This month in Uganda we’ve done all kinds of ministry. So far I've been a teacher in a school, a preacher at a church, and prison, and visited people in their homes and in the hospital.
Here’s a look at some of the things we’ve done and will continue to do this last week we are here.
Teaching School
For four days, we traveled out to a small four-room school in the bush of Uganda that our pastor is the director of. It’s a school for 4-9ish year olds. I say ish because there’s no telling their ages or even the number of kids there were. None of them spoke English and we didn’t have translators so we were left to teach these kids. Let me just say we had to get creative!
We sang songs and played lots of games. There was one day I was with 100 4-5 year olds and was running out of things to do with them.
So I taught them the sign language alphabet and taught some of them how to spell their names with it.
Hospital visits
Every Saturday afternoon we go to the local hospital. We go from ward to ward to pray for and encourage the patients. There are no separate rooms for the patients but one big room and beds lined up every few feet. The rooms are crowded, noisy, offer no privacy, and sanitation is certainly not the top priority. Nurses and doctors are few compared to the number of patients so the families of the patients mostly take care of them. Patients without families are in a poor situation because they receive little care even if though they’re in a hospital.
Preaching in Prison
Every Sunday afternoon we walk 2 kilometers to the town’s prison and give a message to 30-40 men there. They all received Bibles and soap while we were there. We’ve been able to pray for them and encourage them.
Preaching in church
Every Sunday morning we go to Pastor Thomas’ church. We worship, dance, and pray with them. One of us shares a message with the congregation every Sunday.
Going door-to-door
This has been much of my life for the last three months and this month is no exception. This looks like us going out in groups of 3 or 4 (church members and translators often join us) and walking from house to house and talking to anyone we pass on the street. Our message? The good news of Jesus Christ.
We get to know the people a little bit, about their family, what they do for a living, if they go to church, etc. If they are saved then we pray for them, encourage them with some verses, and continue on. If they don’t know Christ personally, we share the Gospel with them. I’ve been surprised to come across a few people who say they’ve never even heard of Jesus and even more surprised that some wanted to accept Him right then and there! We’ve seen God work in amazing ways as He’s softened people’s hearts to accept Him.
Sharing the Gospel with a woman we passed on the road
Sharing the Gospel with a Muslim women outside her home
The A-Team with the schoolkids that we taught behind us
