Okay, so it’s 3pm in the land that most of my stuff is. It is 11pm where my body resides and my heart is currently caught up in what God is doing. And since I have been trying to sleep for the past hour and it is not working I thought I would give up and get up and spend some time pondering aloud about what is going on here. Less of a report of daily events and more of rambling thoughts about the goodness of God. So here goes.
Sunday the Buloba church was proudly displaying their new speakers and amp set up (thanks Brian) but the generator wasn’t sufficient to power it continually so it cut off- protect mode. So we bought them a new generator. Got to deliver it today. They were so excited they took it out and started it up. With nothing to hook it up to. Then they wanted to hook up the set up but the gas ran out… they will work on it tomorrow and be ready on Friday when we all say goodbye. And what is great is the Jesus Film guy- Jonathan picked out this particular generator so it could power the sound system as well as lights for the church building when the lights get up. Buloba Community Church is on the move up! And they can use the system to show films in town or to do what they call crusades down in town to preach. Such simple stuff that has been previously unattainable. And they give glory to God for the gifts because they know that HE is answering prayers!
I cannot explain to you how proud I am of this team. I wish I could express to you their excitement today about being able to share Christ during Door to door today. They were sharing all the way from Buloba home about what went on and the stories they had. Unfortunately I sit in the front of the van and could only hear about a third of what they were saying. I am going to give them homework to turn in stories I can post next week. : )
And I am so proud of them as they hauled water from the
protected well…the run off well.
They all hauled it up the ¾ mile trip with little complaint. (Especially Lauren who had Pastor Isaac
helping her…and she thought she could be tricky! : ) I know that Jordan just took off up the hill with the can on
his head and didn’t look back.
Morgan had a few more issues with the leaking can all over her. But little UPS Moses walked all the way
with her. About a third of the way up the trek Morgan stopped, grabbed her wet tshirt and said "I am SO sorry you have to do this every day." He didn’t understand so we had to
explain that she was proud of him being able to haul water every day and sorry
that she he had to do it. It was such a picture to me of the understanding we gain and the way we find fellowship with these people. The blessing that we have to step briefly into their lives and experience a little of what they go through. And it was a picture to me of Morgan's heart for the Ugandan people. I saw it repeatedly in each team member at many points in time.
I learned a new phrase- You can do it! But I have since forgotten…I didn’t write it down! These people are servants. And they love the kids. Playing with them all the time, reading with them, drawing on the chalkboard to practice words, learning new things from them. I have been blessed to see them in action.
And it has been great to have time this trip to just sit and talk with people. I went with Patrick downtown (away from main street) to a woman’s home that we visited last summer but she wasn’t there= she is in the hospital due to a mental issue. While over there we asked if I could have the car tag off her car. They said yes, for a price. So that was a fun detour. After I got back to the church I got to spend some time with Sister Anna- she is the cook for the church/school/sponsor program and Alice- the aunt of Merci. They asked a lot of questions about home and if I knew how to do certain things or how things worked back home. They laughed a lot when I told them I did indeed know how to “dig.” Because they think most Americans don’t. I told them there are probably quite a few who don’t but girls down South raised in the country like myself do! And to spend more time with Pastor Eva and Isaac and to get to know Brother Godfrey (the lead worker for the child sponsorship who was himself once a sponsored child with Compassion). A-mazing.
And I haven’t shared about Joseph down the street- the day we went door to door across the swamp we were requested to stop and pray for a lady in a home. Her grandson also needed prayer. He looked to be about 3 and was deaf and lame in both arms and feet- it looked like he was born mentally and physically handicapped at birth. He could barely crawl and just sat and drooled. But he had this funny sort of smile on his face. As I prayed I asked the Father “what do I pray? What is YOUR will? Will you set him free or will you teach his family to love him as he IS?” We all prayed and Pastor Eva said that they should bring him to prayer services at the church. Have I mentioned they have prayer service every other Friday night from 9 till about 4am? They are SERIOUS about reaching their community!
To see and hear people almost daily coming to know Christ is just overwhelming to my heart. To hear Amanda say with a smirk today “I got four.” Then for her to continue by saying “Four out of five people I visited today prayed to receive Christ.” Wow. I told her it was easy focheesy for her now so she better get on it when she gets home! : ) It is so sweet to hear that people are trusting their lives to Christ and His saving power!
And this morning little Resty- one of my sponsor kids (whom I realized Sunday has been at Buloba since my FIRST visit) brought me a gift- a handwoven mat by her grandmother. She was so proud to present it to me. And as the morning went on she was laying around on a bench outside and right before lunch they found me to tell me she had a fever and was laying down in Simon’s house. She was just so still and pitiful. And the ONE day I did not bring the first aid kit! (you past teams will understand how severe that is that I FORGOT the first aid kit….my right hand!) But I found some Tylenol in my bag and gave her a half of one- I figured it wouldn’t do too much liver damage. In an hour and half or so she was getting back to her spunky self. I think all the walking the past 2 days with us shoved her over the edge. The kids would walk with us until their legs fall off I think!
And as I travel through Uganda I pray and ask the Lord what HIS plan for me in all this is… I love coming here and my heart breaks to leave and when I am not here. But I feel so out of sorts when I am here…a white person trying to help. Bringing in her Jesus to “fix” people. But then in Buloba I walk with Eva and hear her heart for the people to know Him. And I hear Pastor Isaac talk about God’s word to people and it delights my heart. And I look down the road and see how things are ending for me in one way and I wonder where they are leading. I desire to know so soon, but God continues to say “Be Available. Give it to me. Just say ‘Yes’ to the possibilities.” And I have to simply say yes. When it pains my heart to say I cannot. I know HE can. When it hurts to say I must finish things I love I know that there are other things coming that will be perfect in HIS time. Does this mean I am moving to Uganda? I don’t know. I just know I have to say that right now I am not saying No to the idea if it is His plan.
I know my heart will hurt Friday because I know that I will not be coming in the fall with the team. I will miss my friends. I will miss my kids. I will miss this place my heart loves- because I see Jesus in the people here. I have seen what His power through His people can do. Both those in the states and the ones here. The prayers and gifts of those in the states have enabled his people to do the work here. And it has been amazing, life changing work. And it will continue.
To God be the honor and praise. And I am thankful to Him beyond words because I have been a small part of it. I have been able to be witness to it. And I cannot wait to return to see what God has done in a year. And to see my friends and family here in Uganda. It is overwhelming to think of the God sized possibilities and those who will be part of the kingdom because of Buloba Community Church trusting in his Saving power and Truth. I don’t know how to spell it but the word is “neanziza nnyo” I am grateful.
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