I thank you all for standing with me during my time in Uganda. I have been praying for you all, praising God for your presence in my life and praying for many blessings to come to you. I pray that this finds you well.
Time is such a funny thing; some days I feel like I just got here, and others Minneapolis feels like a home from a different life time. But, the fact is, I am over half way through my year here in Mbale. That baffles me! So much has happened in that time. I have done things I never would have had I stayed in my comfort zone in Minnesota. I have learned so much from the Lord during this time, and through these new experiences. I have grappled with what identity means, seen that change is constant in life but that God is with you and stays the same, and have a different perspective on what things are big and what are small in life. I don’t worry about germs or getting sick so much, I have more self-confidence, and new friends that I wouldn’t have known before. I’ve seen God is powerful and truly hears our prayers, and He is for all people knowing Him deeply. I praise God for my time here and thank Him for more time learning and growing, with the hope of seeking Him each day for strength and motivation. I’ve been desiring increased intentionality in my time here, so that my objectives are met, while being open to the fact that God usually brings unexpected and wonderful things into our lives. I praise God that staff have told me that I have been a blessing, and reminded me that often we as individuals don’t see what good we are doing on our own.
This month a big reminder that I’ve had is that in ministry, my motivation has to be worshipping the Lord and love for Him, not based on my love for a place or a people or how “good” I am. I am a person, filled with flaws, and this place has become normal to me, so many of the things that were so exciting at first have become daily life. Don't misunderstand me, I still love Uganda so much, but I am seeing that that can’t be what drives me. At church a few weeks ago, the pastor was repeating how at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That is what I want! I pray that more people here would come to know Him, and that I would be a faithful vessel for Him. I want Him to be glorified and honored during my time and work here, and seek Him more than myself.
This month, I’ve really felt my circle of people here expanding. And I praise God for that! I still get lonely at times, but not like last month. I think through the loneliness, God was challenging me: who or what do I run to? I can be an external processor (if you know me well or have lived with me, you know that ;)) and generally go to a good friend when I need to talk about something, and just get everything out. But I’ve been challenged, why don’t I go to God first? He is a far better listener any way, and loves me completely and desires good for me. This month, I’ve so loved talking to neighbors (I shifted back to my “home” with the Soita’s after staying at MMM guesthouse for the summer), boda boda drivers, people on my walk home from work, strangers on taxis and community members. Thank you for praying for me and my loneliness! I know that I’m not alone. Through these new connections, I’ve had refreshing conversations about Mission: Moving Mountains and our work, and reignited passion for wholistic development and the transformative work that Jesus does in our lives; when people come to know Him, they can’t remain the same because He is worthy of more.
I have worked with the youth in MMM’s youth program a lot this month, because the students are on holiday from school. I have loved it! One of our projects, in Busiu, is new to work with the youth program, and it has been neat to be there “from the start.” I’ve been moved and challenged by these young people’s hunger for knowledge, and have seen how knowledge is power and a joy in learning. There are so many bright youth in the program, and I am excited to see what is to come in their future, and how the Lord will use them. I have also began visiting with Kukhu (grandma) Jenepher in Busiu, who is a former staff of M:MM. She is elderly and lives with her daughter and has a lot of needs-she is blind and very weak. I look forward to getting to know the family, hearing her story, and sharing knowledge with her family about how to care well for her. I have oriented the MMM staff on the family planning lesson, and have loved sharing knowledge and empowering the staff. I think that is what I’m drawn to most-empowerment. Whatever the future holds, that is a part of it.
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| These are some of my wonderful neighbors. It has been a joy to be around children, and Ive been blessed by talking with their parents. Many of my neighbors are Muslims, and some other people that I’ve gotten to know this month. I am praying that I would have a good relationship with them, and that they would come to trust in Jesus as their Lord, and not just as a prophet, as they believe now. |
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| These are some of the original community members that M:MM worked with, and their “spiritual generations”-people they discipled and instructed in what they were learning from M:MM. A main goal of M:MM is for individuals to reach their potential, have sustainability in their lives, and share the knowledge they’ve received. Knowledge is seen as such a blessing, and so the intent is for the effect to ripple out. There is a common saying here, “don’t let the animal die in your hands.” This picture was taken at a meeting where we staff provided a training on a tool from the Navigators, that is about having a balance in our lives of the Word, prayer, fellowship and evangelism. The hope is that these members will grow in their relationships with the Lord and witness to those around them. I praise God for these members’ faithfulness to Him! |
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| This is the youth group in Busiu. We have taught on some development lessons, with role plays. One was about fishing-someone sees a person carrying fish and asks the person to give her fish. The fisherman asks if she would rather get fish or learn to fish. This goes with the saying, “if you give someone a fish they’ll eat for a day, but if you teach someone to fish, they’ll eat for a lifetime.” A principle I’ve seen play out in the teachings is self-discovery. MMM does not just tell someone “it is better to learn for yourself” but asks guided questions so people come to the realization them selves. Lessons learned stick better that way, and there is more ownership and empowerment of a new topic. |
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| This month, we did a lesson on balanced diet in our newer project, Bukhalu. I wrote the lesson, and oriented the staff, and they trained, as there was not a language barrier for them. Often in communities, families eat the same thing all the time-posho-which is pretty tasteless and a starch, kind of like cornbread. In our training, we highlighted the main food groups, their importance for our bodies, and local and available foods to create a balanced diet. Through the training, members saw how they can create a balanced diet based on what they already have or grow-posho, beans and greens for energy, protein and protection (vitmains) and saw the importance of this balance in their daily lives. |
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