When I finally got home my sister and brother-in-law were going trap (clay pigeon) shooting and I made the last minute decision to tag along with them. I shot a gun for the first time in my life. I don't know what kinds of guns I shot, but I know it's a shot gun range. I shot 2 rifles and a revolver (that they put small shot gun shells in). First of all, yes my shoulder is pretty sore today. The kick back wasn't horrible, but definitely enough to bruise me.
As my bro-in-law showed me how to hold it, where the safety was, and how to hit my target my adrenaline began to pump in a huge way. I had never held a loaded gun that didn't contain paintballs before. My palms were sweaty and I was shaky. Guns scare the heck out of me and at that point I was wondering why I had agreed to even go with them. I decided I needed to fire it once before they threw a clay for me to aim at so I knew what the kick would feel like. It scared me! I put the safety on and handed back to my brother-in-law. About 10 minutes later they convinced me to try and shoot a clay. So I let him load the gun, took my stance, tried to steady myself, and took aim into the field. I said "pull" (which signals for them to release the thrower and sends the pigeon soaring) and tried my best to follow my moving target and hit it before it hit the ground. Somehow I managed to turn the thing to dust. It was pure luck, no skill at all that I hit it. Over the next few hours I probably only got a total of 7 at best out of maybe 20 or so. I mean, for never having held a rifle before and shooting at a moving target it wasn't so bad. After 2 hours or so we packed up, picked up the used shells and headed home. I have to be honest, I was still shaky and a bit unsettled. I still don't like guns and they still scare the poop out of me.
I left with thoughts of my friends. Friends who joined a war to fight for their people. I had ear protection and my ears were still ringing a bit. My arms are sore today, not just from the kick back, but from the weight of the rifle. I'm almost 30 and I should be physically stronger than a 13 year old boy. How bad did their bodies ache? How loud was the ringing resonating in their ears? It was a crowed day at the range (apparently) and there was nearly constant gun fire. There was never a time to feel relaxed, at least not for me. How did they ever get through years of that, during a vicious time of war? I was with my family in a safe place on a gorgeous sunny day a few miles from my comfortable home. How did they make it on their own, without the support of their families holding their hand?
Last month I finally got around to reading "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah. It's an amazing book of memoirs written by a child soldier from Sierra Leone. I was introduced to the book by Shelah when I was still in Uganda so I bought it at a local bookstore in town and started to read it. About the time I started to read it one of my child soldier friends was suffering with problems because of the war (in the past and the new situation in Sudan). His problems were such that I couldn't keep reading without thinking about how closely Ishmael Beah's life relates to the guys I know and love.
About this time last year I was privileged to sit with each of the guys and record their life stories. "A Long Way Gone" brought back all of those horrific stories that I had already heard before. No, not every story is the same. And yes, these boys often get lumped into one, even though every single experience was somehow different for each of them. The guys told me as much as they remembered. Some of them gave me very detailed accounts of what they had seen, heard, smelled, and felt, but others avoided the graphic details for fear that they would scare me. They told me things that they said they had never shared with others and they told me things that they've mentioned a hundred times.
But as I read Ishmael's story this time, front to back in just a few days, I realized that there are way too many of these stories out there. They may all seem like the same story, but they are all so different! "A Long Way Gone" is a book filled with hope. That hope doesn't come until the end of the book, but it's powerful. Yes, I had to suffer through the details to get to the hope... and I was just reading it. Not living it.
I don't know what the point of this is beyond that I think every person needs to read this book. Raising awareness is huge and I want to tell what I know. I've been entrusted with some intense stories of hope. Some I can tell... others I can't. I can say with absolute certainty that there are people who are on the ground, loving these guys every day. Supporting them, showing them Jesus, and bringing them hope. It's not just the child soldiers, it's the lives of hundreds and probably thousands of people being changed thanks to my friends at Refuge and Hope International.
I want to strongly encourage you to read "A Long Way Gone." You can borrow my copy after I get it back from my dad. More importantly, I would love to tell you more about Refuge and Hope. Click here to check out their website and see the ministries they're involved in. Please pray about possibly getting involved in the ministries that God has given them. You can be a prayer partner and/or you can make a donation here to help support the Sudanese guys (former child soldiers) in school and the refugees at the Center of Hope in Kampala, Uganda.
I honestly had not planned on writing about Refuge and Hope today, but the Lord has placed them on my heart and I know they would love for you to support them in anyway that you can. Thank you in advance for supporting them and showing love to my family abroad.
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