The Lord has prepared us for this trip in a variety of ways. The past two days of training have been incredibly beneficial for our team. We got our first experience assembling the water filters that we will be giving to members of the community. Seeing how effective and easy they are to set up was very encouraging. We also packed 4 extra bags (we’re not talking small bags) filled with sports equipment that we will be using during the week during the sports clinic days and then leaving for their use throughout the year. In addition to all of this, we have spent a lot of time bonding as a group and getting to know one another. Our group connected instantly and has shared a lot of laughter, as well as some deep conversations. We finished off our training with a dinner between the two teams (Zambia and Uganda), in which we made bracelets that signified what each individual member brings to the group.
Some common themes that we have taken away from this weekend are that this trip can seem overwhelming, and many of us had to confront those anxieties and emotions from the moment we stepped on campus. However, after sharing these fears and questions among the group, we have come to the consensus that God’s got us, and that one of our goals on this trip should be to make God greater and greater and us less and less. We also have come to the realization that although we are leaving our physical homes thousands of miles behind us, we are rooted in the love and comfort of Jesus.
Many international trips are not complete without a few bumps in the road. We were only an hour into our trip when the bus had a mechanical issue and we were forced to pull over. It would be another 2 hours before we got back on the road again, with a totally different bus. Despite this minor inconvenience, spirits remained high! We used that time to continue to grow closer as a group, sharing testimonies and a few more laughs. This experience challenged us as a group and had the potential to derail a lot of the progress we had made as a team over the past 2 days, but God is good. We have become stronger and more flexible as a group, which should be a tremendous asset going forward.
We are all so pumped for this trip! The plane just pulled into the terminal and oh my goodness gracious is it a big one! Pray for us as we embark on our first leg of this very long journey. Pray for patience and perseverance. Pray for continued growth of community and growth of faith. Thank you so much for all of your support. We can’t wait to continue to share our journey with you!
Josh & Morgann