Uganda!!!

This may be not very well done… but I wanted to give a short update to let everyone know how it is going. I have been here for such a short time but in all of this time, we have seen and experienced so much. Everything has been a whirlwind, because of the many opportunities to serve in the villages where we have roamed. So far, we have begun building relationships with all the wonderful Ugandans who Show Mercy serves. They have infiltrated every part of the surrounding villages with the gospel, with discipleship, with love, and with fellowship. I have been to schools, to churches, to the prison, to the farm, and to many more places. I have held many hands, hugged many necks, and prayed A LOT. But more on that on a few.

The beautiful overall temperament of Ugandans where we are located saturates the day, genuine interest and gentle and calm demeanors are in abundance and I love it. There seems to be peace in the atmosphere for a lack of a better way to describe it. I am in Kampala today, which I imagined to be like Nairobi just based on sheer size, but I would say it is nothing like that. I understand this difference of course,  but it still makes me pause. I am looking forward to exploring the slums at some point, but haven’t ventured there as of yet.

All of our efforts have been based in the villages which are about 4000 feet above sea level. The weather is spectacular, the jungle atmosphere vibrant and the red clay makes all that pop like magic. No picture that I have taken really touches the beauty I am surrounded by. Banana, mango, pineapple, jackfruit, avocado, passion fruit trees, to name a few, are in abundance as well as many other growing things. The flora and fauna.. dazzling.

The schools in the villages are quite open to the gospel, but there is much work to do in this area. We sing a lot, I preach and teach and pray, pray, pray. Then we carry on to the jajas or elderly. We sit in there one room mud huts, and we talk and share life for hours. There is wisdom to be gained from these souls, and there is love to share, to pour out. I imagine sitting all alone all day in the dark, and the joy visitors must bring. I prayed for Lazarus, an elderly stroke victim, and now he can move his arm and is not using his walking stick!!! Glory!!! Then there was the man who wanted to talk theology, the law, the truth, and it challenged me. I am learning that there is such a need for relationship with the Father and ways to invite people into a new way connecting with their maker, and I want to know the Father so much more each and every second…. I am crying out, as I hunger and thirst. There is only one path, and it is the path of intimacy and union with Him. So I am confronted with God’s goodness as I stumble along because He makes up for my lack.

The prison guys are also quite encouraging, with a lot of Amina (amen) and clapping at what I share. Again, so much prayer and listening.The justice system here is of course different, and I believe that God has plans in this area.

We feed orphans and hungry ones, we clothe them and comfort them, and in general, we are just doing life with the ones we are with so I am glad. There is a sense that relationships matter and that there is a give and take between the Ugandans and ourselves. It is a win win situation.

I wish this was better written and that I could do a better job for this but I hope you get a sense of some things going on here. It is quite a task to get anything done internet wise, so my blog may be a bust. Regardless, thank you for praying for me, and for being with me each step of the way. I can feel it.  I love you all.