I was in Uganda in January 2009. I spent that month ministering in the town of Gulu. You might know the name because it was virtually destroyed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) during a war that lasted for 20 years. The non-profit Invisible Children also spent time there working on their documentary. The team I was with that month worked for the first 2 weeks in a village called Keyo. We stayed in the primary school building because the kids were on break while we were there.
Last week the Real Life team I am co-leading with Braedon went to Gulu. We were scheduled to go to 2-3 schools per day in and around Gulu to minister to kids. Thursday afternoon was to be our last day of ministry and we were scheduled to go to Keyo. When I found out I was coming back to Uganda, the idea crossed my mind to try to go back to the place I ministered. NEVER did it cross my mind that the first week we were in the country we would be going back to the city I stayed in AND visit the village I lived in!!
Our team was going to be ministering at the Secondary school that is connected by a path to the primary school. I knew I had to go over to the school to see if Otim was still there. Two of the girls on the team, Katie and Rachel, walked over with me. I carried with me a picture that Otim had drawn that had his name at the bottom. When we got to the school I decided best bet was heading to the head masters office. You can imagine the head masters surprise when 3 white people walked in unannounced. He was very helpful though and took Otim’s name down and said he would try to figure it out.
As we were standing in the office, I noticed that a man had walked to the door and was looking in. It was the Reverend we had worked with while at Keyo! He remembered me and said he was willing to help me find Otim. He said Otim had moved to another village because the IDP camps had been torn down, but that Otim still went to the church the Reverend was a pastor of. I cannot tell you how excited I was! I wrote Otim a short note to let him know that I have not forgotten about him and that I love him and I pray for him daily. I then gave the note to the Reverend who said he would deliver the note for me. In my heart I knew that even if I couldn’t see him, if I could just get him that note, it would be worth it! He would know that he is not forgotten and that he is so special and that I will never stop thinking of him or praying for him!
The next day, Friday, the team headed back to Kampala for the weekend before another trip to minister to schools in Kabale, Uganda. As I was getting ready for the day on Saturday I got a phone call. The caller said “Audrey, this is Otim. The one you are looking for.� Something did not sound right to me. I asked the Otim calling me how old he was “35�. My Otim would be 13 or 14….not the correct Otim. I told him that he was not the correct Otim, but he proceeded to ask when he could come to Kampala to visit me, which makes sense since he got a letter from me telling him that I love him and haven’t forgotten him! Wrong Otim, Reverend! So, I called the Reverend who said that he would get the note and take it to the correct Otim. Later that day I got a phone call from Ronald Reagan, a Ugandan we worked with while in Keyo. He told me that the Reverend had gotten a hold of him and that he was going to help me find Otim.
I haven’t heard anything else since then. It was hard thinking I had found him and then realizing I had not. I do not know where Otim is. I do not know if he is still in Uganda. I do not know if he still remembers me. I do not know if he is okay. I DO know that even if I don’t find him; even if I never find him that does not change how he has affected my life. That does not change that I will always pray for him and believe that God has a mighty plan for his life. That does not change the fact that some day I believe I will see him, it might be heaven, but that’s okay with me…as long as he is there with me I will be fine.
I still have so many hopes and dreams for Otim, but in the end I have to realize that so does God! If I love him, how much more does God love him?! If I have dreams for him, can you imagine how big God’s dreams are?! If I have never forgotten about him, I can’t imagine how God’s thoughts are consumed with Otim!
What does break my heart is that he might never know. He may never know that I tried to find him. He may go through life thinking that no one remembers him. He might feel as though he is unloved. He might never know! I just want him to know!
I just need to remember that it’s all going to be okay. Even if I don’t find him. It’s going to be okay.
