Uganda: Week Four

This was written on Thursday. I meant to post it on my blog, but I haven't had wifi on my laptop the past few days.

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Hi everyone,

Last week was Anna and my fourth week in Uganda. Nothing much has changed since our third week in Uganda. Our days consist of attending prayer meeting, helping out at the clinic, giving violin and English lessons, going to the market, and making dinner. Some days at the clinic are really busy while other days there is not much going on. Last week, while Seul-Gi gave eye check-ups to Ugandan students, I helped her communicate with the students by translating while Anna helped dilate the students’ eyes. However the clinic has been very quiet this week.

Last Sunday, Dr. James Ocita gave the message. We helped out by teaching the younger kids about the birth of Moses. However, since the Sunday Worship Service begins at 9 AM and CBF occurs during the Sunday message, we were unable to listen to Dr. James Ocita’s message. We met Dr. James Ocita after the service and gave him the gifts. This Sunday, Cornerstone fellowship (the fellowship we are part of while in Uganda) will lead worship and play a special song. Please pray that we can glorify God as we do our best to sing and play our instruments. For the special song, I will be playing a violin-piano duet with Eunhye (Dr. Livingstone and Grace’s second daughter).

It seems that people constantly come and go from the Bethesda Medical Centre. This Saturday, another Korean volunteer from Vision Care will be coming to the clinic to do the administrative work. She’ll be living across the hall from us. I pray that we can welcome her and help her adjust to life in Uganda. The staff is also preparing for Eye Camp from July 20-25, which we unfortunately won’t be able to attend since we will be returning on July 21st. Eye Camp is a week full of free eye check-ups and glasses for anyone who comes. In preparation for the Eye Camp, there will soon be a lot of visitors from Korea.

We were feeling sick for a couple of days last week, but now we are feeling much better. As always, thank you so much for your prayers and support!

The Father's Heart

I began writing this post back in April, but it didn't end up going in the right direction. Two months later, I'm here again. I thought I would try again and will see where the post goes especially since today is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

I remember while growing up, my family didn't have much. We weren't so poor that we couldn't afford to eat, but we weren't exactly well off either. At a young age I became conscious of our finances and as a result, I didn't ask my parents for much. This is so silly but I would be shocked that parents would buy kids books when they would read it one time and then put it on their shelf. Why not go to the library and borrow books for free (haha, now I buy books because there are some books you can't borrow at the library)? As a result, I didn't ask for things because the answer would be a "no." It wasn't that my parents were withholding good things from me, but there were just limitations with finances. A month ago or so, Aug gave a youth group message on the Father's heart based on Ephesians 3:14-21. He shared with the youth group that often times we don't receive because we don't ask. After hearing this, I kept thinking more about it. As my family became better off as the years went on (when my dad began working as a nurse), I learned how to ask my dad for things. But the concept of not asking my dad for big things or too many things because I think I'm asking for too much - without me even being aware of it, it carried into my relationship with God, the Father. But is anything too big for the Lord? While I don't want to babble on and on with a list of selfish prayer topics to God in prayer, the more I learn about the father's heart, I see that yes, I can lay everything (whether big or small) down before the Lord. Because he cares. Because he is for me. Because he loves me. God, our good Father, withholds nothing good from us. I think as Christians, when we focus on these rules and commandments we must follow, we begin to lose sight of the Father's heart and we forget that yes, God is for us. Rather, these rules and commandments are standards God has for his people to follow because God knows what is best for us. He knows that adultery will create deep scars that will hurt and run deep in families. He knows that thief will create mistrust and dissension among neighbors. Therefore let's not forget that God is for us. A parent's heart is not to criticize every mistake a child makes. No, they correct and rebuke because they want their child to grow and mature into a woman/man of God. They are for their children. And it may be difficult to see it when God disciplines us, but as Romans 8:28 says - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I would say that my mentality and attitude shifted when I realized and truly believed that yes, God is for me. God is not there to criticize every mistake that I make. Rather, his desire is that I will continue to mature and become more and more like Jesus.

When I see the parents at our church, I see them delight in their children. Their works didn't earn their mom and dad's love. And in the same way, God, our Father, delights in us! And he loves us not because of all the works we do for him. He just loves us. I'm not a parent right now so I can't speak from experience, but here in Uganda, there is a five year old Chinese girl named Aizhen. Her parents are missionaries here to Uganda and they live in the building across from the Bethesda Medical Center. Aizhen likes to come to our room and ask for kim (dried seaweed) and mangoes because she just really likes kim. This is such a small example, but how can I say no? She's so cute! And how much more do parents delight in their children? And how much more does God delight in us?

And the more I learn about God's big heart for me, the more I see that God's heart is for everyone to know Him. I always struggled to understand the story of the prodigal son in the older brother's point of view. Everyone always focuses on the prodigal son - how when he ran away and came back, the father embraced him. It's a beautiful illustration of God's love for us, but for a long time, I could relate more to the older brother. But the older brother failed to understand his father's heart. Everything that was the father's was his. Yet, he was angry that his brother squandered his portion of the inheritance, came back, and now his father was throwing him a party. As Christians, I think it's really easy to become like the older son if we fail to understand the Father's heart. If we never really did anything "bad" persay we can easily feel like the older brother. But God's heart is for everyone to know Him. Yes, God chose me and saved me, but it's not just about me. Also, as children of God, everything that is the Father's, is ours as well. We have such a glorious inheritance! It is worth more than all the riches of this world. So we have this mission to go and make disciples of all nations and share this glorious inheritance. While there are limited resources on this earth, there is no limit to God's love.

I also believe that God places in father's hearts the need to provide for the family. My dad works crazy hours when he's on call to provide for my family (especially my college tuition). I believe this shows me a glimpse of God as the provider God. Because he loves me, is for me, and does not withhold anything good from me, he provides for me in his perfect timing.

As we learn more of the Father's heart, will you join me in asking God to do big things? To come, to move, to stir up hearts - in our families, friends, cities, schools, and nations. Because when we ask according to God's will, I am confident that He will answer.

Uganda: Week Three

This was written by Anna last night and I thought I would share it!

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Times goes by a bit more slowly in Uganda. Maybe it’s the fact that people move slowly to here. Or that there’s not much to do at the hospital, except to log people in at the receptionist desk. But these days, Grace and I are mostly preoccupied with cooking for ourselves, cleaning up our place, and giving violin lessons to the kids. In a sense, I’m grateful for the quiet pace of life. It gives me much more time to be able to read my bible and pray more, and I’ve felt closer in my relationship with God ever since coming to Uganda. I know for sure that in the United States, I would just be feeling anxious and stressed, too caught up in trying to live life without turning to the source of life Himself.

I am also grateful that I can really spend time with the people here in Uganda. Just a few days ago, a volunteer from South Korea arrived to help out at the hospital eye clinic. Her name is Seul Ki and she will be staying here in Uganda for a year, living in a small single bedroom right next to ours. To help her adjust and welcome her as our neighbor, we’ve spent a lot of time with her, just talking or sharing dinner. It’s a bit difficult because she mostly speaks Korean, but we somehow manage with our back and forth exchange of broken English-Korean. We’ve also been having lots of interesting conversations with our fellowship sister Gloria, who is starting to feel more and more like an actual sister to us.

Last Sunday, Dr. Livingstone Kang and Msn. David took Grace and me to the construction site where a new medical center is meant to be built. As the ambulance climbed up the unpaved country road, the beaten down road signs and urban shacks gave way to green stretches of African trees twisting out of the red hills. It was beautiful up in the mountains, with a hint of rain. Unfortunately construction has been stalled for a while because of land disputes with a neighbor. However, up at the top of the red hill, where we could see the gray roofs dotting the land below, Grace commented that it felt as though we were the Israelite spies, scouting out the Canaanite land. We prayed for the construction of the medical center together, and prayed that God would complete the project and so bring many people to Him.

Everything else is fairly peaceful. I was able to go into lab this week and learn a few new medical procedures, and Grace and I have also been trying to attend early Morning Prayer meetings. Please pray for us to continue to wake up early.

Thanks for everything, and will update you soon,

Anna and Grace

These photos below are of the construction site.

"Proposed Bethesda Mission Hospital"

The beautiful view.

flowers on the side of the road

Our mode of transportation - an ambulance.

Glimpses

During the first week or two of our stay in Uganda, I didn't take any pictures with my camera because I was afraid of taking it out. But I got around to taking a few last week. I tried uploading them to facebook, but it was taking forever, I thought I would just post them on my blog! It reminds me of my middle school days when it would take an hour for me to upload photos on facebook. And now, it merely takes a few minutes back at home (how times have changed....). This is obviously not the full picture of Uganda, but I hope these photos gives you a glimpse of the life here!

This is Mary. She's shy, but at the same time really spunky. And she has a really adorable laugh. I think this photo shows you a bit of her attitude, haha.

Just 'cause they're so pretty.

There are so many different kinds of butterflies!!

Also just 'cause I like taking pictures of flowers.

To the left is the Bethesda Medical Centre (should I write Center?). We live on the 2nd floor of the clinic and the church is in the basement. To the right, three missionary families live in the building. Apparently this used to be the old clinic before the build the building to the left. The clinic is fairly new. I think it was build around three years ago. They have difficulty with fundings and fraud, but it was successfully built three years ago! In the hospital (when all the doctors are in Uganda and working) there are two pediatrician, one internal medicine (general doctor), eye doctor, and a dentist. There are currently two nurses (they're hiring more), a janitor, receptionist, and other people. Every Wednesday they have a faculty devotional meeting at 8 AM and someone shares the word of God with the staff.

Patterns. Before I left for Uganda, my mom kind of got mad at me because I didn't wash my tennis shoes. But in hindsight, I'm glad I didn't wash my shoes because my shoes got so dirty only a couple of days after I came to Uganda. Your feet get so dirty so quickly anywhere you go in Uganda. I think I wash my feet like three times a day. I don't know where the dust comes from but by the end of the day, there's always a layer of dust.

butterfly catching

flower + bee

Kyambogo UBF | This is when we went the Sunday Service at Kyambogo UBF last Sunday. The adult services start here at 9 AM and it's very similar to the ones at home. One difference is that at the end of the service, they have a 30 minute testimony writing and sharing time. I think it's great to be able to reflect on the passage right after and share it with your fellowship because you have more time to collect your thoughts.

Kyambogo UBF | I just really love this photo!

Kyambogo UBF |  That UBF logo is worldwide.

Uganda: Week Two

This was written yesterday!
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Hello everyone!

Anna and I are doing well. Today is Heroes Day, a Ugandan holiday, that honors people who have sacrificed themselves for the betterment of the Ugandan people. Last Wednesday was also a holiday called Martyr’s Day. Holidays are similar to the holidays back at home. Most people do not work on holidays. Therefore the clinic is also closed on public holidays. Last Wednesday Dr. Joseph and Esther Chung returned from their five-week stay in Korea. Dr. Joseph is a pediatrician at the Bethesda Medical Center.

In Uganda there are two seasons - the dry and the wet season. Since we are in the rainy season, it rains often and unpredictably. Kampala is the capital of Uganda. Since it is the city, the air is really polluted. There are also a lot of thefts that happen. Therefore we have to lock the door every time we leave the room. There still isn’t much for us to do at the clinic, but last week, we watched an endoscopy procedure. In Uganda, the Bethesda Medical Center is the only place a biopsy can be done during an endoscopy. We also saw a case of malaria and identified it under a microscope.

On Sunday we attended the Kyambogo UBF worship service. Makere University is the top university in the nation and Kyambogo is the second in the nation. While Makere University is in the middle of a bustling city, Kyambogo reminded us more of the suburbs. The Sunday service was very similar to the one back at home. One difference is that after sharing a light lunch, they have a short 30 minute testimony writing and sharing time. Shepherd Dan gave a message on Numbers 13 & 14. The key verse was Number 14:9 - “Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” The Israelites who grumbled against God were unable to enter the Promised Land. In the same way, we should not grumble against God but trust the Lord because he is always faithful to his promises. Shepherd John gave us a tour of the Kyambogo campus. Their prayer topic is that Kyambogo will be a God-fearing and missionary-sending campus. It is so encouraging to see people labor hard for the Lord here. They are also in the process of buying land in order to build a church. Dr. Samuel Yoo is currently pioneering and working to build a medical school in Swaziland, a small African country located in Southern Africa. Missionary Mary Yoo, Dr. Samuel’s wife, has stayed in the Kyambogo chapter but will leave for Korea at the end of the month. After visiting her children in Korea, she plans to join Dr. Samuel in Swaziland.

Yesterday Anna and I visited an orphanage, Sanyu’s Babies Home. We held and fed babies. There are so many babies who need constant care. Anna and I also teach the violin to Dr. Livingstone and Grace’s children Grace and Noah. Thank you for all your prayers and please continue to pray for our health, safety, and that we may attend 6 AM prayer meetings!

Uganda: Week One

"What were your expectations of Uganda?"

With the semester wrapping up and just so much going on, I honestly didn't have time to think about my expectations of Uganda. Anna and I heard a lot of things from Emerald so not too many things were surprising. But if I was honest with myself, I imagined myself doing important things. Meeting new people, helping out in the ministry and clinic, and having a lot of things to do. But to my dismay, when we arrived, we found out there just isn't much going on here. With only Dr. Livingstone working at the hospital and the students gone for internships over the summer, there's not many people around in the clinic or in the ministry. So I have been struggling, trying to figure out what God wants me to do here during my two month stay in Uganda. I still don't know what God wants to do through me while I'm here, but I am confident that it is God who brought me to Uganda. And so I pray that he may fulfill the work he prepared in advance for me to do. I pray that I can be a source of encouragement to those in the ministry here. I also read this blog post, which made me realize maybe I've romanticized the mission life as well. I realized that life is life wherever you are. Everyone needs to eat, sleep, and work. 

For now, life is simple. We sleep, eat (lots of mangoes, pineapples, and avocados), and have fellowship with the people here. Hopefully there will be things for us to do in the weeks to come! Also, we might finally be getting over jetlag (thank God)! I thought that a 7 hour transition would be easier than the 12 hour transition (transition to Korea) but it's still difficult to get over jetlag.

Since we have a lot of time, I've been reading a lot. I finally finished a book I began months ago - To Live is Christ to Die is Gain by Matt Chandler. In the book Matt Chandler goes through the book of Philippians, explaining what it means. God has been teaching me a lot through the book of Philippians this year, especially chapters 2 and 4.

Philippians 4:4-9

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 

God has taught me a lot through Philippians 4:6 alone, teaching me to cast all my anxiety to him. But lately he's been teaching me there's more than verse 6! He wants me to rejoice in all circumstances - whether I am rich, poor, sick, healthy, single, married, in the US, in Uganda, etc. How is this possible? It comes from being content in Jesus. It comes from knowing and trusting that Jesus is better. And despite the uncertainty, I am confident that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I want to be able to declare as Paul declared - "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." How amazing is that? Paul experienced great wealth (which I actually didn't know about until I read the book from his friend Lydia) but he also experienced extreme poverty. He could walk away from wealth because he knew that Jesus was better. And at the same time, he could endure poverty because he knew that Jesus was better. He knew that his life was not his own. So whether I'm doing a lot of things or not, I want to learn to be content because Jesus is enough. 

And for a more thorough explanation of what we've been doing in our daily lives, this is what Anna wrote for our weekly update - 

"The past few days in Uganda have been rather uneventful. We arrived around midnight last Wednesday, but even though we were able to get up the next day, we’ve mostly spent our time so far recuperating from jet lag and settling down in Uganda. We’ve had a good time so far however, having fellowship with the missionaries here and being invited to many meals. It’s especially helped us from having to cook a lot. Living by yourself takes lots of work. The place we are staying at is pretty nice and spacious, but it also means buying groceries, doing laundry, and keeping the place clean.

Friday night we were invited to Cornerstone fellowship meeting by Theresa, who has gone to Chicago just last Saturday. She shared with us Colossians 3:22-24, and we were reminded about how we should do everything giving it our best and with sincerity. We also went to the beach of Lake Victoria with brothers and sisters Gloria, Albert, Mark, and Natako, before dropping Theresa off to the airport. It was lots of fun.

On Sunday Grace and I attended Sunday worship service and shared our life testimonies. We listened to a message on the importance of faith and spiritual sight, and for dinner went to Kyambogo UBF, the other chapter in Uganda. Their center was beautiful and the missionaries there were very welcoming and loving.

There aren’t many people at the clinic at the moment, so Grace and I have been looking for other things to do. We may end up volunteering at an orphanage nearby, but we’ve also been giving violin lessons to the missionaries’ kids and English lessons to Dr. Luke Lim’s nephew, John. We will probably go to the early prayer meetings starting tomorrow. Hopefully there will be more to talk about in the weeks to come.

Please continue to pray for us, especially to get over jet lag.

Thanks,

Anna and Grace"

I've been learning a lot of facts about Uganda. For example, the most common languages spoken here in English and Luganda. Also, tomorrow is a Ugandan holiday called Martyr's Day and next Tuesday is Hero's Day. Let us know if you have any questions!!