So, as most of you know by now; we are heading out back to Uganda next week on Tuesday and we are all very excited to go back! I am forever grateful to God for the opportunity to come to the States, it has been a huge privilege for me, one that i don't take lightly and one that has given me many memories that i hope to one day with my children.
I have been encouraged each time we have met someone who said they had been reading my posts; i never knew in the beginning that this was going to be something that many people would be interested in and something they would look forward to reading each week.
The winter hasn't been as brutal as first feared and i am proud of myself for trying to enjoy it, even though this has come after numerous fears and worries. Now i can say i shoveled the snow, i played in it, and watched it from the comfort of a warm living room! As i prepare to go back to mother Africa, i have been recollecting and thinking about some of the things that stood out from my time in the States; some positive, and some negative. I know every single country under the earth surely has its pros and cons as well.
Two weeks ago, i, my wife and my mom in-law flew to Florida for some warm weather as well as seeing the grand parents; a trip that i enjoyed and one of the highlights of my time here. I was amazed that even though it was snowing here in Grand Rapids and there was no sunshine, as soon as we went up beyond the clouds, the sun was shining and seemed to be very hot! This was fascinating to me; because it had never occurred to me that the sun never stops shining no matter the weather conditions in the earth–indeed God is amazing!
I liked everything about Florida: the weather was perfect, the people in the park where our grand parents live are a great community–everyone greets each other, they have games and competitions, they have friends (our grampa told me they have made more friends since moving there than they have ever made in their entire lives!) and they have parties too! (we attended a Michigan dinner there and oh boy, it was marvelous. Seeing these old folks dressed like in the 50s and 60s and seeing them dance to the tunes of their times was spectacular! In fact we got so motivated that we had to join the dancing for a couple of songs, something that i have seldom done before). I was taught new games such as Bingo, Hand and foot, among others and was on the winning side a couple of times! In short, i loved my time in Florida and could live there if i had to because i love the company of old people; i always learn a thing or two from old people and that's why i love being around them.
One of the things that i have learned from here is honesty and integrity. We have met some people that you can sense and see that they are honest; this is an area that is somewhat not common in Uganda. I think because of the different tragedies that people went through, honesty got left behind as people started telling lies in order to get something or avoid something. I am planning to go back and put more emphasis on honesty and integrity among the young people that we minister to. Of course i know, reading from the social media that there are also dishonest people here, but i haven't met any of them so far, which, if it was in Uganda, would have been a miracle!
I have enjoyed my time in the different churches that we have gone to. I must say the word is alive and i personally received a word for my self in all the churches that i have been to. I have been blessed, encouraged and rebuked. But there's something that we have in Uganda that is missing here just like the church here has something that is missing in the church in Uganda. I could say that the church here is like wood that is lacking a fire to spark it off and the one in Uganda has a fire but lacking wood. By this, i mean that there's more encounters with God in Uganda than here, you hear more of people's encounters with Him and you can see and sense the workings of the holy spirit in the glow in their eyes when they talk about it; there's a spark in their eyes and excitement and you can see it in the way they worship and dance and jump and ululate, while here, people know more about the word, and i would say it seems to me like they have become more familiar with it that there's rarely excitement about it and rejoicing about it, at least that's how i feel. My biggest worry though is that in 10–30 years time, it may become harder to pastor people here because they will be even more knowledgeable and trusting in what they already know that they will feel it's a waste of time sitting there listening to someone say what they already know. Sermons will become more of debating topics for the people because everyone feels they know enough and their way is always the right way.
Of course there's no doubting that the whole church needs a revival and that revival must start from the States because of the influence of the church here to the rest of the world. People look up to America for almost everything and that's why the revival must start from here.
However, one time as i was praying, the Lord told me the church in China is alive and making progress and it's a matter of time before it becomes the most influential church in the Universe. This is because the persecuted Church is living and depending more on God; He is their banner, their rescuer, their provider, their refuge and they know Him in a deeper level than most of us do. That's why they are willing to die for Him! I have been wondering recently what my reaction would be if i had to choose between death for believing in Christ or denying my identity in Him and live. What do you think would be your immediate reaction? I admire those who practice Christianity in countries where it is illegal to do so and my desire is to one day experience what it feels like to worship with these brothers and sisters.
One thing that separates America from the rest of the world is the generosity of its people! We have been and continue to be blessed beneficiaries of this generosity and i think that's why people here have so much, because they also give out so much. I know in my church, this is one thing that distinguishes us from many churches; giving. It's a principle that i have learned in a hard way and one that i have reaped it's benefits and hope to pass on to my own children in future. It amazes me that children here are taught about giving from the young age, while our children learn more about how to receive and beg from the young age! in fact children in our home church here (Remembrance) always collect their offerings to support the work in Uganda and at the end of last year, they gave us money enough to buy a bunk bed in Uganda! If i had one thing to tell the people here, it would be to never stop giving and never stop teaching your children about giving because it is what sets you aside from the rest of the world!
I will continue from here next week with my final piece on this series before we head home; till then, remain blessed in Him.
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