sorry i’m not sorry for this blog title.
thoughts from 1/3/17:
travel days are a mixture of utter excitement and total exhaustion. after nights of sleeping in airports, days of trying to make the most of layovers, and about 24 hours spent in and out of sleep on multiple airplanes, the exhaustion part was winning out over the excitement. i was in a state of sleepy confusion when we landed in uganda, but the second the wheels of our plane touched down i heard the Lord say one word to me: “promise.”
i’ve shared with many people how uganda has been a place near and dear to my heart since i was 14 years old. it’s been a dream of mine to go, to know the people, to see and to taste and to touch this country. and the moment i landed here the Lord fulfilled a promise spoken to my 8th grade heart. and i saw yet again that my Father is a promise maker, a promise keeper, a God who turns dreams to realities.
we landed at 4 am and were greeted by Pastor Charles, who waited patiently for us while we got sim cards for our team phones and said our goodbyes to the rest of the squad. we loaded his van and were on our way to our new home outside kampala. that was yesterday morning, and many of the hours in this country so far have been spent sleeping or wishing i was sleeping (i told you, the exhaustion was REAL). last night on my way to the squatty potty behind our house, i was struck with this thought: it smells like africa. and waves of nostalgia and memories from my time in africa came flooding back to me, and i remembered how beautiful this place is. how beautiful the people are – their smiles, their gentle but powerful voices, their slow pace (they walk even slower than i do, and i love them for it).
this morning after a cold shower and a warm breakfast, we sat in a circle with Pastor Charles and Pastor Fred, and we had an orientation. we discussed cultural norms and what expectations people have of westerners; we talked about logistical things, like flushing toilet paper and which buckets to use to wash our clothes; and we went over the schedule Charles had printed for us. he told us we would be evangelizing in different villages and playing with kids in the afternoon, “making an impact,” he said. when he got to sundays on the schedule it said “worship service.” and he said, “on this day we will be having fun together in the presence of God.” and that struck me. the simplicity of it. the innocence. and as i sat there mulling over that thought, i realized the truth of that statement… that the presence of God is the most fun place i’ve ever been. that’s where joy resides, where peace sits waiting to be experienced, where love runs wild, where truth is laid out like a feast. that’s where life is found, where salvation is received, where transformation begins and ends. and it’s even better when experienced together. that’s worship. simply enjoying the presence of our Father with our brothers and sisters. worship is the ultimate family reunion. and this reunion can happen all day every day. what a delight. what a promise.
promise.
this word. this place. this month. i came into this month with a heavy anticipation to join in a movement of the Spirit here in Uganda. i want to live my whole future like that…not just this month. i think the promises of the Lord are like presents laid out on our path, and He’s waiting with heavy anticipation for us to get there, so we can open them. so we can partake of His promises. i’m thankful for the gift of this place and for what it’s going to bring. i’m thankful for His promises revealed and those not yet seen. let’s walk in His promise.
