Did you happen to see the front page of the Boston Globe this past Tuesday morning?  David Ortiz, in all his glory, holding the World Series trophy.  The triumph apparent in his unending grin.  The trophy held high for all of Red Sox nation to collectively admire.  His fingers flaunting the 2nd win in just four years.  The battle for the World Championship won.

But did you see the article right below this one?  The picture of a woman with pensive eyes, looking out a window.  A woman whose heart and thoughts are not on herself, but far away. On a battle that's

still being fought, and that sometimes feels impossible to win.

The article was entitled "No Forgetting" and revealed the story of Grace Akallo.  As many of you will remember, we had the honor of hearing Grace speak at Gracepoint in late September.  She spoke with us about her experiences being kidnapped from her school in Northern Uganda, forced to become a child soldier in a rebel army. Brutalized. Buried alive.  Suicidal at times.  But through all these experiences, Grace was able to hold on to the truth she knew.  That God was with her in those awful moments.  That HE was her strength.  That HE had plans for her, beyond the jungles of Sudan.  That with HIS strength, she would escape.

Grace's story is just one.  There are thousands of children, just like Grace, being kidnapped from their homes and schools in Northern Uganda, forced to fight a civil war against their own. An entire generation of children, growing up in a region engulfed in war.  They have experienced multiple losses of family and friends, disruption of their lives and communities, and have been filled with anxiety, aggression, and depression.

Grace's story, and the plight of Ugandan children, was brought to the attention of Gracepoint through a contact at World Vision.  Through a lot of discussion and prayer, we have decided to team with World

Vision to support their ministry to children, like Grace, in Northern Uganda. This ministry, formally entitled the Youth Psycosocial Care Project of Northern Uganda, focuses on youth in the Maska, Rakai and Gulu districts of Uganda.  The overall goal is enhanced community capacity in resilience, psychosocial, and peace building skills for young people.  The project works through locally trained, interpersonal therapy facilitators, to facilitate groups of war-affected youth.  They are treated physically, mentally, and spiritually, with specific focus being put on issues of depression.

Our partnership with World Vision will be multifaceted.  We will support this project with an annual donation of $25,000.  Secondly, we are already working through the logistics of sending a team from Gracepoint, with World Vision representatives, to witness the situation in Northern Uganda and get a feel first hand of the counseling and therapy these children are receiving.   And finally, and most importantly, we want to collectively support this ministry through prayer.

Lets pray BOLDLY for Uganda:

- That Joseph Kony and the Lords Resistance Army would be stopped. Defeated.

- That the Lord would protect the hearts and minds of the children currently serving in Kony's army.

- That all 30,000 children kidnapped during this war would be released, would find peace, and a relationship with Christ Jesus.

- For Grace Akallo - her pending delivery of a baby boy in the next few weeks, and her continued ministry.

- That as a church, we would open our hearts to serving as we are called in this endeavor.

If you are interested in learning more about the situation in Northern Uganda, pick up a copy of Grace's book entitled, "Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children".  The Missions and Outreach team has a few copies we'd be happy to lend out to anyone interested.  Additionally, you can check out the article from the Boston Globe (10/30) here - http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/

articles/2007/10/30/no_forgetting/