Tonight our Uganda Mission Team begins the long journey back home, we carry with us joyful and heavy hearts. We have made many new friends in this beautiful mountain village of Bududa – students, faculty and disciples, all living in community together. As a community, together we worshiped, sang songs, studied scripture, danced, dug a physical foundation, shared meals and even washed each others feet.
What a holy experience to be in relationship with our neighbors halfway around the globe. And doesn’t the horizontal piece of the cross represent reaching out and being in community with the other? But this concept of “being” is not always easy when the modern world in which we live applauds “doing.” We often feel as if we must check off a list of accomplishments. Why are we always trying to “do,” instead of just trying to “be?”
Perhaps we have difficulty just “being” because we want to help change some of the problems we have witnessed. We feel our resources can be a vehicle to change. It’s not that simple. Our hearts are complicatedly burdened – we cannot “unsee” what has been witnessed – extreme poverty; inequity; children raising children. It is all overwhelming and we are wired to just “do.” As “doers” we want to fix the problems we encounter. We want to be agents of change for an entire community. But we have come to learn in our short time we can’t fix every problem.
The Lost Sheep Bible Study
This past week, however, our mission team has learned to slow down, to focus on building relationships, to advocate with and for our Bududan brothers and sisters, as we are called to do as Christians. It’s hard, it requires intentionality, effort and vulnerability. But, what an abundance of blessings that have flowed from this gift of being.
In her book, She Did What She Could, author Elisa Morgan discusses the idea of helping just one. She boldly states that it is not necessary to try to change the world, but rather rather simply to love. Our Director of Outreach, Court Young, often challenges us to reflect on the impact of simply “showing up” in ministry.
MPPC’s partnership with the Bududa Learning Center begins with showing up – we can do that without having to “do” anything but love.
So, we will continue to show up for our Bududan friends and invite our family of faith to join us.
Virginia LaFar
Uganda Mission Team
