First things first, I want to give a shoutout to my boy Austin Barton, who recently had a motorcycle accident. Tough break man (no pun intended). Hope your foot heals soon brother!
As I write this blog, on of my last mind you, it is August 2. This means I have but 26 days left before I return to the United States of America. But for the time being, I am in Rukungiri, Uganda- a small town with about 14,000 people. Granted I come from a town of a mere 463 people, so I reckon it’s all relative.
But here in Rukungiri, we have been placed with two American hosts, both of whom are familiar with Adventures in Missions and have hosted World Race Teams in the past. They also seem to understand the mentality of being a Racer in month 11, where home is so close you can almost touch it.
Also their work in this area is truly amazing. These two (whose names are Amanda and Collin) are very impressive. They started a non-profit called Unified in Missions when they were 23 and 22 respectively, and in just 4 years have created dozens of jobs and multiple businesses in this town. They have earned the respect of the community and have big plans for the future. All of this they have done with little to no business/economic expertise. It just goes to show what God can do in one’s life when he has an open heart.
On top of that, we have go-karts to ride, volleyball to play, killer meals to consume, movies to watch, people to meet, Bible-studies to lead, motorcycles (here called Boda bodas) to wash, rural villages in which we are invited to dine with the residents, and banana bread! We love this ministry. Plus there’s no mosquitoes! For those of you who don’t know the mosquitoes were horrible in Rwanda last month. A normal night for me typically included waking up from about 2-3 AM and killing about 30-40 mosquitoes, who had magically found, as if possessed by Houdini himself, a way into my mosquito net. My mosquito net once white, is now about 40% crimson. I’m going to burn it.
But I digress. We love this ministry. It is as if God wants us to end the Race on a high note. As if He has given us a gift. My prayer is that I cherish this gift, not taking it for granted, and make the most out of each of the 26 days that remain on this journey.
Continued prayers for me and my team this month. Peace and love,
-Matt
