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As a team of 8 (with the 9th awaiting us in Uganda) we set out on a 55 hour journey to a new land, Uganda, Africa. Quickly we learned that the Africa way usually means things don't happen quite as planned, so we coined "Spontaneous Planning" as our flexible motto for the trip.
We got the joy of partnering with Dru and Asher Collie, director and founder of Sole Hope that exists to offer hope, healthier lives, and freedom from foot-related diseases. This is done through medical relief and education of Jiggers, a tiny sand flee that embeds into the skin and lay eggs which leads to secondary infection.
Our team got to participate in five jigger removal clinics out in villages in the Jinja area and help six boys that came to the outreach home – severely infested with jiggers in their feet and body. It’s hard to capture in words the beauty of the land and people, the poverty, lack of care, and suffering we saw at these clinics that stretched us to enter into pain, suffering, and offer comfort in ways we may never had before. We each depended on and knew the Lord all the more from the specific circumstances He placed us in with great purpose.
The clinics run in stations. Children are invited to get their feet washed and inspected for signs and pain of jiggers in typical places: feet and hands. Then they would be worked on to get the jiggers removed. This is often an intense and painful process for both the child and the remover inflicting the pain, for their good – what a parallel of how the Lord refines us. Then they would be carried to the shoe station to be sized for a pair of Sole Hope shoes. The hope and growing effort along this process is to educate the child and a caretaker, if present, about jiggers on how to prevent, remove, and care for and the purpose of wearing the shoes provided. We each got to play a part in this process.
From each clinic we were stretched, tired, dirty, emotionally spent, and grateful. As a team we got to see that we are each uniquely made by the Lord (Psalm 139) and were stretched to learn how to be the body of Christ together with those differences.
We saw hope. From the progress at the Wakisi village where Sole Hope has been a consistent presence to the 6 boys who came to the outreach home downcast, infested with jiggers, not knowing the last time they had a meal, to feeling relief, hope, having strength and energy to play soccer and run around laughing. Along with offering healthier lives, Sole Hope desires to connect the hope for their soles, to understanding the hope for their souls in Jesus.
Sole Hope has continual and growing efforts by returning consistently to villages and expanding their reach to other villages as they learn of the needs. What a joy it was to be a part of their efforts – to support and encourage by coming alongside them physically there in Uganda. They are so dear to us, including all the workers we got to know and spend time with. Now from the other side of the world we get to remain partnered with them in different ways, in the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are each placed exactly where we need to be to have our hearts softened to the gospel (Acts 17:26-28) – location and circumstances. May we respond to Him and follow the leading of our hearts to GO where we may be instruments to others responding to His calling right where they are.