On Sunday night, 27th June 2010, thieves entered the Youth With A Mission training centre in Arua, northern Uganda, and stole approximately $27,000 USD and a laptop computer. Early Monday morning, one of their YWAM staff went to the office and discovered the door to the accounting office was open, and the locked cabinet where the money was kept had been broken into.

The police investigation has begun, but so far there are no concrete leads.

“What in the world were they doing with that much cash?” you may be wondering. Good question!

God gave YWAM Arua the vision as a base to be a bridge of healing to the nations of southern Sudan, northeastern DR Congo and Central African Republic…all places that have seen years of war and insecurity, and desperately need to know that God loves them very much. YWAM Arua partners with Yei base in southern Sudan, a place where civil war raged for more than 40 years until 2004 when they signed a temporary peace agreement between the north and the south.

Due to the instability of war, there were no post offices, mobile phones or banks in Yei until the last year or two. So the YWAM team in Arua have been helping the YWAM team in Yei by handling their mail, assisting with their communications, and administrating their finances. They have also been coordinating the YWAM building projects taking place in Yei.

As a result of the years of civil war, the education system in southern Sudan suffered tremendously. In 2005, the YWAM team felt led to address this need, and opened a pre-school for the village children. It was so welcomed by the community that the team decided to begin a primary school as well. Since January this year, construction of the primary school has been going on.

Which is why so much cash was at the base in Arua…the vast majority of that $27,000 was designated to put a roof on a classroom block in the primary school for grades 1-3, as well as one of the staff houses. The money had just been withdrawn and was about to be sent to Yei.

A portion of the stolen money was the school fees paid by the Discipleship Training School students in Arua. This loss would be discouraging for any new student, but it seems even more challenging for this special DTS, which has four deaf students. The new DTS were just settling into the YWAM centre and had completed their first week of lectures. They are left feeling worried and insecure.

YWAM Arua staff have never experienced such a challenging situation, and have found it to be very traumatic, but they report they are trusting God to accomplish His plans in both Arua and Yei. Long-term staff member Vikki Wright says, “Although we have been struck down by this theft and the ripple effect of consequences, we have not been destroyed (2Cor 4:9). We believe the Lord will answer us in our distress, and send us help from His sanctuary. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Ps 20:1,2,7).”

YWAM Arua asks for prayers that the thieves would be identified, and that the team would see healing from the trauma of this event on their lives.

If you would like to give a donation to the YWAM base in Arua towards this loss, please click the donate button.