A trip to Uganda and The Nile

I recently returned 'home' from a visit to Uganda. I spent a few days in Kampala visiting a friend and seeing her new home and ministry. I enjoyed walking the streets of her area as locals would come out of their home to smile and wave welcoming the new mzungu (white person or literally white man who runs in circles-so glad I'm female). And, of course, we gathered a following of children and I claim that life can't get much better.

I also spent a day at The Sign of the Dove Church in Zana while they were having a revival and was blessed to spend some time with folks from The Sign of the Dove Church in Waukegan, IL! After experiencing enough excitement in Kampala we were off to Jinja, the source of the Nile and located on Lake Victoria. Water is a beautiful site and has always captured my attention and fear.....

I spent a day rafting the Nile with friends and someone said to me "You can now tell your children one day, 'your momma rafted the nile'" and Boy am I glad I'm alive to retell the story. :-) I believe I had done class 5's before but no where near the volume of water we delicately floated through. After flipping and being taken by rapids on the first class 5, I must have had this look of horror on my face, because the kiacker who came to my rescue kept asking me "what is your name", "is this your first time rafting", etc...and I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to make new friends :-)

We survived a tsuanmi of a wave later in the journey and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery of the banks of the Nile. My favorite was the many people who come down to the Nile to bath, wash clothes, and watch us raft the rapids. Though, I enjoying being outside and thrive on adventure, there was more about this trip that impacted me than surviving the Nile, obtaining a new stamp in my passport, and traveling across Kenya and Uganda.

Was it the man who sat next to me drinking his beer chatting about his volunteer work across Africa while we watched the sunset over the Nile? Was it the young boy at the border of Kenya and Uganda who was begging, but had no voice or power to change the situation he has found himself in? Was it the small girl who walked hand in hand with me on the streets of Bunimaya and could not stop smiling? Was it the boda-boda drivers who stuck by me at the bus station for safety purposes late at night while I waited for a taxi and chatted about Obama, morality, life in Africa, and families? OR was it the realization of who I was missing at what is becoming home and who I missing from what has always been home?

I am learning that I am a people person and find my heart easily attached to people I bump into. A verse came to mind as I pondered this on our 10 hour bus ride through the beautiful western country side of Kenya. I will end with this thought: Jesus said "Let the little children come to me" and we often think of precious little ones around the world, but Jesus was beckoning us all to come as His precious little ones to rest in His arms and to enjoy the beauty of His presence. May you find joy in coming to Jesus this Christmas season!