Jayne and Tom Gurley, Tammy and Guv Gottshalk, Shaun Gillis, MD (Bozeman, MT), and Jean Chamberlain Froese, MD (Toronto, Canada), and I arrived in Mukono, Uganda, at midnight on Saturday, April 20. We stayed in guest quarters at Uganda Christian University (UCU), awakening on Sunday morning to a gentle rain.  We made our way to a modern open-air pavilion on campus to attend an Anglican church service; we could hear the student choir and praise band as we began our walk there. We were greeted warmly by the congregants, pastors, and the Vice-Chancellor and his wife. We knew we were in for an exciting week, embraced by the Ugandans who love Christ and proudly profess their faith.

On Monday, our group divided between participation in the Save the Mothers program, which focuses on reducing fatalities during birth through prenatal care and education, and meetings with students and department heads at UCU. The business school, agriculture department, and members of the Alumni Association were among those we met.  Each program offered at UCU teaches not only the course material, but how God works through each individual. During our tour of the UCU campus, we were struck by seeing each building emblazoned with a Scripture verse as a testimony to their mission as a Christian university.

Tammy, Guv, and I spent a day at the Water Mission headquarters in Jinja, including a trip to “the bush,” where Water Mission has installed its high-tech water system for the community.  To say we were impressed would be an understatement. Tammy and Guv were asked to lead a church service at a school in the community, where we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by 850 adults and children. Fortunately, we were accompanied by a young lady with Water Mission who served as our translator!  After the service, we joined a local pastor to visit two families in the bush. The pastor read from his Bible, and Tammy prayed for the families. This day made a lasting impression on all of us: seeing Jesus at work!

The joy of the love of Christ flowed through the people of Uganda that we encountered.  The worship was exuberant; one could not resist being caught up in the wave of pure expression of glorifying Jesus and gratitude for His overwhelming love and many blessings. Despite extreme poverty and want, the people were ecstatic with enthusiasm for the Lord Christ.  It was inspiring, especially for us who live in abundance with such comparative wealth. What an example of a deep contentment resulting from trust in the Lord.

On our last day in Uganda, we attended the Ugandan Anglican Church in Entebbe, and again, we were warmly greeted. The choir was joyful as they sang hymns in English and the local language. The message by the guest speaker was loud and clear: God chose you! You did not choose Him. The congregation enthusiastically embraced her words. As we left the church that day, I saw a car in the parking lot with a license plate on its front bumper that read “PSALM 117.”

We have returned inspired and with a better understanding of the work God is doing in Uganda. He touched our lives there, and it is obvious that the Ugandans feel His presence there every day.