Oh how I wish I had the gumption to sit down and write out the details of my time in Uganda to give you a better picture of what my day to day looked like. I don't. And in all reality, I'm not sure you'd want every detail of every day. (and if you do, let's just go out to coffee :) My time there was very sweet. I hadn't really sat down and reflected on it much until today as I met with a dear friend. Through her questions, I was able to process and see things much differently.
The first thing that hit me today was that God ordained every moment... each interaction, each breath, each tiny moment of eye contact as I cruised by on the back of a boda. He ordained the joyful reunions and laughter, and the heart-wrenching tears as goodbyes were said. He walked with me every step of the journey, just as He does every moment of every day here.
It's always so validating and humbling to be greeted with so much love and enthusiasm... The big hugs, the tears of joy, the feel of someone relaxing into your hug, relieved that you're finally there. Unconditional love and the feeling of being wanted and needed... just what every woman desires. And if I'm being completely honest, that's how most women find their identity... in how they're loved, wanted, and needed. There were times when I felt like royalty because of the way I was being treated. It was easy to start thinking that my worth was based on how I was being treated... because in those moments it was SO good. But then, what would happen if I wasn't as warmly welcomed by someone? (not that that happened.) Would how I view myself diminish somehow? And the answer was YES. That's a scary reality, but it's not uncommon and it's so easy to slip into.
The exciting thing is that God was in each of those moments reminding me of where my identity lies... "Beloved, I love you. No matter what. My love has no end, no conditions. It doesn't depend on the number of sweet reunions or how many people love you. It doesn't depend on how frizzy your hair is today. You are mine and I Am more than enough. I love you." Over and over again, God told me and showed me that He loves me. Who I am in Christ is who I am... that's my identity. Looking back and looking ahead, it's so refreshing to know that God is my All in All.
Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the two weeks was spending time with the youth at the Center. I had kids from 3 or 4 different countries, both Muslim and Christian, all new to the program. Many of them had just arrived in Uganda. Their English levels were extremely low, but with God's help, communication wasn't really an issue. We spent time learning English, playing games, and doing a Bible lesson each day. By Wednesday their participation in the games was extremely low. Finally, one of the older boys communicated to me that they just wanted to learn... they didn't care so much about the games. Really?! Awesome! So I adjusted, and I taught. There was much laughter even in the lessons because they included a lot of me drawing... which isn't really helpful to anyone. They also took turns drawing. My favorite was reading the creation story from Genesis, knowing that they didn't understand most of the words coming out of my mouth, and yet seeing understanding come to them as I fumbled through drawing. We made it through the story of the fall by the end of the week... but it was an amazing end as the Lord prompted that the emphasis be on the fact that He still pursued Adam and Eve after they had sinned. Praise be to God.
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| Silly games |
It was also amazing to learn a little bit of each of their stories about where they had come from and what brought them to Uganda. Many of them are carrying the weight of the world on their young shoulders. War, disease, death, hopelessness, anger. The Center of Hope is indeed just that: a place of hope. I'm so thankful for the ministries provided and that it truly serves an an oasis to refugees without hope. It's incredible to see how it has grown over the last 3 years. When I left, there were probably under 100 students. Now, they are bursting at the seams with over 600. It's so evident that Kingdom work is being done there... God is at the center and He is moving in ways that I don't think any of us could have imagined.
My African family is as sweet as ever. To be called and introduced as "my daughter" by two of the women is so humbling. I cherished my time with the family... even though it wasn't as long I as I would have liked. Relationships are very much intact and growing. It's always so cool to me that time doesn't matter to God. In the grand scheme of things, I've spent very little time with my African family, but that doesn't seem to matter one bit. The amount of love present is evidence of that.
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| Mom and Dad A |
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| My sweet sisters |
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| Just from school... so proud!! |
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| Mama V |
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| My dear friend, Suadi :) |
I'm SO thankful for the time I was allowed to be in there. Each time I leave it seems like I leave more of my heart behind. I don't mourn for those missing pieces... I rejoice, very grateful and privileged to have so many places (and people) to call home.
There's much more to share and God continues to reveal more of Himself as I sift through the days in my memory. Please join me in praying for the work and the workers at the Center. Pray for the refugees. Pray for my African family. Pray for the work and ministries here and my family here in the U.S.. Thank you all for the love and support.
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