We arrived safely last night at 10:00PM in Entebbe and afterwards we took a short bus ride to our hotel in Kampala. This morning we were served breakfast with a few members of the Sports Outreach team. Following this, we headed to their facility just outside of Kampala to continue the rest of our day.
Upon arrival, the first thing we participated in was a devotional service with all of the members of the Sports Outreach community. This included prayer, worship songs, and a short homily from Leviticus, 2 Kings, and Mark covering the topic of leprosy. Simon Peter, one of the pastors at the compound, explained how each of us have something eating away at us, disconnecting us from God. The only way to be cleansed is through the grace and mercy of Christ in faith. After the service, we were able to tour the ministry to see the good works they have now and their plans for the future
Then we travelled as two groups to a number of homes to understand the stories of families in different communities and surround them in prayer. These visits revealed the authenticity and graciousness of Ugandan culture. It also was a clear indication of the strong faith that many individuals had in weak circumstances.
The team at Sports Outreach cooked us a delicious lunch and we then went to a community called Kawempe for more home visits and a Sawyer water filter demonstration. In introducing the water filters, we were able to connect the filtration of the dirty water, to the reconciliation of Christ’s death on the cross to make us clean and pure. Upon receiving the water filters, community members were more worried about sharing the precious gift of clean water with their neighbors rather than its use for their own families. A separate group went into the heart of the community during the demonstration to visit a few more homes. During this trip, the bond between families and individuals in the slum were unlike any relationship we had ever seen. The dependence and trust of people made the love of Christ evident and alive in the same way as during the water filter demonstration.
We returned to the hotel for a devotion and debrief where we could share how we saw God during our experiences today. The smiles of the Ugandan community touched us along with their authenticity and vulnerability during home visits. The graciousness of the people we came in contact with was telling of Christ’s love as well. Finally, we saw God in the faith-driven consistency of the actions and words of the Sports Outreach workers and people.
Tomorrow we embark on a 7-hour bus ride to Gulu for another aspect of Sports Outreach in Uganda. We ask for prayers for the people we will come in contact with, as well as those we shared fellowship with today. We want to continue to learn and understand how we can best teach and be taught in the communities we will serve.
Daniel, Olivia, and Hayden