The Other Side of the World--Thursday, May 10th

The Entebbe Flight Hotel served as our accomodations until we could get to Arua (an 8 hour drive) in the north of the country with the help of our Missionary friends. These friends we are "visiting" still have a sort of ominous presence as none of us have seen them or met them or spoken to them. We know they exist because of their blog sites and through their families. But none of us have every seen John or Bill. They paid a small bus to pick us up with our luggage and even for the hotel to provide a "sack lunch" for the road. More evidense of their existance...now we knew they must exist somewhere...somewhere close...

It was a long and bumpy road to Murchison Falls, where Billy and John were to meet us. The ten of us were still a little tired from the jetlag and time change, but even so I found it curious that no one said a word to each other. Some dozed a little, but most just gazed out the windows, watching Africa pass by our faces, watching ordinary people doing ordinary things, watching the culture unfold before us, letting Africa soak into us.

As the sights seeped into my mind and as I processed them more and more, I became more and more aware of the distance I was from Indiana, that I was truly on the other side of the world. Back in Elkhart it was about only three in the morning. Even the night owls were in bed and there was no trace of the sun. Here, it was ten in the morning and even the late risers were in full swing. Here on the other side of the world, I was looking out my window at the very same sights I've seen in video clips, on television, in photographs. All of the memories of seeing the charity videos and thinking "What can I do?" "How can I help?" came to mind and I realized "this is my chance. This is the 'what,' the 'how' I've always asked about. So what am I going to do now?"

I came to several realizations as I watched the culture unfolding outside my open window. One is that they seem to get along contentedly without my presence; after all, not one realizes that we are there until we have already sped past them. Also, they seem to truly understand the temporary nature of material. When something does not last forever, they don't get angry, they fix it and move on with life.

So HOW can I help these people? Anything I give them does not move them to progress, but to dependence, and when they are content on their own, dependence is the opposite of progress. Even if they aren't content, dependence opposes progress. So what do I do now that I am on the other side of this world? How can I not waste the little time I have with them? How can I see Africa develop? By giving them something eternal. I can help them understand the love of Christ and the love of the Church in his name--the love that has sent me here. I can help them understand their part in the church.

More to come...

Trent