Stacy Meyer asked me last summer if I wanted to join the team going to Uganda in January. I immediately dismissed her because the trip would fall in January and school would be in session. In September I heard one of the team members give one more invitation to join the team.... the trip would include a Vacation Bible School and a conference for a group of widows from the New Goshen church. I was standing on the stage holding my bass and my ears perked. VBS AND a widows conference? In the same trip? How perfect could this combination be? Two things so close to my heart. I decided to go to the informational meeting that afternoon. At the meeting, I met Pastor Bigimba Ngabo again and as we shared, he said...."we've been praying for a teacher"... then he heard about my VBS experience and smiled.... then he heard I was a widow and smiled.... then said, "you are coming with us." I told him I needed to ask and it would be a really BIG ask because school would be in session. He said, "We will pray for a miracle."
The next morning I made an appointment to meet with my principal. He listened to me share my heart and why I felt the Holy Spirit was calling me to go. His first priority was my students but he could certainly see why I asked. He said he would talk to the headmaster and consider our options. By the next day, he had already secured two subs for me who would share my duties before he walked into my classroom. He interrupted my class asking if I had told my students about the opportunity. No, I hadn't because it hadn't been approved yet. My own kids don't even know yet. He then said I should probably tell them about it. Mr. Clapero then proceeded to ask the kids what Scripture said about widows and orphans. We looked up James 1:27 and read what The Word says. He then had the students come around me and pray for this opportunity.
Flash forward nearly four months later. Our team met just a few times to go over logistics and develop a plan. We got our shots and our visas. I couldn't focus on the trip much because of all the responsibilities with teaching, chapel, parenting, our DC trip, and a nasty bout of vertigo lasting several months.... Finally the day after Christmas arrived and I could dig into preparation.
January 5th we met and packed EVERYTHING we would need into the suitcases we were allotted. We were also asked to bring an entire drum kit which took up some of our luggage allotment.
January 8th, Hannah drove me to Phoenix where I caught a flight to Seattle and then a 10 hour flight to Amsterdam. Scott and Stacy Meyer, Craig and Debbie Schrieber, Adele Lindquist left from Tucson and went to Salt Lake. Kris Anderson left from Minneapolis. We all met in Amsterdam where we joined two new friends from Goshen - Jenn Greene and Rhonda Martin. Together, we made another 10 hour flight to Kigali, Rwanda. One hour on the ground and then another hour flight into Entebbe, Uganda. We landed at about 11pm. About 32 hours after I left home.
We proceeded through immigration and customs where our bags went through an xray rather than a search. Bigimba had flown ahead of us and was waiting with Bon Fils, the pastor of New Goshen in Kampala. Entebbe was about an hour away from Kampala thanks to a new road. The previous trip would take nearly 6 hours on rutted out roads. We arrived at the Nexus Hotel in the Ganda neighborhood of Kampala.
Friday morning we met for breakfast/lunch before our afternoon training. Six members of the children's team from the church and the Goshen Christian International School joined us. This was my comfort zone! I went through the schedule for the week of VBS and explained the Bible Points and the stories. We practiced the songs together. We discussed how we planned to modify the activities for ROAR to accomodate 400 kids with limited supplies and limited space. We even had to explain the word ROAR. Africans did not understand that the word meant the sound a lion makes. It's quite funny that the VBS we are doing is set in Africa and explains African animals and customs to the kids. Instead, the kids will be explaining things to us.
Friday evening we piled into several vehicles to go to New Goshen church. They are hosting a Praise and Worship conference this week in addition to their regular services. We joined the congregation for 3 hours of singing, dancing, jumping, praising, and a SHORT word from the WORD which was 35 minutes. I was so excited to be included in a taste of heaven! As the song appeared on the screen, I would quickly google the chorus so I could read the translation in English to know what we were declaring! One song could last 15-20 minutes! Our new friends welcomed us so warmly.
Saturday we arrived back at the church for the widows conference. As we arrived, one of the worship leaders, La Vie, was practicing. Most of the church songs are in the Lugandan language. As we walked in, La Vie was singing English praise songs. Adele, Kris and I joined in from across the church. One song rolled into another. Sweet worship.
The ladies arrived and we began with a few songs of worship. Bigimba handed me the mic. I didn't want to share from the front and talk AT people. We rearranged the chairs into a really big circle. Slowly and simply, I shared our story of how I ended up a widow. As I spoke, Bigimba translated into Lugandan. A few of the women spoke broken English. All of the women understood a smile and a hug. As I shared, faces changed and I could see women begin to identify and accept me. I invited others to share their stories. One by one, women began to open up and share their story. Consolee, one of the pastors of the sister church, lost her husband 20 years ago. Her kids are now launched and through college. Other women began to share.... stories of marrying extremely young due to hard childhoods, stories of rape, HIV, torture, imprisonment, assassinations, deaths of children, abuse of children, every heartbreaking event you could imagine. Each story also accompanied by stories of God's provision. God's protection. God's power. By the end of two hours, we had all cried and hugged and connected.
After a break, Debbie lightened the mood with some dancing and laughing - universal methods of lifting the heart. She shared the connection between the mind, the body, and the soul. Stress in one affects all three. The women shared different every day stressors- most involved paying the rent and feeding children every day. Debbie gave us some relaxation techniques that involved focusing on Christ.
We talked about the importance of supporting each other. Models like the group I met at the Widow's Might conference when I was fresh. Models like my Grief Share group that turned into a Hope Share group. These women are blessed that Goshen Ministries lives out God's call to care for widows and orphans.
Stacy shared her story of Second chances and God's protection and provision. Kris shared simple preventative health measures like hand washing, sanitizing, and caring for wounds. She also shared about the hazards of texting and driving - a problem as big in Uganda as it is in the United States. My mom, Clydene, had handsewn large lined purses for each of our new friends. We filled the bags with lotions, shampoos, soaps, mints, a Bible, a journal and pen, a hand-knit prayer shawl, mosquito repellent, and first aid supplies. Kris shared how to use these supplies including band-aids and antiseptic ointment. The women were so thankful!
Scott and Craig shared the steps to beginning your own business. How do you take an idea and turn it into a profitable business? Many of the steps including a business plan and cost analysis were foreign concepts.
We ended the day with a group picture in front of the church! We came back to the hotel for dinner and a chance to debrief the day. Sitting on the veranda for a quiet dinner in perfect weather... enjoying goat curry and chapati..... soaking in the sweetness of the day. So many moving pieces and unknown variables all seemlessly woven together as if one artist was at work....Gee.... funny how God works when you let Him be in control. It was beautiful.
Sunday morning we left for church after breakfast. Our hotel has a wide assortment of choices for coffees and teas and all kinds of breakfast items. No one is going hungry. A few new team members joined us so we had more people than we’ve been transporting. Rather than make two trips, we piled in clown car style. This didn’t seem like such a hardship as we passed several motorcycles with entire families riding- several with 5 people. I was surprised when the pastors of the church picked us up at 10 and service started at 10. When we walked in at 10:45, worship was underway. We joined in and enjoyed robust singing, testimonies, and specials until 1:30 . Our entire team gave greetings and encouragement to the congregation. I included greetings from the staff and students of Pusch Ridge Christian Academy and from several groups of widows who are praying for the women of New Goshen! Briefly I was able to offer the encouragement that no matter what you are facing, God is able! In all we have faced, I’ve seen him demonstrate His power Or His provision. He has never abandoned us. After more testimonies and special dances, our American friend Mike shared from the Word. After his sermon we had time for more singing and dancing. We broke at 2:30 for lunch. As guests we went first through the line for rice, beans, beef, potatoes, and vegetables and a soda in a bottle. The fellowship with the ladies I met at the conference was sweet!
Back at the hotel, we each worked to prepare our scripts and materials for VBS. The hotel has a large table reserved for all of us so we can come down for tea or a meal at anytime we just want to visit or work together. It allows us time to get to know new friends on our Goshen team like Rhonda Martin, Jenn Greene, Lilly and Ella Darling and Mike Ellicot. Each evening Bon Fils and other visiting pastors join us as well for more fellowship around the table.
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