Uganda October 2007

On both of my previous trips to Uganda I went with great expectations of creative miracles, signs and wonders, such as, limbs growing back or the dead being raised. Maybe because of all that was going on in my life before we left for this trip I really did not have a lot of time to think about it in terms of gathering any preconceived ideas of what would take place. Honestly, I did not have any feelings whatsoever. It was very unusual for me and I was concerned and disturbed by it. I am glad that I did not have such expectations because I was not disappointed by what took place. I was in awe at the children as in times past but they did not consume my thoughts or my emotions. What I was in awe of was God in the little things. I noticed God in the smaller moments: I witnessed courtesy to our bus drivers that led one to a hunger for salvation. I watched a sinner being led to repentance inside a mini-bus in the middle of the Kampala jam. I, then, remembered how we never would have had that moment if a mini-bus we were riding to the crusade in had not broken down which caused us to swap buses on the side of the street. I saw God’s hand in that. I recognized God’s love for Michael that He would cause all of those events to take place just so Michael could be born again. I noticed the true importance of a Father/Son relationship and how it is longed for by so many when the tears fell from Michael’s cheek as Pastor called him his new son. I witnessed the salvation of hundreds of lost souls which is the greatest miracle of all. I was touched by the tears streaming down faces as they repeated the sinner’s prayer. I could almost see the angels peering down from Heaven and counting them one by one, then turning around to start the jubilant celebration. I saw the Gospel message, the Great Commission, manifested as every newborn soul was jotted down and would become a part of the discipleship program and taught the Truth. They will grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I was humbled by messages that were preached because they were as much for me and my situations here as it was for the people of Uganda. Jesus is no respecter of persons and I am truly blessed that God spoke to me as He spoke to others. If we would strive to have a teachable spirit and open our hearts to receive what the Lord is speaking we would be so much stronger spiritually than we are. Though we came to minister and bless these people, I, in turn, was ministered to and blessed; maybe even more so than they. My heart leapt as a little boy was thanking God for sending an angel to chase a demon away from him and acknowledging God as the provider of a sponsor for his school fees. I was humbled to see the generosity towards a waitress who was saving all of her tip money in order to buy a new mattress. I watched as God’s hand outstretched to give her the last 10,000 shillings (which is about $6.67) she needed to finish her purchase. I saw the heart of God in the humble servant hood of Damalie as she carried Bibles and escorted Ms. Wanda to our mini-bus every day. Not only did she have a humble spirit but also a sacrificial spirit. She does not have much but she gave each of us ladies a beautiful beaded necklace; a modern day widow’s mite. I experienced the magnitude of a touch and a hug as the children pressed all around just for one hand shake and one squeeze. One little boy even sat on the end of the bench I sat on one night but inched his way over to the point of being right under me. I spent the rest of the night with one arm around him and he just nuzzled right up to me and loved every second of it. I remembered feeling like the Pied Piper as I looked on either side of me and behind me to see that I was surrounded by children whose faces lit up when I acknowledged their presence. I saw the impact of a prayer for a little boy who was having nightmares as tears streamed down his cheeks. We have no idea what they go home to and the demonic forces are very real and tangible there. But I believe that God is raising up a new generation of young warriors. They will never forget our visits and they will never forget the message we brought. They will know Jesus and all that He can do for them. I also witnessed Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, in action as He directed us from an unsafe hotel into a sheltering place that was far more comfortable and welcoming than the other. I witnessed a group of people with a determined heart and mind to do whatever it took and whatever it cost to make everything work out because every soul was worth it. God stretched the finances of each of us just in order to meet our needs and the needs of the people in Uganda. A new ministry was established in the city center. It will grow and spread throughout Kampala, throughout Uganda, and throughout Africa. I played just one small part in it by being in its attendance. So what I leave from Uganda with this time is that God doesn’t always have to do something big because He is ALWAYS in the little things. I know it seems so elementary but its importance is no less. Did I see something this time that I never have before? Most definitely! And it was probably the greatest thing I could have seen. I saw the little things. And I saw that God loves us so much that He probably pays more attention to the small things than we realize. It’s in those small things that birth out large things. The small things must take place before anything large can because the large things are just a combination of the smaller things working together. As I wrote that on the airplane God even revealed to me the importance of that within the church body. We are eagerly looking for the big things of God to take place but they will not come until all of the smaller parts and things are working together, unified. It won’t take much to work together for something big but think how much greater that big could be if more small things would pull together! My prayer is that God will reveal to each of you the importance of the small things in your life and in our church and that it would so overwhelm each of us that it pushes us into a unified action. For His glory and His renown!!!