to get us across and to the bus.  We quickly checked into the Churchill, ate a pineapple and banana snack, and headed to Koro.  We were greeted by singing and dancing by the Victory Girls.  Their dancing was followed by and SOM orientation and a tour of the Koro Community Center.  It was a great day to reenergize and think about where we have been already.  Many an early night.

 It’s good to be back in Gulu! It’s good to be on the farm, good to be with the Acholi people and good to get our hands dirty. Sports Outreach in Gulu has developed 40 acres of land into a wonderful farm (Koro Farm) modeling sustainability for the rest of the people in Gulu. The vision for the farm is incredible and we are thankful to get to be a very, very small part of it. We split up into four groups today: one group did farming, one did construction, another worked at the school with the children and one group made home visits to families in the “bush,” greeting them with encouragement and prayer. It was a full morning followed by an extraordinary afternoon. The afternoon experience is best told by Jenny Martinez as she was one of our speakers today. She writes below…

We pulled up in the van and looked through the door to the Gulu prison. Steel doors, thick bars, and a dirt courtyard were our first glance at our next few hours. To some of us it was exciting, a new world we knew nothing about. To others of us, it was terrifying. Either way, I don’t think we could’ve anticipated the experience of the next few hours.

After the security guards were convinced our medical kit full of tape and pre-wrap was non-threatening, we walked through the gates into the courtyard. A dirt “field” stood, mostly lined-- if not by chalk then by the lines of inmates who sat five people deep at certain points along the pitch. The “field” was complete with three trees, and a few metal poles sticking fifteen or so feet out of the ground.

The plan was three 9 v. 9 games, each with 2 fifteen minute halves. Our first group took the field, and after pre-game prayer and handshakes, the first game began. The drums on the other side, shouts of the inmates, and occasional blast on the resident vuvuzela left high standards for future Westmont crowds. Hundreds of inmates were in attendance, a sea of yellow prison uniforms against the dark wall of the building on the shady side of the field.

The first game went by fast. Cheers broke out as the Westmont/SOI side was awarded, and scored, a penalty kick in the first ten minutes. Later in the match another round of whoops and cheering broke out as a cross from Angela off a short-corner play led to a header goal from Richie—epic. We had originally laughed when the SOI staff member had apologized for “shorting us” on time and only “leaving us” two hours to play. But by the end of those two hours, I don’t think there were many on our side who were ready to leave.

 

After all the games were finished, more handshakes were exchanged, and one of the main prison guards gave the word for the inmates to come gather in. Immediately the hundreds of inmates surged towards our sideline and took a seat on the dirt. Mal and I had decided to be the post-game “sharers.” Somehow the 500 Gulu prisoners gathered before us weren’t quite the side-room of about 15 prisoner players that- I will admit- I at least had been picturing. The team prayed over both of us, and after a team introduction, Mal and I were each allowed to speak. A translator communicated for us with the prisoners, which conveniently doubled to provide us a few extra moments to think. I will never forget sharing the gospel today. Speaking to 500 Gulu inmates about a God who loves them, wants to be near to them, and who has made that possible through the death and resurrection of His son who is offering them a place in His kingdom in exchange for the place in their hearts was incredible. Mal went next and shared about the journey of coming to Christ in her life. She shared her personal experience and spoke with confidence about how God has met her in places of difficulty and consistently shown his love to her. The inmates were all-ears. They listened with more respect than we had been warned to expect and we left the prison with silly grins on our faces—blown away at how God had met us, how God had been faithful, and how today he showed up on a dirt field in a prison courtyard in Gulu. We are thankful.

-           Jenny Martinez (senior, forward)

We are thankful today for many things- here are a few:

-          The staff at the Farm

-          Jenny and Mallory’s testimonies to the inmates (and all of us really)

-          Food

-          The entire prison experience

-          Our protection on this trip

-          The model of Sports Outreach Ministry- that it’s rebuilding all of Gulu

-          Time with the team to process

We wish you well back at home. Amen.

Blessings,

Kristi Kiely (special guest: Jenny Martinez).