Introducing David

Good afternoon friends. It has apparently been a while since I lost wrote because the parental units called to see what is new. :) I told them that I hardly have anything to write now days because all I am doing is having fun, but that's not always true.

On thursday afternoon, the Probation Officer called the Sliedrechts and asked them to come down to the local office. Angie asked me to come along. There was supposedly an orphaned boy there that they didn't know what to do with and they wanted us to come and see if we had any suggestions. Well, within a half an hour we were sitting in this tiny office and were quickly introduced to a young man.

David is 16 (at least that is the age he thinks he is). He was captured by the LRA when he was 9, but saw his parents be killed before he was taken, and he spent five years with the LRA. He was a commander. He remembers being given liquid drugs to confuse him. He was eventually able to escape from the Congo. Bullet wounds and whip lashes can be found scarred on his back. He told us that some of his friends were sold to the Somali's in trade for weapons. Such a cruel war. He spent some time in Kampala and now has been trying to find his way back to his village. The sad part is that he really struggles with spiritual dreams. Demonic ones. Two women always try and tell him what to do. One night he was told to sharpen his panga (machete) and place it at the end of his bed and cover himself with his bed sheets. Another time he dreamt that the hut he was staying in was going to burn down... and rumour has it that the hut did burn, so where he was staying has cast him out.

David's story was heart-wrenching and we really pray that he will be released from the evil spirits that haunt his dreams. We also pray that Probation will be able to find some relatives. Some think that the relatives will say that they do not know him though because they do not want to divide the land amongst the male inheritants. So sad! We were able to help find David a home for four days, with constant supervision by a wonderful Christian man. He has been able to hear a lot more about the saving grace of Jesus and for that I am grateful, but this young man's journey in life is still just beginning.