In a nutshell

While God cannot be contained in a nutshell, I believe everyone on the team would concur that this recent trip could be summed up entirely in one word…GOD. I hope to write about the activities of each day but I can’t begin without  first giving all glory and honor to the one that called this team and the one who created all of the amazing sights we took in, and the one who worked miracles both in Africa and right here in Alexander City, AL. My heart cannot contain and my mind cannot comprehend all of the ways God worked from April 11, to April 21st. Short-term mission trips draw criticism from a few, mostly from those whose sense of adventure is limited by their own fears, prejudices, and personal desires. But consider just how God changes lives when one steps out of their comfort zone, puts their trust in Him, and allows Him to show them things through His eyes.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”. That is such a tricky verse because when you truly delight yourself in the Lord, the desires of your heart change. So until we are seeking to please Him we don’t really know what our hearts are even capable of, much less what they truly desire. But when we step out of the boat and surrender to Him, things happen! Challenge yourself. Not to win the little league championship, not to kill a bigger buck or catch another fish, not to fit in that new dress, or get that great job. Challenge yourself to know God deeper. Your greatest fear is probably your greatest chance to let Him be the spotlight for once. That is just what happened when our pharmacist, Loretta Voss, decided to go on this medical mission trip.

Four Corners Ministries asked me if I would like to recruit and lead a team in April and I excitedly agreed. About 15 friends had been telling me they wanted to go on the next trip so I was quite confident in my recruiting ability. Several emails, text messages, and phone calls later I was totally dejected. All but Leah Welcher (thanks Mama Leah), had reasons they could not go. After a week of begging and pleading, I did what I should have done in the beginning. I asked God to put together a team. A key component of running medical clinics is a pharmacist. The same night I prayed, I decided to Facebook Loretta to see if she had any Christian pharmacists friends that may want to go to Africa . I didn’t truly consider Loretta an option because she has 3 small children and her husband, Brian, works for the power company making him subject to be called out to work at any time. Here is the exact copied message from my Facebook page on Jan. 5.. “Hey Loretta. We are looking for a christian pharmacist to go with us to Africa in April. If you are any of your peers are interested I would love to talk. Harold Harmon usually goes with us but he will be out of country that month. I’m just praying you will go! Lol”.( I still read the entire conversation and shout praise to God!) Brian happened to be sitting with Loretta when she opened the message and they began to discuss it.

Over the next few days, she asked a dozen questions and made it clear that she was way out of her comfort zone but felt God urging her to go. On Jan. 8, she messaged me the magic words “count me in”. Over the next week,  God grew the team to 13 members, only one of which I had originally thought would go. Of all the team members, Loretta was the most paranoid. She struggled the most with nerves and always asked the “what if something goes wrong” questions. I asked her sister, Amanda, what I could do to help and she said, “just ignore her, she is afraid of her own shadow”.  Every time we passed each other in church she would say, “I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I have to come back to my family alive”. I asked Brian if he wanted to kill me but he seemed to have a peace about it all and was very supportive of her. The devil knows our weaknesses so of course he sent people to Loretta to tell her all the reasons why she should not go to Uganda. Out of concern, I went to Loretta to encourage her and remind her that my wife and children were perfectly happy in Uganda as were others that I knew of. None of those in the room including Loretta knew how profound her next few words were. She said, “I’m okay, I honestly feel like I would be in more danger if I did not go. I feel God telling me that I need to do this”.

Due to the time difference and communication difficulties in Africa, Loretta was not able to speak to Brian for the first few days. Our team called the church service Sunday morning and were able to say hello over the speaker phone. Loretta said hello to Brian and the kids only hoping that they were there to hear her. After the call, I heard her say, “I am going to be very proud if they were all there”. Meanwhile back in Alexander City, it turns out that God is keeping Brian awake at night and filling is head with questions. He called my wife, Holly, one evening just to see if she had heard how things were going in Africa and she assured him that everything was going well. Brian would later tell us that he was in church the morning we called and was glad to hear her voice. He said all that he could think about during the service was that his wife was on the other side of the world. In spite of all here anxieties she had something special within her that provided the courage and peace to overcome them all and go serve. He felt in his heart that she had something he was missing. While we travelled from village to village setting up our medical clinics God was at work. Brian was at home seeking some answers. He called Pastor Matt and another Christian friend, Donald Macon, to seek their prayers and counsel.

Once the team arrived in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, we had about an hour to relax before boarding again for home. The airport provides 30 minutes of free WiFi so everyone gravitated to a small coffee shop and pulled out their gadgets. I stood with some of the guys laughing and fussing about the cost of a cup of coffee and noticed Loretta across the way signing onto her Kindle to check email. She was by herself and oblivious to anyone else in the airport and I noticed the tears as her sister Amanda came to sit by her. Amanda read and then she cried and they hugged and they smiled. I learned over the course of the trip that these two cry a lot and it doesn’t necessarily mean they need anyones help. So I said a quick prayer under my breath and kept enjoying my coffee. We were spread out on the flight so there was not much communication but when we got to the Atlanta airport, Brian and Amanda’s husband (also Brian), had come to pick us up. As we waited on luggage, I approached Brian to thank him for coming to get us. Loretta was sitting on his knee and smiling from ear to ear. As I shook his hand, she said, “Brian has some good news”. Now Brian and I have never conversed more than a few minutes simply because our paths rarely ever cross, but it suddenly felt like we had grown up together. There was a connection that only two Christians know as he proudly proclaimed, ” I got saved Wednesday night and I have never felt better”! I immediately looked at Loretta and asked why she had not told everyone. She had just found out herself on that Kindle in Amsterdam and soaked it in for the next 9 hour flight.

Most of us planned to sleep in the next morning rather than go to church but none of us were going to miss Brian Voss walking down that aisle to make things public and Loretta was not going to let him walk alone. It was the best Sunday morning I have ever seen at SSBC since I have been there. The devil left angry because one timid and humble young lady stepped out on faith and did what she did not think she could do. She has praised God all week and told everyone that she came home to a new man and a new husband. About 30 people made Christ the Lord of their life while we were in Africa and I can only hope that the impact in their villages is as great as the one in Alexander City and the Voss residence. God tells us that His ways are higher than ours and that we cannot comprehend them. It’s time we not only trust in that but take joy in it. I would love to tell you about the cold showers, sleeping with bugs, skipping meals, falling trees, roadside latrines, and buffaloes watching us use the restroom but for now…… To God be all the Glory. To Brian Voss be a life full of joy unspeakable! And to Loretta Voss, you are bravest scared girl I have ever seen. God Bless your home as you love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

As one songwriter once said, “You can have all this world, but give me Jesus”…..

Gulu or Bust

I can think of no better way to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection than to go and tell others His incredible story and how it can transform their life. That is just what me and 12 of my brothers and sisters in Christ are going to do in just 3 more days. This is a very special trip for me because my sister Dora will be by my side. I have not told her but the blessing that brings me is second to none.  I am truly convinced that every member of our team comes with a purpose in their heart that is not their own. Each one wants to be the hands and feet of Christ and each one never thought that desire would take them to the other side of the world into the heart of Africa. From the days that Jesus walked the earth until this very day, God directs people who seek His purpose to the least expected places. Please allow me to introduce you to our team and please pray for each one over the next two weeks.

Joining me on this trip are my sister Dora Sammons, her husband Matthew Sammons, Pastor and Co-founder of Four Corners Ministries Jimmy Sprayberry, Pastor Jeff Hardy, his son Johnathan Hardy, Ryan White, Heather Forbus, Loretta Voss, Amanda Riddle, Leah Welcher, Joseph “Swampy” Shryock, and children’s ministry director Amy Young. We will be joining two Ugandan doctors to conduct medical clinics in Kampala, Luweero, and Gulu. Large crowds turn out at each clinic. Some are in desperate need of medical attention and some just want to see what is going on but with our prayers and God’s omnipotent ways, we will all cross paths for a much higher purpose. That purpose is and always will be to share the love of Christ in whatever way the Holy Spirits leads and empowers us to.

We will end our trip in Gulu, where Four Corners Ministries has purchased 100 acres to build the children’s village called Abaana’s Hope. Construction is set to begin in early May on the care takers house. The need in Gulu is as great as it is anywhere on earth. However, unlike many places on our globe, there is freedom to witness of God’s never-ending mercy and grace. What a shame if we fail to do that. There have been many secular groups in Gulu that have come to help in various ways. There are christian groups there such as FCM that also help by building schools, orphanages, medical clinics, teaching sustainable skills to allow Ugandans to earn a living and provide a better future for the country. This is an important part of the process that must take place to create generational change for the amazing people of Uganda. There is an enormous problem though if we stop there. Psalms 127:1 tells us that “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain”. Without sharing the “living water” with those we help, every well in Gulu may as well be dry. Without sharing the way to eternal life, every dosage of medicine we pass out may as well be a bag of jelly beans. I am very excited to get to meet Pastor Nathan Wright, his wife Sarah, and their five kids (all from Wisconsin) when I get to Gulu. His ministry is all about planting churches and sharing the love of Christ with the residents of Gulu. We will partner with them for two of the days and hopefully provide some relief to the sickness there.

The team covets your prayers but don’t waste too much time on the safety and comfort stuff. Psalm 121:2-4 says, “ My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep”. This was written by a young soon-to-be king as an entire army pursued him.  We ask that you pray for the people of Uganda and pray that we will have the boldness to be witnesses of the changes God has made in our lives. A christian that is not a witness is not a christian at all. He or she is an impostor. They should be marked for their worthless lip-service and avoided by all.  Jesus once said, ” no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl, instead they place it on a stand for all to see”. Doesn’t He have a great way with words?

If God has never radically changed your life, I invite you to let Him. If He has, then tell someone! I am forever thankful for the man who told me. Thanks to everyone that has made this trip possible and for Four Corners Ministries’ vision in Gulu, Uganda.

So what now….questions and answers

I have been intentionally putting off this particular blog because as Cool Hand Luke once said, “I had to get my mind right”. We are so thankful for the people who have invited us to their church or homes to hear about what God has been doing. I can’t explain how refreshing it is to meet people who truly care about the less fortunate in this world. They are one of the most overlooked people groups by the American church yet one of the most referenced people groups in God’s word.  People ask us to share our story, but honestly our story is all about careers, houses, hobbies, kids, and the American dream that would bore you to tears. This is God’s story and its all His story. I am sharing this blog because we are convicted about the 41 years that have been poured into our story rather than God’s.  We do not count ourselves worthy to have seen and done the things we have, especially myself. There are a thousand reasons why I do not deserve your support and why I do not deserve the unending mercy of our Almighty God, but all I can say is that He has been faithful to place my sins as far as the East is from the West.  We do not feel “called” to Africa. We feel “convicted” of disobedience to God’s word. You see God’s plan from the very beginning of time was to create a people holy unto Himself. In doing so, from the original law given to the Israelites, to Nehemiah, to Job, to the proverbs of King Solomon,  to the prophets, to the life of Jesus, and to the early churches started by the disciples, He COMMANDED us to care for those who cannot care for themselves, the fatherless, the widows, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the naked, and the unloved. My family and I want to confess that we have neglected this command for too long. So, it’s not a calling that is leading us to Uganda. It is the Living Word of God. To say one must be called to do missions is like saying one must be called to stop his or her sin. God does not call us to obedience. He commands it. I encourage everyone to prayerfully read Matthew 25:31-46 and determine if you are a sheep or a goat. Try to read it without using the familiar phrase “yeah-but”. The passage does not allow for “yeah-buts”. I am speaking not from a critical sense but from a sense of personal conviction. My ”yeah-but” consisted of, “but I give my tithes and offerings faithfully and the church sends a portion of that somewhere to help somebody.” Jesus said “where your treasure is, your heart will be also”. He also told a table full of pharisees, in Luke 11:37-44, that they were neglecting the justice of God by being outwardly spotless but inwardly filthy. Holly, Ryan, Rachel and I at our absolute best, giving all our time and resources to God are nothing but worthless filthy rags. HOWEVER, through repentance of our sins, and total trust in God’s son Jesus we are suddenly of great value and use to Him. We are a spotless garment and an overflowing cup. We do not boast of anything except the cross of Jesus Christ! Which brings me to the most asked question, “Have you confirmed what you are going to do?”

I have met several times with Four Corners Ministries (FCM) regarding their personnel needs in Uganda. They are in the final stages of purchasing a tract of land in Gulu, which is located in Northern Uganda. The growing town of Gulu has an interesting and extensive history(google it). We actually read and watched various things about Gulu before FCM ever began seeking land in that area. The needs of the people there are as diverse and desperate as one could possibly imagine.  While I have never personally been to Gulu, it seems the spirit of the people there is as beautiful as their smiles. FCM is exploring multiple options there, primarily Abaana’s Hope Children’s Village.  Construction obviously has not begun yet so we have discussed a time-frame of up to two years before we would be able to relocate my family there. That sounds way off but the logistical, spiritual, and financial planning that has to take place in order to make such a move will take all of that. Tripp Skipper, the FCM president, was kind enough to ask me what particular role Holly and I would be interested in. I was very sincere in telling him that I would have much more confidence in FCM if they built their ministry around the people in Gulu, not around me or my family. Our goal as parents is to teach our kids to chase after God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We believe God’s instructions on how to do this are very simple…we are to model it ourselves everyday with all that is in us. We fully intend on allowing ourselves to be consumed by the things there that break the heart of God. If God wills it we will foster children regardless of what our role is. We will bear the burdens of our neighbors with them and love them as ourselves. So we are praying daily for guidance and obedience to His will. God has opened the door through FCM and we are very excited to see things unfold. We are patient because He is sovereign.  Next question….Who is Four Corners Ministries and are they southern Baptist?

All of this information may be found on FCM’s website. FCM was founded by a southern Baptist minister named Jimmy Sprayberry in 2003. He currently pastors Mountain Springs Baptist Church in Wadley, Alabama, which is a member of the Tallapoosa Baptist Association. The president of FCM, Trip Skipper, is also an ordained southern Baptist minister. Southern Baptist Pastor, David Platt, and his church, The Church of Brookhills, have partnered with FCM for several years supporting their efforts in Southern Sudan. FCM is not an IMB organization simply because the IMB does not endorse any organization that they do not birth. That is not to say they are against it, they simply do not endorse it. We have researched their doctrine. We have seen their hearts at work. We have done our homework.

Now, oddly enough our supporters and our critics all come from the same place…church people. Please know the intent of my heart is not to be combative but to challenge Americans, primarily Baptists, to seek the face of God and follow the Holy Spirit who is the one and only one that “gives us power to be His witness”. Understand I was born, raised, saved, and baptised in a southern Baptist church. My father has been a southern Baptist preacher longer than most of us have been alive. My mother has been at his side every step of the way and has served in every capacity a good Baptist can think of. She has been in more WMU meetings than most of us have been to little league ballgames. I have more respect for them than any church member I have ever been around, because I have seen them come through every good and bad time a church can experience. I confide in them. I discuss God’s word with them. I have seen them both pour their hearts out to God when they did not know I was watching.  I know where their hearts are. I say all of this to let you know that I have lived the southern Baptist life. There have been a couple of churches that have denied us support solely on the grounds that we are not being sent by the IMB (southern Baptists’ mission arm). I have seen first hand the great works that IMB has done and they are the greatest gospel spreading organization on the planet. I respect them tremendously and have dear friends employed by them. However, that is not the door God has opened for our family.  We went down the IMB road and was told first that they will not accept us with a child over 12 yrs of age, because they think that age is too difficult to adapt to the changes. I find it ironic since that is just the age range of the young virgin that God chose to birth and raise His only Son. That is also the estimated age range of most of the 12 disciples, Jesus’ closest followers. That is also the age range of the soon to be King that slew a giant and saved a nation. Secondly, they will not accept a child with braces on their teeth. Thirdly, they require 20 hrs of seminar training for me and my wife also if she expects financial support.  After we meet THEIR guidelines they said they would appoint us to a specific country. I do not find any of those requirements in Gods word and He has not mentioned any of them to me in my prayer closet. I certainly do not trust them to tell me where to locate my family. Again, I am not against the IMB. I fund them significantly every year and I am proud to do so. However, before you withhold your prayers and your support, please ask yourself, would you honestly like to see my family scrap the whole idea of following God because of the rules of an organization that Jesus himself never heard of. We have one master and He reigns on high. I pray that the church in America will wake up and serve our almighty God by His rules. May we ask, are we more like Jesus or are we more like the Pharisees whom He continuously disassociated Himself with?  As for me and my family we will serve the Lord. It will not always make us popular in all religious circles but it will make Him popular and that is what we strive for.

Lastly, I have friends from many various denominations of our faith. They have all been so kind to pray, support, and encourage us over the past year. Each one has played an important role in our sanctification and decision-making. I respect anyone that stands firm on what they believe and we are called to do just that. However, I plead with you, for the sake of millions of lost souls and millions of people who are victim to all the curses of poverty. Don’t let your differences in opinions keep you from the great commission. There are only sheep and goats. Only two categories. The following is based on hands on experience…the lost Muslim man deep in the bush of Africa, that is one breath away from Hell, does not care or understand if you are southern, independent, freewill, primitive, Methodist, Assembly of God, IMB, FCM, ABC, NBC, CBS, or ESPN. He needs only to know that his creator loves him and died for him and can forgive his sins. The thirsty child needs living water and I promise they will take it from whatever hand puts it to their dried lips. The orphan street child needs a set of loving arms that will love them like their creator does. The wicked rebel soldier needs only to know that his sins can be washed as white as snow. When you translate Gods word into Swahili, Lugandan, or Pular it will not be King James, NIV, ESV or anything else. It will be the living word of God that He promised to preserve and God will drive it deep into the heart of its reader because nobody will be there to stand over his/her shoulder to put any spin on it. Let the Holy Spirit be your source of power and knowledge and strength. You can trust Him. Go ahead and try because the fate of millions is depending on it. In Luke 9:49-50, one of the disciples came to Jesus saying, ” we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he is not one of us”. Jesus said, “Do not stop him for whoever is not against you is for you”.  Our God is no respecter of persons.

Thursday and Friday in the Pearl of Africa

We head east on Jinja road past the tea plantations and sugar cane fields that stretch as far as I can see. It’s a nice road and Jinja is the most visited city in Uganda from a tourist standpoint. The big tourist draw is the mouth of the famous Nile river. The river flows north out of Lake Victoria and is one of God’s most beautiful creations. However, we turn up a mountain side before we get there and are headed to the tiny village of Kitovu. I can assure you this area is not “visited” by hardly anyone. The drivers take us to the top of a mountain where we can see the gigantic Nile river flow through the fields and rainforests. The road basically turns into a trail but when you pay a Ugandan bus driver to take you somewhere, he doesn’t risk not getting paid. Up we go and no more hanging out the windows since the tree limbs are coming in both sides of the bus. The houses are mud and straw huts very similar to those that I saw everywhere in Guinea. A small boy on the side of the road starts crying and shouting with joy when he sees us and he begins doing cartwheels in the mud behind the bus. I am not sure what that was all about but it was fun to watch him. Soon a whole group of kids were chasing behind the bus as we climbed the mountain trail. We all agree that if it starts raining we will have to leave immediately or spend the night on the top of this mountain. It was beautiful and had to be close to what the garden of Eden looked like.

We finally arrived at the top. The church itself was simply a large shady mango tree.  There was a latrine on the back of the lot, a large mound of dirt and wood that was about to be set on fire to make charcoal, a small hut in the center that would serve as the doctor’s room, and the local pastor had erected two tents, one of which the people had already filled to capacity and one that we made a pharmacy. The “church tree” became the eye clinic and we were all set. The pastor was extremely impressive and worked very hard. He spoke English but his villagers did not. He sprang into action to try to keep everyone organized while we set up the clinics. The school children marched and sang to welcome us and I have video that I will treasure forever of their greetings. We had to work quick to see all of the patients before the rain stuck our bus on top of the mountain. I helped patients get to and from the medical clinic and back to the discharge area. Ryan worked in the pharmacy with Holly. Harold Harmon, our pharmacist, trained Holly for pharmacy on day one and did not let her back out. Rachel helped bring people from the tent to the registration desk and it was a blessing to hear her calling patients, in Buganda, to follow her. Phillip, one of our incredible interpreters, taught her a few words and she was hard at work from then on. I have been blessed to take my family to some incredible places and experience some amazing things, but nothing was as surreal to me as seeing them all serve God on top of that mountain under the African sky. Disney has never created magic like I felt this day. As the psalmist wrote about, I just stood still and knew that He was God. I did not get to participate with the evangelism team on this day but they led about 2o people to Christ including one elderly muslim man.(I failed to mention in my previous blog that 23 accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior in Katuso the day before.)

The next day was our last and we started it off with a visit to the Grace Fellowship Boys Home in Kampala. Four Corners Ministries partners with Grace Fellowship Church to take homeless boys off of the street and give them food, shelter, bath, and a chance to go to school. Street kids are visible everywhere in Kampala. The horrors they face on the street drive them to drug abuse, crime, and a life of hopelessness. Many of the interpreters that served us all week also serve as “uncles” at the boys home. Some were street kids themselves and they do a great job mentoring these young boys who without them would be left to themselves. The small home sleeps about 50 boys right now. They are in the processing of painting some walls and putting up some more bunk beds to get the mattresses off the floor. It was much different from the organized school kids that line up to greet you when you visit their school, but the smiles and the joy were equal. Street life has made them bold, confident, and crafty on the surface, but in reality they are still kids with real emotions and real needs. God knows every one of them and it was a joy to hang out with them. The uncles spoke to us about the ministry there and a couple of the kids testified. We prayed together and worshipped together. Imagine if you can…a house full of homeless street kids singing “here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you’re my God”. There were not many dry eyes around. My biggest regret of the whole trip was not getting to spend more time with these boys. The need there was as overwhelming as any village we visited. It was the kind of place you would find Jesus himself if he were still walking among us.

As we headed down the road, Jamie spotted a young boy emerging from a sewer drain in the middle of the street. The hole that he climbed out of was no more than a foot in diameter. He was about 6 years old. He held out his hand to the traffic in hopes of anything someone would give him. I reached out the window and gave him a cliff bar from my backpack. I didn’t know until later that Holly snapped his picture as we drove away. The picture haunts me and breaks my heart but I thank God for the experiences of this trip. I have a lifetime of stories to tell. Over a hundred people have a new life in Christ. Hundreds more received physical healing. Hundreds more can see better with the help of their new eyeglasses.  Alabamians knelt with Ugandans.  We embraced, we prayed, we sang, we danced, and we laughed all to the glory and honor of our Awesome Creator God! A work was done in the heart of my family and every other team member on this trip. Praise His name forever!

Wednesday in Katuso Village

On Wednesday 11/2 we are back up early and ready to do it all again. Everyone is exhausted but God keeps giving strength and we keep pressing on. We head to the beautiful village of Katuso just a few miles past Mwera where we set up yesterday. In the middle of the bush on a pig trail road suddenly appears a mud brick church building and hundreds of people scattered about awaiting our arrival. One quick glance reveals so many very sick people. It’s amazing how you learn to spot the sickest ones after you have been here a while. There are dozens of nursing mothers that look as sick as their babies. You see every ailment that you can possibly imagine. There are homemade bandages, walking sticks, people being carried, makeshift water bottles full of muddy water and I can’t help but think of the crowds that often surrounded Jesus and pressed each other just to touch the hem of His garment. Despite their condition, the whole area is full of laughter and smiles. We are always greeted with singing and dancing and a loud “yi, yi, yi, yi, yi,yi” that the ladies scream when they get excited. You can just mention the name of God and they will burst into cheers and praise. I will save my sarcasm for another blog but the atmosphere is a little different from our comfortable and healthy church gatherings in the states.

Ryan and Rachel are always on my mind. It’s so hard to keep my eyes on them all day long and tend to the tasks at hand. Afterall, they are two of the primary reasons I am on this trip. My prayer all along is that God would work in their heart and they would have the kind of compassion for these people that He has. I know many of you were praying for them, especially their Grandmothers back home. They have fallen in love with Africa and the children there. Several times they would approach me to introduce me to a new friend they had made. Ryan had a wiffle bat and ball and the young boys were having a blast trying to knock the ball over the latrine. Rachel was constantly chattering away to the crowd that always surrounded her and I was the proudest father in the village.

A long mud-brick building opposite the yard has small rooms and dirt floors with a rough chalk board in each room. We have to wait to set up our eye clinic until a teacher is through with her class in one of the rooms. We began to construct some IV bottle racks by running sticks through the holes in the walls and in no time a fully functional medical clinic and pharmacy is in full swing!   We were able to treat 230 medical patients and over 120 eye patients. As always, we run out of drugs just as we are nearing the end of our registration line. Our Ugandan doctors are very compassionate and hard-working. They do not like to have an empty seat in front of them for even a second and are usually still trying to diagnose patients  and pass out medicine while we are dragging them back on the bus at the end of the day. While searching the crowd for the most critical cases I ran across a 13-year-old girl with a very sick baby in her arms. I asked where the mother was and she said “I am his caretaker”. I told her to come to the front of the line with me and 5 more kids followed us. I quickly learned that this young girl was the sole care provider for all six kids. They were all sick and they all followed her everywhere we went. We sent this young girl away with 7 bags of medication and 7 sets of instructions for taking them. God help her. As tragic as this sounds to you and I, it is extremely common. I was honored and humbled to embrace her while praying God would give her wisdom and strength for the journey ahead of her. I have never felt so helpless in my life as I watched her walk back down the road. She will never be applauded at a dance recital. She will never hear her name called as she turns flips across a football field. She will never blow out the candles of her birthday cake. She will not be at the father/daughter dance. She will not be in the homecoming court. Her dad will never escort her down the aisle. However, she is a child of the King. She has a place prepared just for her to which nothing can compare. I will embrace her again. I pray God will give me the courage, strength, faith, and determination of a 13 yr old African girl.

Tuesday in Uganda – Village of Mwera

Tuesday was an amazing day. It was very overcast which meant it was several degrees cooler. The village we set up in was the original home place of Pastor Nelson’s wife Sara. It was a mud-brick church building that we were able to set up in. Hundreds of people were scattered about waiting when we arrived. There are so many mothers and grandmothers sitting around in any shade they can find with children of all ages. Many of the children are too sick to even sit up. Even though the majority of people present have various illnesses, they insist on formally greeting us with some singing, dancing, and many welcomes. Their hospitality is very humbling, at least to me. And on the other hand you cant help but wonder how many more patients might we be able to see if we just got to work. In the end you just trust God and go with the flow. We only treated 186 patients but mainly because they were so sick, we ran out of the most critical medications needed, primarily fever reducers. These were the sickest people I had ever seen. So many people were literally foaming from the mouth from severe dehydration caused by their illnesses. The people waited in the main church building for their turn to see the doctors. Myself and three others shared testimonies, creation to cross storying, and even sang with them while they waited. Pastor Gary Miller and I were discussing how the people were just to sick and distracted for our evangelism efforts to do much good. We had decided it just was not time for God to add to His kingdom this particular day but we gave an invitation anyhow and 38 people stood up to accept Christ as their savior! I immediately told Pastor Gary that we need to make sure nobody is confused because there is no way all 38 of these people are serious. Pastor Gary and I had convinced ourselves that they were all saved already based on the feeling we were getting. We turned to the Samuel, the actual pastor that was hosting us, to ask his opinion and he was about to turn somersaults! He said that none of them were his members and that all of them were unsaved. We had a great time rejoicing together and discipling these new converts to the best of our ability. We gave them all bibles and enjoyed watching the young Pastor Samuel’s excitement at what was happening. Later in the day, as a new crowd cycled through, we repeated the evangelizing and 30 more were saved. Yes 68 people in one small village not only got medical treatment and physical healing but they went home with eternal life and a Heavenly Father! Pastor Gary said “Praise God Myron. He spoke through donkeys today” If you read your bible, you understand what he was saying. Pastor Gary is an incredible man and Santuck Baptist is very lucky to have him. He pushes our evangelism team hard and that unfortunately we often look this most important aspect of loving these people.

What about all of the sick people? During our second wave of testimonies and story telling one of our nurses yelled my name and ordered me to “get over here now”. I was glad to be needed by the medical staff so I came running. Rae had IV’s hanging in every corner of the building it seemed. In this particular corner were 3 children ages 6 months to 4 years old and they did not look like they were going to make it. Rae was tending to so many IV patients that she threw some cloths and a bottle of water at me and said ” strip those babies and wipe them down with cold water or go outside and dig three graves”. I was a baby wiping fool until another team member relived me. From there I went to help in pharmacy because they were falling way behind due to all of the little children with malaria that required mixing medicine (and because Harold our pharmacist kept going to the latrine…).  Sadly we ran out of drugs and did the best we could to treat the remaining patients. We only had to turn away a small number of people but it was a heart breaking thing to do.

Part of my job throughout this trip has been to mingle through the crowd and try to find the most severe cases and be sure they are pulled to the front of the line. I am convinced that some of our patients would not have survived hours in the line all day. It also takes time for the IV bottles to run through so we try to get those in first. I can’t tell you how often I will find a 12 or 13-year-old little girl with multiple children, many of whom are very very sick. I often have to get a translator to help me ask if she has a parent or grandparent with them (someone to help them know how to take the medicine). Far too often, the young girl is the only caretaker of them all. I will share detailed stories later but pray for these people or better yet, come serve them. Your life and theirs will never be the same. Just ask Ryan and Rachel. They have been so impacted by the experience.

Lastly, I can’t say enough about this team I am with. They all have stories and are working extremely hard. I am a much better man for having been around every one of them. It will be very hard to say goodbye to them at the end of the week. I have never teamwork and drive like I have with this team of people. We all have so much compassion for the Ugandans we are helping.  Please say a prayer of thanks for the souls saved, the fevers dropped and the work that is being done.

Sunday and Monday in Uganda – Perspective

We went to church service at Grace Fellowship. We arrived approximately 9:30ish. It is located in the slums of Kampala just below Khadafi’s(sdk) mosque. There were numerous street kids around and a large number in the church. FCM partners with this church and supports many of the street boys from that slum. You can find out more about how to help them on their website, 4cornersministries.com.  Pastor Nelson and his wife Sara are incredible people and Sara has been with us everyday and helped us interpret in the rural areas that do not know much english. Now, about perspective…we parked the bus in a muddy pile of trash, crossed a sewage ditch on a plank bridge, and was escorted to the front row of a two walled tin and stick building with colored cloth draped on one wall for decoration. The choir led us in several worship songs and n0, they did not use a hymnal. They used Holy Spirit instead (had to slip that one in). It was loud (very loud) and we all laughed smiled sang ,danced, and prayed for quite some time. A few stood up to testify and one young lady stood and the make and simply said, “I want to thank God that I am still alive”.  Considered that I was surrounded by homeless people and ‘, I thought that young girl spoke volumes in such a few words. Pastor Gary from Santuck Baptist Church preached on “Are you a fan or a player?”. After about 12:30 we had to leave and I think they were just getting started.

After a relaxing lunch we visited the Watoto Infant Center in Kampala. We were rushed through because of a scheduling conflict but that was fine. Our people were all heartbroken and inspired by the work their. They take in orphaned infants that are often found around Kampala and brought there by police. Once they are 4 years old, Watoto moves them to one of their children villages and enrolls them in school all through the help of sponsors from around the world.

The next Monday morning we rode 3 hours to Ngomenbe (I promise that’s spelled wrong) to set up a medical clinic at Pastor Nelson’s brother’s church. It is in the heaviest muslim population area in Uganda and extremely remote so we were taking specific precautions for obvious reasons.  The clinic was set up in a small 3 room building with no roof , mud floors, and a plastic tarp overhead. The church itself was directly behind there in stick/slab building with a partial tin roof. The church serves as a holding area. We set up a registration desk, two examination rooms (corner with a curtain across it) and a pharmacy room. Sounds very simple but I promise it is NOT! Directing  people in Uganda is a logistical nightmare. Holly worked the entire time in the pharmacy, I stayed in the holding area and 4 of us assisted with evangelism and Bible teaching while they waited. Ocassionaly I would step out to watch Ryan and Rachel face paint, wrestle, and play with the hundreds of kids outside. I teared up every time I saw how good they were doing. If you know my daughter…she does not do dirt, sweat, or anything close. She has been a different child and so has Ryan. My heart would swell every time I could hear their laughter mixed in with the precious little laughs of the Ugandan children.

We treated 186 patients, 90 eye glasses, and had 16 people accept Christ as there savior. We spent hours discussing the attributes of God afterwards. This was the highlight of the day in my opinion. We did our best to heal their physical ailments but God gave those 16 a new everlasting life. There were many Christians present and as people were being saved others would stand and testify about how God saved them and how good he had been. Just imagine a 60-year-old grandmother with malaria, arthritis, ulcers, cataracts, and much more standing up with her walking stick telling a 100 people how good God was to her! We had real worship and I will never forget it.

It puts so much perspective on things for me and my family. I encourage every to take a short-term mission trip and just see what it turns into. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love the Lord our God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul. I will post pictures when I get home. Meanwhile go to the FCM site and see some that Jamie has posted. Thanks for all of your prayers.

Saturday in Uganda

We arrived at Matt and Jamies house around 12:30 AM and woke up at 5:45 AM to go pick the rest of the team up at the hotel. It was an amazing day. We went to a small remote village in Mukono to set up a medical and eyeglass clinic at the Agape Total Childcare Center.  This ministry was started by an incredible man named William Nsubuga. William rode with us to the village because we never would have found it otherwise.  He shared his inspiring story with in the bus. He is from Rwanda and came to America as a war refugee in 1992. One million of his fellow tribesman were killed in this war including his father. Just as the rebels were about to kill William, a man spoke out and said that he would take him into the bush and do the job. Once there, the rebel told William that years ago William’s father had forgiven him of a wrong he commited against him. Therefore he was going to secretly let William go free. In the states William attended Birmingham Christian and Auburn University. He has now returned to Uganda to open a home and school for AIDS orphans. He now has40 orphans and they spent the day with us as we ran the clinic. We saw 200 patients in clinc. The eyeglass clinic saw 79 patients. The evangelism team saw 17 adults accept Christ as their Savior. There are so many stories within the stories. One in particular that stood out for us all was a young girl named Rosette. She was basically laid at our feet nearly unconcious and unresponsive. They told us she was possessed by a demon. We laid her on a mat in the shade and several of us laid hands on her and prayed as hard as we could for quite some time. She began to jerk as if in shock but still would not respond to us and finally she just fell limp to the point that we kept checking her pulse. I was able to get her to drink some water after a while and we left her there to rest on her own but she was barely responsive. Later in the day as we were saying goodbyes, a young girl hugged my and Ricky’s neck and asked our names. We asked hers and she gave us a puzzled look and said ” I am Rossete…thank you for praying over me”. I was in shock, because she did not even look like the same person. God healed that young girl and gave so many others a new future in Him. William is doing a great work. He has outgrown his building and needs help completing a new one. He was the most impressive person I have met thus far.

Rachel and Ryan had a great time with the kids. Ryan spent the entire day buddied up with Ezra and Elvis, two orphan boys. Rachel made friends with a young boy named Maurice. I could not understand a thing Maurice said but Rachel loved him and understood him just fine. We rejoiced all night with the Santuck team. They are an amazing group of people. Pastor Gary Miller is incredible to be around. What a humble leader and he keeps this team focused on Holy Spirits guidance. I have been so blessed to be around every man and woman on this team.  Matt and Jamie have been great host and definitely need our prayers. One can never imagine what goes into organizing a trip such as this. They will probably sleep 4 days straight when we leave. I love everyone and thanks so much to those of you who have made this trip possible for my family. We will never be the same and it has been indescribable to watch Rachel and Ryan interact. I have never been more proud of them. So much more to tell so maybe I can tell about Sunday and today real soon. And oh yeah….I am not taking the time to proof read or spell check!

Back to Uganda!

The first trip to Uganda opened my eyes to so many ways in which to serve. As, I mentioned in the last post, I was there to assess the needs and seek God’s direction for my family. Tomorrow morning I will return with Holly and the kids and we are pretty stoked about it to say the least. We are going to serve with Four Corners Ministries (FCM) with whom we are exploring a long-term (lifelong) opportunity. We have been fortunate enough to spend time with their board of directors and staff on a few occasions. I encourage anyone to go to their website at 4cornersministries.org and learn more about their incredible ministry. God continues to confirm that our feet are on the right path so we are simply trying to be obedient in his leading. It would very convenient if He would just send us a detailed plan from start to finish but He would owe Moses, Abraham, Joshua, and so many others a huge apology. Its only by taking one step at a time in faith that His plan will be complete in us or anyone else.

What did I find in Uganda? Glad you asked. I am not a big fan of numbers because the American Christian has grown apathetic to numbers but allow me just a few to set the stage. Uganda is a country the size of Alabama and contains approximately 32 million people.  At least 49% are under the age of 15. At least 20 % of all the children are orphans which means about 3 million orphans in a small place. 45% of those are AIDS related orphans. AIDS destroys the body’s immune system and opens the door for common diseases that most people easily fight off. Over 56,000 children under the age of 5 die each year in Uganda due to poor nutrition.  Malaria is still the number one killer, claiming 320 lives every single day. Somehow the average lifespan is still a whopping 53 years. The average daily income is just over $1 per day. As if conditions were not enough, Uganda has suffered through 23 years of war with the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). It has been one of the worst humanitarian crisis in history. Hundreds of thousands were killed, kidnapped, raped, and forced to flee their homes. I will let you google that one on your own but I encourage to do so and pray for the invisible children of Uganda. Over 1.8 million people are still displaced from the wars. Many are still living in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps. It is very hard to return home when there is no safe water, no economic opportunities, no health centers, and no access to education.

These numbers are overwhelming but listen very closely to what I am about to say. The reality is that every man, woman, boy, and girl are known and adored by our Creator God. He loves them. He has a place prepared for them. They have names that you can pronounce. They have smiling faces. They have amazing stories that will captivate you. They love their country. They long for a better future. They work harder than you and I simply to survive. They want to help themselves. Their laughter is the most beautiful sound in the world and they give the best hugs. Simply put, I have fallen in love with these people and God has always loved them. The tragedy is that most of them have a hard time understanding God’s love because they have not felt a family love. This is in part what FCM is seeking to do in Uganda with their Abanna’s Hope project. It will be a comprehensive children’s village for orphans. Among other things Ugandan house parents will be discipled to model the love of a true family environment.  This week we will have the honor of staying with Matt and Jamie East during our time in Uganda. They are from Auburn, AL and moved to Uganda this summer to serve as FCM’s directors of Abanna’s Hope and lead efforts to get it up and running. Please pray for them and their two children because it is no small task.

Meanwhile, we will be traveling this week with a core group from Santuck Baptist Church in Santuck, AL. They planned the trip with FCM a while back and we have graciously crashed their party somewhat. Our group will consist of several trained medical and pharmaceutical professionals, business people, students, etc. We will be partnering with one childcare center, and 4 various village churches to set up medical and eye clinics for the local communities. I am sure there will be plenty stories to tell, but be in prayer that we will be able to help those who need it most. While evangelism is always the focus for everyone involved, I will be leading a 3 person team with that sole responsibility. Pastor Gary Miller, of Santuck Baptist will be conducting discipleship classes for local pastors and bible students. My children, Ryan and Rachel, will be assisting a team responsible for children’s activities. They will be playing games, teaching bible stories just having a good time. Now, that is the master plan. I am mindful of Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not  know what a day may bring”. We will be flexible and God will be honored. I can’t wait to see my wife and kids interact with the Ugandan people. Pray for the Ryan and Rachel as they are sure to be overwhelmed physically and emotionally. Their teachers are not very sympathetic so I am sure we will be doing algebra, physics, writing by flashlight.  We are seeking God’s direction for our family and believe that He is leading us to full-time ministry among these people. To everyone that has graciously supported us on this trip please know that we are focused and will be faithful to love one individual at a time as they are placed in our path. God asks that we love our neighbor as ourself, not that we change the world. He will do His part if we will do ours. We are going to Uganda to make Him famous not ourselves.

The Next Step

The Guinea trip was full of lessons for us all and I failed to mention that our wives, children, and so many close friends and family were heavily involved with the trip to the very end. I personally watched a transformation in Holly, Ryan and Rachel as they took part in the spiritual preparation that had to be done. Their hearts were moved by the stories that I continue to tell as they come to mind. Most importantly they have a renewed faith in God because they saw how he answered our prayers in such a powerful way regarding the Kakabe.

The things I witnessed in Guinea began to consume me. I would think about the people of Africa all day and dream about them all night. The words of the Bible began to jump off the pages as the illustrations and parables that Jesus used were so real because the people live pretty much the same as those in Bible times.  I read Crazy Love by Francis Chan and was challenged to read the Bible as if I found it on a desert island and was seeing it for the very first time. The point of this exercise is to remove the cultural spin that years of “American Church” have placed in our minds. I read scripture such as Matthew 10 and I prayed God will teach me his way and give me an undivided heart. One night in particular I had read Luke 9:23-27. I tossed and turned and could not get His words out of my head in order to sleep. I walked into our bathroom, shut the door and hit my knees. I promised God that I would walk away from the life I had built around myself and all of the stuff that cluttered it. I would leave it all if He would just show me the next step and not leave me any room to doubt the wisdom of it. If you have ever felt the hand of God, you understand what I felt at that moment, otherwise trust me…it was awesome!

The very next morning my dear friend and “mission mentor”, Brian Johnson, asked me to lunch just to hear about the Guinea trip. Brian was the mortgage customer that appeared by divine appointment in my previous blog. As I shared my story, he said  ”how would you like to go to Uganda with me next month?” I won’t share all the details but lets just say it was the opportunity of a lifetime. I told Brian I would call him before the weekend to give him an answer. As I was driving back to the office I remembered my prayer and it was if the Holy Spirit said ”here’s your next step and your needing to think it over! I emailed Brian immediately and told him if he was serious that I was all in. Once home, I told Holly and found out that her and some of her girl friends had fasted and prayed that day to seek God’s guidance. It was just more confirmation and we rejoiced over it. But as if that was not enough, a friend that I had not heard from in a few years, Tripp Skipper, contacted me the next day for lunch. I heard that he was president of a group called Four Corners Ministries and I wanted to meet with him about possibly speaking to our church regarding their work in Southern Sudan. Well Tripp asked about Guinea and of course I was glad to tell. I poured out my heart as he wolfed down his food.  When I ran out of breath, he handed me a booklet about a children’s village that Four Corners Ministries was building in….you guessed it….UGANDA called Abannas Hope. He invited me to go and explained that they needed someone else on the ground there to help oversee their efforts in Uganda.  After consulting with Holly and the kids, we committed to go as a family to see what else God has in store. More on Four Corners later.

It was finally time for my trip with Brian. He is the mission leader at Cornerstone Church in Auburn. They have partnered with the village of Buloba, which is just northwest of the city of Kampala. They sponsor nearly 400 children providing them schooling, meals, and hope. Also, they have helped build a church, discipled its leaders, dug a well, helped build a school and reached out to the entire community there with the love of Christ. They are commited to helping the people there not only know Christ but to be empowered to create generational change among their people. They take several trips each year and this one was to identify and reach out to the young men in the area on behalf of Buloba Community Church. What better way than the universal language of soccer. Most of our group were very skilled soccer players and/or coaches. The rest of us, well we had fun. We did much more than soccer but the young men turned out by the hundreds when you got a ball out of the van. This was an amazing time for me to mingle, meet the people, hear their inspiring stories and talk about how magnificent our God is. We were able to pray with the people, assist with their chores, hang out with them, talk about Jesus with them, etc. Their joy, resourcefulness, and persistence inspired me like I can’t explain. Their situation broke my heart like I can’t explain. The average person lives on less than $1 per day. It was a joy to meet the men, women, and children there. I wish I had time to tell the personal stories but just know they are individuals created by God for the same purpose you and I were. War and poverty have left them in a state of despair but they are proud and they are determined to make a better future. I made lifelong friends among them and felt right at home among them. Thank you God for the opportunity that was given me to go. Huge thanks to Brian and the members of Cornerstone Church for being the hands and feet of Jesus and transforming the lives of an entire community. By the way, there are plenty more Buloba’s out there waiting on churches like yours and mine to simply come alongside them and bear their burden. Wait…haven’t I read that somewhere?