July 3, 2011 First day in country. This is the 2011 new blog written by Glenna Applewhite from First Baptist Church, Monahans. We are on mission with the Lulwanda Children’s Home. We encourage you to respond because we love to hear from you at our nightly meetings.
Green is really green, blue is bluer, and yellow is more than yellow in Uganda. I always think this when observing the countryside here. This year is no different. But what is more amazing than this is the warmth of the people, the genuine smiles and presence of God and the Holy Spirit in the relationships we build among the team-members and among the children and workers at Lulwanda.
We arrived in Mbale today after 48 hours of airports and several hours in 3 vans loaded to the tip-top with our suitcases and supplies. We all agree that airline food leaves something to be desired and sleeping on planes is not our idea of a restful night. But on a better airport note, Kathy H. did run into a team also ministering in Uganda who are from her son’s church (The Sanctuary in Sugarland TX.) This truly is a small world. We are however thankful to God for the amazing blessing of being here. The chance to serve God in this place is a once in a lifetime experience. Our group consists of Mike and Mary Thrasher, Bonita Fyke, Derrick Flack and Brodie Flack from Wimberly, TX; J.W Thrasher, Charles and Kathy Inman; Gay Jenkins from Beaumont; and Kathie Hartzog from Houston.
We sit tonight listening to Mike talk about the indigenous people who need ministry, who need help and most of all who need the good news. This is true of people all over the world, in Uganda, in Africa, and in Texas or the United States. Our collective call is not to gather the harvest, nor to minister long term in these fields ripe for the harvest. It is not to harvest at all; it is to pray and let God take care of the harvest. Our call is to be up-close and personal with those whom God puts in our path. Pray for God to put lots of people in our path! Pray for us to recognize His will before us.
Our discussion continues about the vast amounts of materials, supplies, and clothing we have brought with us from all over the state of Texas. You, all of you, have been most generous in helping with supplies and we are so thankful to God for the gifts you have given. Tomorrow night I will blog about the gifts from our children through school and VBS.
It just thundered and rain is pouring from the sky. Thank you God that we have heard it and we are heartened that it will rain in Texas according to Your Magnificent Design for us.
We close today with this tidbit of information. Twelve of thirteen of us said that the chocolate cake we had today tasted wonderful. J.W. abstained.
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Glad to hear that even the most mundane of blessings has not gone unnoticed. That a diverse group from far and wide has simultaneously and safely converged on the other side of the globe continues to amaze. I've had worse travel experiences just getting to DFW.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was there with all of you, to see the vibrant colors, smell the acrid diesel, and feel the African rain. I hope everyone has adjusted to the time change, and as I write it is now almost midnight for you. You will be the first Americans I know that can celebrate our country's independence!
With that, God has brought the thought of Leadership to my mind, and if you have time while reading the July 4th blogs, I thought I could entertain with a bit of history about where you sit. Both Uganda and the US were once British controlled and both strove for independence, but that's where the similarities ended. While the US prospered due to vast, accessible resources, Uganda was seen as merely an innter tract with no railroad yet to transport goods between Lake Victoria and the coast. Being an orphaned colony, pawned as gambits between multiple foreign forces, including Britain, East Africa Trading, France,and Germany, the people of Uganda are subjected to one homegrown terrorist regime after another. These terrorists seek power and rulership for their own selfish devices. This creates the economic instability, destitution, disease, and ignorance that permeated the region for so many years.
The realization for me is twofold: One - God bless the USA. Two (per mom's harvest analogy) - without clear, Christ-guided leadership, the weeds will choke out even the richest soil, rendering it incapable of sustaining the beautiful garden for which it was ordained.
In as much as I wish I were with you to represent the Great State of Texas, the United States, and the Western World, it is well with my soul that you simply and solely represent the truest meaning of the word 'Christian'.
Godspeed your example in a country which thirsts for Leadership,
-Micah
PS - Glenna (mom) has weak ankles and tends to exhibit spontaneous acrobatics when transitioning floor types and levels. Please keep a close eye on her. Thanks,