Lots to Share from this Week

Silence
6/13/07

Today, Wednesday, was chapel day. After the message given in chapel at Christ School, the students break up into Bible study groups, called cell groups. I am leading a cell group with my prayer partner Amy. Last week at cell group, things went well. Amy and I shared our testimonies and we had time for group prayer. The girls seemed responsive, their prayers were beautiful, and it went real well, especially for the first week.
This week was a much different experience. The girls didn’t speak a single word the whole 40 minutes we met. Amy and I sat there, asking questions, reading God’s word, and talking to them. But nobody uttered a single word the entire time. Ugandans are generally way more comfortable with silence than Americans. So, this is a cultural difference that I am getting used to; however, this was not just a cultural difference. Amy and I are pretty sure that the girls had taken some vow of silence. We figured they were angry that we did not take them to the market last Saturday and they were repaying us by not speaking. It was so awkward and frustrating.
The lesson that we were supposed to focus on was God’s unconditional love for us. During the awkward silence, Amy and I were convicted that we needed to model God’s unconditional love to them, despite their disrespect. For that is what unconditional love is all about. I did tell them how I was hurt by their silence, for the reason I came to Uganda was to build relationships with them and tell them about God and show them his love. I envisioned them weeping repentant tears, as the VonTrapp children did after Maria’s pinecone experience. That didn’t happen. I guess even though things were awkward and one sided, we were still able to love them, show God’s love, and start building relationships with them. We prayed for them. We asked the Holy Spirit to convict us all and bring unity and openness to the group. We claimed God’s promise from Isaiah 55:11. God’s word goes out from his mouth and does not return empty, but it accomplishes what God desires to achieve his purposes. I know God has a purpose for the words that the girls heard. Amy and I just need faith to know that it will happen, even though we may not see it in our timing. I think about how I was at the age of fifteen or so. Many people prayed for me and spoke God’s word to me, but I was so indifferent towards it. They must have been frustrated. Even though I didn’t respond to God’s word immediately, God accomplished his purposes in my life later on.
Please be in prayer for our cell group. Pray that Amy and I will be able to unconditionally love these girls so we can give them a better picture of our Father’s love. Pray for good soil in their hearts and a hunger for God and his word. Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead Amy and I to ask good questions and know how to minister to the girls.



In Christ Alone?
6/14/07

Since coming to Africa, I have met several people who have gone through Job like trials. Despite all that they have lost, they testify that they only get through it by their relationship with Christ. Yesterday I was talking with a Christ School girl on the porch. She asked me if I was a born again Christian. I said yes and asked her if she was. She said yes, she had accepted Jesus in 1999. She went on to say it was a very good thing, because just the year before, her father died in an accident (probably a motor vehicle accident as they are very common here). The death of her father left a very bleak looking situation for her mother and four other siblings. She joyfully said that God has provided for her and her family. We had dinner with a Ugandan couple last night. They have been married for 15 years and have seen three children die. They too, testified that they only were able to make it because of their relationship with God through Jesus. It made me think about how in America, we have so many things that blur our vision as to how much we need God. We have our health, we have our wealth and possessions. Here in Africa, many people don’t have that. So when someone says, the only way I make it through my life is by God’s grace and provision, it is an immensely powerful statement. In Africa, the needs are so great. It is tempting to think that if they just had enough money to get good food and healthcare and education, then things would be great. However, these material things aren’t nearly enough. Only the eternal hope and peace brought by the gospel of Jesus is enough.



Fear of Darkness
6/14/07

Several nights ago I was awakened by a frightening dream. Things here are scary enough at night with the complete darkness, noises, and all of the nightly critters. But this dream was so real, it was beyond the typical scariness. I was up for an hour, paralyzed by fear, hearing noises and feeling a strange breath against my skin. I kept praying and saying God’s word, but I was fumbling. This went on for a while until I fell back asleep, but there was definitely a presence of evil. We are continually reminded here that there is a spiritual battle going on. A battle that is not of fleshly, visible things, but against Satan and evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Since then, me and the girls have been a bit afraid of night time. Psalm 91 is read every night as we pray a hedge of protection around our minds. We really don’t have anything to fear.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you form the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91




Lots of Firsts…
6/16/07
Last night we had the village sleep out. This is where each of the mission interns goes with their prayer partner to sleep at a house in a nearby village. Amy and I went to one of my student’s houses. Her name is Esther. It was probably the most amazing experience I’ve had in my life. Here are some of the highlights:
*10 miles of hiking through Ugandan wilderness.
*Experiencing an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 while singing worship songs. It was amazing to see God’s power on display. It reminded me of the song “Did you feel the mountains tremble? Did you hear the oceans roar? When the lost began to sing of Jesus Christ the risen one.”
*Being followed by about 50 Ugandan children all because they are fascinated with “muzungus” or “white people”.
*Spending the night with a polygamy practicing family.
*Eating a rooster that we had just seen alive hours before.
*Sleeping in a mud hut.
*Chewing on sugar cane straight from the plant.
*Eating cocoa beans straight from the fruit.
*Receiving a goat as a welcoming present. If you know anything about the value of goats in Africa, you will realize that this is a ridiculously generous gift. None of the missionaries that have been here for over a decade have ever received a goat.
Needless to say this was an eye opening, incredible experience. There were many times where I found myself saying, “okay Andrea, this is really happening”. I am amazed at how you can spend enjoyable time getting to know people and not speak their language. By the time we left Esther’s house, we had many new friends. I am also amazed at their overwhelming generosity. Here is this Ugandan family giving us their best bed, preparing a feast, and sending us home with fruit and a goat! They give so much from their hearts and they don’t even have much to give. God, give me a heart like that!
God has been so good through this trip so far. He has provided safety, good health, and is opening doors to share his love through relationships. I am becoming friends with many of the Christ School girls, mostly through class, soccer, and porch talks and prayers. I gave my first chemistry quiz on Friday. I was a bit fearful as to how the students would do. Ugandans don’t really affirm you with nonverbal or verbal communication, so up until the quiz I wasn’t sure how well they understood me. Fortunately, most of the grades were great. It is neat to see how God is using my desires and calling as a teacher to show his love and share the gospel in a totally different culture.



Laughter
6/18/07

Today in class, we had a couple of minutes remaining when I came to a good place to stop in the notes. I decided to play “heads up seven up” with my students. I hesitated to do so for I remember my middle school days when we would manipulate substitute teachers into letting us play that game. However, the students are doing very well on their quizzes, they are respectful, and there were only a couple of minutes left in the class. Plus, there is not much time in their schedule for fun and laughter. The students are in school from 7:30 to 4, then wash clothes, eat dinner, or play futbol until 7, and then study until the electricity runs out at 10. Needless to say, this is how I justified the 10 minute long game at the end of class. It was glorious. They didn’t follow all of the rules, as many kids wanted to push down more than one thumb, but they loved it! It was so wonderful to hear them laughing. Ugandans laugh a lot here and I often don’t understand what they are laughing at. Today I understood. They laughed because they were having fun.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good new gives health to the bones.” Proverbs 15:30
Although my primary job is to make sure my students learn chemistry, I realize that outlawing fun in the classroom is not the best tactic. Not many students initiate smiling here. So, I’m the initiator. It’s so rewarding to smile at someone until they smile back. It seriously makes my day. I try to feed them with smiles. When they smile in return, they usually quickly look away. There is one boy that is the exception. He sits in the back of the class and smiles and makes googily eyes at me several times throughout the class. Some times I can’t help from laughing. I really enjoy my students.
Today they wanted to know all about New York City. I told them about how Paul is moving there, the skyscrapers, the traffic, taxis, streets and Broadway. That led to the Lion King and they requested to hear me sing a song in Swahili from The Lion King. I refused knowing my “Maaaahhhshhaweeeennnnna, hagabikigaba” translated to absolutely nothing in Swahili. Next I started to tell them the twin towers and 911. Not many had heard about this. I told them about the terrorism and two girls in the front started to laugh. I was shocked. Then I remembered talking to one of the missionaries about how some people laugh at very sad things simply because so many things here are sad and they don’t want to cry. I’m beginning to see how all of the death and darkness here causes people to respond differently to grief.
I was reading Isaiah 32 today where God speaks about how his redeemed people will be: “Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” This is what knowing Jesus is like. This is what I want to be like to my students. The people here know both physical and spiritual thirst. I pray that because I know Jesus, I can reflect him, his love, his joy, his hope and peace to my students.
We will soon leave to hike through the Rwenzori Mountains. We will be doing a discipleship course and spend a couple of days on safari. Because of this, I may not be able to update for about a week. Thank you for your support! God bless!