My Reflections on WFTW Uganda 2012

During my mission trip in Uganda, I frequently felt overwhelmingly and humbly grateful that God had allowed me to participate in this chance to serve these precious people.  I felt the need to fall down before Him in grateful, humble thanksgiving.  That feeling often brought me to tears.  I first felt this way when I found out I was going to get to go on this trip.  I still feel this way, weeks later.  I see faces in my mind’s eye and enjoy looking at photographs; so many memories. 

 

I wrote the stories of those who wished to share them.  Some stories and pictures can be seen here on our blog. I can’t get the stories out of my mind.  I kept remembering that the giraffe represents standing tall in adversity.  That is a description of these dear people.  I learned what it means to teach them to help themselves and others.  Our In-Country Partners and volunteers learned disability ministry so they could work with us and teach other churches and families.  People were delighted to learn.  Many people in northern Uganda have disabilities due to polio, malaria, and the LRA.  

As I continue to reflect on what I saw and participated in, I am receiving more wisdom and understanding.  My 18 other teammates were all such loving, Christ-centered people.  God taught me from each one of them.  It is no coincidence that we were a team.  I reflect on chance encounters at the airport, on the plane, even in line at a public restroom!  God gave me many of these divine moments that I treasure.  I have tears of gratitude that He lets me be a part of His plan.  

I danced and sang with a little girl who has Down’s.  I could not get her to say anything but her name.  Her name was so beautiful that I danced and sang her name.  Suddenly she got up and danced with me, also singing her name in the sweetest voice imaginable.  God gave her that beautiful name; I could feel His delight.  I met a lady named Winnie who talked with me and then put her head on my shoulder as someone took our picture.  I came to serve and show love: I was served and love was lavished onto me. 

Now that I am home I frequently feel like I don’t belong here.  I should be there.  It is strange.  My Doctor, who has done mission trips, calls this the “mountaintop experience.”  She says it feels good to be a part of but hard to come down from. I still feel such a closeness and unity with my team.  Reflection has made me realize that what I have learned from this trip will help me with the Sudan trip I hope to take.  I now know better how to pack, and I can better maneuver airports, security, and customs.  I am able to look into the face of suffering, see the cross of Christ, and help carry it.  Frequently I can bring a smile and laughter.  The country of Uganda is so beautiful.  I fell in love with the red dirt roads, the gardens, and the homemade bricks; unfortunately I was unable to take one home!  I fell in love with these beautiful people who are so friendly and welcoming.  My desire to return is very strong.  

God gave me the greatest spur-of-the-moment opportunity to sing and dance with a precious bunch of children in the middle of a red dirt road in Uganda.  I got to hold babies and see the powerful love of a mother who tirelessly tried to help her child.  I received thank-yous with tears from people who were overwhelmed to receive a Bible.  I saw the hopeless look in a young girl’s eyes despite the fact that she had just received a wheelchair and had recommitted her life to Christ.  She desperately wished to go to school so she could have a job.  The minister who was speaking to her was going to make arrangements for this.  I told her I would be praying for her.  This is when her facial expression changed; she made eye contact, smiled, and thanked me.  Her name is Rosemary, and I still pray for her.  A young woman who sat next to me at the Uganda Airport, asked me to keep helping the people of Northern Uganda as there is much loss of limbs due to the LRA.  She asked me to pray for the young people who need education and forgiveness.  Her parents taught her younger sister forgiveness after she had been kidnapped and raped by the LRA.  This young woman is now a Doctor.  As I continue to reflect, I see that God has put prayer requests before me.  So many stories are etched in my heart.  My telling these stories to others will encourage them to pray also.  

I enjoyed doing story-telling sessions with the Primary Classes at the Kampala School for the Physically Handicapped.  I loved the way the children helped one another.  Every day we were reminded to “Be Flexible.”  This was easy for me as I do this every day at work!  It was interesting to see how different “African time” is; no hurry, no worry, calmness prevailed.  

These people know how to pray and to worship.  It was so humbling for me to join them for Sunday Services.  Scripture teachings that we received came to life as we served.  1 Samuel 2:8  He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor; for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He set the world on them.  This Scripture still brings me to tears because I saw people who have crawled in the dust for many years, lifted up to be seated in a wheelchair.  God used us to fulfill His promise.  God used every single hand that had a part in preparing and sending each wheelchair on this journey.  God showed His provision time and time again.  Each team prayed over the disabled person and family whom we were about to serve, asking for wisdom and provision in finding just what this person needed.  We prayed again after they had received and been fittedfor the wheelchair, walker, crutches, or cane they needed.  We thanked God for this person, their family, God’s provision, and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  176 people made commitments to Jesus Christ!

I am a widow, and I was able to connect with so many of the women who also are alone.  It appears common for the husband of a disabled woman to leave both her and their children.  As I reflect on these things I am mindful of something I just read by Amy Carmichael:  “A year of great battle; now as we look forward we see great stones and many of them.  Who shall roll away the stone?  The angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.  We shall see the angel of the Lord sitting upon many a stone during the coming year.”  The battle is the Lord’s.  We are in it with Him.  Thank You Lord for including me in Your plan.  As I reflect,  I think about the life I live between the dashes (the dates on my tombstone.)  I don’t want to waste my life.  I am numbering my days so I can make the best use of them for God’s Kingdom.  All glory and praise is to Him!