I can hardly believe it, but our first month is just about over and our time here in Uganda is coming to an end. I’m having a hard time finding the words to describe all of the emotions and thoughts that I’m processing through as we wrap up our stay here and move to Rwanda. Sad, excited, prepared, nervous, expectant, overwhelmed, and joyful are just a few. Our time in Uganda has been so sweet yet incredibly challenging all at once, but I’m so thankful for all of the things I’ve seen and experienced so far on this journey. Last week, my team of 5 had the opportunity to split away from our squad for 8 days to find ministry on our own and listen to God as He guided us to where He wanted us to go. We ended up at a hostel called Red Chilli, where we were blessed with supernatural provision and a restful place to lay our heads. We found a nearby hospital where we were able to serve, although at the end of the week it felt like they served us more than we served them. The people there were so generous and giving and welcoming, asking for us to lead their morning devotions and pray with them, teaching us to cook their local foods, and wanting to know when we will return because they will miss us so much. The hospital was a specialized fertility clinic where lots of women and families come to welcome a new baby or to get prenatal or infant care. In just one week, I was able to mourn and pray with a dear lady who was admitted to the hospital the day before to deliver a still-born baby, and a day later see a brand new life welcomed into the world after a young mother delivered her first child. The staff was so excited to take us into the room to show us the baby and asked if we could offer the mother any names for him. The only boy name that came to mind was my brother’s, Trent…so Trent – you may have a Ugandan baby boy named after you! One of my other favorite things about the week was the relationship we ended up developing with the hostel managers, a husband and wife named Anton and Katie. They were incredibly sweet to us and accommodating in everyway, and at the end of the week invited us to join them for a barbeque at their house. We got to experience a South African “bri”, which is lots of grilled meat and yummy foods to go along. I don’t think any of us have ever eaten so much food or enjoyed a meal more! It was such a wonderful way to end our time as a team before I headed back to our first debrief to meet up with the rest of the squad.
I was hesitant to share this next story, because I don’t want to complain or throw myself a pity-party, nor do I want to alarm anyone or have people think I am in very real danger. But I’ve chosen to share it because I want to tell you about the lessons I’ve learned through this experience and how I’ve seen God work despite difficult circumstances. I had my phone stolen out of my backpack as I was wearing it in the downtown market this past Sunday. I am partly to blame because I didn’t take the extra precautions to secure it, and wasn’t really thinking about the crowds of people pushing up against me as this was the first “downtown” experience I’ve had. Unfortunately I learned the hard way that security and discernment are very important concepts to operate under while traveling. The even bigger lesson that I learned, however, was forgiveness. I was very angry and upset instantly when I realized what had happened…I even chased the guy down for a bit when I’d noticed that he’d taken my phone…although I quickly lost him in the crowd. Almost immediately I felt bitterness and resentment creeping up inside me as I dealt with the reality that I had just been robbed while trying to figure out how I was going to tell my family and how I would communicate with people back home for the rest of this trip. I wanted to find the perpetrator and punch him, yell at him, demand the return of my phone. The rest of the way home I felt myself hating everyone around me, not wanting to make eye contact or say hello to passers-by as I normally would. I didn’t want to ride in a taxi with “these people”, I didn’t want them to call me “mzungu” one more time, I didn’t want to be looked at and targeted because my white skin designated me as different and “wealthy”. Needless to say, it was a long ride home. I had to ask God over and over again, “Please help me get over this, help me to move on, to accept the reality that an earthly possession that is easily replaceable was taken from me but that I’m safe and unharmed and I can still trust in You even when things go wrong”. I had a conversation with a teammate when we got back to camp that really helped me put the situation into a different perspective and brought me to the point where I could forgive the young man who stole my phone and even pray for him. She brought up the point that Jesus was beaten and bruised, spit on and rejected, called names and even denied by His closes friends, AND YET some of His final words on the cross were “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” What a beautiful example of forgiveness! How can I imagine that I have the “right” to be angry or bitter or hold back forgiveness from someone who, in all honestly, probably stole my phone out of necessity. I do not condone his actions or imagine that forgiving him means I think he should continue the habit of stealing, but a story that another teammate shared later helped give me even more perspective into this unpleasant situation. Her team got to work with a street program for boys, and she saw firsthand young children and men from the age of 7-18 living on the streets, scavenging for food from dumpsters, pick-pocketing people to have something to sell to get money for the other things they might need. My eyes were opened to the realization that this young man who took my phone may have been doing all that he knows how to do, all that he sees his peers doing and what is necessary for his survival. My heart broke to read her story and I found myself feeling guilty for ever having thoughts of hatred or bitterness toward someone who “knew not what he does”. Since then, I have been praying to see these people and any others who I meet along this journey through the eyes of Jesus, and to hold my earthly possessions with an open hand while I realize that they are only extra blessings and that all I really need is the love of my Savior and a clear line of communication with Him.
We leave early in the morning for Rwanda, and I would greatly appreciate your prayers for our safety and ease of travel. Because of the loss of my phone, I will have even more limited access to communication…but if you would like to reach me directly, please email me at [email protected]. You are all in my prayers and I hope each of you are seeing the love of our gracious Father in your lives daily! Be blessed, my people ?
