It was her!

As I unfolded myself from the van when we arrived at our destination, thankful for that bumpy ride to end, my heart and mind were still being stirred by the school we had visited earlier. It was literally four classrooms, like a strip mall in the middle of nowhere, filled to overflowing with high school children eager and ready to learn. There was a mixture of concrete and dirt on the floor, chairs, but not enough to go around, and a dilapidated chalkboard at the front. The teacher who greeted us seemed tired, but grateful for our efforts because he left as soon as we arrived. On this day, we began with explosive worship led by a teen boy from the class. I wish I could share that time with you in a tangible way. God was present.

Next, it was my turn to teach the lesson, which today was about goal setting. As I prayed and wrestled with how God would have me present this idea, I was overcome by His love for them. Like any proud father, I felt His smile as He thought about these kids. The truth is, making it this far in school is sheer tenacity, both for student and teacher. A lesson on goals would be beneficial, but the bottom line in my heart was…You have to have grit to get this far in school.

I looked over each face, noticing children wrapped around each other, like strands of a friendship bracelet. Physical and emotional proximity was literal power. These, a tight knit band of brothers and sisters. Together they had arrived to this day, together they would see one another move forward. A desire to do better than their parents, if they had any, to move out of poverty, and simply, to succeed, was palpable. These kids showed up, and together were a force to be reckoned with. My heart literally burst for them.

One stood out though, she sat directly in front of me, arm draped over the shoulders of her brother next to her, cool as a cucumber, and fierce as a lion. This girl had been through fire and was living to tell about it. Nothing was going to stop her from achieving her dreams. As I poured out my heart to them, my eyes continued to lock with hers, and I know that God’s heart was being translated deep into something she could hold onto. Hope has that power. It is an anchor for our soul. Fluff and platitudes won’t make a dent in a crowd like this, and one must be armed with the full truth of what matters. On this day, God wanted each and every one of those kids to know that they were on the earth for a reason, not for their own gain, not just to find a job or a spouse, but for the future of mankind. Just like Paul we declared together “I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this, however I do have one compelling focus, I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart on the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory prize, through the anointing of Jesus….and let us all advance together to reach this victory prize, following one path with one passion.” Philippians 3:13-15.

It is my greatest honor to be able to share the truth of the gospel with these beauties. I long for revival to come to the children of Uganda, and for the nation to be changed so fundamentally and truthfully, that history would be re-written for all of time.

It was a beautiful time together and God stirred many hearts with the truth of not belonging to ourselves, but to the one who created us. “We have become His poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny He has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the anointed one. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it.” Ephesians 2:10 Truly, I know they will.

So, as I was walking along, pondering all of the events of the morning in my heart, I heard someone calling my name. To my surprise, when I turned around, I saw HER! That strong young woman who had captured some part of my heart in the little high school classroom we taught at earlier was coming toward me. She knew my name. The yearning I had for her to make it out alive, to thrive, to lead and to catch hold of her Beloved was overpowering. As she drew near me, I was overcome with gratitude to the Lord. You see, I had prayed for a time to talk with her one on one, because I knew the Lord  wanted to encourage her personally. We had to leave the school before I had a chance.

What she did next shocked me. She pulled me close, looked deep into my eyes, and said “thank you.” She told me how much what I shared impacted her and how deeply she appreciated it. I knew she really just saw the Father’s heart for her, and was gripped by how much He loved her, but I was so grateful for another chance to interact with her, miles away from the school we had taught at earlier. I told her some things I had longed to share with her personally as well and I was profoundly aware of how good and faithful our Father is. He literally brought her to me and answered my prayer! Who can imagine His goodness? I admit a few tears escaped my eyes as I realized how divine this connection was, and I was humbled as we walked, her arm now draped over my shoulders, drawing me into her friendship bracelet too.

This is why I have agreed to go across the ocean, because He has fashioned my heart in the shape of Kampala, Uganda in this season, and there are children who need to hear the message of their worth and security in the hands of the true and living God. The future depends on it. His grace to do what He has asked me to do is here, and those who love Him, well… they simply obey Him. It is obedience born of a surrendered life to love. Thank you for joining me, and remember, we get to do this together! Thank you because, you give me the “brave” in my heart.