#bundibugyofloods: this is real christmas

 Six days ago, the slopes of the Rwenzori mountains in Bundibugyo crumbled downward in multiple avalanches of boulders, silt, mud, water, trees, taking everything in their path. Some homes were filled with torrents of water and mud, others were pulverized into non-existence. Unknown numbers of people died; about 20 bodies were recovered in the first 24 hours but no one seems quite sure how many are still missing. As a team here, we witnessed the destruction, struggled to find passage through the buried road, and came face to face with the sorrow. The day after we began trying to feed some displaced people sheltering at a church, but as we shared the photos and saw the response from our friends and families, we believed we could do more. We requested and received immediate approval for an advance of $15,000 (Ug shillings 55Million) and the Serge Home Office worked quickly on Monday to code a web giving page and funding mechanism. By Tuesday donations began, and  we chose a team of 3 CSB grads with whom we have worked to manage the details. One, Sam, lived in the epicenter though his house was intact, so he had first-hand knowledge of affected families. Tuesday afternoon they were in the field registering an anticipated 50 families to help, which quickly became 70. Wednesday they traveled to Fort Portal over the mountains to procure supplies. We anxiously waited up for them that night as their miserably untrustworthy hired lorry broke down too many times to count. It was well after midnight when we finally started unloading in the Community Center. Thursday was a day to organize the relief and mobilize the people, so that today, Friday, 77 families could be served. These families varied from 2 to 12 people, but most were 8-ish,  so that’s ~500 affected individuals.

Each family received a life re-starter survival kit. Two mattresses, two sets of bedsheets, two blankets, a set of 8 aluminum saucepans, 5 plates, 5 cups, 3 liters of cooking oil, 15kg of beans, 25kg of rice, and two plastic jerry cans for carrying water - and Ush 50,000 cash.

The woman who lost everything, whom Scott found just sitting on a massive stone on Sunday, was there. A woman who had been struggling to get out of the sudden rush of flood waters with her one year old, and the one-year-old was swept out of her arms and never seen again, was there. Let that sink in. Six days ago, the raging flood stripped this mother of her child right in front of her eyes, right out of her grip. And on an on.

But today, the atmosphere was beautiful.

Scott shared from Matthew 1 about the prophecy from Isaiah foreshadowing that "the virgin shall bear a son and call his name Immanuel (which means "God with us").  He emphasized that despite the loss, the destruction, the sadness - God is with us.  And that these relief supplies tangibly express God's love and care today here and now.  He slowly detailed the Relief Package - and then said that many people would see that something was missing (and that might be different for different people-charcoal, matches, clothing, utensils).  In an effort to address those dashed expectations, we added a Uganda shilling 50,000 note (~$14).  A cheer went up that caused goosebumps. 

A few other thanksgivings...the team of CSB grads we worked with continually amazed us. John, Bwampu, and Sam led the effort but they drew in another dozen or more friends to load and off-load, to tally and organize. Long hours. Practical wisdom. The capacity to stretch the funds to 77 families instead of 50. The good decisions about what the essentials should include. Perseverance through mechanical setbacks and a grueling 8 hour trip. Meticulous records. An extremely well-organized distribution process with stations and documentation. Detailed thinking and forethought. And mostly, a pervading sense of the privilege of serving. Each told us how good it was for them to be able to do this, to administer God’s mercy in the form of donor largesse to people in their own community.  It is now possible in Bundibugyo to hand $15K to 20-somethings and have it accurately and efficiently spent for good.  That was not possible 15 years ago when we were managing our large grant from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  We had to do our own procurement and accounting.

Second, the team from World Harvest Mission (Serge . . . We kept the old World Harvest name in Uganda). The trauma of the landslides and flood knocked our hearts. Most of our team is pretty new, and young. We all felt guilty for even noticing our own inconveniences in the face of devastation, but it does wear you down to live for days and days without water and power and internet and phone, to have uncertain blips of service that disappear randomly, to be cut off by the road destruction. But this week we really saw the value of the opportunity to participate in Redemption. Rather than just bemoaning the brokenness, we were able to get up to our elbows in pushing back against the evil. Some of the mission kids even donated all their allowance money they had saved for two months to help a handful of affected families.

And thirdly, the survivors, with their resilient spirits. Their ability to be thankful, when this is far from justice. Their kindness and patience in waiting and receiving. Their delight in fresh new sheets and clean colorful household items. Their smiles when Scott brought down our boom box and blasted Christmas music through the day’s process.

Lastly, one more hidden beauty, our donors. So many responded quickly and raised the funds we needed to show this community that God sees. Emmanuel, God with us, rings true. We have a God who also suffered, who was also pierced and crushed by the evil of this world, who stands with the poor, who walks into the storms. Each person that sent their money became part of the visible love of God to Bundibugyo, part of the light that the people walking in darkness were able to see.

The impact of this rainy season, this time of rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean and torrential rains streaming down the Rwenzori valleys, will continue. Today we were able to directly help 500 people who lost everything they owned. But hundreds more people lost crops, or possessions, or relatives. Thousands and thousands have been put at risk by the damage to water systems. We have a long road ahead. But tonight as we wearily conclude this week, we are grateful for the picture of Christmas, of gifts, of redemption.