One morning as 12-year-old David Ochola was going to school in Uganda, the unthinkable happened. He was brutally kidnapped by rebel soldiers known as the Lord’s Resistance Army(LRA). They abducted David and gave him heavy luggage to carry.
Without resting, David and the rebels hiked the whole day over dirt roads and steep hills up to Palotoka, Sudan, where Mr. Kony, the LRA leader, lived.
Loot, Fight and Kill Everything
After one month of hard labor, David was given military training. Part of that training involved dodging a bullet, getting whipped on his back with a hot machete…and even brutally chopping a person into pieces.
Once initiated, David was now a true soldier of the LRA. And programmed to do the unthinkable…
The LRA encouraged David and all the soldiers to loot, fight and kill every living creature. They told them, “You can’t have fear. You can’t cry.” If David showed fear or cried, he’d be killed.
Unfortunately, one of the most painful things David had to do was hit a child against a tree till that child died. He was taught that these acts would make him strong-hearted.
As you might expect, when killing, David felt awful. He had no strength. And at night, he was always awake. When he could sleep, he was tormented by the dreams of the people he killed. He even feared someone was going to kill him while he slept.
David’s Truly Miraculous Rescue
The LRA held David hostage for 2 years. During an ambush on Ugandan soldiers that turned into a serious gunfight, David was shot in the knee.
Eventually, the LRA fled the fight and left David behind. He was sure he’d die. David cried out in pain. And it was his crying that David’s uncle—one of the Ugandan soldiers—heard. He came and rescued David.
When David came back home, he discovered that his parents were dead. This was a policy with the LRA: They murdered the families of good soldiers so that they wouldn’t have the heart to escape.
His uncle was now all the family David had. But in January 2007, David’s uncle died, and he was left all alone.
“It’s So Wonderful to Be Here”
David got his first glimpse of hope in years when he found out that there were people who were going to care for him at a new Watoto Children’s Village —a ministry Hand of Hope helps support—a place where he could live, learn and truly rest.
“They got involved with us, loving us, teaching us the Word of God and encouraging us,” he said. “They have also enrolled 20 of us who complete primary education to continue with our secondary education. It’s so wonderful to be here.”
David learned lots of things at Watoto. His aunty taught him how to live with others, how to love friends, and how to forgive. Before Watoto, he had lost hope in himself and his future.
But now that Watoto has found and taught him about God and His love, David is growing and changing. Now he watches movies, plays football, netball, drums and performs in dramas.
He even has hope for the future. “Now I want to be a doctor, to heal people,” David says.
Watoto Village
Gary and Marilyn Skinner, founders of Watoto, believe that AIDS orphans and war-affected children like David can have a happy ending in their lives.
The Watoto model involves the construction of children’s villages to provide a home environment. Children are housed, clothed, fed, educated and spiritually discipled.
We at Joyce Meyer Ministries also want to give these children a place where they can grow up with good food to eat, a safe place to sleep and a loving family to care for them. That’s why we’ve partnered with Watoto and would like you to consider helping us by giving a special donation to help us provide safe places like the children’s village and many other important outreaches.
How You Can Help
We encourage you to pray and donate now to support vital worldwide outreaches.
Your support will help us in this ongoing journey of saving lives and restoring people to the heart of God…through the message of the Gospel and practical, life-changing acts of love and service.
Please consider doing everything you can.
Thank you for caring and helping rebuild the shattered lives of innocent children, helpless women and desperate families.
