Final thoughts on the 2012 trip...

I know it has been awhile since I last posted and promised my final thoughts. I apologize for the delay. Upon arrival home both Kysia and I became ill. Seems we brought a little visitor from Africa home with us. The first week back was a blur for both of us, but Kysia had to go to the ER. All is much better now, but last week was crazy. So.... We are back. The trip was incredible and hard and blessed and tough and amazing and draining and eye opening. We saw God work in the midst of darkness. The enemy tried to distract us, but God always prevails. It is hard for me to describe each trip. I cannot talk about my time in Uganda like it was a vacation. While we do get to do some fun things, our time is to serve with the local hosts. I have become very comfortable there after six trips. I miss my home here in the U.S., but I feel very at home in Uganda. I know that God has called me and my family to go and serve and be available to serve in Uganda. Each trip is always a blur, but I remember I mentioned in a earlier post that each trip, for me, is about faces and names and people I meet. So my final post for 2012 is a reflection on that.... Pastor Edward and his wife Julie and son Isaiah... I cannot tell you how blessed my family and I have been by this divine connection. None of us had any idea where this relationship would take us in 2007. Edward has become my brother and he is an amazing man of faith. I see him serve his people with love and mercy and grace. He inspires me. He is a true inspiration to me. Has a smile that lights up the room and a heart that does the same. Sam Mdune... Works with the bishops office of the East African Methodist conference and is the consummate host. Sam is quick to make sure you are doing ok and to help in anything he can. He is always sharing a laugh and I have grown to love this man. His heart of service is a beautiful thing. Heart of gold. Doctor Moses.... He was our driver in the north in 2007 while he was still in medical school. We anointed him our team doctor then and he has become like family to us all. Quick with a joke. Always looking to serve. He mentors and disciples the local doctors he brings to our clinics. You can see his concern for the people. Even on this trip I am still greeted by him with a hug and our famous quote..."Munu. give me a sweet. You have no choice." Bishop Daniel Wandabula.... He is a big and powerful man who loves the people in his conference and is quick to laugh and joke. How he goes to work each day and faithfully serves the people of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Southern Sudan is truly God driven. Great man. Astra... The 85 year old grandmother I assisted in Gulu from the doctors to the prayer room to the pharmacy. We could not understand each other, but when I called her my grandmother she quickly smiled and laughed and beamed. I held her hand and walked slowly with her around the clinic. I thought of my grandmothers and was warmed in my heart. Calling her grandmother was a way for me to show her respect and dignity and love. She is not a forgotten person. The 88 year old man in the Gulu clinic that had worked as a police officer for the Queen of England... He looked much younger and spoke English and was just an amazing man to spend time with. He was funny in that when I told him he looked good he said "I don't feel good for an old man" and laughed. The policeman that watched over the clinic in the village of Lucero in the south... Kysia told me about having to ride on the bus with him to the village (I was not there on the first day) with his AK-47 hanging next to her. She was scared. He came into the prayer room and somehow asked for and ended up with Kysia's bible. God gave her boldness and she asked him if he read English (he could) and if he had children at home (he did). Kysia told him that if she gave him her bible then they would not have one in the prayer room for the rest of the day. If she gave it to him he had to promise to read it himself and to his children. He said he would. The next day he came to the prayer room and asked to pray for salvation, so Kysia and Arena prayed with him. Kysia was able to encourage Ben (local youth pastor) to pray for the leaders and police in their country. They have so much power and potential for corruption and goodness. It was a wonderful display of God's power overcoming human fear to witness the grace of God to a seeking soul. Powerful story. Innocent... A young man in the village of Koch Chorom in Gulu district. He sings in the choir at the Methodist church. I have seen him most years we have been to Koch Chorom. Last year he asked me where my son was who came with us in 2010. Innocent is smart and quick to smile and trade. He got me to give him my Not A Fan bracelet and gave me a bracelet that he made. It did not fit. I found out later he also got a bracelet off another team member. I like Innocent. He reminds me of me at his age actually. I took a picture of us together and I will be sending to him. Mondi.... I love my friend Mondi. He is very quiet. Mondi lives in Jinja with his wife and children. He has worked with us since 2007 and helps with the house builds. Mondi was a Muslim who came to Christ at Edward's church and is now on the church board. He is always quick to assist and help when we shop to make sure we all get a good deal. Mondi also drives a boda boda for income. We learned that when you are not the boss man (owner of the boda boda) you don't have much power. The daily rental fee is high and is owned no matter how much you earn plus you pay for your own gas and minor repairs. Mondi had a dream last year to be The boss man and own His own boda boda. Well through God and a relationship developed through some of our teammates Mondi is now the boss man! He is the proud owner of his own boda boda and will be able to keep more income daily to care for his family. I have been praying for a year for this and thought I had a plan; it turns out God had a different idea in mind. Mondi makes great jokes and his heart is so good. I love to see him in church praising God. He is a great man. The three small siblings who came to the prayer room in Lucero and asked Kyisa to pray with them as they wanted to begin a personal relationship with Christ.... We are not real sure of their story. Maybe the three of them were all the family they had. We do not know how they heard the gospel. All Kysia knows is these children came to pray for salvation. How amazing and cool is that? To be a part of God's plan of salvation for three small children in a village in southern Uganda? Sometimes there is nothing to do but be faithful and serve. What an amazing experience for my wife! The choir at the church in Kampala made up of Rwandan refugees....we stopped here on our way to the airport to leave as Traci had worked with the ladies in this church. They were simply amazing. The best choir I have ever heard in Africa. Ever. Their voices were beautiful. I truthfully was ready to be to the airport and start the long flight home. I was tired and not feeling well and selfish, but man am I glad we stopped. I only wish I had a CD of them. Powerful! Viola Mutsei..... Our sponsored child from CYORF who loves in the village of Kikubo. She is beautiful and has deep violet blue eyes. Very shy and quiet. Each time I have seen her she is smiling and hanging in the back of the crowd. Kysia and I got to see her at the school and spend some time with her. She talks so soft it is hard to hear her. We also got to see her in her home environment with friends. So much fun to see her in the element as well. Kariel writes letters back and forth with her and cannot wait to visit Viola one day soon. I saw her in 2010 and fell in love. It is also so hard to leave the school in Kikubo and the kids. Kysia told me that as we were leaving the school on Friday (out last visit) she saw Viola from the car and she was crying. Melts my heart even now. I am glad I did not see it then because I was have been wrecked. Sponsorship is amazing. It make a huge impact on the life of the child and the family unit they may stay with. Check it out at www.helpendlocalpoverty.com. Follow the sponsorship links and all the kids from Uganda are cared for by Pastor Edward. I cannot wait to get back and hug little Viola again! Beautiful girl with a beautiful spirit. So much more to share, but my time is done. I encourage you to talk to someone you know from the trip and ask them to share. They have stories and people and God moments that I know nothing about. And they are all amazing. I want to thank you all for following our trip and my random thoughts. Thank goodness my wife is a great editor and collaborator or you would have to read my bad grammar! It is always a blessing to share each trip with family, friends, supporters, and fellow travels on the journey of faith. Than you for your prayers as well. The team could not do it without your prayers. The enemy wants nothing better than to distract us and make us ineffective. Your prayers blessed us to be a blessing. God bless and see you next year! Chris and Kysia