Hello from Uganda to all of our prayer warriors!
We have arrived safely and are now “home”. What a first day! We woke up early and had a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, pineapple, mango, cereal, and juice. I have been craving that fresh pineapple for months now leading up to this trip and it definitely did not disappoint. We then set off to the Afripad location where we picked up the hygiene kits that we were going to distribute today. After loading up 7 boxes and tying them to the roof of the taxi, we set off towards New Kabaale Busega. What a place! We began by joining the worship service at the chapel which was a student-led and it was AWESOME! The kids sang 3 or 4 songs and I couldn’t help but dance in my chair as I listened (and tried to sing along). It was my kind of church with dancing and singing and just praise without reservation or hesitation. The preacher for the day was a 17 year old young man who actually came through the school system there at New Kabaale. What a blessing he was! His message was strong and taught of how jealousy is a disease that can steal our dreams, our blessings, and our joy. It was a great message for any preacher, but especially at 17 years old. You could tell that he was filled with the Spirit and loved the Lord with everything he has! You couldn’t help but realize after that service alone that the joy of the Lord was in this place.
But the joy didn’t end there. We spent the rest of the day there where we were so blessed to work with some P4 and P5 students on their DREAMS plans. This was their first experience with DREAMS plans and it was great to see our team as well as their teachers and staff helping these kids begin to realize that they can achieve their wildest dreams by setting goals, working hard at everything they do, and trusting in a God who always provides on time, every time. I got to work with a young boy named Allan. By talking to him, I think he has a lot of dreams including being a Footballer, Banker, Engineer (like me), and a Politician. He settled on wanting to be a banker as his biggest dream. He loves math and works hard at it so I think he is on the right path already. What I loved most about him was what he answered when asked the question, “How would your parents, friends, and teachers describe you?” His answers were Kind, Humble, a Leader. How awesome is it for a kid to realize and begin to understand how important those special qualities are for a young man, no matter where he goes in this world. I truly believe that those qualities will carry him to be the man he wants to be in the future. I hope so much that he continues to develop his dreams and uses those skills that he already possesses to become a great man in his home town, his country, and in this world.
After lunch, we were so blessed to be a part of distributing the hygiene kits for the young girls there. The joy in their faces when they realized how much these kits would help them in their schooling was unbelievable! They clapped and smiled and sang in praise for this blessing. What a joy to see them light up in the fact that they no longer have that barrier in their personal life and they can continue to focus on achieving their wildest dreams each and every day!
Though we came here to help and bless these children in Uganda, it is turning out to be just as much of a blessing for us. The smiles alone on each of the children’s faces has given me renewed hope in a God who is so good and cares for all of his sons and daughters. As Mike said at some point on the trip, we serve a universal God and not just a god of the US or a god of Uganda, but one God who loves unconditionally.
We will be back at New Kabaale tomorrow to distribute some of the medical supplies that were so graciously donated to this trip. Some of us will get to educate the teachers and players on basic first aid and health related topics while the rest of us will get to work with more students on their DREAMS plans. I can’t wait for another day and we are all so grateful for our friends and family back home supporting us through prayer daily. Those prayers are definitely felt half-way around the world here in Uganda.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and be blessed until the next time I get to talk to y’all.
Brian Fleming
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