Echo Back Sunday: by Becky
On September 20th, the Kumi Mission Team shared with the CCUMC congregation their experiences during/on the trip to Kumi, Uganda. The following is an excerpt from Becky:
First, thank you, CCUMC, for commissioning me, as one of the eight, to travel to Kumi on this mission trip. As someone who has done a fair amount of traveling, I have to say it turned out to be one of the most rewarding travel experiences I've ever had. I thank God for giving me the opportunity, and for being with me every step of the way. And since we have such a short time to share this morning, I had to think, what was it that made THIS trip so outstanding for me ….. and I have to say that it was being able to meet and work with the YCVM team in person.Read more...
I wish I could somehow transport you all to Kumi to meet the 4 very extraordinary people that became our friends, and treated us like family all the days we stayed there, not to mention their hours of prayer and preparation both before and after our trip, because a trip like this doesn't just happen. I truly felt the Holy Spirit working through all of us, and particularly through these 4 individuals.
So, meet Patrick, the ever-smiling Patrick, who is the most amazing worship and praise leader you can imagine. When he does the “Biggy God-O” song, you are jumping for joy and YOU KNOW that our God is SO BIG and SO LOVING and SO MIGHTY! But little did we know that just days before our arrival, Patrick was very sick, so sick that he couldn't move, couldn't get out of bed----and he is the athlete of the group, on the national volleyball team, so for him to be struck down takes a lot of sickness.
But he never mentioned it, and pitched right in with everything, from loading boxes, cases of heavy water, buying fresh chickens at the roadside, arranging for a place to sleep while we were in the comfortable hotel in Kampala. Patrick, who at that point didn't know how he was going to pay for his next semester at the university, because the summer job he had hoped for fell through. But he trusted in God, and came to give up 2 weeks of his time to devote to us and the mission trip. Miraculously, God answered his prayers for tuition fees.
Then there's Emma, short for Emmanuel, with the most gentle, unassuming Godly Spirit to offer us his support. The only one married in the group, his little son Jabez, only 1-yr-old, was going through a bout of malaria, and you can imagine how worrisome that must be for a child so young. Emma would be riding on the bus with his wife and sick baby to the hospital at the next larger town: Mbale, a 50-minute ride, there, and 50 minutes back, to get treatment for Jabez, and then Emma would appear at our sides, ready to join in on the work, probably having had little sleep the night before. Emma is an accountant, but he would come in the mornings to the building site and help us with the construction, then change clothing and go off to report to work at 1:00 in the afternoon. Then he'd be with us again in the evening for debriefing, planning, and sharing. It is this kind of sacrifice and devotion that deeply touched my heart.
Grace, the high school English teacher, and the one who was planning our mission every step of the way had arranged with her supervisor to take off two weeks of full-time work to be with us....as a teacher, I know how hard that is, to interrupt your classwork for 2 full weeks! It was Grace, who we later learned, was fasting and praying for us for the entire two weeks, skipping some meals to be communing with God on how to proceed-----remember, this was the first time for the YCVM to host a team from the US, and it certainly presented challenges to see that everyone was healthy and comfortable while doing the ministry work. Grace was like a guardian angel to all of us, attending to every detail!
Last, but not least, is Silver. Without Silver, there would be no YCVM. Silver, at different points in his life, reminded me of Joseph, Moses, and Isaiah. Silver, who seemed most shy to even talk about himself, finally shared some of his story with us. He told about how he was transformed from being a BAD BOY, a bully, into the visionary whose goal is to help the widows and orphans, all because of having invited Jesus into his life.
Each of these young adults lived through the times they call “The Insurgencies”, when Uganda was under ruthless dictators, and wars and lawlessness prevailed throughout the land. They were each uprooted from their homes as young children, and experienced harrowing dangers. It was difficult for them to talk about it with us, so painful were some of the memories, but we pressed them to tell their stories, so that we could know them more intimately.
There was a time when Silver, about 7 years old, was left home by himself in a rural village when bombing began. Not knowing what to do, he jumped in some swampy waters and hid himself while chaos reigned around him. We can only imagine his fright. Who knows how long he stayed there---perhaps for hours. When it seemed quiet enough to emerge from the waters, he saw only death and destruction around him. Deeply affected by the carnage, he soothed himself by playing his instrument and singing softly....from this experience, he composed the song “Child of Africa” a song of peace and hope.
Silver composes the songs and builds the humble instruments that the Band uses to spread the Gospel. Silver literally dreamed of the visions of helping the poor villagers to know God, and experience the joy of the Lord. Silver welcomes the orphans to stay with him when they are not in school----at age 34, he is like their dad. He farms the land to feed them, and by God's grace, is only now able to finish his certificate in Social Work.
My life has been forever changed: now I am called “Momma Becky” by Patrick, Emma, Grace, and Silver. I am honored to be a part of their work, half a world away, but spiritually, they'll always have a place right here in my heart.
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