Our Uganda team (nicknamed by Eric as The Big U) was comprised of twenty-three unique individuals. Quite a variety, we were. There were pre-teens and teens, mamas and daddys, some young singles, and even a grand-papa. There was an artist, a singer or two, as well as a few musicians, preachers, teachers, runners and writers. There were those of us who were organized and those of us who were organizationally challenged. There were those of us who enjoyed cooking and those of us, not so much. There were some who liked to be in the limelight and others who preferred working in the background. There were some who liked to be in charge and others who wanted to be told what to do. Each of us, while very different, were held together by one common bond--our desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
And so, because of this, last September I found my life intermeshed and woven together with twenty-two other people, some whom I knew well, some whom were just mere acquaintances, and a few whom I didn't know at all. As the school year got underway and the days got shorter and colder, our team began meeting every other Sunday night to pray and to plan. For several months, our meetings focused on fundraising efforts. Yet, as we rang in 2014, our focus began to shift to the actual mission trip itself.
SOS Ministries (whom we were going to Uganda to work with) required that each person going complete a Bible study their founder, Shannon Hurley, had written called Quest for Truth. Each time we met we discussed the answers to the study. We also took turns sharing our testimonies with one another. As the weeks went by, I began to feel a closeness and bond with these team members...they began to feel less and less like fellow church members and more and more like family.
However, as close as I felt to them prior to leaving, I was completely unprepared for how dear each of these team members would be to me afterwards. I had always heard about the strong bonds formed on mission trips. I just hadn't ever personally experienced it. Until now.
This morning, as my phone kept going off as team member after team member shared something in our group text, I fought hard to hold back the tears. I realized that one of the reasons this mission trip had been life-changing for me was because of my team--because of the people I had walked alongside. I had witnessed a unity that was beyond comprehension and could only be explained by the grace of God (and the faithfulness of a few prayer warriors!). We had laughed together, cried together, sang and worshipped together, served alongside one another and shared the Gospel together.
And as I reflect back on the week, I see many scenes with familiar faces. The face of one who so eloquently preached God's Word to school children, the face of another whose ability to make other's laugh broke through the language barrier, the face of another who humbly shared her testimony over and over, the face of another who attracted children like a magnet with his spontaneous, made-up chants. The one whose compassion rivaled Mother Teresa, the one whose friendly spirit was like a burst of fresh air... and on and on and on I could go with the special qualities of each of my dear friends.
Today, I have a bit of a pang in my chest that our 'team' has finished what it purposed to do. That our task has ended. That the Big U's mission is complete.
While the mission of our team might be over, I am reminded that twenty-three strongly bonded friendships have been forged. Ones that I won't soon forget.
This morning, as my phone kept going off as team member after team member shared something in our group text, I fought hard to hold back the tears. I realized that one of the reasons this mission trip had been life-changing for me was because of my team--because of the people I had walked alongside. I had witnessed a unity that was beyond comprehension and could only be explained by the grace of God (and the faithfulness of a few prayer warriors!). We had laughed together, cried together, sang and worshipped together, served alongside one another and shared the Gospel together.
And as I reflect back on the week, I see many scenes with familiar faces. The face of one who so eloquently preached God's Word to school children, the face of another whose ability to make other's laugh broke through the language barrier, the face of another who humbly shared her testimony over and over, the face of another who attracted children like a magnet with his spontaneous, made-up chants. The one whose compassion rivaled Mother Teresa, the one whose friendly spirit was like a burst of fresh air... and on and on and on I could go with the special qualities of each of my dear friends.
Today, I have a bit of a pang in my chest that our 'team' has finished what it purposed to do. That our task has ended. That the Big U's mission is complete.
While the mission of our team might be over, I am reminded that twenty-three strongly bonded friendships have been forged. Ones that I won't soon forget.
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