- Will and Etta Shehee, along with their children, have faced a very intense week in Gulu Uganda! I have received another e-mail from them regarding the riots and violence and what they have been going through since this all started. Here are a couple emails from them.
(Etta Shehee) "It has been an intense week for us. We have encourtered protests turning violent in Gulu, being robbed, and traveling 6 hours with all the children to pick Wills mom from the airport all in one week! I am feeling emotional, yet in a tender 'close to the Lord's heart' way, as I try to process all we have been thru and yet continue on with life."
To Pray for:
Uganda- Protests over inflation have turned violent in several cities here, including Gulu. You can read about it here: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1144774/-/c2q3svz/-/index.html .
The unsettling thing about this sort of thing in Uganda is the underlying bitterness the different tribes hold towards each other. Bitterness that extends for decades and even generations. It seems to be finding an expression in these protests. Will witnessed many people being beaten by police, and the death toll for Gulu has been said to be at 5 (that is after only on night of protesting), one person who was lynched by protesters for wearing a shirt of the current president.
Please pray for this nation in this voltile time.
Gulu has been peaceful since last Thursday and protests are scheduled throughout the country for Mondays and Thursdays.
"Because things could possibly esculate, we decided to stick together as a family and all go pick up Will's mom from the airport and to leave on Sun. since Mon. was a scheduled protest. We stayed in a hut in the zoo. After a great day with the kids we returned to find our door kicked in and our computer and video camera stolen!
As I have been sad, I have thought 'but those are only things'- I dont' want my emotions dictated by things- I realize my need to cling to Him alone more than ever in this time where He shakes everything that can be shaken."
He is shaking the nations. He is shaken us. Will He alone be our rock?
Let us pray for the body of Christ as labor pains come upon the earth. Let us pray that His bride would be found fully in love, and standing firm on her Rock in the midst of this storm.
Thank you all
we love you all
Will and Etta
- A letter from Will Shehee depicting what it was like in Gulu when the riots started:
(Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 7:55 AM)
It was a crazy night. I was in town when the protests began. I jumped on my motorcycle a started heading home. There was a rover of people running, fleeing from town. I reached our home on the north side of town. I had a tough decision to make. My kids were with friends on the south side of town. It was already 6:45pm and it would be dark soon. I decided I wanted my kids to be with me, so I drove the long way around the town center and got there around nightfall. Our ugandan friends there said I shouldn't go back the way I came because there is a shorter safer route if I drive towards town just a little ways...
I didn't make it far before I hit the first barricade. Since the power was out and it was dark, all I could see was fire and a heap of huge stones from one side of the road to the other. I wasn't sure what would happen. I had never experienced a barricade set up by protesters, and I was alone with my kids on my motorcycle with no local to advise me whether I should stop or turn around or quickly find a way through. I wasn't sure if the protesters would be in a mob mentality with lawlessness in their hearts where anything goes. I wasn't sure if I would get totally mobbed. But I knew God was with me. I ended up going around it on a small narrow shoulder bank. No one seemed to notice or care.
I got to where the turn off was supposed to be, but I had never been that way before and the roads are unmarked and unlit, so I stopped to ask someone. Just then a good friend (remember Jerome who we've been praying for) appeared out of the darkness to help me!!! I knew for sure that God was with me! He and a few others discussed which route I should take to bypass town. Then a guy said he needed to go where I was going and he could guide me on the back roads. No sooner had he jumped on than the police started firing tear gas just ahead of us. We escaped just in time!
We wove our way through narrow footpaths in the dark for about 30 minutes. Then we turned onto a bigger road that would take us into the town center. There were huge piles of dirt in the middle of the road from where they are planning renovations for the dirt road. As we drove, suddenly from behind one of the dirt mounds about 6 army guys with machine guns jumped out at us and started shouting at us. They tore our guide off the back and started beating him. They hit him twice in the face with a stick and then tore his shirt off and tied his hands behind his back with it. They threw him on the ground with about 15 other barechested men with their hands tied behind their backs. They started interrogating me and finally told me to go. I said I couldn't go without my guide. They wouldn't listen. I refused to leave without him. (I would be totally lost). Finally they gave him one last whip on the back witha stick and let him come with me. It's a good thing they did, because those other guys were to be taken to the military barracks and beaten through the night and interrogated to see if they were part of the protests.
We headed back into the town center which was totally abandoned. We headed up the main street leading home. Then we saw a police officer in the middle of the road. Next to him was a man with no shirt on squatting on the road. The Policeman was holding a stick. It was obvious what was happening. It didn't look good for us. But he just shouted at us for a while and let us pass.
Then I had to detour to take the guide home. But as we turned up another street, a few youth came running towards us saying "police!!!". There was a police barricade ahead. We opted to risk a turn around. O switched off my headlights and turned around. The police were shouting but I just gunned it. We made it out. I told Richard, our guide, " You're staying with me tonight". After that we wove through a few more roads but didn't hit any more barricades. I was never so glad to see my gate. Etta was safe at home with the baby. She said there had been some close gunshots, smoke,and screaming but everything was okay.
At home we saw the hand of providence behind it all. Richard, it turns out, was the back-slidden son of a Baptist preacher, condemned and rejected by the congregation. After talking for a while, he decided to rededicate his life to Jesus and forgive the adversarial Christians!!! So, it was all worth it! And not to worry, because the kids were not traumatized or even frightened by the ride. They just thought it was a fun game.
So, once again, thank you for praying. God is faithful.
Will
I didn't make it far before I hit the first barricade. Since the power was out and it was dark, all I could see was fire and a heap of huge stones from one side of the road to the other. I wasn't sure what would happen. I had never experienced a barricade set up by protesters, and I was alone with my kids on my motorcycle with no local to advise me whether I should stop or turn around or quickly find a way through. I wasn't sure if the protesters would be in a mob mentality with lawlessness in their hearts where anything goes. I wasn't sure if I would get totally mobbed. But I knew God was with me. I ended up going around it on a small narrow shoulder bank. No one seemed to notice or care.
I got to where the turn off was supposed to be, but I had never been that way before and the roads are unmarked and unlit, so I stopped to ask someone. Just then a good friend (remember Jerome who we've been praying for) appeared out of the darkness to help me!!! I knew for sure that God was with me! He and a few others discussed which route I should take to bypass town. Then a guy said he needed to go where I was going and he could guide me on the back roads. No sooner had he jumped on than the police started firing tear gas just ahead of us. We escaped just in time!
We wove our way through narrow footpaths in the dark for about 30 minutes. Then we turned onto a bigger road that would take us into the town center. There were huge piles of dirt in the middle of the road from where they are planning renovations for the dirt road. As we drove, suddenly from behind one of the dirt mounds about 6 army guys with machine guns jumped out at us and started shouting at us. They tore our guide off the back and started beating him. They hit him twice in the face with a stick and then tore his shirt off and tied his hands behind his back with it. They threw him on the ground with about 15 other barechested men with their hands tied behind their backs. They started interrogating me and finally told me to go. I said I couldn't go without my guide. They wouldn't listen. I refused to leave without him. (I would be totally lost). Finally they gave him one last whip on the back witha stick and let him come with me. It's a good thing they did, because those other guys were to be taken to the military barracks and beaten through the night and interrogated to see if they were part of the protests.
We headed back into the town center which was totally abandoned. We headed up the main street leading home. Then we saw a police officer in the middle of the road. Next to him was a man with no shirt on squatting on the road. The Policeman was holding a stick. It was obvious what was happening. It didn't look good for us. But he just shouted at us for a while and let us pass.
Then I had to detour to take the guide home. But as we turned up another street, a few youth came running towards us saying "police!!!". There was a police barricade ahead. We opted to risk a turn around. O switched off my headlights and turned around. The police were shouting but I just gunned it. We made it out. I told Richard, our guide, " You're staying with me tonight". After that we wove through a few more roads but didn't hit any more barricades. I was never so glad to see my gate. Etta was safe at home with the baby. She said there had been some close gunshots, smoke,and screaming but everything was okay.
At home we saw the hand of providence behind it all. Richard, it turns out, was the back-slidden son of a Baptist preacher, condemned and rejected by the congregation. After talking for a while, he decided to rededicate his life to Jesus and forgive the adversarial Christians!!! So, it was all worth it! And not to worry, because the kids were not traumatized or even frightened by the ride. They just thought it was a fun game.
So, once again, thank you for praying. God is faithful.
Will
