It’s crazy to think that our team just returned from our debrief in Jinja and we only have six weeks left here in Rukungiri. At the beginning of the trip debrief was something I was looking forward to that seemed so far away. The trip to Jinja was a perfect mixed of excitement and rest, and once again it was a time for God to show His unfailing faithfulness.
When we arrived in Jinja I was not sure what to expect to get out of debrief. But in every way God was there to overwhelm me with His power and comfort. I was reminded every day of His unimaginable power as I looked out at the Nile River that only our Heavenly Father could have created because of its beauty.
On Monday we were able to go white water rafting on the Nile, and I can honestly say it was an amazing, exciting, slightly terrifying experience that I would do again tomorrow if I could. It is crazy to think that God had and still has the power to create grade five and six rapids that have the ability to kill me. But it is comforting to know that He also has the ultimate ability to protect me in situations like that and any other that might arise on this trip.
Along with this excitement, the week was a great time of rest and a time to process all that has happened thus far and to make goals for the next six weeks. A little over two months ago I was sitting in Lafayette High School dreaming about this trip and hoping God would show up in some incredible ways. To be honest I don’t even feel like that Ashlin anymore. Since I have come to Uganda I have grown more than I could have ever imagined and my relationship with my Heavenly Father has also grown more than I could have imagined. God has continually taught me just how faithful He really is. And He does this sometimes in the smallest examples. Like when I was exhausted walking to the boy’s high school with my leader and the primary school got out of class and twenty little children came running toward me wanting hugs and high fives, showering me with the love and joy that only comes from Our Father.
Or when I am questioning what God is using me for and one of the students at Makobore comes up to me and asks me to share some of my favorite Bible verses with him, which then turns into an hour long conversation about God. This trip has taught me that fully trusting in the Lord and constantly seeking Him is truly the only way to live. In Matthew 7:33-34 it says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Our team has six weeks left here in Rukungiri but instead of worrying about making sure we pack that time with ministry, I am confident that God will do that for us. He has already been so faithful these past two months; I have no doubt that He will be for our last two.
Once the excitement form rafting had faded and I had the opportunity to process the trip and formulate all my thoughts and feelings, I was ready to go back to Rukungiri. As awesome as it was to go rafting, have real toilets, real showers and unlimited wifi, that’s not what God called me to Uganda for and that’s not why I answered the call. As great as it was to have all that stuff I wouldn’t want to have it here in Rukungiri. Not having those things has stripped me of some of my selfish desires. Instead of getting on Facebook or Instagram I open my Bible and dive into the Word. Reading the Bible is so much more rewarding than reading someone’s Facebook status or seeing the newest instagram upload. So leaving those things in American and again in Jinja wasn’t hard.
When I got off the bus last night and walked back to our house in the wonderful town of Rukungiri that I missed so much I felt an overwhelming peace because I knew I was home. My heart is in this town. It’s with the boys at Makobore high school, with the girls at the vocational school I cook with every Tuesday, it’s with the children and babies at the market, with the people of this country and it’s with God.
Before coming on this trip there was a part of me that was worried I would miss out on so many things back in Virginia. But white water rafting on the Nile, seeing the beautiful mountains that God created, playing soccer with Ugandan teenage boys and having the opportunity to spread the Gospel everywhere I go is so much better than anything I could ever think of or anything I may be missing in my life back home. I’ve learned that when I am doubting or questioning things in life God has already gone ahead of me and already knows my plans. God knew the ups and downs I would experience on this trip before I even left the states, and that is all I need to feel comforted and loved by Him.
