"Captivated" part I

You know…we are one strange creation created by Christ Jesus! I often have to sit back and laugh at myself.

ekissa (our nonprofit- www.ekissa.com )has been looking for land as we’ve partnered with Gaba Community Church in Kampala Uganda, to plant a church in Bweya Village; a village just outside of Uganda. Bweya is void of any church and lacks many basic necessities for a “community” to function productively. (Keeping in mind that “productivity” is subjective.) It needs clean water sources, a medical clinic and an orphanage/ children’s home where children can thrive, frolic like children should, and grow in Christ.

I was reminded this afternoon of my first introduction to Bweya village. It was May 26, 2009… less than one year ago. Upon arriving in that village and entering an existing orphanage, my life has been forever changed…changed in such a way I dare not to return. The affects of my seeing and experiencing have had a deep branding in my soul. The lack of care and concern for humanity in a local orphanage was about more than my heart could take.

My first trip to Uganda was called a “Vision” trip… and indeed it did just that… it gave me “vision”…a vision to see the unthinkable really does exist and some children live it every day. Children live through the aches of going days without anything to eat. Children living with the chills from fevers, the sting of skinned knees and the absence of a mother’s warm embrace when the boogie man comes out at night. Young girls endure exploitation and the unthinkable when the sun goes down. At night when they should be having “sweet dreams”, nightmares are all they know. Dancing sugarplums are not in sight; they simply hang on in fright.

I wondered why God had taken a “stay-at-home” mom all the way to East Africa, exposed her to such atrocities, simply to return home with passion as her only resource.

I began to pray… pray for God to move… move in a way like I had never experienced; move in such a way that no one could deny it was God.

I wanted to see him do the impossible, in what seemed to be an impossible situation. My desire was to somehow see the local orphanage closed, the children placed in a loving environment… to see Christ raise up a church in order that the people of this village could know of a hope in their desperate situations.

Well, 11 months later He is doing all of these things. When I think over the last year, I am in awe and humbled at all Christ has done. He has heard the cries of these young children.

Land is in the process of being purchased for a church plant, “Bweya Community Church”. The asking price of this land is $25,000, and within a matter of 3 days, almost $11,000 has been raised. God is calling the North American church to step up and provide the financial resources for a physical church in Bweya! What a beautiful picture. Just as I began to feel weak in my belief (not doubting God’s sovereignty but doubting the response of His people), God “busted a move” to remind me that HE is GOD… and I am not! His people have responded! God is faithful….but stayed tuned… He’s not finished yet!

“The one who calls you is faithful…1 Thessalonians 5:24