Night and Day 1 in Uganda

6/13/09
Night 1 in Uganda

TIA—this is Africa

We arrived in Entebbe and stepped out onto the tarmac to a balmy heat. After a small hurricane of paperwork and passports, we watched in astonishment as every single bag was accounted for—24 people and not one item missing. It was a first for in the five years this trip has come to Uganda. We loaded our luggage into the bus and said a few quick, yet fond, goodbyes to Tim, Seth and Tyler as they departed with Tim’s friends to Masaka. (Tim and his family lived in Uganda as missionaries for several years, and he and the guys had plans separate from the larger team.)

We got onto the bus, five to a row, and settled in for the two-hour trek to Jinja. Four hours and many near-death traffic experiences later (I jest not), we arrived sleepy-eyed at the hotel in Jinja. After picking at my food (some sort of squash, rice and freshly-slain chicken), we met briefly and then went to our rooms for the night.

Within two hours, we had killed a fast-moving lizard and laughed as power surge annihilated my power converter. Ah well. It was a spectacular end to its brief existence.

One of the many geckos we encountered in our hotel. The plan was to catch his ill-fated cousin and let him go, but it didn't turn out so happily for him.

//

6/14/09
Day 1 in Uganda

Training, training, training…

It was a full day of training for the outreach team. We went through our skits and testimonies about a million times and dissolved into side-splitting laughter and tears all the same. I’m so grateful to know them better.

The "resurrection moment" in the skit where James (who played Jesus) jumps up off the ground. We all had a good chuckle at this picture.

The orphanage and medical teams had great days on the field—challenging and rewarding. They came back with stories to tell, for certain. Tomorrow, we (the outreach team) will go to two prisons across the lake from the hotel to minister. I’m excited—much less terrified than I was when we began the day. We all seemed to loosen up and are feeling much better about performing the skits. It’s funny what things make you most nervous, when really there are much greater things at hand to anticipate. It seems we’re all in the same boat.

For tonight, we must rest.

The Littlest Hands

I noticed a little hand print on Darlene’s shirt as we gathered after a day on the field in Uganda. She was working with the orphanage team.

Alas

[A preface: I'll be posting a slightly edited selection of the journal entries I kept during my Uganda trip, along with photos and perhaps a video or two. My journal entries tend to be a mixture of recapping the day, processing the experiences we had and talking to God. I apologize if it seems confusing at times, but I think you'll catch on to how it works. Check back every few days for new updates! Thank you again to all of you who so graciously supported and prayed for me and the team.]

//

6/10/09
Day 1
@JFK // 9:56 p.m.

The launching point

So here it is. The long-awaited day of departure. It’s been a whirlwhind of a month leading up to this day. Honestly, I’ve been a bit weary from it all. But suddenly, as I sat down with the team for our first meeting, I let out a long sigh of relief. Something inside me is finally settling into a peaceful rhythm.

Now I have that feeling  get when I’m strapped into a rollercoaster and climbing the hill. No turning back. We’re boarding. Dubai…then on to Entebbe.

¡Venga!

//

6/12/09
Day 3 (technically)
Dubai, on the runway

Africa is upon us…

In six hours, we’ll touch down in Africa. We met a few Ugandans as we waited to get on the plane. A woman named Agnes thanked us sincerely for our help ahead of time. Last night was a fitful night of sleep, at best. We landed around 8 p.m. and checked into a hotel at Dubai. After dinner, we all readily retired to our rooms for the night. But despite my weariness, I think I’m ready for this.

Later in the 13-hour flight…

We’re about to land in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a short on-plane layover as we trade out some passengers. From there, it’s on to Entebbe, then a bus to Jinja. I just finished watching “Slumdog Millionaire.” Really thought-provoking, heartbreaking movie. I don’t like to walk away from movies like that and do nothing. 

Lord, show me what I can do.

Still later in the flight…

I see Africa out my window! And I heard God speak to me about my question regarding my internal struggle after watching Slumdog…

“Love the orphans,” He said.

That’s what I can do. Not just physical orphans, but spiritual ones, too. I just read a devotion about how we call God “Father” in the first part of the Lord’s prayer. All this last month, I’ve been hearing about the spirit of adoption and the Father heart of God. Now I’m seeing how it applies to this trip, this team and all the people we’ll see and meet.

Father, keep on preparing me. I want to see Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

Return

//

With weary eyes I watched as lightning danced from cloud to cloud. We were in a holding pattern over my newly adopted home, circling the airport until the weather cleared enough to allow a safe landing. The world was muffled as my ears protested the fourth descent from miles above the earth in a mere thirty hours. The past two weeks spent on a continent an ocean away from my own was still rattling around in my head and sinking into my heart. The closer I got to the ground, the more I knew…

I was finally home again.

//

We walked many roads while in Africa–many made of dirt and lined with refuse. Many times our knees hit the African soil as we portrayed the Gospel in the form of a short skit. As much as I cringed at the thought of a skit before our trip, I see now how God used us all, despite our limited skills, experience and resources, to reach others with the Kingdom. It would be unjust to glaze over the trip as something summarized in a few words, but the words that I seem to give in response to the question, “How was Uganda?” are these: incredible, difficult, crazy, exceedingly good.

I can only speak for myself in this, but my time in Uganda really broke me. It may sound dramatic, but there was a day where I truly felt overwhelmed with the desperate need of the people there. At times, that very need made their hospitality all the more meaningful. At other times, it made the pushy nature of some of the people we met all the more understandable. How would I behave in the throes of such circumstance?

Admittedly, I ran out of grace more than once, painfully baffled as to how to truly love. But then there would come a conversation or an encounter or a simple observation that would turn it all upside down. It was beautiful. I walked away from the experience with a deeper understanding, I hope, of God’s heart for the poor and forgotten, the widows and the prisoners, the broken and the orphaned.

Safely Home

Around about 7 p.m. last night, I finally landed in Kansas City! A friend picked me up from the airport and we drove through flooded roads and “dodged” loads of cloud-to-ground lightning…it was a pretty crazy welcome home! Anyhow, I’m glad the 30+ hour ordeal of traveling is over, and incredibly grateful to God for the work He has done (and continues to do) in and around me through this trip.

I kept a daily journal of my experiences, so I’ll be sharing a selection of those over the days and weeks to come, along with lots of photos. Keep an eye out for these! And again, many many many thanks to those of you who prayed and supported me. I can honestly say that Africa broke me in half, but that God is a faithful God and has used it so powerfully. There were many people we truly connected with as a team, and I know many lives were changed for His glory.

Stay tuned,

Rachel

From Uganda, with love :)

Hey all!

We arrived in Jinja, Uganda safely on Friday evening! We flew from NYC to Dubai, then stayed the night in a hotel there, and left early the next morning for our flight to Entebbe, Uganda. We got on a bus for Jinja, after watching in astonishment as every single one of our 50+ bags were accounted for. Our bus ride turned into a 4-hour ordeal. Let’s just say traffic has no rhyme or reason in Africa, and there were a LOT of people on the road.

The medical and orphangage teams had successful days today, and we (the outreach team) spent the day here at the hotel practicing our skits and testimonies. We’re headed to a few prisons tomorrow (it’s 9:45p on Saturday as I write this) to share with the inmates there. Our hotel is directly situated on the stunning Lake Victoria, and we get to take a boat ride across it tomorrow to visit the first prison. We’ll do church with them and also spend some time with the children of the prison staff.

Already I have seen God working and moving in all of us. I’m excited for what’s to come! We head back to Entebbe at the end of the week to spend our last several days there. Thankfully, the hotel here in Jinja has free (but really slow) internet access…so I will update you all a few times!

Much love,
Rachel

Forty Six Hours

Can you believe it? After an amazing showing of support and generosity over the last several months, my Uganda trip is paid off! And in about 46 hours…I’ll be on a plane heading to Dubai, then on to Entebbe, Uganda. Words fall badly short to describe the range of emotions and thoughts that have overwhelmed me these past few weeks as the trip has drawn nearer. And I’m not even over there yet! I can imagine things will really pick up once we launch out into our specific missions. God is so faithful.

For those of you still curious, I will be on the outreach team. We’ll be ministering in different villages–in the streets, in churches, in orphanages, etc. Our 20+ member team will be divided into four groups: outreach, orphanage, construction and medical. From what I’ve gathered, we’ll spend half our time in Entebbe and the rest in Jinja. I don’t think I will have too much internet access there, and I opted not to bring my Macbook over with me. Hopefully I’ll be able to update once or twice, but if anything, my internet time will be dedicated to communicating with my family and close friends. We’ll see how it goes!

For those of you reading who have supported me, either financially or in prayer or both, thank you so, so much. It means more to me than you know. Keep on praying! We’ll need it, I’m certain. God is moving and I’m truly looking forward to the things to come.

Uganda or bust! Get me on that plane!

-Rachel

One Month Out

Our Africa Benefit was a great success! I apologize for not updating about it sooner. We had so many dear friends come out and were able to raise a good chunk of change toward our trips. It was a blast to have such a variety of musicians play, along with some artwork and photography on display.

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing my good friend Ellen off for her Uganda trip. She’s traveling with my alma mater to some of the same areas we’ll be. As I helped her pack and listened to her stories about her week-long training she had just completed, I suddenly realized that I am now one month out from my own Ugandan adventure. Summer is a time full of missions and new adventures, that’s for certain! I was amazed as I helped Ellen pack things into her hiking backpack at how efficient you have to be when it comes to what you bring.

I am down to just a few hundred dollars to raise, and my deadline has been moved back to June 1 since I have about 90% of my funds raised. We were able to book our tickets this past week, and all my passport stuff and immunizations are in order! I’m getting really excited for the trip, though I admittedly had my “freak out moment” about all of it sometime last week. I mean, going to a totally foreign country for two weeks is a bit daunting, if you ask me!

For those of you who may not know, I am actually making a move to Kansas City in the midst of all this. I’m heading up there this Sunday (May 17), where I’ll be joining up with the 24-7 Prayer Movement and writing loads of stories for their Campus America initiative and, essentially, living as a missionary. Keep an eye out for a letter from explaining more of what that’s all about. For now, you can check out the links in this post for more info and visit my regular blog here.

Thank you again to all of you that have gotten behind me for this trip. I know it’s going to be transformational for both me and the people I encounter.

God bless!

-Rachel

The Africa Benefit

Hello friends, family and dear ones…

After the silent and live auctions we have had over the last two weeks, I am excited to report that I am very close to the 80% mark for my fund raising! It’s been so amazing to see things come together.

My dear friends Ben and Mary (they’re husband and wife–so sweet!) are also traveling with BWO this summer. They will be going to South Africa about a week after I leave for Uganda. We put our heads together and decided to put on a benefit show at a local “rock ‘n’ roll boutique” to help with our fundraising. Here are the details, for you locals:

What: The Africa Benefit
When: Saturday, April 18 from 7:30p-9:30p
Where: Ida Red Boutique (on Brookside in Tulsa–Google for directions!)
The Lineup: Local artists such as Symon, Luci, Roger Jaeger, myself and Ben Carter…along with a few more, possibly!
The Details: We’ll have tons of stuff up for grabs, raffle-style, including local music, artwork and photography. Donations at the door are appreciated, but not required.

Come out and show some love. It’ll be a fun night out in a venue with tons of character and a group of people who are pretty darn rad, if you ask me.

The trip is coming up fast! I’m so excited.

Much love to all of you.
-Rachel

Almost There!

Wow! Once again, I am both humbled and amazed. In just a mere month’s time, over $2,000 in support has poured in from all of you. I have just under $1,000 to go and I’m well on my way to making the 100% deadline by May 1. The next few steps include getting my shots (I can barely contain my excitement…) and booking my flight to the airport where we’re all converging.

Some things you can pray for, if you feel so led, would be:

God’s favor as the team and I are preparing for the trip and raising funds.

We will be having a silent auction at the church at the end of March, which is often a BIG ticket event. We’ll be getting gift cards, goods, services and personal items (like photography, babysitting, artwork, etc.) donated by businesses and individuals around the community, then auctioning them off with “silent bids” placed by writing them down on a bid sheet.

We also just put deposits down for our tickets to Africa. Prices are rather unpredictable right now, so the BWO team is doing their best to keep it within a reasonable price range.

Peace and soundness of hearts and minds as we get closer to the trip.

Uganda (like many places in the world) has been host to a lot of darkness and difficult situations. As we are only about 3 months out from our arrival there, I’ve come to expect “pushback” from the enemy against the team. Especially with economic times looking as bleak as they do, peace is absolutely essential.

All that said…thank you, once again, for your support. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if there is anything I can keep in prayer for you, as well–or just let me know you’re reading along! I’d love to hear from you.

Grace and peace…

-R