Hi all,
Thanks for the efforts with Sr. Mary Rose’s visit to Billings! She is actually a connection through Dr. Hinshaw, whom got me involved and then Sr. Mary V and the rest…. Thanks for the interest!
I have the Mansfield Center reserved for June 11th from 1-3 pm and June 13th 7-9pm.
Sr. Mary Rose is from Northern Uganda, Kololongo area that has been severely affected by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) 20 year war. This war has killed many, destroyed entire villages, and abducted children and forced them to become child soldiers, and by cutting them…their noses, ears and lips off to brainwash them into killing others. The LRA rebels also abducted many girls and forced them to be sex slaves of the men rebel soldiers. This forced the children of Northern Uganda to become “night commuters” and travel into the towns of Kitgum,Gulu etc and sleep in the streets in order to avoid being captured. Sr. Mary Rose experienced first hand the LRA rebels coming into their compound and village. The people who lived in the rural villages were forced into Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP)camps. Telling her story and bringing awareness to the plight of innocent people and children is so important to her calling. Our mission
team in 2006, has also been in Northern Uganda and we saw first hand the atrocities of the IDP camps, and the children and babies left without families…whom were killed or captured or affected by the LRA war. We
continue to help through St. V’s Foundation and Hope 2 One Life, two orphanages and a deaf, blind and disabled school in Kitgum, a family empowerment farm for those who fled the camps for an opportunity for a
better life and independence in Masindi. Also, I have travelled all through camps and areas of Northern Uganda facilitating an adoption process for two children affected by the war (2 year old Nancy and 13 year old Bosco- child caretaker of Nancy) and the process actually brought me to the village Sr.
Mary Rose is from. Erryn Lundman, and ICU nurse at St. V’s recently returned with both kids after spending 9 weeks in Northern Uganda. She and her husband Deke have legal guardianship of the kids and will be adopting them. (These are different kids than in the newspaper recently…the two in the newspaper were adopted from and orphanage in Jinja Uganda and are friends of the Lundman’s also). Erryn is also working on a project in Northern Uganda with youth affected by the LRA.
So, my idea is…to have the Mansfield Center presentation be a forum in which I can introduce Sr. Mary Rose and talk briefly about our involvement in Northern Uganda, tie in the connections etc. Sr. Mary Rose’s
presentation. And also, Erryn, if available, give her an opportunity to share her experiences, and the youth program she is involved in, in Northern Uganda. There are many people in this town and many employees at St. V’s now who have been involved and knowledgeable about these missions.
What do you all think?
The dates above were the only ones I could get at Mansfield Center on short notice and I don’t know if it works for Erryn or not, or her thoughts about it yet. Just ideas.
We are also trying to set some talks lined up, specifically, for Sr. Mary Rose at St. Pius X and St. Thomas and possibly some other churches.
Thanks all! I’m not sure how to go about the promotion of this…any help is greatly appreciated!
Nadine