Another Uganda Story

Well, I've been back for several days now and have been meaning to post a few stories here ever since my return. I'm sorry I haven't gotten to it until now. Jet lag + 24-hour flu = slow blogging.

We were able to see the final installation of the well that so many of you helped to pay for. On the day we were there, the installers put in the pump mechanism after testing the depth and volume of the well. (There will be a strong supply of water for a long, long time.)

This location is just outside of the main settlement of the village of Makoomi. As part of our ministry here on this day, we also provided an HIV and health clinic. We were also guided to the current source of water for the village. We went for a 10 minute walk, further away from the village and found a capped off artisian spring with a cistern. While we were there the water was flowing steadily.

There were 2 boys filling their jerry cans with water for their home. They stepped into the murky cistern and let the water from the pipe flow into their cans. (I should say the little one did, while the older one looked on.) We followed the boys part way back to their house and carried their filled cans for them (right on Rico and Jordan). It was on this journey that our missionary revealed the full benefit of this well installation to me.

We were there at the beginning of the dry season. The pastor of the church at Makoomi shared that as the dry season goes on, the spring will get continually less productive. Eventually the water will trickle out of the pipe and a couple of things will happen. 1 can will take up to 30 minutes to fill. The villagers will line up to fill their cans. In their society, the older people will get preference over the younger and so children sent by their parents may spend several hours waiting to fill water for their home. Many children and adults alike will give up on this process and journey down to the marsh to fill their cans with swamp water (another 15 minute walk beyond the point of the spring). It is during this time that many families go without necessary water. They use less and less to drink, reserving their precious water for food preparation. dehydration leads to illness and further complications.

It is from this spring that the school operated at the church receives its water. And with just the spring to supply water to the village, church, and school, one ministry vision for the area had been put on hold. An orphanage: Homes of Hope.

This village is near a handful of other villages and the school and orphanage here would rescue many children from death, illness, and a hopeless future. Not only has the provision of a constant clean water source on the campus of this ministry provided a village of a few thousand with reliable drinking water and better health, it has opened the door for the orphan home to be built, rescuing children from death, neglect, and abuse.

In Uganda, water changes things. I think Jesus knew that when He talked about himself as living water. Jesus changes things... Well, He mostly changes people.

Thanks to so many of you who are the missionaries who provided this well through prayer, financial support, encouragement, help, and in 1000 other ways. God did it through you. And His name is honored.

1 Story from Ugandan HIV Clinic

At our HIV/AIDS clinic yesterday (Monday in Uganda), a little girl came to the clinic late in the afternoon. She was with her jahjah (grandmother). She was obviously unwell. We rushed her to the front of the line with a fever of 104. Her ears, for the brief moment that she would let them be seen looked terribly inflamed. She seemed to have a soar throat.

The head nurse gave her ibuprofen and put her in a basin with water. Her fever came down a couple of degrees and she calmed down. But she was still not out of the danger zone. As we were finishing up with the last 20 patients, the girl went into convulsions from the fever and the missionaries immediately took her with a nurse to a nearby clinic. Her bills were paid and the grandmother eventually agreed to take her. Amazingly the grandmother was resistant even though she had seen the convulsions.

Our missionary explained that the girl was in the care of the clan and treated as a servant because her parents were dead. Since the clan (primarily the jahjah) was caring for her, she was considered indebted to them. These children are often worse off than those in orphanages.

Later that evening we got word from the clinic that the child was on IV antibiotics, sleeping well and would be there for three days. Her diagnosis was complicated Malaria and the physician reported that without the strong antibiotics the girl would not have lived another 24 hours.

If that clinic had not been paid for by so many donors... If 7 comfortable Americans had not left their creature comforts to see the clinic provided... If a group of missionaries did not have the long-term commitment to serve this country, and having on-going relationships with local medical professionals... If not for all that and your prayers... Uganda would be minus 1 very beautiful little girl, who could one day make all the difference for this country.

This is just 1 story. Just 1. When I am home, I will give you some more.

Happy Brithday Rhonda from Kampala Uganda

Hello Love,

Happy Birthday.

My love for you grows with each year we spend as husband and wife. Being connected to you and cherishing all that we share (including the gloden years that are not so far out there anymore) is my favorite part of life on earth.

Thank you again for all the help you gave me in preparation for this trip and supporting my calling in all the ways you do. You are making a huge sacrifice to run our family, home, and lives without me for these 16 days. I'm not amazed that you can do it, becuase I learned long ago that there is nearly nothing that you cannot do when you choose to. But you are amazing.

Hug Merritt for me and rasberry his neck. Hold Mason for me. Sing to Molly for me.

6-24 Finally in Africa

Well, we've been in Uganda for about 5 hours now. And for the most part my body is staging a full revolt against the sleep deprivation it has experienced during the nearly 30 hours devoted to travel. Not to mention that the night before our departure I slept only 1 hour. Because of my 1 hour night, I was able to sleep well on the first flight and reasonably well on the second.

Enough of that.

A very strange and thrilling moment took place as our plane made its final decent into Uganda. I had the weepie (I'm gonna blame that mostly on the jet lag) emotional kind of feeling of thrilling satisfaction that what I first had as a vision 5 years ago is now my reality. 5 years ago I listened to Rick Warren talk about his own journey toward a personal commitment to Africa, poverty, and AIDS. He gave a challenge to all the pastors present to personally visit Africa and see if God would allow us to leave without a commitment to make a difference.

Well, I didn't have to visit to know that God wanted me to make a difference. My heart was a flame within me as he spoke and I rose my hand in commitment to go to Africa. I came home and told Rhonda that it needed to happen. And we both kind of said, "....OK..."

Every time the idea of a missions trip crossed my mind I would research missionaries and missions organizations that I could possibly partner with in order to fulfill the commitment that I felt inspired by God to make that day. And time after time, the objectives of the missionaries or organizations were not aligned with what God had put on my heart.

Then one of my friends, Annie Phipps, shared with me some of the things she had experienced in Uganda with World Outreach Ministry Foundation. And I began to research that. I finally made contact with the founder of the organization, had dinner with Ron DeVore and the trip got in the planning phase. And then I felt relieved. That's all, just relieved. I felt like the obligation of fulfilling my commitment was finally in motion and my sense of failure was being lifted. Relieved.
Well, today it was not relief. It was overwhelming anticipation to be a part of God's mighty movement to love forgotten people who face the biggest challenges on our planet: the challenge to live without clean water, the challenge to defeat HIV when your culture and education do not help you to do so, the challenge to create a positive future for a country filled with orphans, the challenge to see God in any of it.

While I am exhausted and have nearly fallen out of a chair, dozed off in a public shopping area, and dropped my head in my plate of dinner, I have only excitement about being with God in His mission.

I'll give you updates as I can on twitter, facebook and here when I get a chance. But I will not have much internet access for the next few days.

Uganda is beautiful. Lush and green tropical beauty. Cleaner than nearly any country in the same economic situation. AND since we are nearly AT the equator our days will be 12 hours long as will be our nights. And tomorrow I will get to stand on the equator, experiment with water swirling in opposite directions on either side, and loose about 5 pounds just for standing directly on the equator. But let me say, Ugandans are beautiful people with great features and deeply meaningful smiles.

Thanks for your prayers. Continue to pray. Tomorrow we will begin our work with orphans, then 2 days of medical clinic to follow. Then worship and ministry on Sunday and the clinic and well installation on Monday. That's the plan so far.

Getting Ready for Uganda

I will soon begin packing for my missionary journey to Uganda. If I haven't fully informed you all about my journey, here is the thumbnail. Felt called to Africa 5 years ago or so. Connected to World Outreach Ministry Fellowship through friend Annie Phipps last year. Confirmed with God that now is the time. Presented opportunity to congregation. Team of 7 going to build a clean water source, provide HIV/AIDS clinic, improve orphanage, participate in local gospel outreach.

Well it is exacly 1 week until our departure. I have been trying to keep my prayers forcussed on the trip, the objectives, the team and my connection to God.

As I was praying with the team yesterday afternoon, thoughts about motive for going on the trip invaded my mind and heart. Going to provide water can just be philanthropy. (Not a bad thing!) Going to build an orphanage can just be a church thing (Not necessary terrible!) Going to relieve my guilt over being a materialistic American IS a terrible thing. Going to be one of those cool world-travelling, social action people IS a terrible thing. Going because I don't want my life to get too comfortable just doing my own little thing and staying focused on what serves my agenda here in my comfortable circle of influence is good, but not good enough because I am ultimately the focus of that too.

There seems to me to only be 1 really good reason to go. And I have to admit that while administrating the trip preparations, raising the funds for the projects and helping individuals finish their travelling budgets with additional fund raising, trying to lead the team, making sure I have all my shots, getting my phone and credit card open for use in a foreign country, preparing things for home and church in my absence, continuing with my obligations, and on and on, has created sufficient distractions for me. Sufficient to make this a human task more than a spiritual one.

There is only one reason for me to go to Uganda. Because I love Jesus! I love Him. He rocks!

I'm going to Uganda because I love Him and that would not translate into a trip to Uganda UNLESS He had told me to go.

So whatever I do, however I appear to others, whatever happen in my absence, I'm gonna be with Him, and give my all to honor Him in Uganda. And when I come home, I'm gonna have to do that in Hanford too.