Roaming the Streets!

Trash everywhere…squished into the dirt…pot holes….trenches…. a beautiful view to the city…. Beauty in the smiling face, colorful flowers, little shops bustling, rollex cooking… messy, but so much beauty.  And that’s just a glimpse into my street life. 

Ministry days look like roaming the streets, making conversations and just sitting with people and hearing about their lives, praying for people, handing out bananas to people on the streets, making Ugandan food with your caretakers, going to worship sessions, church services, cell groups (Bible Study), and listening to God’s desire for you that day.  He never fails to provide an opportunity…you just have to listen.   

Let me share some stories!!

AirBnB: A basket filled with bananas, mangos, and apples laid on the table.  In the refrigerator was a pineapple, watermelon, tomatoes, and peppers.  In the cabinet, cabbage and avocados.  On the counter garlic.  Wow!  What a welcome to our Airbnb.

• After arriving, I spent over two hours talking with the one owner/host (Joseph).  I felt a connection to him immediately.  I found out he was a Christian, and he was HUNGRY for the word!  Between John, Joseph, Jake, and I, we took him through the book of Romans.  We had 2-3 hour study sessions and so many good questions were asked.  After the first one, one of our caretakers (Isach) joined in.  Both of these men had such good insights and it was a lot of fun to study God’s word together and receive so many revelations. 

• Upon arrival to the Airbnb, our main caretaker (Dora) showed us around.  I felt an immediate connection with her as well…I felt like I needed to pour into her.  She was also a Christian.  After a day or two of us being there, she received news that her mother passed away.  She left for a week to be with her family.  I knew immediately that God put our team here for a purpose…that he put me here—the only female on the team so I could comfort her through her process of grief. 

• We had the other ATL team over for dinner one night.  We asked Dora to prepare Ugandan food…and I was able to help!  We went to the market and bought all the supplies we needed…carrots, peppers, tomatoes, onions, oil, garlic, spaghetti, meat, and green bananas.  We had rice and the flour for posho.  We spent over 5 hours preparing/cooking the meal.  I mainly washed and cut the vegetables, held the meat while Dora cut it into chunks, and just watched Dora do her magic.  Jake also helped a bit…he is the one that wanted the posho and beans.  We both took a turn stirring the posho until it reached the right consistency.  I also took a stab at peeling the green bananas…called matooke.  Dora and Isach asked us if we knew how to peel bananas…and we were like yeah… but matooke are hard…it was like peeling a potato.  We didn’t use a cutting board, and I needed a cutting board.  It was difficult.  Isach was the one who showed us and he just laughed as Jake and I struggled…but it was fun and part of the experience.  While things were cooking, I also learned more Luganda.  The meal turned out excellent and everyone enjoyed it!! 
  

• Our host Joseph felt like a real host from the race.  One night he took us our for dinner (pork on a stick) and drove us around city center Kampala.  Another ministry opportunity!  I took the time to pray for the city as we drove around.  It was dangerous and he told us not to have out our phones because people will try to reach in the vehicle and take your things.  There were people lined up all over the streets with their little markets and stands trying to sell anything and everything.  He then drove us to the mall and we bought him ice cream and enjoyed more fellowship together.  

Churches/Fellowship:

• We went to Kampala International English Church our first Sunday.  At the end, we made a connection with Cierra.  Cierra hooked us up with a cell group (Bible Study) on Wednesday nights and also the ability to help with a feeding program at a school where we fed over 300 kids and played with them.  This also led to us staying at her house for free for 3 days!!  We could only get time at the Airbnb until the 18^th, but had more time in Kampala until we leave for Jinja on the 21^st.  God is just providing!

• Isach invited me to his church the second Sunday, so I went with him and Dora.  We talked with the preacher and asked if I would like to preach that coming Wednesday, and anyone else on the team.  I agreed (look at God just putting opportunities in front of me!).  Wednesday Joseph and I preached—both on the topic of Love (without even collaborating!).

• One of my hosts from Rwanda told me to check out Phaneroo while in Kampala.  It’s a huge worship/church service with over 10,000 people in attendance and livestreamed all over the world. 
• He set me up with a man named Elie who ended up picking us up with his friend Arthur for the event.  We all still keep in contact, and have had some really good spiritual conversations which has been such a blessing!

• This also led me to meeting my host’s brother (Robert) at the event and another woman named Lucy.  Which led to dinner with both of them the next Thursday, sitting at the event together, and a ride home filled with such good conversation.

Uber: We use Uber to go everywhere!  It’s an amazing space to talk about God and pray for people, especially when Ubers break down or you get stuck in traffic for a few hours… 🙂  Here are a few memorable rides:

• One Uber ride when we were stuck in traffic turned into a worship session

• Another ride turned into praying over a man and his wife who are about to have a baby.  He is going back to school for ministry

• Yet another ride might turn into your driver being a pastor and asking you to speak at their church! (Although we had to decline because of heading to a new city).  But he also drives for hire so we ended up using him to get us to Jinja!

Roaming the Streets:

• Will and I walked the streets one morning.  We found several people to talk to and pray with.  Mary was one of the more memorable people I met.  She was sitting breaking up stones to be used to build houses.  She has pretty much been doing that her whole life.  She is well known in the town.  I prayed with her and then every time a new person walked by, she asked them if they needed prayer and told them I would pray for them.  During this time we also met Edward, a local, who translated for us.  Mary knew some English but not a ton.

• While walking the streets another night with Joseph, a man called us over to him.  We went and talked with him for over an hour.  He was chiseling at a mountain to get stone and then his wife was sitting a few meters away hammering those rocks into smaller pieces.  She had a son Edward there with her, who was probably about two years old.  Joseph and I gave hammering the rocks a shot.  It wasn’t as easy as you would think. 

• There was another little girl there, Joanna who I befriended.  I swung her around, gave her a piggy back ride and she didn’t want to let go.  We took some pictures together and she loved looking at herself in the pictures.  I bought her a headband…but when I went to find her the next day to give it to her, she was no where to be found.  A few days later I found out that in this culture after about 2 years old, a lot of parents stop hugging their children and showing affection.

• We went back to visit Alex the next day.  He wasn’t working so we kept walking…he said the night before that his house was up the road.  We ended up talking with him in is house for over an hour about God, about life, and about hope for a future. 

• Another time we were walking the streets and there was a homeless man sitting there all hunched over.  I had bought some bananas so I gave the man a few.  I recently found out you aren’t supposed to give people on the streets money…you can get in big trouble.

Don’t be afraid: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

Don’t worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6: 25-27

Do spread love: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:9-21

So whether roaming the streets, cooking dinner, going out for ice cream, praying for drivers, or sharing life stories…God is on the move and always faithful to provide. 

BE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS AND BRING HOPE TO THE WORLD: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven!” Matthew 5:16