More of me in Uganda….

* for facebook friends….if you look at the posted date of that ‘Uganda is Imminent’ you’ll see that it was posted originally in January of 08. Sorry for the confusion!! *

So, today is March 11th and it has been almost a full month since i’ve been back from Uganda. So much has happened in these few short weeks. My band had a few out of town dates and we had our first ever ‘Small Church Conference‘ which went incredibly well. Even as I’m typing this I’m amazed at how much has happened in such a short time because it seems like just yesterday I got off of the plane from Uganda. I find my mind, and in turn my heart, drifting to Uganda more and more. I know that I’m called to serve here, in OKC, locally, but I know I’m called to Africa as well. I feel like I have left a piece of me there and actually I feel like having gone a second time that I’ve left a bigger piece than before.

The night before we left one of our great African friends Martin said that he had hoped that we would come back to the states with everything but our hearts. Because if we left our heart then surely we would swim the ocean to come back to find it. I feel like that is true. I just got done uploading a ton of Uganda pics and will be uploading some video soon but as I was doing it Gulu came rushing through my head again…..literally…..the smells….the sounds…..the faces……the light and the dark. It’s funny how the brain works. We are such tactile people. Have you ever had an experience that has melded a certain taste, smell or sound to a particular memory? It’s pretty amazing and maybe in some cases it’s God’s way of helping that memory to stay alive……today in my office….by myself…. I was in Gulu ……and I miss it.

Some of the highlights of this years trip was being able to lead worship for 3 days at a conference. Last time I got the flu before I left so I sang maybe twice the whole time. This time I got to lead quite a bit. Which was awesome and terrifying all at the same time. Usually before I would lead there would be a time of incredible African lead worship with drums and dancing  and then me……the hairy american guy with just an acoustic guitar. The amazing thing….God showed up. As a worship leader that has a band that gets to travel around a little, I’ve seen and been able to do some pretty cool things. Hearing a room full of Ugandans sing from the depths of them a song that you’ve written is on a whole other level! Glory to God!

Other days we saw over a thousand men, women and children sitting under shade trees receiving healing and hope through the Trauma Counceling ministry that Favor of God does. We were able to go in to the prisons and preach to prisoners that are truly guilty until proven innocent and watch them accept the love of Christ by the dozens. We were apart of crusades that saw hundreds accept Christ and then travel to a military hospital to hand out bibles. We saw hundreds of men and women crammed in to tiny buildings to be taught the bible in portable bible schools to then go and teach others. We ate in homes of wonderful people that we are so honored to call family. 

So, I have left Africa with my heart, or at least part of it, there. I can’t wait until it’s time for me in a year or so to once again travel back to serve and simply be a small part of the incredible move of God there.

View my pics from the trip here