Wild at Heart-Africa

Friday, June 24, 2011

Dream Evangelist's jump first, and fear later.

Each time I travel to Africa, I seem to bump into some of my personal heroes. Once in Rwanda, I met Rick Warren...that was a total honor. Today, I got to meet one of the most inspiring men I have heard of...Jason "Radical" Russell. He is the co-founder of Invisible Children. We bumped into him downtown Kampala...before he heads up north to Gulu. I just loved what his business card says: DREAM EVANGELIST on the back it says: JUMP FIRST. FEAR LATER.

I did not even know it was him. I saw a young man reading Rob Bell's latest book, and out of the blue asked him what he thought of it...we talked back and forth and he asked me where we were from and what we were doing here in Uganda. Then I asked him, and he was so modest, he said he was with a group of folks that started a non-profit called "Invisible Children". I was so amazed. I had followed his awesome ministry since 2003, which Ironically is the same year we were called to serve Africa! They are doing amazing things using Media to tell the untold stories of thousands of children here in Africa. IC wants to help transform apathy into activism! I love that.

Did you hear those four simple words I typed above? JUMP FIRST. FEAR LATER. How can you apply this to your life? Hebrews 11:1 says "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Melody and I have been know to Jump First...but we still struggle with the fear part...Even with so many past experiences where God guided us through a tough situation or proved His amazing power in our lives. How about you? Where in your life do you need to Jump First? Where is God asking you to trust Him? What plank do you need to walk off while blindfolded? One person can make a difference. You could be the one to fear later...

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Learning and Re-Learning the meaning of Patience

Wow. Here in Africa, I learn many things about myself. Looking back at my recent time in the USA, I allowed myself to become quite demanding. I have high expectations when I need or want something. I want it now. Maybe you can relate. When you feel a craving for a cheeseburger, you drive a mile, go thru the drive-thru, and WHAM...a juicy hot heart attack on a bun is waiting for you in the paper sack.

Traffic in Kampala

Its one thing if its a WANT, but what about a need? Here in Africa we have a saying...T.I.A. (This Is Africa) I have been in several countries in Africa, and it seems to be the same everywhere...things happen at a snail's pace...well maybe slower than that. Well our ministry NEEDS a vehicle to further our mission. I NEED IT YESTERDAY!

More Traffic

The last couple of days I have been trying to purchase a vehicle for Africa Family Rescue. I now know that I have forgotten about this aspect of the African culture. Relationship, Relationship, Relationship! I was thinking how I could explain this to my American friends, but it will be a painful read. You just wouldn't even believe the set of events that have transpired shopping for this used vehicle! Its been two long days, driving all over tar nation, meeting strangers, negotiating, meeting, negotiating, meeting someone new, more negotiating, and at the end of the day, I can't say I have even accomplished anything! STILL NO VEHICLE!

One of the 4x4 vans we looked at today

After the first 4 hours waiting for a friend to pick me up the first day, I decided to try to enjoy the journey. So I have sat in a car sweating in the hot sun for hours, stuck in insane traffic, being stood up by people called from classified ads, sitting...waiting...waiting...sitting...negotiating...all this while making new friends, laughing out loud, making fun of ourselves. I am discovering people willing to help me for hours on end, with no expectation to be paid or get anything in return, just simply out of concern for me and knowing my need. I am humbled by the selfless giving of these wonderful people, and how they have taught me to enjoy the journey.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Blown Away

Today I was blown away by the generosity of my waitress. Stop right here and look at the note she wrote me in the picture above. Let me introduce Nicole. She has been waitressing at Cracker Barrel for years. I met her at the Romeoville location, and as we moved up more north, she transferred to the Naperville store.

Early this morning, I took my oldest son Nathan for the last time in a long while, for a daddy-nate breakfast. Nicole has been on our email list for years, and has followed what we are doing in Africa. While she was serving us, we discovered that she had a fire at her home, and it burnt to the ground 9 weeks ago. No one was hurt, but she lost everything. Nicole is a single mom. She has an adorable little girl. I got up to go pay the bill, and she handed Nathan the above note, and told him "don't show your dad this till he is far away from Cracker Barrel." As I was driving away, Nathan handed me this note, folded up, and inside it was a $100 bill. "WHAT IN THE WORLD!", I said. I tried to turn around, but Nathan said "Dad, she would be hurt if you tried to give it back to her." I was choking back tears. How could this be? How could she sacrifice so much money?

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Clean Water for Namyoya!!!

Mike and Luke with their new buddies checkin out the "old water hole"

Disgusting!!

Refreshing!! Borehole # 2

Mike says this was very heavy

Luke struggling to carry this heavy jerry can

Two are better than one!

Melody and Ben at borehole # 1

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

B..E..A...utiful! Inside and out.

Her beauty is as much inside as it is outside

She is so loving to others

She is creative and funny

She's a great team mate

She is beautiful

She is stunning...and I feel very lucky

40 year old man, first time ever in a restaurant!

David is one of the most humble men of God I know

Meet David. Single. Pastor. 40 years old. He has been serving Namyoya Christian Church for about 10 years. He takes home 45% of the monthly offering, which is approximately 20,000 Ugandan Shillings x 45% = about $6.00. He farms some of the church land to make another 40,000 Ugandan Shillings 3 x a year...thats another $6.00 per month.

He began to tell us his whole story. He had been tossed around like a rag doll as a child, from one parent to another, then grandparents, then granparents in law, and back and forth, never belonging anywhere. He was abused and abandoned many times. When he was 19 his father demanded that he sign a letter, a contract have you, that would permanently seperate him from his father.

He had nothing, and no where to go, so he became poorer and poorer. He developed tuburculosis. People around him said he had less than a year to live. He was so alone and confused. He had no hope. Then an uncle took him in. This uncle brought him to church one day, and he felt loved and community for the first time. He found the love of Christ. He was able to take medicine for his terrible cough and soon attended Seminary. Within a week of seminary training, he was placed at Namyoya Christian Church....I guess to practice every other Sunday. The people nearly laughed him out of the village. His preaching skills were not yet developed.

He began to doubt his calling and was about to quit when some of his friends convinced him to stick with the Seminary training. Mind you, there was no "building" just a mud and stick center with patches of roofing and tarps at the time. Here is a man with what felt like the whole world against him...and he felt God calling him to start building a real church building. This was nine years ago. So he called the first congregation meeting to start clearing the land. David was the only one to show up to do the work. The next Sunday he showed the congregation what he had done by himself, and called another work day. He and one other person showed up. The third week, a third person showed up to work. Slowly, and painfully, they built the walls for this church. They made each brick from the local supplies on the land.

The church walls just 3 months ago

This man's perseverence is absolutely amazing. NINE YEARS later, we are answering so many prayers of this wonderful sacrificial leader. He is such a hard worker.

Melody with Pastor David outside the renovated Church Building

At church last Sunday, he mentioned that I had been to visit him 5 times, but the language barrier was too difficult and we never could get to know eachother. So I decided to surprise him today and bring him downtown Kampala for lunch...

Pastor David as our guest at Le Petite Village

This man is amazing. He has NEVER until this day eaten in a RESTAURANT!!! We had fun spoiling him rotten. He deserved this meal. During Lunch we were able to tell him about his monthly salary. He was absolutely blown away in disbelief. He said that this was all from God and that God was telling him, "see, be patient, I will keep my promise to you" Tomorrow we go to apply paint on the inside and possibly plaster the outside. Things are moving so fast in Namyoya! PTL!