I recently returned from a mission trip to Eastern Uganda. There were 5 of us in country, but many more people contributing with donations, through prayer, and by helping us get ready. Additionally, we all had family and friends help us get ready, get to the airport, pick us up, and keep things running at home while we were away. My deep thanks to each and every one of you.

There is so much to share from that trip. I will do my best to do it justice. We were gone for a total of 13 days, 10 of them in Uganda. We based ourselves out of Soroti and ventured to the sites daily from our hotel.

Prior to leaving, our church had funded building homes for the pastors. The money preceded our arrival so people could start building right away instead waiting for us.

Our original intent was to get in on the action and help build: we brought work pants, gloves, etc. I never even put on my gloves, much less raise a hammer. It turned out to be a blessing. You make the best plans you can and then God steps in, changes them, and makes something far better happen. Almost like He knows what He’s doing. Below is one of the homes pretty far along in the build process.

There are at least two good reasons it was better for all parties that we did not actually “help” build. First, we would only have slowed down and impeded progress for the real workers. They were young, fit, experienced, acclimated to the heat, and had obviously done this before. Second, the time we spent slowing down home construction would have reduced the time we had for fellowship and the other ministries.

It’s common now for businesses, life coaches, and others to say go with your strengths. We contributed far more by sharing the love of Jesus than we ever would have been at home building. The trip was not about fueling our precious little egos to say we physically helped build the houses. The trip was about sharing the love of Jesus, which we did by:

• Blessing pastors homes,
• Having fellowship with people. We blessed their homes and then we sat down and had fellowship by eating their food, with them, in their village. I was completely unprepared for how important that was to the people we met; how good such a simple act made them feel, and how appreciative they were for us to be there. Countless times we heard the phrase “thank you for loving us.” It was, and still is, truly humbling.
• Engaging in children’s ministries at schools,
• Attending a church service in Soroti with our host pastor and his congregation (such an amazing experience), and
• Having a one-day marriage conference celebrating the pastors and their wives (monogamous, for those who don’t know the area and are afraid to ask).

I had no idea what to expect before going. I was eager to embrace the experience to the fullest extent possible. Some highlights:

• Without knowing how it would manifest, I knew I would come back much richer in spirit than I was before I left. Mission accomplished. Results far exceeded anything I could have imagined.
• The host pastor, Pastor Joseph, assured me I would be able to meet Gloria, the girl, now a teenager, whom Kerrie and I have been sponsoring for the past few years. Prior to going on this trip, I expected never to have the opportunity to meet her. Meeting Gloria was the highlight of the trip for me. How rare must it be for a sponsor and sponsored person to ever meet? What an absolute blessing.
• We had a little side trip to the headwaters of the Nile river. For me, that was very exciting. I’ve now been to the headwaters of both the world’s longest river (Nile) and the world’s third-longest river (Mississippi). Very different. Both amazing. I’ve since been able to repay the favor by bringing Pastor Joseph to the Mississippi headwaters.
• Generally, I’m a slow-to-warm person. I have some of the best friends a person could ask for, but each of those bonds was formed selectively, and over time. Coming away from this trip I have a few new friends and have started what I hope grow into great friendships. I did not anticipate forming any lasting relationships when I left. What an unexpected and fantastic blessing.
• We went to 9 pastor’s homes, 2 schools, a church service, one dinner at the host pastor’s home, and one event there. I wish I could find the words to fully impart to anyone who may actually read this blog how much love, warmth, and openness we received from the people we met. In each and every place we went people were warm, wonderful, and thanked us for loving them. My wish is that everyone has at least one experience in their life where they receive that much love.

Here’s me meeting Gloria:

One thing to know about me is I believe every culture has something valuable to share. The people I met on this trip in Uganda are content and downright joyful despite the fact that some of them live in the most challenging of circumstances. By challenging, I mean:

• No running water, and in the most extreme cases a long hike is required to even access unclean water
• No electricity
• Housing: a dirt floor, no water, no electricity, and a straw roof that lasts 3-5 years at the very longest. The 3-5 years is only if storms or termites don’t destroy it before then.

While I would describe some of the people I met as economically disadvantaged to a depth I was previously incapable of comprehending, I cannot bring myself to use the word “poor”. The people I encountered, interacted with, and with whom I was fortunate enough to have fellowship are very rich in spirit, warmth, attitude, and the love of Jesus.

The love of Jesus simply emanates from their very core. I think I do a good job appreciating what I have. After this trip, I realize, I too, can be guilty of not fully appreciating my good fortune. So, I will refrain from the hypocrisy of pointing a finger at anyone. I anticipate seeing the people I met in Uganda again when we are all in Heaven and am waiting with great anticipation to see how richly the Father rewards them.

In a nutshell, that was my trip. Feel free to ask me any questions if you see me. I thoroughly enjoy talking about this experience. Sharing it again helps me slow the memories from fading. Below are some more pictures from the trip.