Great Commission Christians

Mount Moroto— a 10,000 foot volcanic peak, lying east of the plain of Karamoja,
and just to the west of the border with Kenya and the Great Rift.
Site of the meeting of the Gray-hairs...

Near the equator, in an area about the size and shape of New Jersey, half a million to a million people eke out an existence in a harsh climate. Life is hard there, but usually possible. Struggling to raise cattle and a few crops in a stark landscape they cling tenaciously to life like the survivors they are.

For a long time, their way of life, though harsh and unforgiving, continued reasonably in peace. As far as man-made cultures go, theirs was reasonably equitable, and some might even say "democratic." Not to be ruled by a single king, or even local chieftains, these people consented to the governance of their communities by a group of "elders"— who retained the knowledge of those who preceded them, that they might lead their people through the difficulties that they were sure to face.

Over a period of about a century, a host of different external forces came into their land. These dominating powers brought these people to a place of suspicion and reaction against those outside their culture. Suspicion conceived hostility, and hostility has given birth to violence. And now, most tragically, this violence has been turned inward, with these people striking out at their own: community against community; brothers murdering brothers. The entrance of modern weaponry into this region has escalated local and sporadic violence into a common and widespread cancer.

These people live on the plateau of Karamoja— a remote region of northeastern Uganda. Although lying mostly within the political borders of Uganda, this region is something of a country within a country. The Karamojong posess a markedly different language and culture than the remainder of Uganda, who see the Karamojong as backward, and primitive. Many outside of Karamoja have, with good intentions, tried to "force peace" upon them— to little effect. Sometimes, a brief lull comes upon the region, but in time, the raidings and killings continue. The outlook is not good, with families fractured, thousands dying, and whole communities torn apart. True hope for the future has become non-existent.

In the midst of this atmosphere of strife and violence, an invitation has come to a small group of redeemed men in this country to meet with a large contingent of Karamojong elders. Seeing this as a call of God on their lives, these men have committed themselves to preparation for being conduits of His peace and reconciliation. Pledging themselves to an arduous trip and ultimate elder meeting on a ten-thousand-foot volcano in remote Karamoja, they recognize that they can accomplish nothing of lasting value by themselves— that only the Holy Spirit of their Lord Jesus, living within them, can bring any hope or any light into that dark place.

We are those men. We know that by going ourselves, we are following one of God's clear callings on our lives, and that He will be faithful to work through our obedience. And we also know that He has placed us in community with others for good reason. He desires to use our brothers and sisters in prayerfully interceding for ourselves, and most of all, for the Karamojong that we will be meeting and getting to know. And it is of vital importance that we have a covering of earnest prayer as we enter into a place that is spiritually very dark— a place that our enemy considers his own. It would be foolish to go into such a dangerous place without many behind us, seeking the Lord's protection over us and around us.

This prayer will be an investment in the future of the Karamojong people— not because we go there, but because the Spirit of God and His Holy Word go there with us. And the return on this investment will undoubtedly have eternal significance.