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Thursday, July 02, 2009

Not the end of the story

After a long game of tag in the moonlight last night, our interns, team, and kids settled down for one of our Africa-film series videos, War Dance.  This excellent documentary puts faces with the stories of three real children from Pader district in northern Uganda, and I've posted before about the power of the artistic images and the grip of the compelling story.  This time through I was struck by a short scene in which an elderly teacher who has returned from the big city, Kampala, to help this small primary school prepare for the national music competition where they will compete, stands in the front of the classroom and talks to the kids.  We've just heard one 14-year-old boy tell his story to the camera of being abducted by rebels and forced to kill a man with a hoe.  The teacher says:  Yes, you are children of war, that is part of your story . . . but it is not the end of your story.

Those words offer such hope, to the children who practice and dance and sing and prepare, who travel to Kampala and shine as they represent the Acholi people.  And they are wise words for all of us scarred by evil, our own and others.  Yes, we are children of war, children of the earth, and that is part of our story . . .but not the end.

3 comments:

Tricia said...

Powerful.

Anonymous said...

it is amazing how reading your posts really inspire me.

Michelle said...

Hello,


THis is Michelle Parker, I visited Kim and your team when Kim was serving with you there. I just wanted to let you know that I have been following your blog on and off for the last couple years. I don't know why I've never commented on your page but I wanted you to know that myseld as well as others you don't know are reading your blogs and being encouraged and ministered too! Thanks for all you do. Keep up the good work and god bless you and your team there!