Reflections

It has been two weeks since I have returned from Uganda. I have been reading the blogs from Team Two and following Team Three. I wanted to take an opportunity to share some thoughts about Uganda and this trip.

I’ve held a child with AIDS,
Waded in the Nile
Gained a daughter
Saw God’s glory in His creation
I’ve wept with my friends,
Rejoiced with strangers
Saw children raising children
Received an African name
I saw a village ravaged by disease
Children playing around the graves of their parents
A family who lost everything due to a fire
Utter despair
I watched people celebrate the birth of twin goats
People give weeks of work as a gift
People marvel at their first taste of peanut butter and jelly
Most of all - I’ve seen hope, one family at a time,

One of the special times that we shared as a team was devotions. Gene and I took turns leading them but everyone contributed. We would read scripture and then ask questions of the group. We generated some great discussion.

One of the questions was – what do we do when we go home? What do we take with us from Africa?

There were some great answers but one that stuck with me was one that Renata shared. It was an analogy of the river that flowed out of the temple in Ezekiel 47. The river was God’s healing water. It brought life to everything it touched. We are to be sponges and soak up the blessings that flow. We are to take these blessings back with us and become a reed and let those blessings flow out to others.

I used this thought as the message for our church (First Baptist) last Sunday. Yes Mom – your son was a preacher for one Sunday. Actually, it was a team effort with Debbie and Taylor. We got asked Wednesday night and put everything together by Sunday.

One of the things I did while going to all the villages in Uganda was take a lot of notes and ask a lot of questions. I am hoping (with God’s help) that I will have an opportunity to present these needs to the community of Liberal. I would like to see if the Ministerial Alliance in our community would take up one (or more of these projects).

Here is the list that God has laid upon my heart.

Busia - Water Wells

Fort Portal - Computer Lab for Torro High School
Fort Portal - Medicine and Food for HIV students (17)
Fort Portal - New Dormitory
Fort Portal - Church (Fort Portal Christian Centre)

Kamwengee - School Supplies and Teaching Materials
Kamwengee - Batteries for Solar Panels and/or Generator
Kamwengee - Buildings for school
Kamwengee - Medicine for the treatment of Elephantitis

Medical Clinic (Shared by Fort Portal and Kamwengee)
Doctor (5 yrs @ $6000/yr)
Nurse (2 yrs @ $3000/yr)
Counselor (1yr @ $1000)

ALL - SUPPORT FOR MORE FAMILIES

I realize that this may be unrealistic to think that ALL these projects can be done but not to have such a list would be trying to limit what God can do. I have asked Idah and Ben to put together preliminary budgets for these projects so that I can have some ROUGH numbers of what the cost would be.

The easiest goal is the last one - $64 a month for three years. Think about it – not much of a sacrifice and you would be giving hope to an entire family