Camping in the Bush

The most amazing part of today is how I can honestly say the journey turned out to be as beautiful as the destination.

Tall green grasses reaching eight to ten feet in height lined the road for miles and miles. Because it’s the rainy season here everything is lush and green and full of life. The grasses dance in the wind, swaying back and forth as if to say, “Come this way, come and see Uganda”. The pine trees look almost conflicted in the landscape, as one would not expect to see this tree in such a dry and desert land. Behind these tall grasses hide the lives of a forgotten people. Tiny faces peeked through the greenery as we bumped along the orange dirt road. Thatch roofs covering round huts sit just off the main drive in groups of three or four. Only when the wind blows can you catch a glimpse of life inside these villages.

We could not wait to arrive to our own village and meet the people who had been told we were on our way. To say we became emotional at our village greeting would be an understatement. As our van approached, the singing of women and children could be heard. They waved tree branches in their hands and their bodies swayed back in forth in tribal sort of motion. Babies were wrapped tightly to the backs of young mothers who were dressed in mismatched but brightly colored clothing. Children with dirty faces and without shoes on their feet ran towards the bus singing songs of welcome. We descended only to be met with hugs, handshakes and more singing. All this for us, a bunch of normal people from the suburbs of south Texas. But this clan knew we were coming and had prepared and waited for weeks. 

The Pastor of the village gathered his people around and gave a warm greeting and thanks to God. Within in minutes several of the women from our group had at least one small child in their lap with several more gathered around at her feet. We all listened intently to the pastor speak.“Ameena, Ameena” (Amen, Amen) the people would reply each time he said something of importance. And how hard it was to also take in our new surroundings all at once. Three huts created a triangle shaped center for us to congregate and socialize. Mango trees provided much needed shade. The medical team (Val, Mary Grace, Deborah and Lucy, our local doctor) readied their station to attain to the sick. The others began games with the children. Bubbles, a parachute and children’s songs became an instant hit for the kids. The thing they loved seeing most was our photo books from back home of friends and family.

Within a few hours the clouds rolled in and the wind began to blow. Frantically we began assembling our tents. “Don’t worry, it will not rain”, a local man said to us. Wise in his years he told us again, “It will not rain”. For whatever reason we found it hard to believe a man who’d learned to live off of his land and knew everything about nature. And so, like crazy Americans, we created what looked like a Chevy Chase Does Uganda scene and put up ten tents with one hammer and six Americans (five of those being women). The village people just sort of stood around looking at us like we were crazy as we desperately tried to prepare for the sky to fall. Needless to say it did not rain. Not even one drop.

One of the biggest blessings of the day was to see the teenagers (Madison, Millie, Michal, Matthew and Adam) take to the children right away. Without hesitation they jumped right in with games, horseplay, hugs and laughter. They have been real troopers never complaining, always helping and completely willing to do whatever needs done in order to serve and love on these people.

 The evening brought music, dancing and lots of laughter with the village people. It’s amazing how a language barrier all but ceases to exist when music is played. These people have no running water, no electricity and really no connection to the outside world. They live as people might have lived over two thousand years ago. They are a people from the land and of the land. Their lives could not be any more different from ours yet dancing and laughter brought us together as friends. How we are more alike than different in so many ways. We love the same, hurt the same, bleed the same and are all in need of the same thing: the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The evening ended with the tribe watching The Jesus Video in the Acholi language and on Sunday morning four men and one young boy asked Jesus Christ to come into their lives.

Sunday morning we sat in the shade under one of the mango trees for hours as different men preached and people shared their testimonies. In between teachings the people would all stand to worship God. With only a drum and hundreds of beautiful Acholi voices these people worshipped without abandon, so simple, so sincere and with all the understanding of who God is and what he has done for them. I still stand in amazement that our Lord Jesus Christ draws our hearts together when we share in his redeeming love.

Sunday afternoon we went from hut to hut passing out Mercy Bags. These are the bags I wrote about previously. Each bag was passed out by a team member who shared how the soap represented Christ coming in and making us clean on the inside, how the sugar is the sweetness of Christ and what he adds to our lives and the salt is what we are to be to others that they may also know the love of our Lord and Savior.

 An important part of our day was seeing the village well where they’d gathered water before Villages of Hope Africa drilled a new one two months ago. We walked fifteen minutes one way just to reach the hole and were heartbroken to see what they’d been using as their resource (see photo). Praise God he led David and his team (Tony and Ivan) to this village where a new well was built. They now receive fresh water just a few minutes from their village! Thanks be to God!

One of our team members, Mary Grace, did an amazing job sharing with a village woman by saying, “I came here thinking I would help you, but you all have helped and changed me so much more.” And it’s true. These people have given us a gift we could never give in return. They’ve opened their homes to us, let us love on their children, hold their babies and pray for their sick. And in return we have caught another glimpse of Jesus and his love for each and every one of us.