The Body of Christ

Another wonderful and productive day in Uganda began as Rachel led us in a devotional early this morning. We talked about the struggle to maintain unity between us and the Divine.

Thursday looked a little bit different in the village of Akalabai, Uganda. Our entire team (yay togetherness!) went straight to the village in the morning and set up for the medical clinic. We met a Ugandan team of doctors and nurses, hauled a large amount of medicine, and systematically prepared for a full day of providing medical care to a large crowd of people.

The people of Akalabai (and neighboring villages) were waiting for us as we arrived. And the line of people continued until we shut down for the day late in the afternoon.

The procedure for the villagers began as they registered and got a prescription slip from a van upon first arrival. Then they lined up outside the church. When they reached the front and were called in, one from our team took their temperature and blood pressure, and wrote it down on their slip. Then, they were sent to one of a few doctors (including Dr. Bartha). The doctors wrote their prescriptions and gave them cards for the proper number of mosquito nets. The villagers went to a designated area to get prescriptions filled. Lastly, they picked up their mosquito nets and left. The entire operation ran pretty smoothly. It is very difficult to do crowd control in a culture that is not used to lines and is fighting desperately for survival. Here are a quick snapshots (and also pictures) from the day:

Laura took the temperature of a woman who literally crawled on her knees all the way through the church.

Cynthia heard the distinct noise of a little girl crying. It was loud and persistent (and the Lord was at work) so she decided to seek it out. When she discovered an elderly man, who was likely the girl’s grandfather, patiently leading the child around, she was very moved at his loving kindness.

A lot of the children were afraid of the machines and even some of us. We had to navigate some gentle crying, and maybe some less gentle. One little girl was staring off into nowhere while her mom led her to the mosquito nets. When she looked up and saw Joey, she literally stumbled backwards with a frightened look on her face. Garrett and Andrew had to mark hesitant babies as they handed out mosquito nets.

Karen met a family with an epileptic girl on the trail earlier this week. The family explained their various troubles in treating the girl and getting her to the church and waiting all day, so Karen wrote a note that would get her to the front of the line. Karen was not sure she had shown up until she left her post to take a few pictures and the girl tugged on her sleeve.

Dr. Bartha is a rock star! It was such a joy to see him, nestled in the corner of the church, living into his calling, serving his people. At the end of the day, he went into Mbale to get more medicine for tomorrow and was out until almost 9:00pm. He also gave a testimony at the crusade. Supernatural strength and knowledge. It was a blessing to behold a man and his mission!

The first day of the medical clinic was a huge success. We saw about 775 people, handed out about 880 mosquito nets and helped fill about 3,000 prescriptions. We expect even more people tomorrow as word about free health care travels swiftly to the surrounding villages. One of our ministry hosts told us today that some people travel from up to 10-13 miles away (on foot) to attend our clinic. We ran out of medicine today and expect more people tomorrow.

As our team got into a bit of a groove in the morning, a subset went out for a couple hours on the trail. There were not many people to see because they were all at the clinic, but we had some great encounters.

Pat shared with some workers in a field, one of whom was working up in a tree.

With many people not home, Rudi talked to people they encountered on the path and had five people come to know the Lord right in the middle of the Ugandan dirt.

Rachel talked with a bunch of people and surreally walked through a cornfield and also had her translator pick a banana straight off a tree.

Joey met a woman who remembered in vivid detail Kylie’s testimony from the Monday crusade.

Update: as you may recall, Kylie met a boy on her first day on the trail whose leg was broken from an accident that happened in February, his name was Osirei. Dr. Bartha worked with a local hospital and has arranged for the boy to have a surgery within the next couple of weeks that may save his leg.

Rudi and Allison made an impromptu trip to a prison where Rudi gave a great sermon and Allison a fantastic testimony. Several inmates gave testimonies as well (including a man who was healed of a skin disease through the power of prayer). Rudi and Allison felt as though they were recipients just as much as providers of ministry.

After we shut down the clinic, we had another exciting crusade. The team was full of joy as we danced with the kids (you should seriously see the videos of our associate pastor bustin’ a move)! Rachel gave a testimony about how God used her family to reveal Himself to her. Debbie gave a testimony about overcoming bondage and performance to accept the grace of God that comes without condition. Dr. Bartha gave a testimony about his internal struggles as he has helped so many others and how the Lord called him to a new life here in Uganda. The people literally interrupted in applause during all three testimonies! Andrew gave a great sermon about living water and prayed over the people of Akalabai as we got into the vans to leave for the day.

 

Pray that we continue to stay present and soak in all that the Lord has for us in the next few days. Our team has been heartbroken by the physical poverty here and moved by the spiritual abundance. Life is difficult in every culture. Apathy can be as dangerous as starvation. Keep us in your thoughts as we wrestle with all that we have seen and experienced here in Uganda. 

 

 We cannot believe the trip is almost over! But we still have ministry to enjoy! Thank you all for your prayers and support and for following our journey. 

Blessings,

The 2015 Uganda Mission Team