Geoff and the EYO team left last Sunday at 6 a.m. to travel to the northwestern corner of Uganda. It took them 12 hours to arrive in the Yumbe district.
They have spent this week in numerous activities and have experienced a wide array of emotions.
Excitement: The outreach for which they had prayed, planned, studied, memorized scripture, fund-raised, and packed was finally upon them. Many turned out to pray with them and wave them off as their bus drove away for a very full week.
Fear: The first day upon them, many struggled with the fear of the unknown. How will the community receive us? As the week went on they became more confident as they experienced more friendliness than expected. But, in the evenings when they showed the “Jesus Film” there was unruly behavior--a lot of drug and alcohol use among the community youth, and belligerent shouting during evening events.
Joy: One of their daytime activities was to visit people in their homes. During some of these visits in which the kids took time to share the love of God and good news of Jesus’ sacrifice for salvation, four people came to understand the great work of Jesus and gave their lives to Him.
Weariness: Up early every morning, digging in the community either for gardening work or making rubbish pits; cooking, organizing and playing daily football matches, hosting the Jesus Film or praying with community church members each evening until after 10 p.m. made for very tired kids and adults! Often Geoff texted me after 10 saying they were just sitting down to supper! The next text came before 7 each morning.
Thankfulness: It has been a faith-building, strengthening, eye-opening, stretching, life-changing week. They are thankful they have been able to serve others by ministering at the hospital, secondary school, homes of the elderly, in the church, among the young children through VBS, with many community youth through a week-long football competition, spending time in the homes of community members, and showing the “Jesus Film” to more than 800 people.
Tomorrow they will leave around noon, after the church service in Yumbe, to travel back to Kasana. Please pray for their travels and their hearts. What God had planned to do this week has been accomplished. May they EYO team realize the privilege they have had to participate in God’s work in the Yumbe district!
Thank you for praying for them. God has been faithful!
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