I have wanted to go to Uganda for a long time. I can’t really explain why, but everything I have heard about the country has broken my heart. From the reports of child soldiers made well known by the organization Invisible Children to a story on the prevalence of the abduction and sacrifice of children by witch doctors all over the country, I knew that I had to get here. It didn’t work out for me to spend all of my time in Uganda this year. On my original World Race route, I wasn’t even supposed to visit Uganda. But God had other plans. That route got too full and some of us were asked to switch. When I saw that Uganda was on this route, I knew I needed to go.
Fast forward to Month 8: Kenya. We got to find and pick our ministry for the next month: Uganda. We prayed for the type of ministry God wanted our team to work with, and he said to me, “Go to the most broken places and shine my light. I have been preparing you for this month for a very long time. Fight for the things I have given you a passion for. Follow me above all else. I will show you where to go when the time is right.” When asked what my ideal ministry would be, I said that I would love to work with rescued child soldiers. I’m not sure why I said that. I had never really thought about it until that moment. The sentence just kind of popped out of my mouth. We couldn’t find anything like that, so we decided on a orphanage in southern Uganda.
Fast forward to debrief at the end of the month: I had been gone for a week because some parents, including my mom, had come out to the field to do ministry with us for a week. I found out that our ministry had fallen through and, in the process of finding a new one, my team had heard about an organization that works with rescued child soldiers. BUT they were only accepting teams for at least three months.
My heart broke. I gave up on the idea, and resolved to be ok with the ministry outside of Kampala that my team had picked.
But Jesus wasn’t so easily dissuaded. He kept bringing it up, leaving me with the undeniable feeling that, no matter what it took, I HAD to get to Northern Uganda. I prayed and prayed and it wouldn’t go away. Everything I read in the Bible pointed me back to this passion the Lord had given me. I just happened to be reading Hebrews, and in Hebrews 3:7-8 and 15 and 4:7, it says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in rebellion, during the time in the desert.”
At this point, it was 2 days until we left for Uganda. So, I talked to Seth, thinking I would immediately be shot down because it was so last minute (literally, I had 2 pages of notes and scripture references to back up my idea), and was immediately supported. A headache and a half later for the wonderful squad leaders, my team and another team are in Lira, Northern Uganda. We’re not working with child soldiers (all of those potential contacts didn’t work out), but we are here, and it’s right where the Lord wants us. I don’t know exactly why at this point, but I know it is right.
The point is this: the Lord gave me this passion and heart for northern Uganda and child soldiers for a reason. Regardless of whether or not that specific passion is fulfilled, He used it to get us here. As of yet, I don’t know why, but we’re here. And I know that if, in spite of all odds and all of the trouble it took, the Lord brought us here, He’s going to show up, and He’s going to do big things.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- the bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1-3
