Jinja Mission Team - Busoga Churches of Christ

Stephen is our wooly-faced wanderer from Texas who recently concluded one semester-long adventure in Australia to begin another in Africa.  Stephen’s life has revolved around Abilene Christian University where both his parents teach chemistry and he studies accounting and environmental science.  But the world is his home and he harbors hopes to set foot on every continent!  Stephen is a perpetual learner who soaks up life through books, conversations, and experiences, and is ready and willing to incorporate new insights into his faith.

My Monday Morning Quarterback

The Quarterback (me)

Starting game two of the double header of the last 6 months of my life was not as easy as I expected. Australia was a grand slam. No doubt. I thought that maybe the transition from that life to this one would be fairly easy. However, the nomadic life is proving to be a difficult one. Trading places more than a minor league pitcher is traded, makes it difficult to develop a healthy sense of home. And I didn’t just trade places, but cultures, countries and continents. I wouldn’t classify myself as having culture shock, just a yearning for the comfort of home. There’s just something about being in one’s own home that makes him feel comfortable. Perhaps, in this sense I relate to the missionaries quite well. It’s hard being away from home. Away from everything that is so familiar and easy to something so foreign and confusing. It’s hard being away from my culture. I find myself wanting to be able to hop in my truck, drive wherever I want, go pick up fast food, and simply sit in the comfort of my own home not having to worry about anyone else. That all sounds pretty pessimistic and like I don’t really want to be here. However, I spend little time dwelling on those thoughts since the only time they invade my brain are when I’m lying in bed recollecting the day. Therefore, although I struggle with a bit of homesickness, I couldn’t be happier to be here with these people in this place.

The Game

It’s been strangely difficult to be here and see all that is being done. I write strangely because it has not been difficult for me in the way that I think most would find it difficult. Having previously visited Jinja, I had already seen the poverty, the horrid hospitals, and the children without clothes and food that shock most people. I wasn’t shocked by it. In fact, I didn’t feel much at all. It was my lack of empathy that shocked me. I began to search myself to find the reason for my numbness towards all that surrounded me. Over and over I found myself coming back to the same questions. Am I really helping? Are the missionaries really helping? Is anything we are doing here doing any good for anyone? The poverty that I saw seven years ago still exists. The number of children that are sick or hungry or naked have multiplied. The situation hasn’t really seemed to get much better than the last time I was here. And haven’t there been missionaries here that whole time? Aren’t there more organizations and more people aware and more access to resources than before? So why do the problems still exist? Is anything we are doing helping? I think I need to step out of my Westernized way of deducing and see things in the African light. Uganda is about relationships. Jesus is about relationships. Surely, the relationships the missionaries have with the workers at the Source Café and with the church leaders in the villages make it all worthwhile. Surely, those relationships are what it’s all about.

Mr. Ben Langford once said, “Sometimes you have to count your wins and losses. And most of the time you have more losses than wins.” More losses than wins? Isn’t that a bit depressing? We are fighting a losing battle. There will always be the poor, the unclothed, the hungry. Those things will never go away. Those problems will never be completely solved. So what’s the point of fighting if you know you are going to lose? But doesn’t Jesus call us to fight a losing battle as well? Jesus calls us to perfection. He calls us to follow him. But we know we can’t be perfect and Jesus knows we are going to fail, yet he still asks us to live perfectly. He asks us to fight a losing battle. Thankfully, since he realized that we would fail, he also asks us to accept the grace that is extended to us all. Similarly, Jesus himself said the poor would always be amongst us. He knows that it is a losing battle. But all same, he still calls us to fight. Fight not to win, but rather to live within it and not ignore it. Fight not with answers but with promises of love. Fight not with handouts but with relationships.

The Team

I think in the realm of wins and losses and good days and bad days, the importance of a team is revealed. I think it’s pretty easy to be discouraged when you lose more than you win, but when someone on your team gets a win it somehow helps you keep on keeping on. If you miss a shot or fumble the ball, it’s encouraging knowing that someone on your team is sinking threes and scoring touchdowns. The team here exemplifies teamwork. Every member seems to have his or her position on the team and all seem to be aware of the importance of teamwork. It’s so encouraging to see this community function since so much of what we see fails miserably at community.

Overall it’s great to be here and it’s great to be challenged and encouraged by a new culture and new experiences. I’m thankful for all those who helped me get here and everyone’s love and support. Thanks! Ok bye.
 

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