It was an amazing, eye opening and enlightening experience for all of us. We really were able to see the needs, feel God’s presence and have deep discussions about the future vision for HEAL. Although, we all had different experiences and thoughts, we truly came together as a team with a new, deeper respect for what Tina is doing to further His Kingdom. We also felt very encouraged and gained a deeper respect for Trey as well, becoming a true Godly man and son.
Uganda is a very difficult place and if God was not leading them, I could not imagine why someone would want to live there. The need is great, the people are beautiful, however, the living conditions are hard. It was a much more desperate place than I could have imagined; very primitive, dirty and desolate. The villages (slums) were probably as I anticipated, however much more than I could have imagined.
The city/town was much worse than I anticipated. I expected to find a more modern culture and enterprise but was surprised to see that was not the case. It felt like a time period close to the wild west vs. 2012. Run-down buildings, daily power outages, dirt roads with massive pot holes, trash and very little modern business is what I experienced.
I guess I expected to see more progress which ultimately would have provided more hope. Certainly, there are areas of paradise in Uganda with Lake Victoria, the Source of the Nile, and lush environment in the outlying areas, which provide a since of why Uganda is known as the “Pearl of Africa”.
The board had the blessed opportunity to visit Amana Baby Cottage, Amazima site, Serving His Children, Canaan’s Children’s Home, Ekisa, Cure Hospital, Watoto Church and Rafiki Village, all of which served different needs for the communities. All of these ministries opened my eyes to see how God can inspire people to do great things, however, for me, personally, Masese Village was where my heart bled for the Lord. A village so full of desperation, yet filled with great hope and love and kindness. They kids loved the “muzungas” (white people), the mama’s were more than happy to show us their homes (although made of made of mud, wood, cardboard, etc.) and we were more than happy to share our hearts with them.
As we journeyed along, we made great progress in the next steps for HEAL. As we continue to make smart, patient decisions, we believe we understand more of where God is taking us along His path. We hope to learn more through prayer, patience and guidance from the local Ugandan people, ministries and government officials with the goal to announce something special soon. God Bless.
Chairman of the Board