When we were in Uganda the summer of 2018 as people asked about future trips, I found myself repeating, “Yes, West will continue our relationship with Acres of Hope. For me personally, however, this is my last trip.”
Having been six times, I believed I could continue to share the vision and passion for the ministry there without physically flying across the globe.
And the longer the trip went, the more adamant I became.
On the last trip, because of professional commitments I could not miss, I flew to Uganda alone. Flying over was a breeze but coming home . . . was . . . . awful.
I somehow found a way to get LOCKED IN the hotel room near the airport and had to beat on the door for a period of time before someone would come let me out. That was disconcerting.
I had some kind of illness on the way home, ran a crazy high fever and ended up with three massively delayed flights over the course of the next 24 hours. As I curled up in the fetal position in a corner of the Brussels airport PRAYING that I would not fall asleep and miss my flight, I remember saying out loud, “I’m never doing this again.”
Time passed.
As we began preparing for the West trip summer of 2020 and saw new opportunities for relational ministry together, I found myself telling the “Uganda” story.
Before I knew it, I’d blocked the days on my calendar. How could I NOT go back?
Sometimes when we are in the “middle” of something, we can’t see the big picture. It requires us to step out and aside of our own lens and see things in entirety.
As I told the Ugandan story to new people I was reminded of the ways that Uganda and Pastor Geoffrey’s vision had changed me. That adage, “you get more by giving more” is true. Every time I’ve given of my time or money to Uganda, there has been tremendous change within me.
Where can we dare to “give more” in our lives?
Is it financially to something that will make a difference and make others’ lives better?
Is it of our own time and gifts so that we can positively impact change?
It’s easy to remember the “bad” things (like lying in an airport with a crazy high fever) . . . but when we look with greater focus than just on ourselves, we see and are impacted by greater clarity.
