Faith leaders launch MercyFast, to continue until bill passes Senate

March 5th, 2010 by michael in: Campaign Watch

As the round-the-clock effort in Oklahoma City to convince Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma to allow the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass the Senate continues, a group of faith leaders today issued an invitation to supporters across the country to fast in solidarity.

Since the first of March, these passionate women of faith have been on a liquids-only fast, and they intend to continue until Senator Coburn accepts a compromise and allows the bill to pass. Earlier today, Bethany Haley - one of the fasters, and a founder of eXile international - officially invited people all across the country to join the MercyFast during a press conference in Oklahoma City.

Resolve Uganda Communications Director Lisa Dougan was interviewed live on a local Oklahoma news station today about the campaign and the MercyFast:



The leaders of the fast hope that the measure will help draw attention to the gravity of LRA atrocities against children and families. You can sign up to join if you feel called to do so.

The MercyFast leaders write, "For Gloria, Norbert, Barbara, Norman, Scovia, Fida, Dennis and the more than 30,000 children who have been abducted by the LRA, we ask you, Senator Coburn, to have mercy. We will be fasting and praying for God to soften your heart, and find a way."

Bethany, who is a psychologist, recently returned from Congo and Uganda where she conducted trauma counseling for former LRA abductees. “The stories are so horrific it feels like its not real. Like it’s just impossible for these things to be happening. Then to realize they've been happening for 23 years is simply unacceptable. How can we say 'never again' and watch the LRA continue to mutilate, abduct, and torture these children? To force them to cut off the body parts of their family members, and bite flesh from their own brothers? How?"

Individuals who feel called to join the fast can do so fully - to consume liquids only - or partially, by fasting only during the day. Please be sure to visit the website for more information and to email info@exileinternational.org if you intend to join, so that you can be connected to other fasters and ensure you are fully informed of how to do so as safely as possible.