“Also see the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7
One of the things I love about being in Uganda is, for a brief time, all the the distractions that plague us in the western world, are temporarily suspended...and when that happens, it’s as if my eyes are unveiled to the very real presence of God. Don’t get me wrong, I experience His presence while in the US. However, while here in Uganda, it’s as if I no longer have to search for Him...He’s everywhere; whatever my eyes fall upon, the sounds that fall upon my ears, the dark skin I touch...He’s in it all.
This trip’s been a little different as we’ve not been engaged in direct ministry in Bweya, at least up to this point. We’ve had meetings every day with several ministries; the staff at Bweya Children’s Home, executive staff at World Vision, and the Ugandan representative of Ugandan Orphanage Relief Fund. Part of our time together has included moving about, to look at various projects, seeing the impact these ministries have had/ continue having, on the local people. Everyone has been incredibly warm and free to share their successes and struggles. What I continue to hear is, their successes have come “by the grace of God” and their struggles are addressed with “...but we’re trusting the Lord...”.
“The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
God has shown Himself and is guiding ekissa towards it’s next project. We’re thankful for the ways He has blessed our efforts through the purchase of land, the building of a church for the community as well as all the relationships which have been formed along the way. With the presence of the local church in Bweya, many people are being reached for the gospel and given a hope. Instead of merely “existing”, they’re beginning to truly live. Given the level of poverty and the economic outlook, life for the people of Uganda (Bweya Village) is grim and hopeless without God. As we all can admit, often we define our happiness, peace and joy, on our circumstances. It is only through Christ we can have genuine, lasting peace and joy, despite circumstances.
While the focus of ekissa has always been the children/ orphans, we’re beginning to see that without going to the root of issues, we’re merely being a bandaid to the tremendous wounds in their lives. Child sponsorship is awesome and much needed...but it’s not enough. Many families/ single mom’s, grandparent’s, feel that in order to provide for their children, they must abandon them to strangers and orphanages. With this being their only perceived recourse, families are fragment and lives altered forever.
“God sets the lonely in families...”---a recognition of the importance of “family”.
This being said, ekissa has been challenged over the last 3 days with addressing community needs in order to prevent the further fragmentation of the basic institution of “family”; addressing needs where everyone benefits. We’re needing to create not just a sponsorship venue for children residing in orphanages, we need to prevent the need of children arriving to the doorsteps of orphanages to begin with.
Please continue to pray for us as we proceed in meetings and dialogues about this approach. This would be an extremely long-term and demanding task upon which we will completely have to “trust the Lord in”.
And then God answered: "Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what's coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn't lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It's on its way. It will come right on time.
Habakkuk 2:2-4
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