One Step at a Time

Thursday, July 11, 2019

On A Mission

“...you are a missionary, because you are on a mission for God wherever you are.” This quote was used on two team members' (Thank you Jordan and Amy! 🙂) fund-raiser shirts, and was evident to me in preparation for the trip, and SO EVIDENT while we were there!

Oakwood came together with such generosity; providing medicine, medical supplies, t-shirts, pillowcase dresses, backpacks, and additional funds. Small groups provided all the over-the-counter medicines we could take! The congregation provided gauze, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Precious ladies made over 400 dresses, and others bought over 400 t-shirts for each child to receive a gift at Jennifer’s school. The sewing ministry made individual backpacks and personalized them with names for each child at the orphanage. Each child also received a beautiful bag with soap, lotion, shampoo, and a washcloth. Birthday bags were provided for a birthday party at Mashah Orphanage. Additional donations were provided to help fund the medical clinic. All of these donations by God’s people were evidence of “being on mission” wherever we are! And, when that happens, God blesses the effort, and others are blessed!

At the hotel, Nile River Bend Resort, we saw staff members who consider their God-ordained mission to serve those who come there! And, oh were we blessed to stay with them!

The Ugandan pastors, their congregations who helped, the youth of the churches, the Ugandan doctors, dentists, and nurses; were clearly on a mission for God. Their untiring ministry to each patient, to us, and to the community of Kalagala was such a blessing!

The Oakwood mission team went and were “on a mission!” We saw sacrifice in paying for the trip, making time to prepare, and taking extra luggage by each individual! They worked tirelessly, and gave of themselves to help! They were...on a mission!

Because God’s people were missionaries, 1,600+ people in Kalagala were able to be seen by a doctor or dentist, children in orphanages were shown God’s love, and children in five different schools heard the gospel! Wow! What a blessing to see God work in so many lives!

After I got home and was thinking about the trip, God reminded me of the verse, “We are laborers together with God.” 1Corinthians 3:9 Truly, when we work together, with God leading, much can be accomplished—one-step-at-a-time!

Sorting Medicines for the Medical Clinic

Oakwood Team and Medical Team on the Bus Ready to Go

Waiting to See the Doctor

Doctors Seeing Patients

Medical Clinic Team--Oakwood, Doctors and Dentists

Oakwood Team and Youth Team on the Bus Ready to Visit Schools

The Popular Parachute!

Oh so Cute!

Tug-of-War

Relay Races :)

Relay Races

Running Relay

Greeting the Students--Ready to Play!

Typical Classroom

In the Classroom

Praying to Receive Jesus as Savior

Pillowcase Dress made by Oakwood Church Members

Resting afer Receiving a New Dress

Oakwood Team, Youth Team, and Teachers at Jennifer's School in Kalagala

Oakwood Team

Jennifer's Orphanage Children after Receiving Gifts

Birthday Party at Mashah Orphanage

Party Time!

Party!!!

Oh So Sweet!

Friends!

Ready to Go!

Beautiful!

Precious!

So Very Special!

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

God Is With Us--ALWAYS!

God gives us precious moments to know, and see Him clearly each and every day! I know that one reason I love our times in Uganda so much is that--because I am aware of God working—He is ALWAYS so apparent to me. In Uganda, I am on high alert to see and hear from Him, and so I notice more what He does in my life while we are there! He is in my life EVERYDAY, just as He is in Uganda, but I am not looking so intently!

We arrived in Uganda, late on a Thursday night. We had already seen God make a way for a late plane to arrive for an “on-time” connection. We had seen Him get us through immigration and customs, and almost all of our luggage arrive safely. He had helped Pastor Mathias and Pastor Steven to travel safely to pick us up. And then, He took us safely on the three-hour-drive to Jinja. All of these things were before we had even slept one night in Uganda!

For the next nine days, God was all around us. He was answering prayers almost before we could ask friends and family to pray about a concern. I would pray in the morning about the day’s concerns, and then watch, anticipating how God was going to meet every need.

We were so blessed to be with the Ugandan people—to see their faith, and ministry commitment, to see their faith through struggles that we as Americans have no conception of facing. Struggles that, honestly, before we started going to Uganda, I had never imagined! We were blessed to worship through dance and song, see children lead out in testimony to God’s goodness, and visit in homes of struggling women who have a strong hope in Jesus Christ.

At the clinic, God allowed us to minister with committed Ugandan doctors and dentists, church members, and pastors and their wives, to over 1,700 patients. We were able to visit, play games, and give testimonies about Christ to over 1,000 students at schools. We visited Jennifer’s school and orphanage, and were so excited to share crafts about God and His love for them, “pillowcase” dresses, t-shirts, and hand towels with 300 students, because of the generosity of precious members at Oakwood. Then, through Oakwood’s sewing ministry gift of 15 quilts, we presented each child at the orphanage with a personalized quilt! They were so excited! Oh my goodness, we were blessed by their smiles!

And, in the midst of all of these “God blessings,” we were surrounded by the natural beauty of Uganda, and able to stay at the Nile River Bend Resort—beautiful accommodations, absolutely delicious food, and the most amazing staff!

We were completely blessed! No doubt about it! Most wonderful, beyond comprehension was God answering prayers, concerns, making a way, each and every day—One-Step-At-A-Time!