A Woman Named Rose

Kitgum, Northern Uganda
Yesterday I met a woman named Rose. Rose is from Southern Sudan. Kitgum, the town we are staying in, is only a few kilometers south of the border.

Rose and her sister, Cecelia went to collect firewood one day. Two rebel soldiers abducted them at gunpoint. They killed Cecilia, stabbed and abused Rose. They turned Rose into a slave. After many days, government soldiers attacked the rebels and Rose was able to escape. She made her way to a hospital in Uganda. She is still suffering from her wounds and is very sick with swelling in her legs and arms. After all this, I asked her if she could forgive the rebels. “Yes, I can forgive,” she said. “I am a sinner too.”