We have just about two full days left before we head back home. Today, at least I was thinking, was supposed to be a little easier than yesterday, but as when you try to plan for God, he often has different plans. This was by far the hardest day we have had, and as we met tonight we struggled with what we saw, and ultimately had to give it up to God and go to bed. There were 7 of us (out of the 9, the other two went to the University today) that went to the 2nd and 3rd children’s facilities today and when we got back to the guest house I think we all felt beat up and worn down. It was such a night and day difference between yesterday and today. We have compared and contrasted with each other for hours, struggling with what we can do, what we can’t do, and what we have to just give up to God and be ok with.
The photos in this post were only taken at the 1st place we went to today. The second place we went to we were told the government would not allow any photos within the facility, and for the first time, in perhaps years, I really had no desire what-so-ever to take a single image away from that experience. It will be forever burned into my mind as God showing me what His heart breaks for in this world today. With my camera stuffed in my backpack I was immediately taken out of my own comfort zone, behind the camera, and shown the realities and challenges our world can deliver. I’m grateful for that opportunity and I think I will learn from it for a long time to come. There were several team members who suggested that I write a short post and not put up any photos at all to correlate to the experience we had with the second children’s facility, but that was really only half of the day today. So, the other half of our day is shown in the photos in this post, there were none from the second half of the day. I love the shot of Amy Frye at the top. I think that pretty much sums up the day, but we are thankful for God’s love and that he is in charge.
The other two members of the team, Probakar and Emile, went to the University today and had an incredibly positive experience. Probakar was able to give a guest lecture to about 100 students and Emile explained her process of making clean water from sale and light. They brought back many new connections for future work that can be done and had a very positive and uplifting day.
We took away several positive individual stories from both places, and we have planted many seeds for our local partner church in Buloba or Gaba to pick up the work where we just barely got started. The team is really looking forward to tomorrow where we will go across Lake Victoria to Bethany Village Orphanage and then on to Buloba in the afternoon where the ladies will share with some of the woman from Buloba Church and the men, plus Amy Frye, will install some rain catches.
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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
This is how our team started the day today.
This verse from Isaiah was on all our hearts as we headed two and half hours out of our comfort zone, into the Ugandan landscape, to visit some children that we have been praying for and about, for months now. Words just can’t describe the day we had today. How do you explain the heart of God in the midst of nine people who only want to follow a call that none of us seemed to understand, and in many ways, still don’t? I know there are just some days when you can feel God’s presence moving and working more than others. I think we all go through days like that when we feel farther away from God’s presence, and then there are days, like today, where God’s presence is so tangible that you wonder how you can keep time from moving forward.
Today we visited the first of two very special children’s facilities in Uganda, escorted alongside a ministry group that has been working very hard over here to be the salt and light to these very special children. We spent the day interacting with these kids, and we worshiped with these kids in a way I don’t think any of us expected. There wasn’t a praise and worship chorus sung, there weren’t any lights or electricity, it was just a few African drums and the voices of about 100 people, mostly kids, singing in a way only the Joy of the Spirit can provide.
The photos here (and this text) represent our day at this facility today in a way that is meant to show part of what we experienced throughout the day. These weren’t the photos I liked necessarily, they were the photos that the entire team picked out to include. As if the day wasn’t incredible enough, all nine of us waded through about 1,500 images and narrowed them down to these 16. Some images weren’t included here and were as powerful as any image I have taken in my 20 years as a photographer, but all of this was done with purpose and conviction with these kids in mind.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
This is how the day ended.
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I’m playing catchup today with some photos I took earlier in the week. My countdown clock to Uganda (we leave on Wednesday) is running faster than a normal clock it seems and I didn’t get a chance to post these Tuesday night after the festival. So, today’s Friday Feet comes from the Auburn City School Fall Festival that took place on Tuesday, but the feet shot above was just way to cute not to use for today’s post. Each year the Auburn city school system gathers at Duck Samford park in Auburn for their fall festival, and this year I was asked to take some photos of the opening band, called No Refunds. The youth have a great band and it was a lot of fun to listen to them play on Tuesday night.
Below is a shot of each of the band members from No Refunds. No that the fall festival is over we could use some actual fall weather.
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This week my Friday Feet post is a little different. We had the boys youth group out to have a campout, cookout, and whatever else they do at that age. Being Friday I used this opportunity to get a Friday Feet shot in with some of the guys before they ate. It was absolutely pitch dark but those are my feet in the middle and Rusty Hutson’s one foot stuck in the side, Heath to my right with socks on, and everyone else that stuck a foot in at the time.
The boys play this sort of cruel version of a game that no one over the age of 25 should play called catch the flag. I was given the “easy” task of guarding our teams flag (this is pitch dark night at 30* by the way) and when someone came by I was to “get” them. After several sprints, tackles, and sumersalts that this body hadn’t done in a while I was exhausted.
The food was great. They brought out some fraternity grill on a trailer and cooked all night until we were all full. Breakfast was a different story. I learned you need to cook a normal portion times 10 for these guys, but it was all great fun.
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I have been a little off on my postings for the week this past week because my schedule has been so crazy. On Wednesday (18th) I spent some of the day at the Youth Day at the Lake event where, obviously, our youth spend most of the day at the lake.
Nothing can totally prepare a 40ish body for the amount of energy it takes to spend the day with the youth. I met them out at Lake Martin where I thought I would take a few shots of everyone hanging out at the lake. I arrive to find two ski boats and a wave-runner (sea-doo) and several inter-tubes.
I was able to get some shots of all the activities (see complete shoot here) and they all had a great time (how could you not). I was completely exhausted and wondering where the energy I had to do these things went. Although I did get a little burned, even with SPF 75 on, I thoroughly enjoyed doing the photography for and of the youth that day.
Thanks for a great afternoon everyone.
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I came across an article today called Faith No More, by Relevant Magazine, which talks about the dying faith of the twentysomething’s or the college age crowd.
After reading the article I was amazed at how similar the discussion was to a book I just started reading called The Integrity of the Church, A Study of New Testament Concepts Interpreted Through Christian History into our Era of Rapid Social Change (yes, that’s a mouthful), by E. Glenn Hinson. Although the title is a mouthful it is a fascinating read, so far.
At first glance, this book, published in 1978, would seem from the title to be one to rail about the evils of rock-n-roll or something like that. But as I went through the first chapter I was quite interested to find that the church at that time was dealing with large groups of people leaving the faith, much like the article written by Relevant in June 2008. I love reading books from a specific time period. It really gives you insight into what was going on at the time, especially with the church body. A section in the first chapter titled Growing Individualism had this to say:
Consciousness III is affecting the churches in several ways. First, as in the era of the Renaissance, it is adding to the moral confusion of the times, for it undermines established norms and systems for making moral judgments. Each person does what is right in his or her own eyes, his or her own thing.
[second] … the individual decides about his or her own beliefs. He/she does not submit them to peers within the church. If the group tries to to dictate, the individual simply drops out…
[third] …raises questions about how we go about forming congregations and communities, and indeed even whether we sould try to form them.
Of how far we have come from the mid-70′s…. right? This change that Hinson is talking about has long since occurred and we are a society of individuals now. He partially blames technology in the first chapter but probably couldn’t have imagined its impact as we know it today. I think we are now coming around to where we can connect, as individuals, through technology, but the church needs to be a part of that. The conclusion at the end of this chapter was very interesting and talks about the need for the church to be flexible.
…the church should not change merely for the sake of changing, but neither should it lock itself into outmoded patterns of the past. At one and the same time it should stive to conserve its identity while engaging in its missions in and to the world with adaptability or flexibility.
This can be done if we will keep our point of reference who we are and what we are to do as the church… Christianity seems particularly well suited to mett the challenge of rapid social change… but God is directing what is only a mixed and incomplete version of his purpose toward some ultimate goal.
Things always do seem to come back around, but I find many churches today unwilling to change much like in the mid 1970′s. The twentysomething’s want to connect, with people they understand. People like they know in college, not a service, of a set routine developed in the 50′s that they don’t understand. It was very interesting to me how relevant a book written in the 1970′s was to an article written a few days ago. We always try to think our issues in our day are “new”. The issues are the same, how do we connect with the people of today for Christ. The date that has changed, not God or his message.
If you have time, go and read the article by Relevant Magazine linked at the top and come back here and share some of your thoughts. A continuation of this post will be made in the coming weeks or months.
