Security and Youth Ministry coincide at Encounter

I recently had the privilege of serving as a sponsor for Ukarumpa’s annual youth retreat, Encounter. The event featured guest speakers from Lancaster, PA who taught on the book of Jonah. It was originally scheduled to be held at a camp two hours away, but had to be relocated due to civil unrest. As the Security Manager, I spent the days leading up to Encounter assessing the situation and networking with other missions, local police, contract security firms and other sources. As a result, we moved Encounter to the SIL Training Centre, which is located here in Ukarumpa. Though there was disappointment at not being able to go off centre, the students understood the situation and had great attitudes. During the day and into the late evening, we worshipped together, walked through the book of Jonah, and played games. At night, other men from the community and I took turns working security. On the last full day of the event, a large group of students and sponsors hiked on a familiar trail off centre. During the hike, two smaller groups became separated and were robbed by masked raskols (criminals) armed with bush knives. Thankfully, no one was physically harmed and all of the students and sponsors returned to the centre safely. When I learned of the incident, I interviewed each of the victims, created a list of lessons-learned for future hikes, and followed up with the local police. This investigation is ongoing, so your prayers would be appreciated. Despite the relocation of the event due to civil unrest and the robbery that occurred off centre, we chose to focus on God and were strengthened.