Oreota! In todays gospel reading of John chapter 6, it states. that in the prophets, it is written that the people shall all be taught

Transcription

1 Sermon time! Oreota! In todays gospel reading of John chapter 6, it states that in the prophets, it is written that the people shall all be taught by God. At Ibonde Orphanage and school, where I spent the last 3 weeks in Fort Portal, Uganda, their motto that stretches along the bright orange concrete building states with god we can learn. It is comforting to know, that almost any part of the bible I come across now, I can find the heart and soul of Ibonde orphanage. But let me start at the beginning. Many moons ago, around my early years of high school, I stumbled upon many musical artists and activists whom I admired, and had traveled to Africa and done mission work. Now at the time, I could partially relate, since I had gone to Our Little Roses in Honduras for three years with the mission team from this church. But upon seeing footage of outreach in Africa, I had this thought I want to do that I want to go to Africa That thought had nuzzled itself inside my head, and stayed there, patiently waiting. I had no intention of releasing this thought into the world.

2 Maybe there was fear of ridicule and uncertainty because I didn t know what was out there and I didn t understand. But that s what kept me interested. I didn t know. I was driven by my lack of knowledge. And God willing, I would soon find out. Still, out of fear, I sent this idea cowering back to the depths of my brain. The seemingly ridiculous, irrational thought I want to go to Africa. Now, I can t say that the sudden media coverage of Joseph Kony this past year didn t rattle me a little. It did. It shot some awareness my way and I did a little research. I spoke with friends. It was a big topic of conversation for some time. My one friend from school, Robby, also became very interested in the goings on and mentioned a volunteer organization he knew of, via a high school friend. I remember researching and I was worried someone was watching me and judging me because it was just so ridiculous and somewhat out of the blue. But I didn t have plans for the summer and suddenly I decided it was an option. There was something unsettled within me. I knew I was missing a piece. And I needed to explore it. There were people on the other side of

3 the world that I didn t know, but I needed to. A calling to connect with them. And understand them. I wanted to share and I wanted to learn. I was dipping my hand into the Great Commision and spreading the word. It s pretty hard to describe. But I felt haunted by the idea to go forward with it. So I uttered the words out loud I want to go to Africa. And, luckily, no claps of thunder sounded, and no stream of light stretched down from the sky; the words simply made themselves known and the idea planted deeper and deeper roots, until I was sure, definite, that this needed to happen. And I told one person. And then another. And another. Most people were confused, some intrigued, some downright, disappointingly against it. And I could see their point I had no money saved, no specific knowledge of Africa, and I d never really traveled anywhere. Regardless, I started planning. And things started to work out. I got more support. More comfort that I was going down the right path. More certainty within myself. I didn t know what I was getting into. I just wanted to

4 venture to a far away land and make a difference. Now, I use that phrase rarely because I am pretty grounded with the idea of what can actually make a difference and what usually fails to do so. But, this trip felt like an exception to that. And it was. So I packed my bags, grabbed a friend (to make it a little less scary), and bolted to Africa. Now my friend Robby and I go to school for musical theatre and dance. Were very expressive and open. IVHQ, the volunteer network I used based in New Zealand, was open to anything we wanted. They suggest that for orphanage work, we also bring something additional. In this case, it was our background from school. Still, not knowing what we were going to find, we decided to try. Upon arriving to Uganda, a very tired, practically delusional version of myself stumbled out of the airport and into a new world. After a couple days of orientation, all the other volunteers and I were placed around Uganda. I was sent to Fort Portal with about 20 other volunteers. Only 3 of us were sent to work in the orphanage.

5 First day in, was HEAD ON. I washed pots, babies, clothes, and bloodied up my hands the first time I went to fetch water from the river, which is the water supply for the orphanage. Oddly enough, those bloody knuckles symbolized a lot for me. Through the course of my trip, I became stronger and my skin grew back, regaining some normal color. Monitoring my wound throughout the trip became significant. I was watching the new skin forming and I dubbed it the layer of Africa that was seeping into my life forever, as cheesy as that is. Now, these light pink scars on my hand help remind me of my journey and how much I discovered. At the school, across the street from the orphanage, I opted to teach English to the first grade level class. These kids were absolutely delightful. There is an indescribable joy spilling out of these kids that really took me aback. Standing in front of 20 smiling children in a shack with a dirt floor and a broken, prehistoric chalkboard put things in perspective for me. These kids just really wanted to learn. Plus, I was honored that they were actually listening to me teach the lessons. And they have a

6 little chant after every lesson you teach, where they stand and thank you in unison. Moments like that are still so vivid. At night, I was an avid participant in the orphanage prayer and celebration ritual. Standing up in the front with the older girls, we would lead a song and dance in worship with the 60 kids from the orphanage. Together, during the day, I would work with these girls on the dances and we would put our heads together to create something. During the prayers, my one friend Ivan, from the orphanage, would drum along and we would all dance. Many times, the power would go out, and we would just keep dancing. My last night, that happened, and the celebration of the Lord went on for an extra 30 minutes. These kids have no possessions. None. But they have so much. So much life and hope and love to give. More than I've ever seen. I learned what it was like to live that way. I would go back to the compound where I was living with the other volunteers and we wouldn t have water to shower, wouldn t have power, and we only had each other. I could see these kids rubbing off on all of us. We were such a happy group

7 of workers. We didn t need anything anymore. Besides chapatti, of course, the most delicious food you can find in Uganda. But really, I think about how I went to help, and I did. I woke up at 7 every morning to start the chores and help get everything running for the day. But I was helped in more ways than imaginable. These children, with their unconditional love, changed me. Some of these kids were abandoned and hurt beyond what I deem repairable. And then they were so strong. And united. And I became a part of that. It is a fantastic feeling to have completed my mission and my quest for fullness. So I really suggest anyone out there, who might have the same inkling burrowing inside them, to trust God and go. Especially coming from here and having a strong backbone of a congregation, which was were I found a lot of comfort for my journey. By living in this great country of America, I encourage anyone to pick up their life and take a look at it from a different part of the world. You have nothing to lose and so much to share. All of you.

8 But, let me warn you. Sometimes it feels like a dream. My trip went by so quickly, that its hard to believe it actually happened. And now I am back in America and I m having a hard time finding what I found there at Ibonde. In Africa, everyone taught me how to let go. Let go of how I looked, how clean I was, and instead focus on each moment with every person I met. It was so sweet of a lesson to have learned and though not tangible, ironically enough it is my most prized souvenir from the trip. It s just a feeling of contentment and peace. I really miss it. I left a part of me in Africa and I hope to go back and visit that part again in the future. Until then, I keep smiling to myself with all the memories floating around in my head. Their motto, with God we can learn sticks with me but also evolved into with God we can learn, and I can learn even more. Without God s help I would not have gone to Africa and have all of these everlasting memories. I'm going to do my best to keep these memories and my new approach to life with me for as long as possible. Old habits do die hard and I m sure many old habits of

9 mine will resurface in due time. But that is when I can look down at my tough water run scars and remember my journey and my home back in Africa. Thanks to many of you for your support both financially and spiritually and thank you all for letting me share my journey with you. I couldn t have done it without you. Webaale muno. And Amen.