In the three days that we spent there, we had several experiences that i know would make great blogs. Unfortunately, i feel like if i tried to put them into words i wouldn't do justice to just how amazing the experiences have been.
one example that rocked my world was on the way from Kampala to Kumi. every so often, our bus would pull over in a village with market stalls and locals would sprint to the bus trying to sell water, meat, bananas, and candy to my fellow missionaries on the bus. I remember a young girl standing in the back with a look of suffering and pain on her face. I just looked at her face and wondered what she had been through in her life...and i wondered if she had encountered the love of God. She glanced at me, i smiled and reached out my hand to her through the bus window. The suffering on her face was replaced with a huge smile, she reached out and took my hand...and we just held hands, we didn't even say anything because I don’t know Ateso. I don't even know her name, how old she was, or anything about her but this girl changed my life...it was an encounter with the love of god, for both of us.
"beloved, let us love one another, for love is from god, and whoever loves has been born of god and knows god. anyone who does not love does not know god, because god is love." 1 John 7-8
We ate a snack at Okot’s house after he accepted Christ, and he started describing the last 20 years of his life...and how the rebels were fighting to take over uganda, especially in Kumi. one of the things that he explained was how the "soldiers" would kidnap children and then force them to kill the remainder of their family...and at times they would force the children to cut the bodies up. He described the hell that the people endured during this time but ended his description with something like, "but we praise god for answering our prayers and ending this suffering."
He is blind because of the gun powder that was poured into his eyes and he lost his sight forever. really? through all the suffering, death and despair he ends by praising Jesus. truly amazing.
i wish i could describe the pure joy and happiness of the people as they worship the lord and as they cry out to Jesus. The suffering they have endured is nothing compared to what i could even imagine yet they are so joyous and want nothing more than Jesus. They have truly given their lives to serve Jesus, it's an inspiration.
Please continue to pray for our Team as we find means of reaching other people beyond Kumi who are in the same situation like Okot. Pray that our hearts continue to break for the people we find on missions, pray that we have real encounters with Jesus, pray that everything that we do is to glorify Jesus, pray for safety and health and most of all pray for blessings for the African people!!!
I love you all.
Phiona. T. ACF Uganda
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