In some way, my second trip to Uganda was less emotional
than my first trip. I still allowed
myself to be vulnerable to such an amazing journey, but I feel I approached
things more practically. I wish Uganda
was much closer. I’d love for my wife
and kids to meet Jesse and Norah, our two kids in Uganda. I’d love for our kids to be exposed to the
same love I’ve been exposed to. I’d love
for them to see they joy in kid’s faces when they dance and praise. I’d love for them to see how beautiful Africa
is. I’d love for them to know how
blessed they are to have been born in the US and to be able to share their blessings
with others
Uganda will forever have a special place in my heart. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back, but I can
always dream of the day. It is hard to
believe I’ve been back home for almost a week already. Things have been busy at work and I’ve been
dealing with some illnesses, so I hadn’t really stopped to meditate on things until
now. There are many thoughts and
feelings inside of me, but there is one sentiment that I’d like to continue writing
about. This is something I shared once
already, but I am compelled to write about again.
I shared earlier that our Pastor spoke about how the fruit
of a Christian life is his/her relationships.
In Romans 12:10 thru 15 Paul urges us to be devoted to one another in
love, to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn. I often think of what it would have been like to
walk with Jesus, like the disciples did.
What would it be like to know someone whom is
completely selfless and would give of himself for you? Someone whom would rejoice with you and
someone whom would mourn with you? I think
I would feel completely safe, free to abandon myself in love for that other person.
Not only this, but don’t we rather live life rejoicing and
mourning with those whom we love rather than being alone? And why limit the number of people we love
when we are surrounded by opportunities to build relationships.
Going to Uganda has opened my eyes in many ways. I am beginning to understand the importance
of being purposeful in building relationships.
It is too easy to go through life without caring for others, but what an
empty life that would be.
I don’t know how I will put any of these thoughts into
action, but I pray God will show me the way.
For now, I am content to have experienced the joy of rejoicing with
close to 1,000 kids in Uganda and to have met the amazing people that work with
them there. I am also certain that if I
don’t get to see them again, I will see them in heaven, for eternity!
Please keep Uganda and it's people in your prayers.
Love,
Dear Jeronimo,
ReplyDeleteGreetings from cold wintery Indiana!
I am glad your are back home with your family and have many stories to tell them.
I read all of your blogs and appreciated the great photos as well.
Thank you for taking time to put your experiences and thoughts into words for others of us to read. I know that can be very difficult. Like seeing an amazing landscape but knowing a photo will never do it justice!
It's clear that what you have experienced has been life changing for you. I would love to talk to you sometime about how experiences like this make us think about the world differently. Someone has said the best antidote for war in the world is travel! And i think by that they mean the kind of travel you have done, where you really get to see that we are all God's children.
Anyway, greetings to your family and I hope we meet again!
Adios,
Phil Mininger