God's Grace in Africa Story 2007

In January of 2007 I went to Kiburrura, Uganda for two weeks.  I made the trip with a group of twenty people from the Covenant Life Church (located in Gaithersburg, MD.)  The group consisted of 2 pastors and 18 singles between the ages of 19 and 28.  Many of us were friends and some were strangers but by the end of the trip we had all grown close; those 19 people became a family to me.  I discovered that being together in a foreign country and sharing the gospel brings people together in ways that are not always expected. Covenant Life Church has a new and growing relationship with a small church in Kiburrara.  The pastor of the church, Moses, was our connection and leader throughout the trip. Most of our time was spent participating and ministering at a youth conference put on by Moses’ church.  We spent 6 hours a day with a group of children that clearly loved Jesus.  In fact, many of them had to walk a great distance to be there, and they were always faithful.  We led worship, shared testimonies, and our pastors preached a couple of messages and performed skits.  Nothing was planned beforehand; everything was done on the spur of the moment and always subject to change.  It was very different from the American way of doing things.  Most of the children (between the ages of 7 and 22) spoke broken English, so we were able to communicate to an extent.  I will never forget the joy on the children’s faces as they worshipped their Jesus.  What a precious sight indeed! When the conference ended, usually around 4, we would go to the main part of the village (known as Main Street) and join with the members of Moses' church as they put on crusades. Worship would be held, testimonies would be shared, and there was even some dancing by the locals.  Of course the Gospel was preached.  Some of the people from our group participated in sharing the Gospel and their testimonies via interpreter. By God's grace, every night people would come forward to confess Christ as their Savior.  We were able to pray for and encourage them. It was a rich, rich time, and it reminded me of the first church in the book of Acts; it made me feel as if I was part of a church like that.  The experiences and relationships that were built on this trip will not be forgotten by any of us, and Lord willing will be continued in heaven one day – if not before! Advice to Young Missionaries   Two pieces of advice that I would give to people who are going on Missions trips, especially those outside the country, is to be prepared for anything, and to not be upset if the planned program does not follow through.  In our American culture of planners, schedules, and deadlines we are used to having things mapped out for us, and when things go awry it truly is a test of our patience and flexibility.  In places like Africa, India, etc., there really are no deadlines or plans. The people are very much led by the Holy Spirit, and are always open to do and go wherever they feel God is leading them.  So go – expect the unexpected and leave the calendars and day-timers behind!