The image stuck with Rachel and was in many ways the spark of her desire to be a missionary, and when they got married, both Rachel and Rich felt a strong call to live a missionary life.
When Bishop Odoki said he wanted them to come and serve for a month-long "trial run," the choice was obvious. The couple sold everything and went to Arua in the spring of 2017 with the Family Missions Company.
"There are no words to describe the intense human suffering that we saw among the refugees," Rachel told CNA Feb. 22.
"It was unlike anything we've ever seen, unlike slum poverty. Never have we seen such a vast amount of people living in such poor conditions," she continued.
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South Sudan has been split by a brutal civil war for the past three-and-a-half years. The conflict has so far prompted some 4 million citizens to flee the country in search of peace, food and work. In August 2017, shortly before Rachel and Rich traveled to Uganda, the African nation had taken in their one-millionth refugee, and the number has continued to climb.
Roughly 85 percent of the refugee settlements Rachel and Rich served are made up of women and children, they said, and while many humanitarian organizations on the ground try to help meet basic needs, "the overall need is absolutely overwhelming."
They specifically visited the Palorinya refugee settlement in Uganda's Moyo region, which is the second biggest camp in northern Uganda and as of November 2017 housed some 185,000 refugees, according to Reuters.
While in Arua, Rachel and Rich were able to tour the diocese and participate in the centenary celebration of Moyo Catholic parish, which is the first parish of the diocese of Arua. They also spent time visiting orphans, schoolchildren and youth in prison, and distributed both gifts and donations.
"[We] just loved on the kids," Rachel said, and recalled what she said is one of her favorite memories of the trip. As they were visiting a school, Rachel and Rich entered one classroom and the children immediately began singing: "The Lord is calling you. You are welcome to lead us all into His kingdom."
The song "touched our hearts deeply," she said, explaining that throughout the entire month "we experienced the joy of the Gospel in a fresh and new way. The faith of the people is vibrant; God is their treasure."
While the basic needs of those living in the camps are many, Rachel said that spiritually speaking, "the greatest need we found was the need to be heard."
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"Pope Francis speaks about a ministry of listening, and this concept came alive for us while we were in the refugee camps," she said, explaining that when they eventually return to Uganda, they plan to help with spiritual formation, since general catechesis and sacramental preparation are often lacking.
"The people are hungry for more than just food; they truly are hungry for God," she said.
As the month drew to a close, Rachel said she, her husband and Bishop Odoki all experienced an "overwhelming confirmation" that God was inviting the couple to serve there as full time lay missionaries and live as spiritual parents to the many children and orphans in need.
So while they already see Uganda as their new home, Rachel and Rich headed back to the United States to get things in order. But the story doesn't end there.
Just three days after returning to the U.S., Rich got a phone call from a lawyer who helps facilitate private adoption, saying a woman had selected him and Rachel to adopt her baby.
"The phone call came out of left field, when we least expected it! Truly, it was wild," Rachel said.