MISSION MBALE Blog: Walk This Way

Isaiah 30:21

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in the Doko cell of the Namatala slum. Our team was given a tour of the village surrounding Ebenezer church, not a cloud in the sky and already hot enough to remind us of the weather back in Georgia. With a seemingly endless mob of children to surround us, we traveled with the church leaders through the muddy streets. We walked to the house where Ebenezer began as a church plant of FBC Mbale 11 years ago. We watched our step as we passed by livestock—cows, goats, and chickens—all living right along side the homes of the people. Some of the children screamed and ran when they came around a corner and startled a dog. We walked down a road that had recently been cut by the government, demolishing huts and leaving many people homeless.

There was no order or pattern to the streets, everything was red brick, scrap metal, covered in dust and trash. It was difficult to stay together for the large crowd that had gathered to walk with us. But as we traveled, we periodically caught a glimpse of the grey church walls, and we knew we were on the right path. If we oriented ourselves by keeping eyes on the church, we wouldn’t get lost in the chaos.

God is teaching us this lesson with every aspect of ministry in Uganda. If we focus on the hardships and needs of the people, if we dwell on the desperate circumstances or even on the solutions we think are best, we will get bogged down in the chaos and be lost. We must orient ourselves with His direction, leaning hard into His loving arms, trusting in His timing and His provision for every single step. After all, none of us set out on this journey all on our own. We couldn’t have ever imagined the blessings that He would pour out through us and for us. But He said to walk this way, and so here we are…