Donna Lewis - Trip to Uganda

My trip to Uganda October 17-26, 2019 by Donna Lewis, an ICA Fund Grant Recipient

We almost didn’t get to go! We were to fly out of Charleston to Washington, DC, but our flight was cancelled because bad weather. Our leader, the Rev. Elizabeth Bumpas, worked with the United agent and was able to get our flight rerouted. We flew to Houston to Istanbul to Entebbe, Uganda, a long and brutal trip. We landed in Entebbe around 5 am, and had to leave that morning for Gulu, allowing us only a few hours of sleep.

On the way to Gulu, we went through Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. Words can’t describe the crazy traffic in Kampala. They create lanes as they go! Many travel on small motorcycle taxis called “bodas”. We saw bodas carry 3 or 4 persons on them.

Continuing on our way to Gulu, we crossed the Nile River, an amazing sight. Sunday morning, we attended the worship service at Christ Church in Gulu. They have 3 services, each with around 600 people attending! It embarrassed me that so many in our country stay home rather than go to church. The service was structured very much like St. James Anglican Church here in Charleston. Elizabeth joined the other priests as part of the service, and our group was recognized and given a very warm welcome.

After church, we were invited to lunch with friends of Elizabeth, Nick and Tessa. What an interesting couple! They are from New Zealand, but have been in Gulu for years. They live in a hut among the locals and feel as one of them. Nick is a doctor working at the hospital and at a health clinic. Tessa works for a human rights group. Both love their lifestyle in Gulu and consider it their home.

Sunday night we went to Janani Luwum Theological College for their Sunday service. Our church, St. James, helps to support this college. Visiting it and showing our support was our main goal of the trip. The service was spoken in their native language, and it was interesting to hear the service in another language. One of the students interpreted the sermon for us. After the sermon, they played their instruments and sang. It was beautiful!

On Monday & Tuesday, we returned to the college and sat in on a class about culture, comparing some African beliefs with Christian beliefs. Afterwards, we presented the students with African Study Bibles bought with money we had raised. I can’t describe the joy the students had when we gave out the Bibles. You would have thought we had given each a million dollars! Several told us that they had prayed for that Bible. After that, they played and sang in praise. The trip was worth it just to see their joy!

On Wednesday, we went to a refugee camp led by Dr. Katie Rhodes, a missionary doctor who lives in Gulu. She has dedicated her life to serving the people in Uganda. Because of all the rain they had during the rainy season, the dirt road was in bad shape. Somehow we made it without getting stuck. We met with Rev. John at the camp. He is also a refugee, and lives there with his wife and 9 children. The people live in huts, and each family has a small tract of land for a garden. We rode around the camp and Rev. John pointed out three churches there, but there were more in the camp. Rev. John said that they have 1200 people at a church service at each church. Worshipers sit on the dirt floor. The very small children were afraid of us, but the older children followed us around, wanting their pictures made. All of the people there were very welcoming to us. I left that camp with a feeling of love and compassion for the refugees.

On Thursday morning, we were to leave Gulu, but we felt called to go back to the college one more time. The Life Group I belong to had made gift bags with toiletries for the students. One of the suitcases holding these items was lost when we arrived in Entebbe, but late Wednesday afternoon, it turned up. I think it was God’s plan that we return to the college that Thursday morning. The students had heard we’d be back, and they were all assembled and waiting for us. We gave out the gift bags and again they were thrilled. The students also had a gift for us. They pooled their own money together and bought a wood carving that said “Greetings from Uganda”. Elizabeth said we will display it in our church.

I am most grateful that I was able to make this trip. I see things in a different light. I saw a group of people that don’t have the conveniences and things we have, but have joy and the love of God in their lives. They are happy and thriving in this world.

Thanks for our team:  Rev. Elizabeth Bumpas, Rosie Colson, Mark Durinsky, Libby Paul and me. Also, a special thanks to Bishop Johnson for allowing us to stay in his guest house in Gulu and our driver, Steven.

Shannon Justice - Trip to Belize

Firsthand Account of Fruit Resulting from Our In Christ Alone Fund

Below is a little bit about the trip to Belize. Thank you again for helping make this trip a reality through the In Christ Alone Fund. I am so grateful! 

 "The most rewarding part of this week was getting the language of the Good News etched into my mind and heart as we shared it." - Abigail, junior at the College of Charleston (CofC). I believe this wasn't only true for Abigail, but also for the other 9 students who went to Belize with me for Spring Break. Each of us experienced Jesus as the Living Water as we engaged in being His hands and feet to the people of Belize through distributing Filter of Hope water filters. Here is an example of how the Lord used us:

Ricky didn’t go to school this day because his stomach hurt. Maybe because he was hungry and didn’t have any food or maybe it was from the water he drank. As we walked by he yelled for us to come to his house. He had seen the other group install a filter at his neighbor’s and knew his family needed one. He already had his bucket ready. So we stopped.  Once we showed him how to install the filter, we took a sip of the filtered water and handed him a cup. His face lit up as he tasted the clean water! It was such a joy to see this same expression in many of the Belizean’s faces as they took their first sip of filtered water! We transitioned into sharing the gospel, using the filter as an example of how Jesus’ death and resurrection is the solution to our sin and that God loves us and created us to have a relationship with Him. Ricky gave his life to Jesus as a result of our giving him the filter and sharing the gospel with him! (picture of Ricky sitting on the steps of his house).

After distributing all the filters, we joined the Cru in Belize students on their University of Belize campus to share our faith. Cru in Belize is fairly new and there aren’t any staff -- it’s all student led! It was amazing to see the CofC students take the lead in sharing their faith on campus and see them encourage the Belizean Cru students. Some of them even realized that they could do the same on CofC’s campus! This was one of the purposes of taking this trip in the first place! Praise the Lord for answering prayer! (group picture)

Each of these girls from CofC took huge steps of faith -- from sharing the gospel for the first time ever to praying out loud for someone. The Lord used this Spring Break trip to draw these students into a deeper relationship with Him. I am so grateful to have had a front row seat and be a part of what God is doing in their lives. I am so incredibly grateful for your prayers and financial support for this trip. Thank you for partnering with me in reaching people with the gospel!