The Reality of a Muzungu in Uganda

One week.

It only took one week to feel what our Father feels, see what our Father sees, and hear what our Father hears. My heart breaks for His people. The circumstances here can obviously be somewhat imagined, but I never thought I would be experiencing it myself. In Uganda, families are starving. I have been eating three meals a day since I was born, if not more. Children are working and trying to help bring some sort of income to families that are struggling. I got my first part-time job when I was 15 and I wanted the money I was making for myself. Babies walk around naked. I have a whole closet full of clothes for each season. People have common diseases but are unable to get treatment because they are either too poor or too far from a clinic or hospital. I have a free clinic on my school campus and a hospital 5 minutes away from my apartment. They sleep on mud floors. I sleep on a temperpedic bed in an air-conditioned room. They basically have nothing, while I have more than enough.

What’s the difference? Ugandans depend on Jesus. While I crave and love Jesus with all my heart, I can’t say that I solely depend on the Lord. There are things that I, as an American simply just “know,” and with that I don’t thank the Lord for providing the “simple” things for me.

For example: I just know my entire country won’t have a power outage, while that has already happened in Uganda during my stay. I just know I am going to get a clean, cold glass of water at the end of the night, while Jajja (grandma) Rebecca prays for the rain so she can have something to drink. I just know that I will have a variety of foods within my fridge, while Thomas, my sponsor kid, and his family are starving hoping that Empower a Child will come with a blessing of rice bags.

This is the problem. I have so much more than I need while my brothers and sisters are praying and hoping the Lord will provide for what I would call “true needs” like water and food. What are we doing? As a Christian from America, I hate to say it but we are selfish. So selfish. Why do we need designer clothes, purses, and jewelry? Why do we need a television in every room? Why do we need to fill up our fridges with so much food that we end up throwing away half of it because it goes bad? Why do we say we need so many other things other than Jesus?

My heart breaks and the tears are rolling as I am writing this. I need Jesus. I want to need Jesus the way my Ugandan brothers and sisters need Him.

So, my question I want to leave with is this, “Do you truly need Jesus?”

Praises:

• Mama Susan got saved this week!
• The Lord has made it possible for me to sponsor Thomas!
• Ketty (pronounced Katie), an EAC employee, received treatment for Malaria and is healed!
• Joshua, a boy who fell out a tree and busted his head open, had NO brain damage and is already back in school a week after his surgery!

Prayer Requests:

• Madi leaves for the States on Monday, so prayers for safe travels and clear weather.
• My entire team’s health and safety.
• The people of Uganda, as a whole: for health, school fees, jobs, safety, water, food, etc.
• Viola, Del’s sponsor child, has an eye infection.
• Sissy, Madi’s sponsor child, has malaria.