Jabulani, Africa!

For years now I have loved Africa with a part of my heart that God seems to have reserved specifically for the people of that continent.  I've been fortunate enough to travel to the southern part of Africa for a short term mission trip and for a 5 month Discipleship Training School.  You know how sometimes you get an itch and you think that if you scratch it, it will go away?  Well, Africa has always been the opposite for me.  The more I scratch, the more it itches.

When Jake and I moved to Longview, we decided that we should attend a local church so we could have community more locally than our church in Milwaukie.  We walked into a local church, Father's House Church, and began talking with people there.  One of the men there was talking with Jake and after about 5-10 minutes of conversation he mentioned that the church was sending a group to Uganda for a short term trip.  I immediately perked up and my heart leapt.  I immediately ran over to the brochures, grabbed one, read, and started planning what I would need to pack!  I knew, knew, KNEW we had to go.  After a few weeks of prayer, Jake jumped on board with me and we have been taking care of the details ever since.

It's been 2 months since we initially heard about the trip and now we are only 4 days away from leaving.  We will be gone for 2 weeks and 2 days (including travel) and will be spending our time ministering in Arua and Yumbe, in the northwestern corner of Uganda.  We will be ministering to people in hospitals and prisons, we will be passing out water filters, playing soccer with the kids, and doing basically anything we can to build relationships and share the love of Jesus in the communities.

As I was driving down the road the other day, listening to some worship music, I thought back to the refugee church my DTS and I went to in Mozambique.  It was a church with refugees from Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, norther Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and on and on.  It is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been to because the people there were so open to love Jesus and expressing it without reserve.  They danced, they sang, the shouted and all in praise of our King.  There is something so beautiful about so many African people and tribes that are expressive and free in ways that Americans tend to not be.

It's a beauty that words and pictures cannot express.  It's a beauty that only my heart and my spirit understand.  It's a beauty that reflects the heart of God.  And it's a beauty that is only a few days away.

Jabulani, Africa!  Rejoice!