When people ask me about Africa, it’s a little difficult to put in words a great response. It was a God thing that I was there, and watching his hand bring together each piece to get me there continually solidified the knowing that I was suppose to be exactly in Africa with Reaction Tour for my New Year’s.
The theme of this year’s Reaction Tour was REDEMPTION, and that topic was powerfully shared and embraced continuously. Sitting in those services, with the Word of God being deposited so richly, I don’t think anyone left the same. We will all remember as Pastor Chris body surfed across the crowd to demonstrate Peter swimming back to Jesus. Actually, that crazy moment is a real picture of what happened all week long. The Spirit of God moved, and so many ran toward Jesus and His good plan.
It was such an honor to be a part of this, and I had ample opportunity to minister to young people in various ways. I taught volleyball. I helped paint fingernails during beauty class. I handed out t-shirts and punched bracelets when campers picked up their shoes. I listened to their stories. I prayed for and with them and spoke into their lives. I had the great honor of introducing several to Jesus for the first time. I got to encourage the girls to be their own best friend and to embrace their season of singleness. I attempted to dance with them. And goodness, do Ugandans know how to dance! During our morning and evening services, I would look to my left and right and stand in awe of the God that brought me here to worship in a foreign land. The same God that I’ve known most of my life is very much alive in the hearts of the men and women of Uganda.
I had the pleasure of meeting several of these beautiful people. One thing that touched me was the level of respect that existed among these young adults. When I instructed volleyball, they listened and endeavored to do whatever we talked about. They were so friendly too. I’d say, “Good morning!” And then with wide beautiful smiles they’d respond. They taught me two Ugandan handshakes, and treated me as if I belonged. It was obvious too how much the Ugandan leaders of the church that put this camp together, loved their countrymen and endeavored to pour out their lives on their behalf. Truly their leadership was a continuous example to me of the love of God in action.
As our bus drove through the city of Kampala, I got to witness a snapshot of life in Uganda. It’s a busy place, to say the least. There are no stop signs or street signs. Shops line the streets. A random cow or goat grazes along the street. Street vendors sell their wares. A little boy carries by the neck a recently killed chicken. A truck is parked next to the street with a man in the back chopping pineapple. Boda bodas whiz by us, sometimes making the narrow road into a five lane highway. Some people walk with a purpose carrying this or that on their head. Many seem to wander aimlessly, and some lie along the street sleeping despite the pandemonium that surrounds them.
We rode through a rainstorm once. The water rose almost high enough to get into the bus. The streets were still busy that day, though many had sought shelter. The depth of the water was too much for more than one boda boda. I watched as one toppled over as it endeavored to push through the muddy water, overcome by the weight of the storm water. A young man picked up the lady that was driving and carried her in his arms as he rushed to get help. She didn’t look seriously injured, but I prayed a prayer that she would be okay. Our bus slid a little in the muddiness as our driver navigated us back to camp. At one point, he got out of the bus, and helped another lady that couldn’t figure out how to get her car off of the road so our bus could pass. I was especially thankful that day when we pulled into where we were staying for camp!
Some ask if I saw any cool animals… Well, goats, cows, chickens, and cats were the animals I saw the most. Once a small herd of cows marched along the road in the opposite direction of where we were driving. Chickens regularly ran through camp. I asked how people knew whose chicken was whose. “They always come home at night,” I was told. We did have monkeys living in our backyard that made an appearance a few times. They wouldn’t let us get too close before they’d dart away, which prevented me from bringing one home for a souvenir :). Then there was one very exotic looking blue lizard that we spotted climbing a tree near our back porch. No giraffes or lions or tigers or bears. Oh my! An avocado tree and jackfruit tree added to the jungle like feeling of our backyard.
Actually, that was the first thing that I noticed when I got off the plane in Entebbe. Uganda is green! I don’t know exactly what I expected, but it’s much greener than I thought it would be. It reminded me of a tropical rain forest.
The other color of Uganda, which I had expected, is red. The dirt is red. And I found myself covered with some of this red dirt every day of camp. If I wouldn’t have washed it off, one could’ve believed that I had the nicest tan of forever.
As for the food…well, to say the least, I was fed so well while there. Our team had bought groceries for us, so we were responsible for making our own breakfast. Dinner was made by one of our team members. Lunch was prepared for us by some of the Ugandan ladies at the camp. It was very yummy! It usually was composed of chapatti, rice, chicken mixed with veggies, an avocado and tomato mixture, and fruit. Ah yes, the fruit! If I could have brought back Uganda’s pineapple and mango, I would’ve. It was the sweetest and most delicious I’d had. I won’t ever be able to eat pineapple and mango with the same thought process again.
So at the end of a very full week, we went to an oasis of a hotel in Kampala for a couple of days to rest up before beginning the longggg journey home. I was thankful for these two days, but found myself needing to lean on Jesus significantly. I was tired. I hadn’t slept normally for a week and a half. And I had done something to my neck. One of our guys thought maybe I had pinched a nerve. But it hurt. I was in tears. I felt rather alone, and so I got out the Word and leaned into Him. Soon after, I was given a pain killer that helped. Soon after that, two friends from back home (that now live in Kampala) came to visit me. It lifted my heart to see them! We ate dinner. We shared. I went to bed that night in awe of how quickly God could take a low moment and turn it into a high moment of pure joy.
The next day, my friends picked me up and took me to their BEAUTIFUL home. They made a most delicious breakfast for me and took me to the market where they helped me barter and get good prices for the souvenirs I bought to take home. I wish I could’ve had more time to spend there. There were so many unique items! I woke the next day and finally captured the masseuse for a deep tissue massage, and then I found a chocolate croissant, green tea, and a conversation about resting in Jesus. It was a perfect way to end a very special adventure!
Well, I suppose one never really does end a trip like this. What had been a rather abstract concept, a chapter in my history book, an episode on television, has become a real place to me, a place forever alive in my heart. My vision has been forever enlarged, my dreams expanded. Thank you, Father God. Thank you, Reaction Tour. And thank you, Uganda!
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