O how the sun rises anew each day,
relentless;
it wakes the dawn with beams of longing,
begging that dusk be forgotten.
Seeking, but never finding,
running, only to continue hiding,
aching, transformed to scorching,
and wondering where to find one thing.
It is a tireless pursuit: who can match it?
The fires that burn fuel it further
until the sun is burned by it's own weeping rays
and spots itself in embaressment.
It is doubtful the sun shall ever quit,
even more doubtful that it should ever succeed;
A star so large, so small,
is called to an end.
Here I sit in a beautiful, Ugandan building overlooking the Nile as the morning mist vacates the waters. A few small, canoe-style boats dot the surface of the slow waters, and the river bank teems with native folliage, all of it desiring to be kissed by the sun, all reaching to break through the mist and feel the warm hand of the African dawn. Birds of all kinds sing their morning song, spreading their proud wings in an effort to attract their mates, and opening thier eager bills and beaks to sweep up unwitting fish that flow like water through the world's largest river. The waters glisten, almost brightly enough to make one forget of the filth and grime that's mingled in its current.
But I digress; I'll save the rest for when I come home and, as my good friend put it, give you all a bit of Africa through my eyes. All this has been given to you as a taste of what I am now experiencing in Jinga, Uganda. We are here until Thursday when we drive to Kampala (which is Uganda's capital city), and Friday we drive to the airport in Entebbe. We arrive in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America on Saturday the 28th, and on the 29th I will see my wonderful mother and father, my beautiful sisters Amanda and Sarah, and my precious, adorable neice, Ivy Elizabeth. I will see my aunts and uncles, my good friend Dominick and First Southern Baptist of Black Canyon City, I will see familiar places and faces, and then come the 10th or so of August, I will be back in Grand Rapids, ready for what's next.
Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends and even foes, familiar and unknown, far and near, foggy and clear, all people in all places: I am coming back. Bear this in mind, though: God has reignited my heart for long-term missions, and I think I know where He wants me to go next. Praise God! I want to give a shout-out to my mother, Patricia Elizabeth Campbell, for being so consistent in posting my blog posts on facebook so everyone can easily find them.
Please continue to lift us up in prayer: we are not back yet, and the Lord may yet have unexpected ministries for us to attend to here, even as we debrief and relax. Please pray for open hearts on the team, for patience among our leaders, and understanding among the team members. Please pray that we travel safely (we fly out at about 11:30pm on Friday night, local time, for those who wish to know), and that those who raft today will be safe (I am, for cost reasons, not in their number, sadly), that those who bungee jump tomorrow will be safe (I am, gladly, in their number), and that we may all be safe and return to you all safe and sound. I know not who all reads my posts, but my posts have received over 1300 views, so I assume that unless my mother had read them some 1000 times that people I do not know and may never know have read these. To you I write this conclusion:
God wins.
@the_passport
