u g a n d a ,
nabbingo, uganda
… honestly, i feel so content with this month. we pulled up into nabbingo after about a 12 hour bus ride, meeting our hosts on the side of the street in the dark. pastor moses, who rode with us from rwanda, introduced us to our new hosts and said “you are safe.” – and honestly, that’s what i have felt from that moment. i have felt safe, taken care of, and loved – by God, my team, and our new hosts.
it’s a month, we are in a small space and going to be doing a lot of church ministry, but God has answered my prayer in a big way about helping me desire what is given to me in the moment and helping me find joy in what the day brings – i have not felt this kind of light heartededness and gratitude in a long time.
location: nabbingo is a district on the outskirts of kampala, with more of a village type vibe. dirt roads, little markets – smaller population. the weather is hot and humid, supposed to be rainy season but haven’t seen any rain yet. we have ventured into kampala and it is CRAZY: a bustling beehive, markets, people, music, cars, just cross the road in the middle of traffic, don’t hesitate: it’s insane, overwhelming, smoggy, and hectic. people often try and grab your hand.
language: mostly english actually!
ministry partner: anointed family church, a small church in nabbingo, tin walls and dirt floors but full of people who love jesus. michael , our pastor host and his wife rehema (who is also a pastor) have big dreams of not only expanding their church but also serving people in the community , specifically women, through opening a school and healthcare clinic. they have all ready drawn up grant papers and are praying for the support, people, and timing of these ministries. rehema has a huge heart for serving the pregnant women of the community.
we are their first team ever, they are excited and say we are a miracle and a blessin because they have been in talks to get a team since 2014. they are kind and open to hearing how it works, we have worked together to make a schedule, and they go out of their way to make us feel taken care of and loved. they are even going to help us and come with us on some adventure days!
lodging:: we are living with our host family and a tight space – two rooms, three in each bed and one on the floor, and half the host family sleep on a mattress on the floor in the living room right outside our rooms. (update: they moved into another room in a different complex to give us that extra room for space!) during the day that’s where we meet and eat. we have a squatters potty and bucket showers, and maybe a running water shower sometimes. there’s a little space for us to sit outside under the laundry line. our host family cooks for us. the word God gave me for this month was “together” and we are definitely together. alli, katie, and i tangled up under a mosquito net for sure.
what are we doing? we are doing a lot of church ministry – door to door evangelism house visits in the morning and church services in the evening where we are leading some worship and preaching. we will also be leading a women’s conference and youth conference. we will visit a preschool and some other churches in the area and we might take three days to go visit our pastors home village six hours away. rehema has also asked me to talk with their local midwife, which i am excited about – just to form a relationship, hear about her experiences and share some basic hygiene information and teachings.
month 11 – praying we can finish strong and with joy in our hearts.