Friday, July 7th 2023.
It has officially been 1 week since we returned from Uganda. I am struggling to put into a few short sentences what this experience was like and what it meant to me. Most people are asking "How was your trip" and I am responding with "It was amazing!".
It really was amazing, but that hardly scratches the surface. It would take a decent chunk of time to sit down with everyone and describe just a few of the wonderful things we experienced in Kawempe.
I also feel a small sense of pressure. Self imposed, I know! I want to get some of these stories written down and sent out to you all. I want to remember every detail. I want to bring you along with my words and share what your financial, and prayer support helped to accomplish through the power of the Spirit. So here goes. This is the first of hopefully several stories I get to share with you all.
And all my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Tears are streaming down my face and I can't even sing anymore as we sing this song at our all-staff meeting this past Wednesday. I think "Faithful" is the biggest word I could use to sum up this trip.
My main motivation for going on this trip was to learn more about Pastor Robert and Rose, and their ministry. I first learned about Robert and Rose when I joined the children's ministry staff at Northland. Throughout the year, our children will give their offerings to different organizations which rotate monthly and Robert and Rose's primary school has always been on that rotation. I had seen photos of the kids in their uniforms and read little snippets about the school- Miracle Destiny School. I had also seen photos of previous mission trips and I knew that in the past some of our children's ministry team including the CM director at the time, Debbie Blahnik, had visited Rose and Robert.
I had met Robert once in person. He was visiting Northland and was very kind to take time out of his busy schedule to film a video for me. I wanted to show the children a video of Robert talking about the school. I thought it would help them understand that this is a real ministry and these are real kids that are being impacted by the giving of their tithe.
Robert stood in the rotunda of the grade school wing, flashing his infectious smile and thanking the children for donating their offerings. I watched that video every service for the month of February of that year.
When it was announced that a short term trip would be going to Uganda and working with Robert and Rose, I really wanted to go. I felt it was important to meet them, to see their ministry, and continue kindling the relationship that had been built between their kids and our kids. I felt it was important for us to be up to date on what they were doing, and to learn from them as much as I could.
Part of our agenda for the trip was to visit the high school. Miracle Destiny High School is a boarding school in a more rural town about an hour from Kawempe. In the office when you first walk in there are photos lining the top of the walls. One of those photos is of Debbie Blahnik and members of Northland's Children's ministry standing in a grass field- praying with Robert. They were standing and praying on the site where the school would be built.
Then another photo from 2014- Meg, Allecia and others from Northland are pictured. Originally they were supposed to go to the Ukraine, but that trip was cancelled for security reasons and they ended up in Uganda instead, where they made bricks out of mud and dug trenches to start the foundations for the first buildings at the high school.
Part of our agenda for this trip was to return to the high school. Meg and Allecia saw the finished product of their work from 9 years ago and even the same tree where they used to eat lunch and rest for a break. We spoke to the high school students about important topics such as hygiene, mental health, and human trafficking. They opened up to us with thought provoking questions, vulnerable prayer requests and deep worship.
I thought about all people and all the prayer that led up to that moment. Building things of eternal value takes great patience and deep commitment.
It's June 20th and I'm standing on the top story of a concrete building currently under construction in Kawempe. We step over exposed rebar and weave between small tree limbs that hold up the floor above us as we climb to the top- 4 stories up. Robert is explaining the history of how God told him to buy this land in a dream and then provided the money for it. He shares it has been 6 years since they bought the land and they have been raising funds. Now for the past 6 months they have finally begun the construction on this building.
It is to be the new permanent location of the primary school. They will no longer have to pay rent. With this building they will have more classrooms, a wheelchair accessible ramp, a multi purpose room... he paints the vision for us as we overlook the community that he passionately serves. We pray over the future of this school and I can't help but think of God's faithfulness. I think of Robert's faithfulness to God and his obedience to use all his savings as a downpayment on this land based on a dream. I think about how God was faithful to provide the rest of the funds. I imagine the school filled with children, and the chorus of "You are most welcome our dear visitors" that will ring out when the next generation of children's ministry leaders from Northland come to visit. I think of the little futures that will be changed because of this school- both spiritually and physically.
All of this comes rushing back to me and this is why I am crying as we sing
All my life you have been faithful
All my life you have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
I will sing of the goodness of God
It has officially been 1 week since we returned from Uganda. I am struggling to put into a few short sentences what this experience was like and what it meant to me. Most people are asking "How was your trip" and I am responding with "It was amazing!".
It really was amazing, but that hardly scratches the surface. It would take a decent chunk of time to sit down with everyone and describe just a few of the wonderful things we experienced in Kawempe.
I also feel a small sense of pressure. Self imposed, I know! I want to get some of these stories written down and sent out to you all. I want to remember every detail. I want to bring you along with my words and share what your financial, and prayer support helped to accomplish through the power of the Spirit. So here goes. This is the first of hopefully several stories I get to share with you all.
And all my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Tears are streaming down my face and I can't even sing anymore as we sing this song at our all-staff meeting this past Wednesday. I think "Faithful" is the biggest word I could use to sum up this trip.
My main motivation for going on this trip was to learn more about Pastor Robert and Rose, and their ministry. I first learned about Robert and Rose when I joined the children's ministry staff at Northland. Throughout the year, our children will give their offerings to different organizations which rotate monthly and Robert and Rose's primary school has always been on that rotation. I had seen photos of the kids in their uniforms and read little snippets about the school- Miracle Destiny School. I had also seen photos of previous mission trips and I knew that in the past some of our children's ministry team including the CM director at the time, Debbie Blahnik, had visited Rose and Robert.
I had met Robert once in person. He was visiting Northland and was very kind to take time out of his busy schedule to film a video for me. I wanted to show the children a video of Robert talking about the school. I thought it would help them understand that this is a real ministry and these are real kids that are being impacted by the giving of their tithe.
Robert stood in the rotunda of the grade school wing, flashing his infectious smile and thanking the children for donating their offerings. I watched that video every service for the month of February of that year.
When it was announced that a short term trip would be going to Uganda and working with Robert and Rose, I really wanted to go. I felt it was important to meet them, to see their ministry, and continue kindling the relationship that had been built between their kids and our kids. I felt it was important for us to be up to date on what they were doing, and to learn from them as much as I could.
Part of our agenda for the trip was to visit the high school. Miracle Destiny High School is a boarding school in a more rural town about an hour from Kawempe. In the office when you first walk in there are photos lining the top of the walls. One of those photos is of Debbie Blahnik and members of Northland's Children's ministry standing in a grass field- praying with Robert. They were standing and praying on the site where the school would be built.
Then another photo from 2014- Meg, Allecia and others from Northland are pictured. Originally they were supposed to go to the Ukraine, but that trip was cancelled for security reasons and they ended up in Uganda instead, where they made bricks out of mud and dug trenches to start the foundations for the first buildings at the high school.
Part of our agenda for this trip was to return to the high school. Meg and Allecia saw the finished product of their work from 9 years ago and even the same tree where they used to eat lunch and rest for a break. We spoke to the high school students about important topics such as hygiene, mental health, and human trafficking. They opened up to us with thought provoking questions, vulnerable prayer requests and deep worship.
I thought about all people and all the prayer that led up to that moment. Building things of eternal value takes great patience and deep commitment.
It's June 20th and I'm standing on the top story of a concrete building currently under construction in Kawempe. We step over exposed rebar and weave between small tree limbs that hold up the floor above us as we climb to the top- 4 stories up. Robert is explaining the history of how God told him to buy this land in a dream and then provided the money for it. He shares it has been 6 years since they bought the land and they have been raising funds. Now for the past 6 months they have finally begun the construction on this building.
It is to be the new permanent location of the primary school. They will no longer have to pay rent. With this building they will have more classrooms, a wheelchair accessible ramp, a multi purpose room... he paints the vision for us as we overlook the community that he passionately serves. We pray over the future of this school and I can't help but think of God's faithfulness. I think of Robert's faithfulness to God and his obedience to use all his savings as a downpayment on this land based on a dream. I think about how God was faithful to provide the rest of the funds. I imagine the school filled with children, and the chorus of "You are most welcome our dear visitors" that will ring out when the next generation of children's ministry leaders from Northland come to visit. I think of the little futures that will be changed because of this school- both spiritually and physically.
All of this comes rushing back to me and this is why I am crying as we sing
All my life you have been faithful
All my life you have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
I will sing of the goodness of God