Our last day in Namulanda we had a meeting with the leaders of the church, including Pastor Alex and his wife, the church treasurer, and various leaders who are a huge part in the church. They wanted our suggestions of how to influence continual growth within their church after our leaving. During our month in Uganda, these men more than twice our age saw us as powerful, having an opinion that would influence growth in their church. None of us have ever been pastors or have had experience in church planning, but we have had access to something they haven’t. The American church. Simply based on them looking to us for advice, I thought they were crazy. After thinking into it more, my attitude changed, and I became greatly humbled by this. We absolutely did not want to transform this church into an American cookie cutter design, but we have been blessed with resources that until now I had taken for granted in life. For the majority of my life I habitually attended church and grudgingly received encouraging Christian books from people along the way. I knew what was “right� and was a “good� person, but that’s all my Christianity was based on. Throughout college I sporadically took part in Bible studies and discipleship, and even though they greatly impacted my life, I never realized they were a privilege God had blessed me with to grow in my relationship with Him. In the past nine months we have had the opportunity to witness ministries around the world that are thriving while others are struggling to survive. Regardless of my disengaged and unappreciative past with the gospel, to the eyes of these men, I have resources that will help their church flourish.
I recently read Radical Together, by David Platt. In one of the chapters he addressed the accessibility of the gospel in America, and I can relate to some of it firsthand. “ I have heard about Jesus’ death on the cross practically since the day I was born. I am overwhelmed whenever I think about where I would be without the gospel. And I am humbled when I consider that I had nothing to do with where I was born. The only reason I have heard the gospel of God is because of the grace of God.� He continues with introducing statistics of people groups in the world who have not yet heard the gospel and that they too had nothing to do with where they were born. Meanwhile, we have people in America who have taken hearing the Gospel for granted their entire lives (like myself). There are people in Namulanda, Uganda hungering to have a copy of the Word of God in their hands as well as other parts of the world, while there are people in America with numerous copies collecting dust on their bookshelves, or are reading the Word, but keeping it to themselves.
The explanation for this problem is simple in my eyes . . I have received mercy from God to hear His Word so I can in turn share it with someone else. I can’t say I know what this looks like for myself even, and it will look different for everyone I think. By all means I am not pointing fingers at America like we are the bad guys. I am merely relaying my experiences and how God has opened my eyes to a new way of living out what I believe. I would like to challenge you to pray into what this looks like for your life. Have you been taking your American resources for granted as I have done in the past? If so, what are they and how can you use them to benefit others around the world, or even right where you are?
Our time in Uganda ended on a great note and I am so proud of these men and women of God whom we had the month to work alongside. I am greatly encouraged by their love for the Lord and his children, and I believe God used our team to encourage them as well. Continue to pray for the awesome things God is doing in this place!
Check back to hear about Tanzania!
