JRS Adjumani

The Month of October was filled with usual pastoral activities such as Catechists’ Trainings, Sacramental Responsibilities, Youth Animation, Masses with the Senior Students from JRS sponsored schools and a special 3-days training for catechists on the spirituality of catechists and the pedagogy of catechism conducted by Fr. Aloysious Lubega, SJ from Kampala.

Additionally, we had a One-Day seminar on Peace & Reconciliation for Christian Pastors from various denominations facilitated by Br. Mwansa Rodgers from the White Fathers (Missionaries of Africa).

The most remarkable event is the beginning the football tournament among Youth (Women & Men) and Children (Girls & Boys) on the 8^th of October and spreading towards 12^th of November coinciding with JRS 30-year celebrations.

There are four (4) objectives behind the tournament: to bring the various ethnic communities represented in our six Catholic chapels for unity, build youth leadership in organizing, planning, leading their own respective teams, to promote love for football as a game to enjoy and to celebrate JRS’ 30 years presence in Adjumani.

What touched my life?

1. I am touched with the eagerness of the whole community in the tournament. The youth and children are practicing from June, the youth leaders are training and fixing their teams for better performance, the parents and elders of the communities are so enthusiastic to come and cheer. The Dinka mothers carry the wooden crosses to bless the players while their young ones are on the field. The whole community enjoys the events even in the midst of heavy showers.
2. One Dinka young girl approached me and asked me, “Father, what is the greatest achievement of this football tournament?” Before I tried to respond, spontaneously she replied. “Father, our Dinka communities do not allow us as girls to play football but because the tournament was organized by the church and JRS, we are able to play. Now, we are liberated”. – Really the Power of Jesus is present among us… God is with us.
3. In one of the girls’ teams, there was a young one who had been abused and had a baby. She was so courageous to come out to play. She carried the baby to the grounds. When the baby cries, she will run to the line and feed her and run back to her position. – A courageous girl – If God is in our side who can be against us.
4. The players were provided with transport as they are from far.  After their games, they travelled by bus. As the bus approached their destination, the youth leader made an appeal, “We need to go to our chapel to pray and give thanks to God for this opportunity given to us by JRS”. – Gratitude is the hallmark Christian Life.
5. The most striking one- As I was repeatedly mentioning JRS’s celebration of 30 years in Adjumani in our communities and also connecting the football tournament with the celebrations, one youth approached me, “Father, what are you celebrating with such joy? That means that you are joyful for us been refugees for the past thirty years? “.I was struck.

“No, we are sad that you are refugees for past thirty years. We remember how JRS accompanied you for the past thirty years and we give thanks to God for helping us to accompany you throughout. But our hope and prayer is that you will return home as soon as possible and till then we will walk with you”.

Lord, may we not celebrate 31^st year of JRS in Adjumani as our refugee brothers and sisters will return home …. This is our prayer,

I wish to end with a Prayer attributed to Fr. Arrupe

Nothing is more practical than finding God than falling in love

In a quite absolute, final way.

What you are love with,

what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide what will get out of bed in the morning,

What you do in the evenings,

how you spend your weekends,

what you read, whom you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love and it will decide everything.