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6.28.2011

to africa

i go.


The w's of the trip: where. when. why.

where & when
I will leave from Cornerstone's (my Auburn church) parking lot at noon on July 11th bound for Buloba, Uganda.  A whole day later, my eight team members and I will arrive in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, where we will be staying in the Gaba Church guesthouses during our ten day stay in Africa.  Kampala is where we spend our nights, and the village of Buloba, about an hour drive from the capital, is where we will spend our days.  Gaba Church, in Kampala, planted the Buloba Community Church and my Auburn church, Cornerstone, is partnered with Buloba's church.  That's all probably about as clear as mud, huh?

Now to the why.
You might be wondering what Cornerstone being partnered with the Buloba Church really means.  Here is what Cornerstone has to say about it:

"Since 2007, Cornerstone has been partnering with Buloba Community Church in Buloba, Uganda. As we have engaged in this community over the past four years, we have provided Buloba with a bore hole well, reading glasses to those in need, Bibles in the native Ugandan language and help with a new church building.
The greatest impact we have made on the community, however, has come through the child sponsorship programs. Cornerstone members currently sponsor over 300 children in the community, providing a meal every day, a uniform, an education and most importantly hope for their future. In 2011, Cornerstone will send four teams to continue work on the church building, install rain catch systems in the community, continue discipleship with the church members and much more. You can also be part of this partnership by going on one of these trips, adopting a child in the sponsorship program, supporting someone going on a trip or by partnering with us as we pray for Buloba and what God is doing there."

What I like about this trip is that my church is under no illusions that we are going into Buloba for the singular purpose of evangelism.  While that purpose does have a place and circumstance, this trip is more about the continued building of relationships among members of both Cornerstone church and Buloba church, and the rare opportunity to walk side by side, if only for a small moment in time, with believers in a radically different environment that our own.  The idea is based on the knowledge of the importance of discipleship, so that believers are equipped and encouraged in their faith, and then can effectively reach out to the people in their own environment.

With a mere two weeks left until my trip, I'm making multiple to-do lists (multiple because I keep losing them) just trying to make sure I haven't forgotten some important detail like beginning my malaria meds, making sure my passport is where I left it the last time I looked for it, or drinking 18 glasses of water a day (I wish).  In a future post I'll tell you exactly what goes in to making a trip like this one happen, and even better, in another post I'll show you the sweet nine-year-old girl I have the honor of sponsoring. 
over and out,
ab