I can't wait for my next trip

I had the best experience while at ACF 2014 mission trip! The most important thing I learned while I was there was seeing the kids, many who had no shoes, clothes, or anything at all. These kids were running through hard gravel, through glass, and trash, with no shoes on or anything.

Falling in Love with the Kids.

Grace reading bible stories to children in Kabata village, Fortportal, Uganda.

At the refreshing shores of the crater lake. 

Enjoying Lake breeze.

Feed my children.

Grace in the pharmacy with Aunt Carol.

Some of the children that had no shoes. It was an honor for us to provide shoes for them.

But even though the kids have nothing, they were the happiest, most joyful people I have ever met. I realized that the material things will never truly fulfill us, but the love and joy of Jesus Christ is what will make us whole. I never knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to go to Uganda. I expected it to be a one time trip, a great experience, and a good memory. After going, there was no way this could ever be a one time thing. I fell in love with the country of Uganda, and the loving people there. I can't wait for my next trip, and future involvement with the country of Uganda! Grace

By God’s grace I will be back next year.

 “For every vision there is a provision.” I’ve heard that saying before; I think it was T.D. Jakes who said that. But it is the truth. I had a burning desire to go to Uganda with ACF this year 2014. How the money was going to come I had no idea. But God provided; that’s what matters.

 Brother Emeka doing what he is called to do.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this mission trip. All I knew was that I wanted a deeper relationship with God. For years now I’ve been reading my Bible daily and trying to pray every day. I really wanted to know the voice of God so that I would be able to do the right thing.

I didn’t worry much about what role I was going to play on this trip. As a musician, I already knew that I would do something involving music. So I brought my bass guitar along. I was thinking I would use it during the crusades, and then hand it over to someone in Uganda afterward. Outside of that, I had no plans coming into this trip.

The first thing that struck me as we left Entebbe Airport was the amount of dust flying everywhere. When we got to the hotel, we were cautioned about using the running water, so at one point I was a bit paranoid that I would get sick. I remember waking up the next day wanting to go home. That was when God checked me and told me that I was being selfish. I felt foolish; it was only a matter of adjusting to the environment so that the team could do God’s work effectively. I took my focus off the water and started to focus on the mission. From then on I was comfortable.

I noticed that the team put a lot of emphasis on the morning and evening devotions. Just about every morning and evening, before breakfast and after dinner, we would gather together, praise and worship God, share lessons and experiences, and pray. I see that was where the power was. It was our collective closet where we communed with God and each other, building each other and ourselves spiritually.

God truly is the Master Planner. In Kumi, I started a conversation with Bryan and David, ACF Uganda young adults. The conversation drifted into music and musical instruments. I told them that I play bass guitar. They told me that they were interested in playing bass guitar. So I said that I would give mine to them. The bass guitar now belongs to King Jesus Church.

Brian and Emeka just make a perfect combination in music.

Just like his father, Emeka is a down to earth young man and always ready to give a helping hand in everything.

The devil tried to mess up his ankle but he wasn't successful at all. Emeka is a true soldier of the Lord as he laughed off the situation.

The crusades were my favorite parts of the mission program because I played my bass guitar there as well as piano. I felt like I was playing a huge role ushering in the presence of God, which is primarily what worship leaders do.

I’ve seen that God really loves to show what He can do through our weaknesses and faults. I saw how He proved Himself to be sovereign when I hurt my left ankle in Fort Portal on the first day of medical missions. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk well on the second day. God turned that thought on its head. As I moved around, my ankle (which was taped up) got stronger. I ended up playing soccer with some children, mostly using that same foot that I had hurt.

The ultimate goal was to reach people with the Gospel and make disciples of them, as Jesus’s Great Commission goes. So I kept that in the back of my mind and prayed that I would make that my goal as well, not only for the trip, but for when I return. I began to think of my school, George Mason University. I am starting to see that is my mission field.

I thank God for giving me the desire and opportunity to enter the mission field. I have seen the heart of God in a way I have never seen before. I’ve seen some of the ways that He moves around. I am thankful for the people I have met and the relationships that I have built with them. This experience has helped me to focus more on my relationship with God and to search Him out all the more. By God’s grace I will be back next year.

They have impacted my life

I don't think I can narrow it down to just one experience, but I just love how much joy the people in Uganda have and it's not because of early possessions, it's because of God. We all can learn so much from the Ugandans. They have impacted my life and the way I live in so many ways. Every time I go, I leave a part of my heart there. I love how we go to make an impact on them but in reality, they make much more of an impact on us. 

Jessica chibueze the brain behind the Children sanitation project where she spearheaded the bathing, clothed and distributed supplies to over 140 children in Bukedea District during the ACF 2014 mission trip.

Bunmi carrying a child after giving her a bath during our sanitation project in Kametur village, Bukedea district, Uganda. She is one of the Young adults from ACF USA.

The kind of happiness exhibited by children after having a bath and hygiene supplies.

The type of shoes that they all received.

Woooooooooooooooopphhhhhhhh!!!

Our very own MaBinty Bangura of ACF USA Young adults giving one of the children a holy bath.

Some of the children and their gifts after having their baths.

Do we look smarter?

Grace [ACF USA Young Adult] embracing the children.

Set up.

Barber Shop section.

The joy.

The YAs team sorting the supplies. 

Juliet fell in love with Ugandan children.

The children just wanted to be loved and held. They didn't care who you were, your past or your struggles they loved unconditionally. I see why Jesus told us to be like children. "If you can change a life of one child you can change an entire generation." We will never forget this great memory. Jessica

THANK YOU JESUS

See, when they say God can do bigger than your wildest dreams...THEY WERE NOT LYING! I went to Uganda with the intention of bathing only 100 kids. I didn't even raise up up half of the money I needed to do this thing. I was bummed, discouraged, and beating myself up. We get to Uganda, AND WE BATHE A MINIMUM OF 136 kids. I said minimum! We lost count after 136 because some of the kids couldn't pronounce their names so they weren't written on our list! The best footage I've ever taken in my life. Please bear with me, the full video our trip is coming soon!

#ACFUgandaMissions2014 I owe ever single young person that came to Uganda this year MY LIFE! Shout out to God because He did it! We were just vessels that He used! — feeling blessed.

Had a great mission experience

I went to to a different district last year with the High School and Young Adults Group for missions, and that trip was definitely a life-changing and humbling experience. But these ACF-Mission trips have changed my life even more, and molded me to become more of a disciple of Christ. Although I’ve known for awhile the majesty of God’s sovereignty, it somehow still never ceases to amaze me. What a trip it has been, and what a blessing it is to be here! God is good!

The day after we arrived, we immediately started fulfilling our goal for the trip: to evangelize to the lost souls of Uganda. Immediately, God started working on our hearts. Immediately, God started to bring us more and more out of our comfort zone. Talking to complete strangers about the Gospel of Jesus Christ was more of an ambition than an actual practice. Although personally, I’ve had experience being a part of evangelizing with a group of brothers and sisters, I’ve never had too much experience witnessing to somebody this much one on one until last month.

Since then, I have been extremely blessed by the fellowship of this group, the stories that have shared, and the quiet times that I’ve experienced with God. I am extremely grateful that God has allowed me the privilege to be a part of such an incredible journey with such an amazing ACF family. The unity that we’ve built so far as brothers and sisters in Christ is one that will last far beyond this mission trip. The experiences we’ve had witnessing to the people of Kumi and Fort portal have not only been humbling and fulfilling, but they’ve also been disheartening, tiresome, shocking, and sometimes even discouraging. However, we take refuge in the fact that our complete joy is in Christ alone. Not only do we have an entire group of zealous men and women who have a passionate zeal for Christ to help encourage us and strengthen our spirits, we have the ultimate source of encouragement and strength from the Book of Life itself, God’s Holy Word. As God promises us in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and God’s promises alone are sufficient enough to ease our troubled hearts. For we know that our goal is merely to plant the seed in the unbeliever’s mind, and by God’s providential will, He will open their heart, which will grow the root, that will sprout the trunk, which will give life to the tree. It is such a refreshing promise from God that we are mere vessels required only to transport the Gospel, and that it is nothing in and of ourselves that can change the hearts and minds of those lost souls. Although we’re all exhausted, aching and sore, our disposition will forever be joy unspeakable, solely because Jesus Christ sacrificed His life so that we may live. We have a completely sovereign God who will not only comfort us when fulfilling the Great Commission, but who will ultimately, in His timing, add soldiers to His Kingdom in order that His glory may be revealed and His will be accomplished.

ACF Work in Uganda

Each year ACF works together with native doctors and Nurses on short-term assignments to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people living in impoverished villages. How to get Involved You can help us succeed right from where you’re sitting. We succeed when passionate people care about what we do and connect with a community of supporters to help us grow. Love what we do? Here’s how you can help: •Share •Donate •Fundraise