In 2008 OCMC sent its Uganda Medical Mission team to Gulu, Uganda, in the north for the first time. The previous year’s team went there for one day to check out Gulu as a potential site and were amazed at the difference between serving in the south near Kampala, the country’s capital. The poverty was overwhelming and the 20+ year war of Joseph Kony and his Lords Resistance Army was winding down. All the people were not in their villages as one would expect but were living behind barbed wire in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The team agreed that they had never seen needs like Gulu before. Fr. George Lakony, one of the seven Orthodox priests in the northern districts of Gulu and Lira was their main contact. The other districts did not have Orthodox priests or churches and many had never heard of Jesus Christ. The north was devastated by the war with thousands killed, children abducted to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves, women repeatedly raped, and villages burned down. Rebel soldiers were feared and the people had not known a normal life for over 20 years. In 2008, the government declared the war over, but Joseph Kony was never arrested and brought to justice to serve for his war crimes.

It was into this time that the team drove with Fr. Nicholas Bayego the five hours over terrible roads from Kampala where the Uganda Orthodox Metropolis was located in Gulu in 2008. There were soldiers everywhere which was frightening and many people still lived in camps because their villages had been destroyed. International Aid tents from UNICEF, USAID, Japan Rice Project, etc. were all over the city. A truck would enter the camp and throw down huge bags of rice and beans to the waiting arms of the northern Ugandans. They had not been able to plant their gardens and raise their goats and chickens which was their normal source of food. Children had not been taught these life-saving skills during the war and learned about receiving handouts from the various NGOs that dominated their city. Schools and churches were starting to be rebuilt that had been destroyed during the war. Most of the team had not been to a third-world country and seeing the effects of the war on the people, Gulu was unbelievable and like no other place they had been.

Fr. George teamed up with Fr. Nicholas and had a schedule of villages for the medical team to visit and hold daily clinics. Each village was in desperate need of medical care. Each morning the team would pack up its medications and supplies and drive a few minutes to four hours to a waiting village of people who had lined up for hours awaiting the team’s arrival. They gathered what few wooden tables and chairs they could find and set up in or near a church that could be thatched roof hut of a brick-built church. The team was greeted by singing ladies and children who ran up with smiles and branches in their hands. The local priests were there to guide their people into lines to see the Muzunga (white) American doctors. Prayers started each day and soon the team had readied its workstation and makeshift pharmacy and the care began. Hundreds were treated each day for mainly tropical diseases, like malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, a variety of parasites, malnutrition, diarrhea, and skin diseases -  which were all new to the treating providers. There were many more known things like ear infections, sore throats, pneumonia, injuries, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted infections. HIV and tuberculosis were common as people could not travel by foot the distance to the government clinics in town that had free medicines and treatment. Each provider and pharmacy worker had a local young person to translate. The priests helped with special cases as they knew their people well. If someone had an emergent condition like seizures, uncontrolled malaria, or the dreaded cerebral malaria they were driven to a government-sponsored hospital located in the city. The priests would often accompany these people to the hospital. In Gulu, the care at the hospital might be free but the prescriptions were not. The team usually had these life-saving medicines for free to the people.

By the afternoon the village women had prepared a meal for the team which was their gift to us. It was hard to eat while we knew there were many still in line who needed care. Then after our meal, we would start again. The worst time was when it started to get dark and the priests realized that not everyone could be seen. A team member and translator went to the people waiting to pick out the sickest people and move them to the front of the line. The priests wanted us done, packed up, and headed back to town at dark because the roads were not safe and soldiers were out. It was heartbreaking to know that people had waited all day and would not be seen. We always chose babies, children, and pregnant women in our final triage of the day. Despite not everyone getting seen everyone sang and danced and hugged us goodbye. We wondered if we had made any difference in their lives for one day, but the priests reminded us that we were showing our Christian love to many who had maybe never seen a white person. We saw people who were Orthodox or those who believed in voodoo or nothing at all – all were cared for in a loving way by the team. Even soldiers in uniform were seen.

One of the villages became our favorite – the Akonyibedo Village which had been an IDP camp during the war. The people were so happy and friendly even though they were so very poor. We developed friendships with many. Our young translators also became our friends, especially Simon Menya, Concy, and Simon Peter who would play a role later. Fr. George was our best friend who answered endless questions about culture, the war, and how these individuals survived the war and live day-to-day.

After a day's clinic, the team would head back to their hotel and debrief which was critical that we talk about the day's activities and then pre-pack medications to be used for the next day. There was a psych nurse, Felice Stewart, and an RN Marie Roeble who helped us and later became long-term missionaries in Tanzania. One of the team members was a Seminarian from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

At the end of our time in Gulu, Sue Nelson sat with Fr. George and translator Simon Menya outside a church and reflected upon our time there. Sue asked Fr. George what his people needed the most. Immediately he said a Medical Clinic! Sue was shocked and answered, no, no what do they really need like school supplies, toothbrushes, bibles, books, etc.? He again said, we need a Medical Clinic and I believe you are the one to do it. The seed was planted but would it become a reality? God was definitely in charge.