We’ve made it home!
Our 10-day whirlwind journey can probably be best summed up through the people we met:
Uganda people: there is a determined spirit to make the most of what little they have. Life here is unhurried as schedules and times are suggestions to be loosely followed. Stopping to give a warm greeting and not letting anyone pass without a hello was not only commonplace (and taught us Americans much needed patience and appreciation for the simple things in life) but allows for a collective sense of hope and dignity as the community knits itself together through these small yet meaningful interactions. Most would consider themselves Christian yet theirs is very much a Jesus + sacrifice/spiritualism/visit the local shaman type religion. A clear gospel is desperately needed to give true meaning and hope.
Ugandan SOS staff: the 200+ strong paid workers at SOS consist mainly of local nationals who handle security, groundskeeping, construction, cooking, teaching 700+ K-12 students, and mentoring 70 Pastoral candidates, as well as healthcare workers, church workers, and a community outreach team. These are the backbone of the ministry at SOS – the community comes to SOS for much practical helps and services and to hear and receive the gospel, but it is these local staff workers who provide immediate connection and bring the gospel back to the villages to show what it looks like to live out the gospel in a local context. Why should a husband have only one wife? How do you love a neighbor whose pigs are eating from your garden?
SOS missionaries: we had the privilege to break bread with most of the half dozen or so families who have given up so much to come live with and be a light in this small Ugandan community. When you first arrive on campus it strikes you as a Shangri-La utopia and part of you wonders if this is real – is there some sinister Stepford Wives’ hidden truth underneath the surface? As we enjoyed the sweet fellowship with these brothers and sisters, we found there was something underlying it all – the love of Jesus. The care, thoughtfulness, and intentionality these families showed toward us and the Ugandan people was abundantly evident and unmissable. Without the love and power of the gospel, there would be no way for so much amazing ministry to spring up in such a short amount of time. Praise God!
Short term mission teams (that’s us!): we were only the 2nd team this year but come summer SOS will be receiving teams almost on a weekly basis. Some come to simply observe and learn more about what’s happening here, others come with a specific skill set or to fill a particular gap. It’s almost cliché to say that we’ve learned more from SOS and the local Ugandas then we could hope to offer. Yes, we do bring a medical expertise that hopefully we can put to use in the future to encourage and support the ongoing ministry at SOS and there may be other avenues for LCC to come alongside. But for the five of us, we can each say that we’ve been changed. God has grown our hearts for the Ugandan people, our perspective for the Kingdom work that is being done, and our resolve that no matter who or where we are at, as Christians, we are all brothers and sisters in Jesus using our gifts to serve wherever we are called.
Thank you LCC family for sending us and supporting us!
Pastor Jason and Team Uganda
