The Little Things

Things I expected to have happen in Africa: people getting healed, demons being cast out of people, tons of people coming to Christ.
Things that have I have not seen happen in Africa: people getting healed, demons being cast out of people, tons of people coming to Christ.
But living a life for the kingdom of God and following His call to a place such as Rukungiri, Uganda does not mean that what I expect is going to happen happens.
I'm learning that its about the little things, the little ways God moves, and the fact that God moves in huge ways EVEN IF I CAN'T SEE IT. There is no checklist to what serving God looks like – he only wants us to have faith and love him and the rest will follow. Life with Him is filled with big revelations but also with beautiful little moments and treasures each day.
This trip is not a 2 week mission trip where we go go go all the time and are super busy and crazy things happen every day.
This is me and 14 other wonderful people living together in Africa for almost 4 months. We LIVE here, and though our purpose here is to serve God, I'm learning that this is also my home right now and ministry is not a scheduled time of the day, its a lifestyle, just as it needs to be when I come back to my actual home.
Sometimes living in Africa is hard. We ran out of water this week so I couldn't shower for 7 days and dishes were impossible; the power was out all weekend because of constant rain so I couldn't get on the internet at the Internet cafe to see what was happening back home; cooking grilled cheese and soup for my team takes over 2 hours over charcoal fires; I miss Canadian normalcy and the beautiful community I have back home; and finally, seeing the brokenness and poverty and conditions here completely broke me yesterday to the point of crying uncontrollably at the top of a hill overlooking Africa and asking God WHY.
This week has been the hardest by far – we have all felt burned out and tired and there have been bumps with our ministry at the school and we miss home and I started this week with zero motivation to do anything. And I am so broken for this nation and sometimes feel helpless with the burden I have for these people and children.
But throughout the week, God has really taught me that though there hasn't been any extreme moments, I am living in Uganda for almost 4 months and there have been so many beautiful moments thats would never happen in Canada, and this is an amazing experience that not many people get to have, and through all the little things, His love is being shared, and I get to be a part of it! And though sometimes the differences here and the brokenness is overwhelming, it is not up to me to fix it, it is up to God, and I just have to be willing for Him to use me however He needs to for His will to be done, because His will is so much more perfect than mine. And through the little things, His glory is being revealed so much.
The little things, like these:
Holding a little girl named Truth on my lap for the entirety of a 4 hour long african church service in a language I don't understand on a hard wooden bench, but knowing that holding her may be the most love she's ever received, and the joy I had from having her in my arms was incredible.
Going to our friend Grace's house (a room she rents alone in someone's backyard) for fellowship with Hillary and Ashley. Grace is about 28 years old and lives alone, and is the child-sponsor relationship director at a Compassion centre nearby. She is an incredibly passionate woman of God, and talking to her was so encouraging and she couldn't stop telling us how wonderful it was for her to meet us. She prepared us so much delicious food and it was a beautiful visit.
Sitting on a 12 hour bus ride with Sarah Ann and laughing for a full 30 minutes about all the ridiculous things that have happened on this trip – finding joy in how very different this culture is.
Sharing songs that I have done 100 times at Camp Chestermere back home during worship with the boys at the high school on Easter morning, and seeing the overwhelming joy it brought them, even though we played the songs on a crappy keyboard and a guitar over terrible speakers, and African drums keeping the beat.
Leading a woman named !!! In a salvation prayer on the side of a dirt road, by speaking the words, having Seth (our Uganda friend who lives with us and accompanies us to help us in this foreign land) translate my words, then having her say them, after which the joy and tears on her face reminded me of the joy of my own salvation.
Sharing my testimony with Seth over African tea and bananas and hearing his and the amazing way God has redeemed His life and how passionate Seth now is about sharing the freedom and life he has found in Christ with other people.
Walking to the high school each morning accompanied by children going to the elementary school nearby, and having them hold my hands the whole way there. Also, walking our neighbour Rita home from that school one day in the pouring rain with Meghan- Ugandans never stay out in the rain but we had to get home to cook dinner and Rita wanted to walk with us so we threw a poncho over here and ran through the rain, which I don't think she had ever done before willingly, and she giggled the entire way and it was so beautiful.

Uganda is such a cool place, and I honestly can't get over the fact that I will have lived here for almost 4 months. What an incredible blessing that God chose to bring me here to pour out His love! Its so different here, and I have learned and grown so much, and I know that this last month here is going to be the best one yet, despite the bumps in the road and exhaustion and brokenness, because my God is so big and He is so not done in this town yet!

I can't wait to be home and share these stories and the ones to come in person, because even through the trials and couture differences and sadness here, Uganda is amazing. And from being woken up by the rooster in our backyard that we are cooking that night, to walking little children to school, to intimate team worship moments, to eating matoke way too often (mashed plantains), to looking out at amazing landscapes, to praying for alcoholics at the village we go to often, to Biblical conversations with high school boys who are learning to understand Gods love for real, I love this place and know I will leave a part of my heart here when I leave.

God is good, I live in Uganda and truly love it, my team is amazing, and Calgary, I'll see you in one month!