I. Coming into my own

So I think I am coming into my own here in Africa, finally. As I walk along these streets at night I have so much to think about. What does this country mean to me? What exactly is my purpose here? Am I really helping anyone, or is it just for me?

These are pertinent questions on your 3^rd time in Africa for mission work, and questions I am often asking myself, and reveling at the answers at. When we landed at Entebbe last month these were some of my first thoughts, since it is always different each time I come. As I spent time with the Congo team I really sought to understand my role in Uganda, even while in the DRC…. Now, something, maybe, coming out of the darkness…

I’m falling in love again with the things I often have a hard time remembering to love. When I walk around my city here people I know flock to me and the other Americans here with me, and while sometimes it is too much, they’re just friends, and they want to spend time with you. Everyone has time for you, which, in turn, makes you have no time for anyone. Most travelers here understand this. When you’re here at African Hearts at any given time there are a dozen boys who want to spend time with you, and just you. This is a mathematical impossibility, and you can become anxious with the thought of letting so many of them down. It’s overwhelming, and it’s beautiful. Such innocent love. Such innocent laughter and smiles exist here as well. Yesterday I “preached” in a white tent at Inter-Aid, the Ugandan refugee agency, where the Congolese refugees live here. I told twenty beautiful people the story of Moses, who was once a refugee, and was always a mere man, was a man used mightily by God. As I read through Exodus with these people the story came alive. These people know toil and affliction; they know genocide like the one Moses was born into. They smile though, because they know God. That same God that met Moses at Horeb has met each one of these people where they are. They have the joy of the Lord and the shirts on their back. No advocate but the Lord. The story of Moses was real to them as we discovered together the foreshadowing of Christ that the story of Moses is, we discovered exactly how the first will be last and the last will be first. We discovered truths I would have otherwise missed. Ancient days and modern African days have much in common, the Bible comes alive here….

Those beautiful and wonderful people have said I’m a gift from God to them, that “Pastor Dan” is a blessing… I shy away from such acclaim, feeling entirely unworthy and very sure I’m not called to be a pastor, but that’s probably just some stupid pessimism I needn’t have. Like Moses I’m trying to say “here I am”, and like Isaiah I’m trying to say “here I am, send me”. The Congolese see it too, that I’m seeking to do with my life what God would have me do with my life. I guess they find it rare in a white person, knowing the inherent wealth we come from in America. I don’t know. I do know that little by little, as I said before, the darkness is becoming light. I don’t yet have a specific, all encompassing, “calling” that we usually think of, and people laugh at my degree choice, and most of my ideas, but I think I’m willing.

I’m willing to work with street kids, and do what it takes to assist others in getting them off the streets and making sure that someone loves them. I’m willing to network people in the United States so that they can be a part of what God is doing here. I’m willing to teach English around the world. I’m willing to speak to governments, schools, and militaries about sexual violence. I’m willing to do administration work or just listen to people who have never been listened to before. I’m willing to go into the prison where Scott worked and help that ministry in any way I can. I’m willing to help bring people to Uganda or Congo or Namibia or wherever so they can break their hearts. I’m willing to help people with little hope in Africa find opportunity in the United States. I’m willing to talk to someone to see if this refugee can return home. I’m willing to do bible studies with people who know the bible ten times better than me. I’m willing to go to Malawi with a team of Canadians. I’m willing to convince people the US is not the promise land, and to love their country. I’m willing to have the hard conversations for the right reasons…

I’m not willing to be complacent.

I’m not willing to forget what I’ve seen and learned.

The truth is that God has me in the place for a reason, my aspirations are getting narrower, but in what I’m reading and what I’m hearing from fellow sojourners, this is kind of where we end up, at a willingness to do whatever it takes to be a servant. I’m not alone in this journey… most of those who have been here with me now or in the past have somewhat similar willingnesses… it’s a beautiful thing I think

Just last night Jessica, the long-term American here, and I cooked spaghetti with meat sauce for the boys, it was amazing… not going to lie, the best meal I’ve had in a while. Yesterday, all in all was good. I finally found a church here that I really like. It’s Kampala Baptist Church, a beautiful little church near Makerere University. There are bunches of college students and I attended one of the Sunday school classes before the service at 11 am, which is the English service. I really enjoyed hearing the Sunday school of young adults discuss issues. It was really refreshing to stand in and be a part of some really intelligent discussion especially on the topic of debt and responsibility, I mean, I really learned a lot. The church service itself was amazing, and also on the topic of money, and at first I was skeptical since my experience here has been prosperity gospel and that’s about it. It was no such thing, merely a part of a series on faith, and the teaching about stewardship with our resources. It was solid and biblical with lots of Afrianesque stories that I loved, and the pastor was eloquent at his 2^nd language. I can’t even tell you what kind of relief it is to know that they’re teaching sound truths. The congregation was so nice as well. I sat by a friend I made at Sunday School, Isaac. He is a cool guy in medical school here in Kampala. He was Ugandan, and most of the people in the congregation were of course, but as I looked around I saw many people from different nations. I come to find out there were a large number of Americans, A Ukrainian family, a lady from India, a pastor from Burundi, and a few others… it was the most international crowd I’d seen at a church yet! The church service was so refreshing, and as it normally is, I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone I know and there I saw Grace Wamala, a friend of mine here in Kampala. He and I met up and walked back to Bakuli and talked a bit… it was good.

That’s how it is in this city… always seeing people you know, if you’re creative, usually something to do, and there is always someone to love. There are so many great Ugandan people that you can always find something interesting to do with, whether it’s Lutaaya, Sandra, Jr., Tony, Jumah, whoever, there is a friendship to be solidified and adventure to be had. It’s easy to get discouraged at times, but it’s also not hard to see the good and the adventure. I can’t yet claim, for sure, that this is “my city”, because you probably have to master conversational Luganda and the taxi system for that to be true, but I’m coming to a point where I know people here and there, and can get around. We can call one another and hang out (usually) and life is amusingly reminiscent of being in the states… I mean, sometimes you just don’t have time to do anything because of homework…. Not so different here, just a different work. Life is….. it’s good… it’s good here

I think I’m coming into my own here, and learning so much….

Please pray for these things:

-African Hearts’ expanding vision for street kids to include a drop-in center and other ministries
-the Congolese refugees here in Kampala
-Ssenge village in the Wakiso district, home of the new AfriHCO house
-the boys of African Hearts and their spiritual and moral development
-Uganda as a whole!