Returning to Uganda is on my mind. I have been back in Canada for almost four months. It has been a great time to connect with people. Reflecting on my time here I can see that it has been an important season to get refreshed and equipped for the next chapter in Uganda.
I am excited to be returning to my role at Engineering Ministries International. I really love the organization and the people. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen over the next three years.
During the past year in Uganda I spent a lot of my free time volunteering with Doors Ministries. You can read a bit about my experience this past year in a previous post. Upon returning to Uganda my involvement at Doors with expand. Doors is expanding and growing, it has been exciting to see how God has been working to prepare the way. One of the areas that they are expanding is in their Doors home. The current home has been open for almost three years. It has been amazing to see how God has worked in these boys lives, taking them from the streets of Kampala and transforming their lives through His love. As these boys become young men, we want them to continue to mature, grow, and take on more responsibility and independence. So Doors is opening Joshua Home, where these young men will transition as a step towards living independently. Upon opening the four oldest boys in the current home will be shifting there along with two "uncles". The role of the uncles is to live life along side these young men and help guide and disciple them. Joshua Home is a bridge for these young men between the current home and living on their own.
So why am I telling you all of this. Well I am going to be one of the uncles at Joshua Home. I am very excited about this opportunity. I am also quite nervous about it. Sometimes I think "what am I getting myself into?" But I feel that God is leading me to this. The four young men I will be living with I have gotten to know a bit over this past year. I am excited to deepen those relationships and continue to invest in their lives and to be a part of the transforming work that God has been doing through Doors Ministries. My responsibilities at Joshua Home will be outside of my working hours so this will not affect my work with EMI.
This is going to be a big transition for me. My living arrangements are changing from living in an apartment by myself to living in a house with 5 Ugandan men, sharing a room with one of them. I will be taking on additional responsibilities. It will be a lifestyle change and occupy much of my free time. Despite all of these changes, I am looking forward to it. It is a worthwhile investment and an opportunity for me to learn how to serve better. It is interesting to see how God can work in our lives. I remember praying a while ago for God to make me less selfish. In this role I see lots of opportunity/necessity to be less selfish.
Prayer Points:
Praises
-I am returning to Uganda in two weeks fully supported. God has been faithful to provide.
-My time in Canada has been encouraging and fruitful. I can see God's purpose for this season.
-God is doing great things at Door Ministries, I am excited to continue to be a part of it.
Requests
-I foresee living at Joshua Home will be challenging, in a good way. I won't be able to do it in my own strength. I need God to give me his heart for people and strength each day to work at EMI and at Doors. I don't always feel equipped for the role I am stepping into. I see the temptation to take on more responsibility than I need to. I need to do my part but it is God who is doing the work. I need to let him do it.
-God has been doing a great work in my life and the lives of the young men I will be living with. I ask that God would use us to continue the work that He has begun.
-God has been faithful to provide for Doors. It is very clear that if God had not been providing, Doors would not have survived and grown to what it is. Pray for God to continue to provide. If you would like to be a partner with Doors you can give here.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
God will provide, but I need to let him
A few weeks ago I sent an update and request for my support raising. At that point I was a little under half way to my support goal and starting to feel the pressure. I believe that returning to Uganda to continue working with Engineering Ministries International is where God is leading me. I know that he will provide for whatever I need to make that happen. But often there is a disconnect between what I know and what I truly believe. There is part of me that was uncertain if God would provide in time to return. As a result I was trying hard to do everything that I could to raise as much support as possible.
So as time has been drawing closer to my return date I was getting worried about it not happening in time. When I asked God what I should be doing to raise the remainder of the support, he told me to pray and ask other people to pray. That wasn't the response that I was anticipating. I was expecting that I would need to do something. But God wanted to show me that it is in his control and I needed to stop taking control myself.
So that is what I did and God has been faithful. In the following few days support came in and God has met my monthly budget as well as my initial startup costs. I am blown away at the generosity of God's people and how he uses community to do his work.
So I ask you to join me in thanking and praising God for his provision and desire to grow us through the process.
I am getting excited to be returning to Uganda. I leave Canada on January 1st. Soon I will share some of the things that I am excited about happening when I return.
Blessings,
Matt
So as time has been drawing closer to my return date I was getting worried about it not happening in time. When I asked God what I should be doing to raise the remainder of the support, he told me to pray and ask other people to pray. That wasn't the response that I was anticipating. I was expecting that I would need to do something. But God wanted to show me that it is in his control and I needed to stop taking control myself.
So that is what I did and God has been faithful. In the following few days support came in and God has met my monthly budget as well as my initial startup costs. I am blown away at the generosity of God's people and how he uses community to do his work.
So I ask you to join me in thanking and praising God for his provision and desire to grow us through the process.
I am getting excited to be returning to Uganda. I leave Canada on January 1st. Soon I will share some of the things that I am excited about happening when I return.
Blessings,
Matt
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
I Want To Do It Myself, But I Can't
Being back in Canada has given me opportunity to reflect on life over the past few years. I am truly blessed to see how God has worked in my life to completely change my focus and direction. I have a passion and excitement for following Jesus like I have never had before. I love sharing this.
Despite this, life is not without its hardships and difficulties. God has been so faithful these past few years and yet I still doubt. The biggest priority for my time in Canada is to be raising support to join staff at Engineering Ministries International. I strongly feel that this is where God has been leading me, so my expectation is that it would be easy. But it has not always been. I have really enjoyed sharing my experiences with people, but I have been reluctant to ask if they want to partner with me. I know that God will provide what I need, he has done it so many times before. I know that God is not restricted by money, he made food and water come from no where for the Israelites in the desert. I know that I am his son and he desires to give me good things. But I don't fully believe it. I don't behave as if I know these things are true. I still try to work hard to achieve them in my own strength. I forget to ask God to provide for my needs. I see some money come in and think about what I need to do to get the rest of it. God has been continuing to bring to mind that I don't have because I am not asking and relying on him.
So here I am with 5 weeks left before I go to Uganda and I am getting worried and anxious about my support raising. I think how will it come before I plan to go back. I have a plane ticket booked for Jan 1, but I am required to have my support raised before I return. How am I going to do this? That is the lie that the devil is telling me now. Who am I to think that God wants to use me? Why would I think that people would want to give to the work I am involved in? It won't happen, you are not going to make it. All of this happening when the past two weeks have been great. I feel so ready to go back to Uganda. God has been strengthening me and growing me for what is next. He is teaching me to rely on him more. The reality is the lies the enemy tells us are not completely false. I really cannot do this on my own, but I want to, telling me I can't makes me want to try harder and prove myself. That has been the hardest part about support raising, I must rely on God to provide through other people. But the truth is that God will provide. He has been providing. I have been encouraged by other people's generosity and excitement.
God has been inviting me back to him. To rely on his provision and his guiding. He has placed me in a wonderful community. So he is telling me to reach out to them.
First in prayer. Even in prayer I want to do it on my own. I want to be able to pray about it myself and not ask anyone else to join me. But we are placed in a body, a family for a reason. We are called to share life. So I ask that you pray with me that God would provide the support I need by January 1st. Pray that God's truth would speak loudly above the lies I am hearing. I am in need of monthly partners, pray that God would stir the hearts of the people he has prepared for this and that he would guide me to talking with the right people.
This is where I am struggling today. I thank you for joining me in this journey, through the mountains and the valleys.
May God meet you where you are today, as he has been meeting me.
Matt
If you would like to partner with me or think of someone else who might be interested check out this
page. Please share with anyone you God places on you heart.
Despite this, life is not without its hardships and difficulties. God has been so faithful these past few years and yet I still doubt. The biggest priority for my time in Canada is to be raising support to join staff at Engineering Ministries International. I strongly feel that this is where God has been leading me, so my expectation is that it would be easy. But it has not always been. I have really enjoyed sharing my experiences with people, but I have been reluctant to ask if they want to partner with me. I know that God will provide what I need, he has done it so many times before. I know that God is not restricted by money, he made food and water come from no where for the Israelites in the desert. I know that I am his son and he desires to give me good things. But I don't fully believe it. I don't behave as if I know these things are true. I still try to work hard to achieve them in my own strength. I forget to ask God to provide for my needs. I see some money come in and think about what I need to do to get the rest of it. God has been continuing to bring to mind that I don't have because I am not asking and relying on him.
So here I am with 5 weeks left before I go to Uganda and I am getting worried and anxious about my support raising. I think how will it come before I plan to go back. I have a plane ticket booked for Jan 1, but I am required to have my support raised before I return. How am I going to do this? That is the lie that the devil is telling me now. Who am I to think that God wants to use me? Why would I think that people would want to give to the work I am involved in? It won't happen, you are not going to make it. All of this happening when the past two weeks have been great. I feel so ready to go back to Uganda. God has been strengthening me and growing me for what is next. He is teaching me to rely on him more. The reality is the lies the enemy tells us are not completely false. I really cannot do this on my own, but I want to, telling me I can't makes me want to try harder and prove myself. That has been the hardest part about support raising, I must rely on God to provide through other people. But the truth is that God will provide. He has been providing. I have been encouraged by other people's generosity and excitement.
God has been inviting me back to him. To rely on his provision and his guiding. He has placed me in a wonderful community. So he is telling me to reach out to them.
First in prayer. Even in prayer I want to do it on my own. I want to be able to pray about it myself and not ask anyone else to join me. But we are placed in a body, a family for a reason. We are called to share life. So I ask that you pray with me that God would provide the support I need by January 1st. Pray that God's truth would speak loudly above the lies I am hearing. I am in need of monthly partners, pray that God would stir the hearts of the people he has prepared for this and that he would guide me to talking with the right people.
This is where I am struggling today. I thank you for joining me in this journey, through the mountains and the valleys.
May God meet you where you are today, as he has been meeting me.
Matt
If you would like to partner with me or think of someone else who might be interested check out this
page. Please share with anyone you God places on you heart.
Friday, October 10, 2014
"How is it being back?"
I have been back in Canada for almost 7 weeks now. Time has gone quickly. I have had a great time connecting with friends and family. I had been enjoying the great weather we were having here with some golfing and kayaking. I have been doing some part time work off and on for a friend, for EMI, and for my dad's office. I was in a wedding party last weekend and part of some wedding related activities before that. I have had some time to rest, relax and process. This week I have started helping coach volleyball at my old high school.
I have been trying to be more intentional about seeking God and listening to him each day, not just in the big decisions. But how do we hear from God? I think the first thing is that we need to listen, that is not something I do very well. The way that God speaks to us can vary. How I came to have more time to rest and how I got involved in coaching volleyball are two recent example of how I have been learning to hear and recognize God's voice.
My first couple of weeks in Canada were relaxing and restful. My last month in Uganda was very busy and I was okay to spend some time slowing down. But after a couple of weeks I was getting a bit restless and wanting to do something. For the majority of my life I have had a regular plan throughout the week, either go to school or go to work. So my first thought was to start working full time. I had thought that before coming back and wanted to return to the company I worked for in Toronto. However they didn't have work or space in the office for me. My dad said they were busy at work and could use some help. My plan was to go there on a Tuesday to discuss what that could look like, my intention was to see if I could work full time. On the Monday before, I met with a friend to catch up. During that conversation the thought came to my mind that I shouldn't get too busy right now but take time to rest and rejuvenate. Shortly after that thought my friend suggested the same thing. He thought my time back should be one where I get rested and refreshed and prepared to return back to Uganda. I believe that is an instance where God was speaking to me, in my mind and through my friend. Looking back I can see how good it has been not to become too busy and scheduled and have the opportunity to do other things.
Before I came back to Canada I had thought a little bit about what I could do when I was there. I had thought about helping out with coaching volleyball at the high school. My uncle is coaching the senior team, but he already had someone helping him. So I thought that I would do something else then. This past week I had been thinking a bit more about getting involved in volunteering but wasn't sure where. I thought about helping at the high school, maybe with tutoring. On Monday I went to watch some volleyball games, my younger cousin is playing on the junior team and I told him I would come watch. As I was sitting in the stands watching, the thought went through my head that maybe they needed help with coaching. The game was not looking too good, the players were disorganized and the coach was looking overwhelmed with too many things to try to address at once. Before the end of the games a friend came to talk to me and the first thing he said was "You should talk to the coach about helping out", this was even before he said hi to me. So after the game I went to talk to the coach, he also coached me when I was in high school. We caught up for a bit and then I told him that my schedule is flexible right now and I could help if he needed it. He excitedly said "really". He had been praying with someone that day about needing someone to help out. It is not always this clear when God is speaking to us, but when we are listening we find that he does and more we listen and hear, the better we get at discerning his voice.
A common question people ask me is "how is it being home?" I don't have a simple answer. It is both great and it is tough. It has been awesome to meet with people and catch up on life. I really enjoy sharing about my last year and the wonderful blessing it has been to me. It is great to see people I haven't seen in a while and hear how they have been. But that can also be tough. I have been away from Canada for most of the last two years. Life doesn't stop here while I am away. People create memories that I am not a part of. Friends and family have gotten married, some to people that I barely know. Friends have had kids that I don't know at all. A lot of the time I feel like an outsider looking in, seeing a life that I have missed. This is especially hard in the close relationships I have. Before going to Uganda last year I knew the hardest part for me would be living away from my close friends and family. It was tough sometimes while in Uganda when I knew I was missing something: weddings, babies, etc. But most of the time it was fine as I was living my life in Uganda. Coming back to Canada I realize more and more what I miss while I am away. And it is a tough thing to realize, especially as I have committed to joining EMI for at least 3 years. There is much of life here in Canada that I will miss during that time. But I have a great community in Uganda too, which is another reason it is tough to be in Canada.
My past year has been amazing. I realize that more and more as I share with people here. A huge part of that has been community. I am surrounded by people who have the same passion and focus as me. It has been a wonderful encouragement. But now I am away from them. Don't get me wrong, I have an amazing community here in Canada too, but it is different. It is a blessing to have community in different places, but I can't be with them both at the same time.
There is a cost to following Jesus. He never promises that it is going to be easy. In Luke 14:26-33 Jesus tells the crowd that unless they hate their family or their life they cannot be his disciple. Jesus doesn't literally mean the we should hate of family, other scriptures are very clear that we are to love, but he is making a point that if we value anything above following him we cannot truly be his disciples. He then goes on to use the illustration of a man planning to build a tower. If he is wise he will determine how much it will cost before starting construction so that he will know whether or not he can finish. In the same way Jesus tells us to consider the cost of following him so that we don't get part way through and become disillusioned with hardship. I am realizing more and more of what that cost looks like in my own life. It is tough to be away from people I love. But when I look at this past year and see the enormous blessing and joy and the abundant life that I have had, I am willing to pay that price. I am willing to follow Jesus into that.
I pray that you are blessed by this
Matt
I have been trying to be more intentional about seeking God and listening to him each day, not just in the big decisions. But how do we hear from God? I think the first thing is that we need to listen, that is not something I do very well. The way that God speaks to us can vary. How I came to have more time to rest and how I got involved in coaching volleyball are two recent example of how I have been learning to hear and recognize God's voice.
My first couple of weeks in Canada were relaxing and restful. My last month in Uganda was very busy and I was okay to spend some time slowing down. But after a couple of weeks I was getting a bit restless and wanting to do something. For the majority of my life I have had a regular plan throughout the week, either go to school or go to work. So my first thought was to start working full time. I had thought that before coming back and wanted to return to the company I worked for in Toronto. However they didn't have work or space in the office for me. My dad said they were busy at work and could use some help. My plan was to go there on a Tuesday to discuss what that could look like, my intention was to see if I could work full time. On the Monday before, I met with a friend to catch up. During that conversation the thought came to my mind that I shouldn't get too busy right now but take time to rest and rejuvenate. Shortly after that thought my friend suggested the same thing. He thought my time back should be one where I get rested and refreshed and prepared to return back to Uganda. I believe that is an instance where God was speaking to me, in my mind and through my friend. Looking back I can see how good it has been not to become too busy and scheduled and have the opportunity to do other things.
Before I came back to Canada I had thought a little bit about what I could do when I was there. I had thought about helping out with coaching volleyball at the high school. My uncle is coaching the senior team, but he already had someone helping him. So I thought that I would do something else then. This past week I had been thinking a bit more about getting involved in volunteering but wasn't sure where. I thought about helping at the high school, maybe with tutoring. On Monday I went to watch some volleyball games, my younger cousin is playing on the junior team and I told him I would come watch. As I was sitting in the stands watching, the thought went through my head that maybe they needed help with coaching. The game was not looking too good, the players were disorganized and the coach was looking overwhelmed with too many things to try to address at once. Before the end of the games a friend came to talk to me and the first thing he said was "You should talk to the coach about helping out", this was even before he said hi to me. So after the game I went to talk to the coach, he also coached me when I was in high school. We caught up for a bit and then I told him that my schedule is flexible right now and I could help if he needed it. He excitedly said "really". He had been praying with someone that day about needing someone to help out. It is not always this clear when God is speaking to us, but when we are listening we find that he does and more we listen and hear, the better we get at discerning his voice.
A common question people ask me is "how is it being home?" I don't have a simple answer. It is both great and it is tough. It has been awesome to meet with people and catch up on life. I really enjoy sharing about my last year and the wonderful blessing it has been to me. It is great to see people I haven't seen in a while and hear how they have been. But that can also be tough. I have been away from Canada for most of the last two years. Life doesn't stop here while I am away. People create memories that I am not a part of. Friends and family have gotten married, some to people that I barely know. Friends have had kids that I don't know at all. A lot of the time I feel like an outsider looking in, seeing a life that I have missed. This is especially hard in the close relationships I have. Before going to Uganda last year I knew the hardest part for me would be living away from my close friends and family. It was tough sometimes while in Uganda when I knew I was missing something: weddings, babies, etc. But most of the time it was fine as I was living my life in Uganda. Coming back to Canada I realize more and more what I miss while I am away. And it is a tough thing to realize, especially as I have committed to joining EMI for at least 3 years. There is much of life here in Canada that I will miss during that time. But I have a great community in Uganda too, which is another reason it is tough to be in Canada.
My past year has been amazing. I realize that more and more as I share with people here. A huge part of that has been community. I am surrounded by people who have the same passion and focus as me. It has been a wonderful encouragement. But now I am away from them. Don't get me wrong, I have an amazing community here in Canada too, but it is different. It is a blessing to have community in different places, but I can't be with them both at the same time.
There is a cost to following Jesus. He never promises that it is going to be easy. In Luke 14:26-33 Jesus tells the crowd that unless they hate their family or their life they cannot be his disciple. Jesus doesn't literally mean the we should hate of family, other scriptures are very clear that we are to love, but he is making a point that if we value anything above following him we cannot truly be his disciples. He then goes on to use the illustration of a man planning to build a tower. If he is wise he will determine how much it will cost before starting construction so that he will know whether or not he can finish. In the same way Jesus tells us to consider the cost of following him so that we don't get part way through and become disillusioned with hardship. I am realizing more and more of what that cost looks like in my own life. It is tough to be away from people I love. But when I look at this past year and see the enormous blessing and joy and the abundant life that I have had, I am willing to pay that price. I am willing to follow Jesus into that.
I pray that you are blessed by this
Matt
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Living in Partnership
I have been raising support for my work with EMI for a year and a half now. My transition into a staff role means I will continue to do this for the next few years. For those of you who had not had to raise support you may wonder what is it like? So let me share some of my experience of raising support.
First it is uncomfortable. I am a very independent person. I like to be able to take care of myself. I am also proud. I don't like to ask for help. When I was preparing to do my internship I had been working for a few years and had some money saved up so I thought I would cover all the costs myself. I wanted to do it all on my own. But I felt God telling me that I need to raise support, I am glad that he did as it has made continuing to raise support easier. It feels awkward to ask people for money.
It is time consuming. Money usually doesn't wall from the sky. You need to write letters and emails, make phone calls, visit people, fill out applications, and all while trying to work too.
There is also a time commitment to keep supporters updated. I don't always have time or energy or words to say to keep people updated on my life. I sometime feel that I need to have something new and exciting to share, which can be tough when life is in a routine. I am also a very private person and I don't like to share too many details with other people.
Being on support, there is an added pressure to be accountable to supporters. Am I working hard enough? Am I being wise enough in my spending? Can I spend money on myself? Can I take a vacation? There can be a feeling that I need to justify myself to others for all the things I do. That can be both good and bad.
You may be wondering if there is anything good in raising support. Let me assure you there is. Those negative aspect of support raising are often a result of a wrong perspective about the situation. It is not me asking people to give money so that I can do the work. Instead I have the opportunity to invite people to partner with me in investing in the God's kingdom work.
One of the blessings in that partnership is encouragement. Inviting people to partner with me in this journey has allowed me to share with many people about the work that I get to do. It is an encouragement to experience other people get excited about what I am doing. I also get to encourage other with stories of how God is working in my life and the lives of those around me.
It is a blessing to see God's faithfulness. God invited me to join him in the work he is doing in East Africa. He hasn't left me alone to make that happen. As I have been faithful to invite others, God has been faithful to provide for my needs. He has provided for more than just my material needs, but has provided friends and community in Uganda too.
People pray for me. One of the benefits of sending update letters and prayer requests is that people know how they can pray for me. Even though it is stretching for me to share some of these things, it is worth it to have people supporting me in prayer. I wished I had been more diligent in that before going overseas.
It has deepened my relationships. It has deepened my relationship with God. As I have stepped out in faith to join him he has shown more and more of his character to me. God is faithful. It has deepened my relationships with friends and family. I have shared more deeply with them than before and they have invested more in my life.
I could not do this work without God leading. I also could not do without people partnering with me. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this adventure.
Those are some of my thoughts as I look forward to more years of relying on God and people to meet my needs. Please consider if God is asking you to partner with me in his kingdom work. Click here details on how you can partner with me on this journey.
May you be blessed today,
Matt
First it is uncomfortable. I am a very independent person. I like to be able to take care of myself. I am also proud. I don't like to ask for help. When I was preparing to do my internship I had been working for a few years and had some money saved up so I thought I would cover all the costs myself. I wanted to do it all on my own. But I felt God telling me that I need to raise support, I am glad that he did as it has made continuing to raise support easier. It feels awkward to ask people for money.
It is time consuming. Money usually doesn't wall from the sky. You need to write letters and emails, make phone calls, visit people, fill out applications, and all while trying to work too.
There is also a time commitment to keep supporters updated. I don't always have time or energy or words to say to keep people updated on my life. I sometime feel that I need to have something new and exciting to share, which can be tough when life is in a routine. I am also a very private person and I don't like to share too many details with other people.
Being on support, there is an added pressure to be accountable to supporters. Am I working hard enough? Am I being wise enough in my spending? Can I spend money on myself? Can I take a vacation? There can be a feeling that I need to justify myself to others for all the things I do. That can be both good and bad.
You may be wondering if there is anything good in raising support. Let me assure you there is. Those negative aspect of support raising are often a result of a wrong perspective about the situation. It is not me asking people to give money so that I can do the work. Instead I have the opportunity to invite people to partner with me in investing in the God's kingdom work.
One of the blessings in that partnership is encouragement. Inviting people to partner with me in this journey has allowed me to share with many people about the work that I get to do. It is an encouragement to experience other people get excited about what I am doing. I also get to encourage other with stories of how God is working in my life and the lives of those around me.
It is a blessing to see God's faithfulness. God invited me to join him in the work he is doing in East Africa. He hasn't left me alone to make that happen. As I have been faithful to invite others, God has been faithful to provide for my needs. He has provided for more than just my material needs, but has provided friends and community in Uganda too.
People pray for me. One of the benefits of sending update letters and prayer requests is that people know how they can pray for me. Even though it is stretching for me to share some of these things, it is worth it to have people supporting me in prayer. I wished I had been more diligent in that before going overseas.
It has deepened my relationships. It has deepened my relationship with God. As I have stepped out in faith to join him he has shown more and more of his character to me. God is faithful. It has deepened my relationships with friends and family. I have shared more deeply with them than before and they have invested more in my life.
I could not do this work without God leading. I also could not do without people partnering with me. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this adventure.
Those are some of my thoughts as I look forward to more years of relying on God and people to meet my needs. Please consider if God is asking you to partner with me in his kingdom work. Click here details on how you can partner with me on this journey.
May you be blessed today,
Matt
Saturday, August 30, 2014
It is good to be "home"
I have been back in Canada for almost a week now. It has been great to be back. I have connected with some friends and family, but there are still many more people I want to see. I have enjoyed sharing some of my experiences and hearing how life has been here while I have been gone. I have a great community here that I have missed this past year.
My last month in Uganda was very busy. I was trying to wrap up projects at work. I got most of the work done that I wanted to but not everything. I was getting my apartment set up. I had borrowed some furniture from an EMI family that will be leaving while I am away and there are people staying in my apartment while I am in Canada. So I need to get some furniture before I left. It took longer to get made than they said, which didn't surprise me, but it arrived the day before I left.
I had a great time with friends at EMI and at Doors Ministries in my last couple of weeks. As I look back it has been a great year. I have been so blessed with community in Uganda.
I have been blessed to work with some amazing people at EMI. I have been blessed to work on some wonderful projects: Leadership Academy of South Sudan, UCBC, an office building for MAF and EMI, Africa Renewal University, Wentz Medical Center, African Children's Choir.
My time at Doors Ministries, I refer to it as Doors, has been a huge part of my life in Uganda. I don't think that I have done a good job of describing Doors and my involvement there. Doors at its core seeks to make disciples who love Jesus. They run a home for boys who previously lived on the streets, a primary school in one of the nearby slums that provides education, two meals a day and basic medical care, and a women's ministry in the same area as the school where they teach literacy, English and bible study. I have been involved with the Doors home. The home currently has 11 boys ages 8-18, one Ugandan "uncle", and two American "aunties" staying there. They provide food, clothes, education and a wonderful family environment for these boys. They are amazing young men who have been a pleasure to get to know. I spend time there each week playing games, wrestling, leading bible study, eating dinner, talking, and sharing life. It has begun to feel like family and has been a huge part of Uganda feeling like home to me. It has been a blessing to me to hear how God has been working there. Their story is amazing and if God was not part of it the whole thing would have failed numerous times by now. If you ask me about it I would love to tell you more. One of the biggest things that I have learned is that there is always hope with God. Living on the streets of Kampala is a hopeless situation. There are very few people that care about these kids, they don't have enough food, they don't have anywhere to sleep, they getting beaten by the police, thrown in jail, etc. But even in the midst of those situations God is still there. God is still able to take these boys restore their lives. There is so much joy in these boys lives, it is amazing. This is where my heart has been in Uganda and it was hard to leave, even for a few months. I am excited to see how God is going to continue working in their lives.
I have a hard time explaining where home is. There are many places I go that feel like home, it is such a blessing as many people don't have a home, both in Uganda and in Canada. No matter where I am, I am away from some of the people I love and that will just be the reality of my life. But the blessing of being in the body of Christ is that we have family where ever God calls us. It has been great to see God's faithfulness in that this past year.
I am in Canada for the next few months. God willing, I will be returning to Uganda after Christmas. I am not sure what my life will be like the next few months. I have some leads on work that I need to pursue. I have a wedding to attend in October. I have many people that I want to connect with. I have to continue to raise support so that I can return to Uganda. There is a lot of uncertainty, but I am excited for the possibilities.
This is home for this season of my life and I am excited to return to home to Uganda at the end of the year.
Prayer Requests:
-Raising support to return to Uganda. I am excited to be able to share my experiences the past year and to catch up with friends and family. God has been faithful to provide for my needs in the past and will continue to be faithful.
-Seeking God's plan daily. I am good at seeking God for big decisions that I can't figure out myself. But I don't seek God for daily living, I want to be in control of that. I desire to follow God more, especially in the smaller, daily things. This season of my life is a good opportunity to learn some of that lesson.
-There are many opportunities for my next four months. I ask that God would make it clear what I should be doing with this time.
Thank you for all your support. It is a blessing to be able to go to Uganda to work at EMI and volunteer at Doors. This would not be possible without the love and support that I have received and I am very grateful.
Blessings,
Matt
My last month in Uganda was very busy. I was trying to wrap up projects at work. I got most of the work done that I wanted to but not everything. I was getting my apartment set up. I had borrowed some furniture from an EMI family that will be leaving while I am away and there are people staying in my apartment while I am in Canada. So I need to get some furniture before I left. It took longer to get made than they said, which didn't surprise me, but it arrived the day before I left.
I had a great time with friends at EMI and at Doors Ministries in my last couple of weeks. As I look back it has been a great year. I have been so blessed with community in Uganda.
I have been blessed to work with some amazing people at EMI. I have been blessed to work on some wonderful projects: Leadership Academy of South Sudan, UCBC, an office building for MAF and EMI, Africa Renewal University, Wentz Medical Center, African Children's Choir.
My time at Doors Ministries, I refer to it as Doors, has been a huge part of my life in Uganda. I don't think that I have done a good job of describing Doors and my involvement there. Doors at its core seeks to make disciples who love Jesus. They run a home for boys who previously lived on the streets, a primary school in one of the nearby slums that provides education, two meals a day and basic medical care, and a women's ministry in the same area as the school where they teach literacy, English and bible study. I have been involved with the Doors home. The home currently has 11 boys ages 8-18, one Ugandan "uncle", and two American "aunties" staying there. They provide food, clothes, education and a wonderful family environment for these boys. They are amazing young men who have been a pleasure to get to know. I spend time there each week playing games, wrestling, leading bible study, eating dinner, talking, and sharing life. It has begun to feel like family and has been a huge part of Uganda feeling like home to me. It has been a blessing to me to hear how God has been working there. Their story is amazing and if God was not part of it the whole thing would have failed numerous times by now. If you ask me about it I would love to tell you more. One of the biggest things that I have learned is that there is always hope with God. Living on the streets of Kampala is a hopeless situation. There are very few people that care about these kids, they don't have enough food, they don't have anywhere to sleep, they getting beaten by the police, thrown in jail, etc. But even in the midst of those situations God is still there. God is still able to take these boys restore their lives. There is so much joy in these boys lives, it is amazing. This is where my heart has been in Uganda and it was hard to leave, even for a few months. I am excited to see how God is going to continue working in their lives.
I have a hard time explaining where home is. There are many places I go that feel like home, it is such a blessing as many people don't have a home, both in Uganda and in Canada. No matter where I am, I am away from some of the people I love and that will just be the reality of my life. But the blessing of being in the body of Christ is that we have family where ever God calls us. It has been great to see God's faithfulness in that this past year.
I am in Canada for the next few months. God willing, I will be returning to Uganda after Christmas. I am not sure what my life will be like the next few months. I have some leads on work that I need to pursue. I have a wedding to attend in October. I have many people that I want to connect with. I have to continue to raise support so that I can return to Uganda. There is a lot of uncertainty, but I am excited for the possibilities.
This is home for this season of my life and I am excited to return to home to Uganda at the end of the year.
Prayer Requests:
-Raising support to return to Uganda. I am excited to be able to share my experiences the past year and to catch up with friends and family. God has been faithful to provide for my needs in the past and will continue to be faithful.
-Seeking God's plan daily. I am good at seeking God for big decisions that I can't figure out myself. But I don't seek God for daily living, I want to be in control of that. I desire to follow God more, especially in the smaller, daily things. This season of my life is a good opportunity to learn some of that lesson.
-There are many opportunities for my next four months. I ask that God would make it clear what I should be doing with this time.
Thank you for all your support. It is a blessing to be able to go to Uganda to work at EMI and volunteer at Doors. This would not be possible without the love and support that I have received and I am very grateful.
Blessings,
Matt
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Continuing with EMI
Some of you know that I have decided to continue longer with EMI. I thought it would be good to let those of you who have heard know, and also to expand a bit on what that means and what that will look like.
I have been working with EMI for the past year and a half. I started as an intern at the beginning of last year in the office in the UK. It was a great experience. Out of that internship there was an opportunity to join the office in Uganda as a volunteer. I have been here in Uganda since September last year. It has been a great year as I have stepped out in faith to do something I never saw myself doing. I have learned a lot about myself. I have been challenged to examine my motivation and why I am doing the things I do. I have been blessed to join a wonderful community here in Kampala. It has been challenging and encouraging for me to see the faith and trust of the people around me. It has created in me a deeper desire to pursue God and follow where he is leading.
What are my next steps?
Next I will be joining staff at EMI here in Uganda, which means a longer term commitment, 3 years or more. I will be employed by EMI Canada, but still required to raise support to cover my costs and salary. What does it mean that I will have a salary? Not too much different than my costs now. I will share more details as they are worked out. But my standard of living will not be increasing here. As staff I have committed to being here longer term and I am required to raise support with the same mindset and plan for the future, build in some savings, etc. I am also no longer a volunteer and as an employee I will be required to pay Canadian taxes. This means I will need to raise my level of support. That is always daunting. It is uncomfortable to ask for money, but it has been rewarding to see other people excited about what I am doing. It is scary to have to trust that God will provide through other people. Trusting God to provide is required for me to continue in this work. I am excited to see how God will provide and grow in me more faith. Please consider whether God is calling you to continue partnering with me in this journey. I cannot go by myself and in my own strength. I post more specific details at a later date.
What is my schedule?
I will be returning to Canada on August 23rd to reconnect with friends and family and to raise more support. I am required to have minimum support levels and monthly commitment from partners before returning to Uganda. I don't have a set return date yet but I will likely be in Canada for 2-4 months. I would love to connect with as many of you as possible to hear how life has been going with you and to share some of my experiences.
Why am I coming back?
I have enjoyed living in Uganda. I am an easy going person and not too concerned with luxuries. And Kampala is a relatively easy place to live compared to other places in East Africa. You can find most things at the stores here, although some stuff is very expensive. I enjoy the local food. Ugandans are friendly people.
But, it has not always been easy. I was reading over some stuff I had wrote a couple on months ago and was reminded of some of the challenges of being here. The culture is very different. I did not want to engage life much after I had been here a couple of weeks. I wanted life to be comfortable and familiar. Over time those feelings diminished, but they are still there in some small ways. I have been lonely at times. Even though I am surrounded by a great community here, I have only been a part of this community for less than a year. I miss the deeper relationships I have back in Canada. That has been the toughest part of living in Uganda, the people I love in Canada are not here.
So it was not an easy decision to continue with EMI. In many ways it would be easier to return to Canada. Life is familiar there, I know what to expect from people. I know how things work. I know where to go to buy stuff.
So how then did I decide to live in Uganda longer?
During my work review at EMI at the beginning of the year I was asked to consider staying longer. I didn't think about much for a couple of months. As I have thought about the opportunity to return, I didn't have a strong desire to stay but I didn't have a desire to return to Canada. Over the course of a few weeks I had numerous people here in Uganda mention that I should come back, most of them did not know that I was considering it already. I have really enjoyed my time here. The biggest reason that I am coming back is that I have a sense that I am not finished here. God is not finished using me to do work here and God is not finished using my experience and relationship in Uganda to work in me.
I am excited about what the future holds. I am excited about the work at EMI and the direction the organization is headed. I am excited about developing deeper relationships with people in Uganda. But I will continue to miss life in Canada, a life and people I really love. God calls each of us to lay down our lives. We need to die to ourselves and our desires so that we can find true life in Him. The greatest thing that I have seen in the past two years as I have laid aside my plans and desires to follow God's lead has been the sense of peace, joy and fulfillment. By following our own plans and desires we rob ourselves of the life that God has prepared for us.
The good news for each of us is that no matter how long we have been living life our way, God is ready to lead us if we are willing to let him. May you be encouraged today to step out in faith to follow Jesus with all you have. Each of us can do start doing that today right where we are. You don't need to go to Uganda. You don't need to worry that if you commit to follow Jesus where ever he lead that he will send you to Uganda. We can trust that God is faithful and loves us. He has our best interests in mind. As he has sent me to Uganda, I have been blessed beyond what I could have imagined. I wish I had followed him sooner.
Thank you again for all your love and support. I look forward to seeing many of you when I am back in Canada.
With blessings and love,
Matt
I have been working with EMI for the past year and a half. I started as an intern at the beginning of last year in the office in the UK. It was a great experience. Out of that internship there was an opportunity to join the office in Uganda as a volunteer. I have been here in Uganda since September last year. It has been a great year as I have stepped out in faith to do something I never saw myself doing. I have learned a lot about myself. I have been challenged to examine my motivation and why I am doing the things I do. I have been blessed to join a wonderful community here in Kampala. It has been challenging and encouraging for me to see the faith and trust of the people around me. It has created in me a deeper desire to pursue God and follow where he is leading.
What are my next steps?
Next I will be joining staff at EMI here in Uganda, which means a longer term commitment, 3 years or more. I will be employed by EMI Canada, but still required to raise support to cover my costs and salary. What does it mean that I will have a salary? Not too much different than my costs now. I will share more details as they are worked out. But my standard of living will not be increasing here. As staff I have committed to being here longer term and I am required to raise support with the same mindset and plan for the future, build in some savings, etc. I am also no longer a volunteer and as an employee I will be required to pay Canadian taxes. This means I will need to raise my level of support. That is always daunting. It is uncomfortable to ask for money, but it has been rewarding to see other people excited about what I am doing. It is scary to have to trust that God will provide through other people. Trusting God to provide is required for me to continue in this work. I am excited to see how God will provide and grow in me more faith. Please consider whether God is calling you to continue partnering with me in this journey. I cannot go by myself and in my own strength. I post more specific details at a later date.
What is my schedule?
I will be returning to Canada on August 23rd to reconnect with friends and family and to raise more support. I am required to have minimum support levels and monthly commitment from partners before returning to Uganda. I don't have a set return date yet but I will likely be in Canada for 2-4 months. I would love to connect with as many of you as possible to hear how life has been going with you and to share some of my experiences.
Why am I coming back?
I have enjoyed living in Uganda. I am an easy going person and not too concerned with luxuries. And Kampala is a relatively easy place to live compared to other places in East Africa. You can find most things at the stores here, although some stuff is very expensive. I enjoy the local food. Ugandans are friendly people.
But, it has not always been easy. I was reading over some stuff I had wrote a couple on months ago and was reminded of some of the challenges of being here. The culture is very different. I did not want to engage life much after I had been here a couple of weeks. I wanted life to be comfortable and familiar. Over time those feelings diminished, but they are still there in some small ways. I have been lonely at times. Even though I am surrounded by a great community here, I have only been a part of this community for less than a year. I miss the deeper relationships I have back in Canada. That has been the toughest part of living in Uganda, the people I love in Canada are not here.
So it was not an easy decision to continue with EMI. In many ways it would be easier to return to Canada. Life is familiar there, I know what to expect from people. I know how things work. I know where to go to buy stuff.
So how then did I decide to live in Uganda longer?
During my work review at EMI at the beginning of the year I was asked to consider staying longer. I didn't think about much for a couple of months. As I have thought about the opportunity to return, I didn't have a strong desire to stay but I didn't have a desire to return to Canada. Over the course of a few weeks I had numerous people here in Uganda mention that I should come back, most of them did not know that I was considering it already. I have really enjoyed my time here. The biggest reason that I am coming back is that I have a sense that I am not finished here. God is not finished using me to do work here and God is not finished using my experience and relationship in Uganda to work in me.
I am excited about what the future holds. I am excited about the work at EMI and the direction the organization is headed. I am excited about developing deeper relationships with people in Uganda. But I will continue to miss life in Canada, a life and people I really love. God calls each of us to lay down our lives. We need to die to ourselves and our desires so that we can find true life in Him. The greatest thing that I have seen in the past two years as I have laid aside my plans and desires to follow God's lead has been the sense of peace, joy and fulfillment. By following our own plans and desires we rob ourselves of the life that God has prepared for us.
The good news for each of us is that no matter how long we have been living life our way, God is ready to lead us if we are willing to let him. May you be encouraged today to step out in faith to follow Jesus with all you have. Each of us can do start doing that today right where we are. You don't need to go to Uganda. You don't need to worry that if you commit to follow Jesus where ever he lead that he will send you to Uganda. We can trust that God is faithful and loves us. He has our best interests in mind. As he has sent me to Uganda, I have been blessed beyond what I could have imagined. I wish I had followed him sooner.
Thank you again for all your love and support. I look forward to seeing many of you when I am back in Canada.
With blessings and love,
Matt
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Investing in People
It has been a while since I've written an update on my life in Uganda. That is largely because nothing "big" has happened, so I am not sure what to write about. But even though there is nothing big to report on, life continues and I am not sitting around doing nothing. So here are some reflection on my week.
This week has had many ups and downs. Friday was end of the term at EMI. That means is that we have finished the reports for the projects that we started in February and this group of interns departed over the weekend.
It is sad to see this group of interns leave. One of the interns, Alex, arrived in Uganda the same time I did. We lived together for the first two months. I have really enjoyed getting to know him over the past nine months. He has been my closest friend here so it is hard to see him go. We had been going to Doors Ministries together and leading a bible study there on Wednesday nights. I would go over to his place and talk with him one or two nights a week. He is a great guy and I am going to miss him. I have been sharing an office with Christine, another one of the interns. I have enjoyed getting to know her. We had a lot of laughs over the past few months and I enjoyed giving her a hard time. My office has been very quiet this week, a reminder that she is gone. I had the privilege of being Tom's mentor this term. I has been a great experience. It is not easy to say goodbye. But that is also a praise, that I have developed relationships that I am going to miss.
The internships at EMI are a big part of our ministry. Each of the interns that comes is assigned a supervisor to oversee their office work and a mentor to meet with and discuss how life is going. I was a mentor this past term. I definitely did not feel prepared to do it. It sounds like a daunting thing to mentor someone, especially someone who is only a few years younger than me. I wasn't sure what I had to offer. But over the term I realized it is not just about sharing wisdom and advice but about sharing life together. We would get together and talk about how the week was going, how things were back home, discuss the book we were reading, and pray for each other. I enjoyed the time we spent talking each week, it was a reminded that work (and life) is bigger than structural engineering or the plans for the day. As I reflect on the experience I realize that sharing life with people who are older and wiser than us is a great benefit. It is not something that I have sought out much in my own life, but something that I realize is beneficial. Have you or do you have someone who mentors you? If not is there someone who you can do that with?
My week at work has been different and quite frustrating at times. One of our staff is going to the US for the summer and her duties have been spread around the office. One of the things that I have been given it IT. Our internet was out of service for a week and a half because the line was vandalized. Our office called the provider about 50 times before we had a temporary solution for internet. It was frustrating to deal with. I have also been getting ready for the new interns that are arriving on Saturday. I have been organizing computers and phones for them. This week has been a reminder that I enjoy structural engineering.
I had a long skype call with a good friend from Canada that I haven't spoken to for a few months. We talked for three hours. It was great to catch up and share how life is going. Moving to a new country has been a great experience, but I have left behind all of my existing relationships. While I love the people around me in Uganda, it takes time to develop deep relationship. I am missing the close relationships I have left back in Canada.
I was starting to feel down about life and wondering why am I here. I was sad to say goodbye to some friends. I was not enjoying work. I was missing friends and family from home. I thinking about a friend who is going to be in the US for the next three months and another friend who is going to be in the US for the next five weeks. I was thinking about the new group of interns coming this weekend and the energy that it will require for me to invest in new relationships. But then I went to Doors last night. I usually go to their house on Wednesday night and lead a bible study with the boys. But the agenda las tnight was different. The leadership at the house wanted to spend some time encouraging each of the boys, letting them know how we see them and how God sees them. We spend the night singing songs together and sharing encouragement. It was awesome. It was a reminder of how amazing these boys are. These boys who used to live on the streets, stealing to eat, sniffing gas to dull the pain of life, wondering if they were going to get beaten by the police that day, but now they are full of life. They are compassionate, caring, thoughtful, selfless. They are growing into godly men. They are growing into leaders. It was a blessing for me to be able to speak truth into their lives and hear others do the same. It was a reminder of the power of Jesus to transform each of our lives. I was reminded of the privilege I have to be a part of it. I came into the night feeling drained, but left feeling full. I am so proud of these young men. I cannot describe how I feel.
It was one of the highlights of my time here in Uganda. A reminder of the investment I have made in the lives of people around me and the investment they have made in mine. God is great with his timing, last night was just what I needed. I woke up this morning full of joy and praise. I am so blessed.
Thank you for reading. It is a blessing to have so many people supporting and encouraging me. I would love to hear from each of you how life is going as I am not able to be there experiencing it with you.
Prayer Requests:
-It is a quick turnaround between terms. We have 10 new interns arriving on Saturday. Pray that we would receive them well and be open to investing in new relationships.
-I am missing friends back home. I am missing the friends that left Uganda this week. I am going to miss the two friends who left this week to visit the US. Sometime I want life to be easier, but then realize that my life is better now than when it was "easy".
-I am blessed to be friends with many godly women here in Uganda, but there is a lack of single men in the same situation as me. I am starting to realize this more.
-Pray for God to bring someone to mentor and guide me.
-I injured my knee playing soccer a couple of weeks ago and it is still to sore so I have been missing out of playing basketball and soccer which is disappointing.
-I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to be involved at Doors Ministries. It has been such a blessing in my life. Pray for them as they adjust to changes at their house and the start of a new term at their school. Pray that God would continue to provide for their needs, especially their urgent financial needs.
Blessings,
Matt
This week has had many ups and downs. Friday was end of the term at EMI. That means is that we have finished the reports for the projects that we started in February and this group of interns departed over the weekend.
It is sad to see this group of interns leave. One of the interns, Alex, arrived in Uganda the same time I did. We lived together for the first two months. I have really enjoyed getting to know him over the past nine months. He has been my closest friend here so it is hard to see him go. We had been going to Doors Ministries together and leading a bible study there on Wednesday nights. I would go over to his place and talk with him one or two nights a week. He is a great guy and I am going to miss him. I have been sharing an office with Christine, another one of the interns. I have enjoyed getting to know her. We had a lot of laughs over the past few months and I enjoyed giving her a hard time. My office has been very quiet this week, a reminder that she is gone. I had the privilege of being Tom's mentor this term. I has been a great experience. It is not easy to say goodbye. But that is also a praise, that I have developed relationships that I am going to miss.
The internships at EMI are a big part of our ministry. Each of the interns that comes is assigned a supervisor to oversee their office work and a mentor to meet with and discuss how life is going. I was a mentor this past term. I definitely did not feel prepared to do it. It sounds like a daunting thing to mentor someone, especially someone who is only a few years younger than me. I wasn't sure what I had to offer. But over the term I realized it is not just about sharing wisdom and advice but about sharing life together. We would get together and talk about how the week was going, how things were back home, discuss the book we were reading, and pray for each other. I enjoyed the time we spent talking each week, it was a reminded that work (and life) is bigger than structural engineering or the plans for the day. As I reflect on the experience I realize that sharing life with people who are older and wiser than us is a great benefit. It is not something that I have sought out much in my own life, but something that I realize is beneficial. Have you or do you have someone who mentors you? If not is there someone who you can do that with?
My week at work has been different and quite frustrating at times. One of our staff is going to the US for the summer and her duties have been spread around the office. One of the things that I have been given it IT. Our internet was out of service for a week and a half because the line was vandalized. Our office called the provider about 50 times before we had a temporary solution for internet. It was frustrating to deal with. I have also been getting ready for the new interns that are arriving on Saturday. I have been organizing computers and phones for them. This week has been a reminder that I enjoy structural engineering.
I had a long skype call with a good friend from Canada that I haven't spoken to for a few months. We talked for three hours. It was great to catch up and share how life is going. Moving to a new country has been a great experience, but I have left behind all of my existing relationships. While I love the people around me in Uganda, it takes time to develop deep relationship. I am missing the close relationships I have left back in Canada.
I was starting to feel down about life and wondering why am I here. I was sad to say goodbye to some friends. I was not enjoying work. I was missing friends and family from home. I thinking about a friend who is going to be in the US for the next three months and another friend who is going to be in the US for the next five weeks. I was thinking about the new group of interns coming this weekend and the energy that it will require for me to invest in new relationships. But then I went to Doors last night. I usually go to their house on Wednesday night and lead a bible study with the boys. But the agenda las tnight was different. The leadership at the house wanted to spend some time encouraging each of the boys, letting them know how we see them and how God sees them. We spend the night singing songs together and sharing encouragement. It was awesome. It was a reminder of how amazing these boys are. These boys who used to live on the streets, stealing to eat, sniffing gas to dull the pain of life, wondering if they were going to get beaten by the police that day, but now they are full of life. They are compassionate, caring, thoughtful, selfless. They are growing into godly men. They are growing into leaders. It was a blessing for me to be able to speak truth into their lives and hear others do the same. It was a reminder of the power of Jesus to transform each of our lives. I was reminded of the privilege I have to be a part of it. I came into the night feeling drained, but left feeling full. I am so proud of these young men. I cannot describe how I feel.
It was one of the highlights of my time here in Uganda. A reminder of the investment I have made in the lives of people around me and the investment they have made in mine. God is great with his timing, last night was just what I needed. I woke up this morning full of joy and praise. I am so blessed.
Thank you for reading. It is a blessing to have so many people supporting and encouraging me. I would love to hear from each of you how life is going as I am not able to be there experiencing it with you.
Prayer Requests:
-It is a quick turnaround between terms. We have 10 new interns arriving on Saturday. Pray that we would receive them well and be open to investing in new relationships.
-I am missing friends back home. I am missing the friends that left Uganda this week. I am going to miss the two friends who left this week to visit the US. Sometime I want life to be easier, but then realize that my life is better now than when it was "easy".
-I am blessed to be friends with many godly women here in Uganda, but there is a lack of single men in the same situation as me. I am starting to realize this more.
-Pray for God to bring someone to mentor and guide me.
-I injured my knee playing soccer a couple of weeks ago and it is still to sore so I have been missing out of playing basketball and soccer which is disappointing.
-I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to be involved at Doors Ministries. It has been such a blessing in my life. Pray for them as they adjust to changes at their house and the start of a new term at their school. Pray that God would continue to provide for their needs, especially their urgent financial needs.
Blessings,
Matt
Monday, May 5, 2014
The Full Bus Experience
I have been unsure of what to write as life has become more routine around here and there is no big news or big changes that have happened. So I as I try to put together some thoughts to share about the past few months, I will share about my Easter weekend.
Over the Easter weekend I went to Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda with Tom, one of the interns this term. We took a bus there and we got the whole Ugandan bus experience. The trip should take 7-8 hours so we thought we would try to leave in the morning to get there at a reasonable time. We woke up at 6:30 to get ready and left around 7 to catch a matatu into town. We arrived at the bus park just before 8 and found a bus going to Kabale, the town closest to the lake. The bus was about half full when we got on and some of the buses don't really have a set departure time but they wait until they are full to leave. But how long could it take to fill a bus. There were people getting on every so often and the bus was slowly filling. There are many vendors that enter the bus and try to sell you many different things, phone chargers, bread, plates of food, hair accessories, etc. I was not interested in buying anything, I just want to get going.
Then it started to rain. It wasn't raining hard by Ugandan standards. But a strange thing happens here when it starts to rain, everyone stops what they are doing, goes under some shelter and waits. It doesn't matter too much if you have an appointment or meeting, people stop and wait for the rain to finish. Normally it rains hard for a little while and then stops so people aren't waiting for the whole day. This is not a good thing when you are waiting for a bus to fill up so you can leave. So the rain delayed our departure as people stopped coming for a while. Finally 10:30 the bus began to leave. We drove a few feet and people outside started banging on the side of the bus as they were still loading cargo under the bus. So we waited for a little while longer and a few more people got on the bus. Finally at 11 we left the bus park. It was a long 3 hours waiting on the bus but we were on our way, or so we thought.
We drove out of the bus park and around the corner. We stopped at the gas station to put some air in the front tires. That was okay, it is good to have air in the tires. And how long could it take to put air in the tires. Half an hour, that is how long. I am not sure why it took that long, but it did. While we were waiting to get air in the tires there were people carrying cargo from the bus park to the gas station to put under the bus. So at 11:30 we left the gas station to really begin the trip.
Traffic was congested as it was the beginning of the holiday weekend and many people try to get out of the city to see family. We slowly made our way out and then stopped at another gas station. This time we were putting gas in the bus. While we were filling the tank, a boda (motorcycle taxi) came with some more cargo to put under the bus. Now we were ready to really begin the journey, a full tank of gas, the storage compartments full, even a few boxes in the aisle of the bus. So finally at noon, after 4 hours on the bus, we left Kampala.
We didn't get very far before we stopped again. This time it was the traffic police. I am not sure what it was about this bus, but it seems that every traffic cop stopped our bus. Most of the time they would walk up and talk to the driver, look at his paperwork and let us go. One of them entered the bus and sat down so that we could drop him at the police station ahead. We stopped in one of the towns along the way and picked up a few passengers. All of the seats were full so they sat in the aisle. Then we were stopped at one of the police checks. The policeman entered the bus and looked around. Then he said I have an announcement, anyone who is not in a seat get off the bus. So slowly the five people sitting in the aisle got off the bus, then we drove away. However we only went a little ways down the road, around the corner and pulled over for a 'short call', a bathroom break. In Uganda there aren't have nice service centers or rest stops along the road. So we just stopped on the side and people got out, went in the grass and got back on the bus. In the meantime the five passengers kicked off the bus caught up to us and got back on the bus.
We continued on our journey and things were finally going smoothly. We hadn't been stopped in a while are were making good time. Then the road got bumpy, or so it seemed. It felt like we were driving on the rumble strips on the side of the road. However the don't have rumble strips in Uganda. I looked out the window and saw chunks of rubber flying through the air. Thank God we didn't crash the bus. We pulled over and they told everyone to get off the bus. We looked at the back tires, and both tires on the left side had blown out. They proceeded to remove some of the luggage under the bus to get the spare tire and jack. Nothing was happening for a while. Then another bus from the same company came from the other direction and pulled over. They gave us their spare tire and jack, as we needed two new tires. So after waiting on the side of the road for 2 hours, they had finally changed the tires. However one of the spare tires was soft.
So we drove to the next town and stopped at the gas station. They looked at the tire and then we back onto the side of the road and they proceeded to remove the tire to fix it. Again everyone got off the bus to wait while they fixed the tire. After an hour they began to roll the tire back to the bus. They got half way to the bus and the tire began to hiss air. So they turned around to repair the tire again. After another half hour they tire was fixed and back on the bus. Then they looked at the other side and that tire was a little soft. So we pulled into the gas station and put air in the tire. By this time it was 8:30 and dark outside and we were not even half way to Kabale. We had not dropped any passengers off yet.
The remainder of the trip went smoothly. Once it got dark out, people decided they should start singing. So about three different groups of people were singing three different songs. The last 4 hours were uneventful. After sixteen and a half hours, we arrived in Kabale at 12:30 in the morning. We got more that we bargained for on this trip. We got the full bus experience and a good story to tell. In the end it was worth it, we had a great trip canoeing and hiking around the lake. Lake Bunyonyi is very beautiful. See the pictures below.
It was a good reminder that life doesn't always go the way we plan it. Our journey through life can take many different turns and delays from our plans. If we are too focused on the destination we will become frustrating with the journey. We learn many things through the journey of life if we pay attention to what God is doing around us today.
Thanks for reading about my exciting bus trip. I will post again soon to give an update of the other things that have been happening in my life lately.
God bless,
Matt
Over the Easter weekend I went to Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda with Tom, one of the interns this term. We took a bus there and we got the whole Ugandan bus experience. The trip should take 7-8 hours so we thought we would try to leave in the morning to get there at a reasonable time. We woke up at 6:30 to get ready and left around 7 to catch a matatu into town. We arrived at the bus park just before 8 and found a bus going to Kabale, the town closest to the lake. The bus was about half full when we got on and some of the buses don't really have a set departure time but they wait until they are full to leave. But how long could it take to fill a bus. There were people getting on every so often and the bus was slowly filling. There are many vendors that enter the bus and try to sell you many different things, phone chargers, bread, plates of food, hair accessories, etc. I was not interested in buying anything, I just want to get going.
Then it started to rain. It wasn't raining hard by Ugandan standards. But a strange thing happens here when it starts to rain, everyone stops what they are doing, goes under some shelter and waits. It doesn't matter too much if you have an appointment or meeting, people stop and wait for the rain to finish. Normally it rains hard for a little while and then stops so people aren't waiting for the whole day. This is not a good thing when you are waiting for a bus to fill up so you can leave. So the rain delayed our departure as people stopped coming for a while. Finally 10:30 the bus began to leave. We drove a few feet and people outside started banging on the side of the bus as they were still loading cargo under the bus. So we waited for a little while longer and a few more people got on the bus. Finally at 11 we left the bus park. It was a long 3 hours waiting on the bus but we were on our way, or so we thought.
We drove out of the bus park and around the corner. We stopped at the gas station to put some air in the front tires. That was okay, it is good to have air in the tires. And how long could it take to put air in the tires. Half an hour, that is how long. I am not sure why it took that long, but it did. While we were waiting to get air in the tires there were people carrying cargo from the bus park to the gas station to put under the bus. So at 11:30 we left the gas station to really begin the trip.
Traffic was congested as it was the beginning of the holiday weekend and many people try to get out of the city to see family. We slowly made our way out and then stopped at another gas station. This time we were putting gas in the bus. While we were filling the tank, a boda (motorcycle taxi) came with some more cargo to put under the bus. Now we were ready to really begin the journey, a full tank of gas, the storage compartments full, even a few boxes in the aisle of the bus. So finally at noon, after 4 hours on the bus, we left Kampala.
We didn't get very far before we stopped again. This time it was the traffic police. I am not sure what it was about this bus, but it seems that every traffic cop stopped our bus. Most of the time they would walk up and talk to the driver, look at his paperwork and let us go. One of them entered the bus and sat down so that we could drop him at the police station ahead. We stopped in one of the towns along the way and picked up a few passengers. All of the seats were full so they sat in the aisle. Then we were stopped at one of the police checks. The policeman entered the bus and looked around. Then he said I have an announcement, anyone who is not in a seat get off the bus. So slowly the five people sitting in the aisle got off the bus, then we drove away. However we only went a little ways down the road, around the corner and pulled over for a 'short call', a bathroom break. In Uganda there aren't have nice service centers or rest stops along the road. So we just stopped on the side and people got out, went in the grass and got back on the bus. In the meantime the five passengers kicked off the bus caught up to us and got back on the bus.
We continued on our journey and things were finally going smoothly. We hadn't been stopped in a while are were making good time. Then the road got bumpy, or so it seemed. It felt like we were driving on the rumble strips on the side of the road. However the don't have rumble strips in Uganda. I looked out the window and saw chunks of rubber flying through the air. Thank God we didn't crash the bus. We pulled over and they told everyone to get off the bus. We looked at the back tires, and both tires on the left side had blown out. They proceeded to remove some of the luggage under the bus to get the spare tire and jack. Nothing was happening for a while. Then another bus from the same company came from the other direction and pulled over. They gave us their spare tire and jack, as we needed two new tires. So after waiting on the side of the road for 2 hours, they had finally changed the tires. However one of the spare tires was soft.
So we drove to the next town and stopped at the gas station. They looked at the tire and then we back onto the side of the road and they proceeded to remove the tire to fix it. Again everyone got off the bus to wait while they fixed the tire. After an hour they began to roll the tire back to the bus. They got half way to the bus and the tire began to hiss air. So they turned around to repair the tire again. After another half hour they tire was fixed and back on the bus. Then they looked at the other side and that tire was a little soft. So we pulled into the gas station and put air in the tire. By this time it was 8:30 and dark outside and we were not even half way to Kabale. We had not dropped any passengers off yet.
The remainder of the trip went smoothly. Once it got dark out, people decided they should start singing. So about three different groups of people were singing three different songs. The last 4 hours were uneventful. After sixteen and a half hours, we arrived in Kabale at 12:30 in the morning. We got more that we bargained for on this trip. We got the full bus experience and a good story to tell. In the end it was worth it, we had a great trip canoeing and hiking around the lake. Lake Bunyonyi is very beautiful. See the pictures below.
It was a good reminder that life doesn't always go the way we plan it. Our journey through life can take many different turns and delays from our plans. If we are too focused on the destination we will become frustrating with the journey. We learn many things through the journey of life if we pay attention to what God is doing around us today.
Thanks for reading about my exciting bus trip. I will post again soon to give an update of the other things that have been happening in my life lately.
God bless,
Matt
Sunday, March 9, 2014
To The Top of Africa
I have returned from my trip to Kilimanjaro. It was a great trip
We left Kampala late Saturday morning to take the 1 hour and 20 minute flight to Kilimanjaro airport. Our taxi ran out of gas about 5 minutes from the airport, so our driver had to get out and take a boda, motorcycle taxi, to get some more gas. We still made it in time for our flight but it was not a good feeling when the driver left us sitting on the side of the road.
The flight was uneventful. We could not see the mountain when we landed because it was covered in clouds, that was a running theme for the week. We stayed in a hotel in Arusha, Tanzania for two nights. The next day we went to get some rental equipment for our climb and went to the local craft market. The remainder of our team arrived on Sunday and we had a meeting with the our guides at the hotel.
Our team at the starting gate
Aaron - Former EMI intern, Canadian
David - Former EMI intern, Canadian, currently volunteering in our office for two months to avoid the deep freeze in Edmonton
Sarah - Staff at EMI in Uganda, American
Katy - Sarah's sister, American
Sara - Architect, American
Roly - Civil Engineer, Canadian, on EMI Canada board
Dan - Civil engineer, American
John - Staff at EMI in Uganda, American
Erland - Former EMI intern, American
Myself - you should know
Peter - current EMI intern from Australia/Hong Kong
On Monday morning we set off to begin our hike up the mountain. Our hike was 7 days along the Machame route. It was a two hour drive from the hotel to the gate. When we arrived at the gate it took some time to get organized. We had to get in line to sign in with the park authorities. Our guides had to organize porters to carry equipment, unfortunately it had been raining that day so not as many porters were waiting at the gate, so they were 5 short and not everything made it to the camp on the first day, they made due with what they had and we didn't notice. After eating lunch we started hiking through the rainforest. It was nice that it stopped raining before we set off. We started at 1800m above sea level. At the end of the first day we exited the rainforest and entered the heath and moorland region. There was a distinct change in vegetation. We camped the first day at Machame camp, 3000m. We hiked for about 5 hours this day.
On Tuesday we hiked from Machame camp to Shira camp, 3800m. The trail was narrow and along a ridge with a steady uphill ascent. There was a lot more people on the mountain than I was expecting. It was quite noticeable today with the many tourists and porters all trying to get up the same trail. The day was generally overcast and last hour of the hike it rained. We hiked for 4 hours this day and had some time to hang out and relax at the camp.
To help with acclimatizing to the high altitude and prevent altitude sickness we were taking acetazolamide,which helps you blood carry more oxygen. One the side effect though is that is makes you go to the bathroom more frequently. As a result we were often waking up in the middle of the night to go. The benefit was that most nights there was clear skies and the stars were amazing. On Tuesday night when I woke up there I saw the first clear view of the top of the mountain. Until this point it had been covered in clouds.
On Wednesday we hiked up to Lava Tower, 4700m, and back down to Barranco camp, 3900m. It was a clear day when we started and we walked in the sunshine for the first time. The sun is much stronger at higher altitudes and is warmed up 10-15 degrees when the sun came out. We were constantly putting on and taking off layers of clothes to stay comfortable. We hiked through the heath and moorland and into the alpine desert. There were only a few small plants at this altitude and some small patches of snow. We ate lunch at the base of Lava Tower. This is the closest to the summit as we would get before the day we went to the top. After this we would be walking around the mountain to summit from the other side. After lunch a few of us climbed to the top of Lava Tower. It was fun to do a little more climbing as opposed to hiking. It was amazing how quickly the clouds would roll in and cover everything. On our hike down from Lava Tower to Barranco camp it began to hail. It hailed enough that the ground was white and it was stinging my hands as it fell. On the way down, Aaron began to get sick. It was a beautiful view and we entered Barranco valley and the clouds partially cleared. There is some unique vegetation on Kilimanjaro and we could see much of it in the valley. As we got to camp Aaron was feeling sick and laid down for a nap.We hiked for 8 hours this day.
On Thursday morning Aaron decided to hike to the next camp to see if he would get any better, so he went at a slower pace with one of the guides while the rest of us carried on. The first part of the hike was up Barranco wall. Looking at the wall from camp you couldn't see a path, but once everyone began ascending there was a steady line of people up the wall. It was very congested as hikers and porters were all trying to get up at the same time. At one point one of the porters dropped a bag, understandable as they are often carrying bags on their head as they climb. This came to the cheers of all the other porters as the bag tumbled down the mountain side. They don't drop bags very often.
It was very foggy today and we could not see anything, it was too bad as we missed the views of the valley below as we climbed the wall. After reaching the top of the wall we hiked over several ridges and down into a valley and up the other side to Karanga camp, 4000m. We hiked for 5 hours this day. After the hike Aaron was getting more sick and decided that he needed to go down. He left with on the guides at 6pm and didn't arrive at the next camp until after midnight. It was tough to see him leave as we wanted to get to the top as a team and he is great guy to have around. He began to feel better when he reached the bottom. He had fluid building up in his lungs as a result of the altitude. Thank God he was okay.
On Friday we walked from Karanga camp to Barafu camp, 4600m. The hike was relatively uneventful and the sky was cloudy and overcast so we couldn't see much. A few members of our team got sick overnight, most likely a stomach bug as it went through several members of our team. Dan and Sarah were feeling quite sick and tired this day and John was beginning to get sick as well.
We reached Barafu camp in the early afternoon. We had lunch and tried to sleep as we were going to the summit overnight. It was difficult to sleep as it was the middle of the day and the temperature would fluctuate dramatically as the sun came and went, our tent would get very hot. As we woke up to eat dinner Roly got sick. We ate dinner and then tried to sleep some more. After dinner I got sick, none of my dinner stayed down. I tried to drink some water so that I wouldn't get dehydrated for the summit hike but as I tried to lay down I had to get up again to throw up. When we woke up at 11pm to get ready for our climb I threw up again. It was not a very good start to the climb. Our team had some drinks and digestive biscuits. I didn't have anything as I didn't want to vomit anymore. I put a few biscuits in my pocket for later.
We began the hike just after midnight. As we were at high altitude we were walking very slow. It was very hard for me as I had no food in my stomach and I was dehydrated from vomiting. The camp was fairly long but it took us 45 minutes to get out of the camp. We began the slow uphill climb to the top in the dark of night. It was a clear night so we could see many stars and the towns at the base of the mountain below. Shortly after we started the moon came up.
We were walking with headlamps on so that we could see the terrain in front of us. The majority of that hike feels like a blur to me as I was feeling very weak and tired. It had felt like we were walking for a long time when we stopped to take a break and someone said that it had been two hours. It was discouraging as it had felt much longer and we still had hours to go. Shortly after this stop I had to ask one of the guides to carry my day pack as it was beginning to feel very heavy to me. It took a bit to convince myself to ask for help as I wanted to do it on my own. But I know that I would not make it to the top if I didn't ask for help. The lack of sleep, lack of water and lack of food were beginning to catch up with me. I was getting very tired and my body wanted to sleep. After almost falling asleep walking, I just focused on breathing and taking one more step. After four hours of walking I knew I needed some energy or I would have to go down. When we stopped I ate half a digestive biscuit hoping that it would stay down. Eating just a little bit gave me a boost in energy and I felt like I could keep going. The next thing that gave me more energy was the sun rising. It was a beautiful sunrise. It brought warmth with it as my hands and feet we starting to get cold. It really wasn't that cold out, around -5, but my body was not staying very warm without much energy and we were walking very slowly.
The sun also made to top of the ridge visible and it wasn't that far. With renewed energy the group continued. We reached the top of the ridge, Stella Point, and it felt like I could make it to the top, the peak was in sight and it was relatively gradual terrain remaining. We reached the summit shortly after 8am. It was such a relief as I didn't think I would make it when we left camp.
The hike up was such a tough challenge as part of me felt like I should turn back and I wouldn't make it to the top. A few lesson that I can see in it as I reflect on the experience. We are not here to struggle on our own. Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. In times when we feel strong we are to help others bear their burdens. For me the lesson was that in times of weakness, when we cannot do it in our own strength, we need to let other help bear the burden for us. In this instance that was asking the guide to carry my pack, but in our lives we must not be too proud to ask others to help us. That is one of the blessing of being in a family of believers/
Another lesson that I learned was that we don't always know how we will encourage others. After struggling with whether or not to turn around I decided that unless I thought I was going to die I would keep going one step at a time. Even though I was feeling very weak I knew I could take one more step each time. What I didn't know was that Roly, who had also gotten sick that day, was walking right behind me thinking if someone turns around to go back he would go with them. By persevering in our struggles we can be an encouragement to others.
The last lesson that I want to pass on is that God is able to give us strength when we are weak. I don't really know how I made it to the top, and other team members expressed the same feelings, but God gave me enough strength to make it to the top. Although climbing a mountain is such a small thing is the eternal view, God can still use the experience to teach us and show us his faithfulness. God will give us the strength we need to take the next step.
Peter got sick at Stella Point from the altitude, so he took a while to reach the summit. The rest of the group reached the top and most of us sat down it the snow, tired and relieved to have made it to the top. It was beautiful at the top. It was covered in fresh snow that was glistening in the sunshine. After all the days of being cloudy and raining, we had a perfect day at the top. Once Peter reached the top we took a group picture and began the descent. Since we were not going any higher and no longer had to adjust to the altitude, we no longer had to walk very slow. The 8 hour ascent took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to get back down to camp. The descent was my favourite part of the hike as we could run down in the loose scree beside the path. It felt like skiing down the loose gravel in my boots. I was following the guide in front of me and when we stopped and looked back we were several hundred meters down the hill and most of the team was still at the top.
We came back to Barafu camp and rested. We ate lunch and rested again then descended to Millennium camp, 3800m. Our team was very tired at this point from the long day of hiking and lack of sleep. We ate dinner and went to bed early.
Waking up on Sunday morning I felt like a new person. I had energy again and my stomach felt fairly settled. It was a clear sunny day again. We hike down to the gate in 4 hours, it was a very good pace as we were ready to leave. We had some spectacular view and it was a great day to end the trip on.
We reached the gate signed out of the park, at lunch and returned to the hotel. The only thing that could have made the day better would have been watching the hockey gold medal game. The Olympics were on Supersport channel 6, the hotel got Supersport 1,2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, but not 6. Oh well.
It was a great trip, such a unique experience. We had a wonderful team to share the experience with. I am once again reminded that life is about relationships. This trip strengthened some existing relationship and created some new ones. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do this. It has been great to help raise fund for EMI's new office in Uganda. Again this week I have been reminded that my work here is not about designing and constructing buildings, but it is about relationships. This new office will allow EMI to expand and grow in the way that we are building relationships in East Africa.
May God bless you today as you build and invest in the relationships around you,
Matt
Praises:
-A great trip and I made it to the top
-Aaron was safe and is healthy again
-I was again reminded upon returning to Kampala of the wonderful community that God has placed me in
Prayer Requests:
-Fundraising for the office project, prior to the fund raised for this climb we were at $214,000 out of the $275,000 that the construction projects will be.
-We are waiting for some government approvals for several months before we can continue the permit process.
-It feels like I have been gone for a while and have struggled to get back in to things here.
We left Kampala late Saturday morning to take the 1 hour and 20 minute flight to Kilimanjaro airport. Our taxi ran out of gas about 5 minutes from the airport, so our driver had to get out and take a boda, motorcycle taxi, to get some more gas. We still made it in time for our flight but it was not a good feeling when the driver left us sitting on the side of the road.
The flight was uneventful. We could not see the mountain when we landed because it was covered in clouds, that was a running theme for the week. We stayed in a hotel in Arusha, Tanzania for two nights. The next day we went to get some rental equipment for our climb and went to the local craft market. The remainder of our team arrived on Sunday and we had a meeting with the our guides at the hotel.
Our team at the starting gate
Aaron - Former EMI intern, Canadian
David - Former EMI intern, Canadian, currently volunteering in our office for two months to avoid the deep freeze in Edmonton
Sarah - Staff at EMI in Uganda, American
Katy - Sarah's sister, American
Sara - Architect, American
Roly - Civil Engineer, Canadian, on EMI Canada board
Dan - Civil engineer, American
John - Staff at EMI in Uganda, American
Erland - Former EMI intern, American
Myself - you should know
Peter - current EMI intern from Australia/Hong Kong
On Monday morning we set off to begin our hike up the mountain. Our hike was 7 days along the Machame route. It was a two hour drive from the hotel to the gate. When we arrived at the gate it took some time to get organized. We had to get in line to sign in with the park authorities. Our guides had to organize porters to carry equipment, unfortunately it had been raining that day so not as many porters were waiting at the gate, so they were 5 short and not everything made it to the camp on the first day, they made due with what they had and we didn't notice. After eating lunch we started hiking through the rainforest. It was nice that it stopped raining before we set off. We started at 1800m above sea level. At the end of the first day we exited the rainforest and entered the heath and moorland region. There was a distinct change in vegetation. We camped the first day at Machame camp, 3000m. We hiked for about 5 hours this day.
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| Our team in the rainforest |
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| The trail started as a dirt road |
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| First rest stop |
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| Porters with their large bags |
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| We reached the first camp |
On Tuesday we hiked from Machame camp to Shira camp, 3800m. The trail was narrow and along a ridge with a steady uphill ascent. There was a lot more people on the mountain than I was expecting. It was quite noticeable today with the many tourists and porters all trying to get up the same trail. The day was generally overcast and last hour of the hike it rained. We hiked for 4 hours this day and had some time to hang out and relax at the camp.
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| Leaving camp |
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| Busy trail to Shira Camp |
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| Checking out the view |
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| The rugged terrain near camp. |
To help with acclimatizing to the high altitude and prevent altitude sickness we were taking acetazolamide,which helps you blood carry more oxygen. One the side effect though is that is makes you go to the bathroom more frequently. As a result we were often waking up in the middle of the night to go. The benefit was that most nights there was clear skies and the stars were amazing. On Tuesday night when I woke up there I saw the first clear view of the top of the mountain. Until this point it had been covered in clouds.
On Wednesday we hiked up to Lava Tower, 4700m, and back down to Barranco camp, 3900m. It was a clear day when we started and we walked in the sunshine for the first time. The sun is much stronger at higher altitudes and is warmed up 10-15 degrees when the sun came out. We were constantly putting on and taking off layers of clothes to stay comfortable. We hiked through the heath and moorland and into the alpine desert. There were only a few small plants at this altitude and some small patches of snow. We ate lunch at the base of Lava Tower. This is the closest to the summit as we would get before the day we went to the top. After this we would be walking around the mountain to summit from the other side. After lunch a few of us climbed to the top of Lava Tower. It was fun to do a little more climbing as opposed to hiking. It was amazing how quickly the clouds would roll in and cover everything. On our hike down from Lava Tower to Barranco camp it began to hail. It hailed enough that the ground was white and it was stinging my hands as it fell. On the way down, Aaron began to get sick. It was a beautiful view and we entered Barranco valley and the clouds partially cleared. There is some unique vegetation on Kilimanjaro and we could see much of it in the valley. As we got to camp Aaron was feeling sick and laid down for a nap.We hiked for 8 hours this day.
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| Beautiful sunrise |
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| The first day with a good view of the summit |
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| Walking through the alpine desert |
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| Climbing Lava Tower |
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| At the top of Lava Tower |
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| At the base of Lava Tower |
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| Walking in the hail. It was surprising how handy an umbrella was. |
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| Among the unique vegetation in Barranco Valley |
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| Barranco Valley |
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| Coming into camp |
On Thursday morning Aaron decided to hike to the next camp to see if he would get any better, so he went at a slower pace with one of the guides while the rest of us carried on. The first part of the hike was up Barranco wall. Looking at the wall from camp you couldn't see a path, but once everyone began ascending there was a steady line of people up the wall. It was very congested as hikers and porters were all trying to get up at the same time. At one point one of the porters dropped a bag, understandable as they are often carrying bags on their head as they climb. This came to the cheers of all the other porters as the bag tumbled down the mountain side. They don't drop bags very often.
It was very foggy today and we could not see anything, it was too bad as we missed the views of the valley below as we climbed the wall. After reaching the top of the wall we hiked over several ridges and down into a valley and up the other side to Karanga camp, 4000m. We hiked for 5 hours this day. After the hike Aaron was getting more sick and decided that he needed to go down. He left with on the guides at 6pm and didn't arrive at the next camp until after midnight. It was tough to see him leave as we wanted to get to the top as a team and he is great guy to have around. He began to feel better when he reached the bottom. He had fluid building up in his lungs as a result of the altitude. Thank God he was okay.
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| Barranco Wall, notice the line of people |
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| Roly and John with the trees, Senecio Kilimanjari, that reminded us of Mario land |
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| Climbing Barranco wall |
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| Traffic jam |
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| Top of Barranco wall. We were in a cloud and couldn't see anything around us. The peak of the mountain is behind us somewhere. |
On Friday we walked from Karanga camp to Barafu camp, 4600m. The hike was relatively uneventful and the sky was cloudy and overcast so we couldn't see much. A few members of our team got sick overnight, most likely a stomach bug as it went through several members of our team. Dan and Sarah were feeling quite sick and tired this day and John was beginning to get sick as well.
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| Another overcast/rainy day, plenty of rocks and clouds to see |
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| Checking out the view again |
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| Coming up into camp |
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| Camping above the clouds |
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| Erland and I enjoying the view at Barafu camp |
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| Amazing sunset through the clouds |
We reached Barafu camp in the early afternoon. We had lunch and tried to sleep as we were going to the summit overnight. It was difficult to sleep as it was the middle of the day and the temperature would fluctuate dramatically as the sun came and went, our tent would get very hot. As we woke up to eat dinner Roly got sick. We ate dinner and then tried to sleep some more. After dinner I got sick, none of my dinner stayed down. I tried to drink some water so that I wouldn't get dehydrated for the summit hike but as I tried to lay down I had to get up again to throw up. When we woke up at 11pm to get ready for our climb I threw up again. It was not a very good start to the climb. Our team had some drinks and digestive biscuits. I didn't have anything as I didn't want to vomit anymore. I put a few biscuits in my pocket for later.
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| The lights of Moshi below |
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| The town of Moshi at the base of the mountain |
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The peak under the stars |
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| Ascending to the peak overnight, you can see some climbers light in the distance |
We were walking with headlamps on so that we could see the terrain in front of us. The majority of that hike feels like a blur to me as I was feeling very weak and tired. It had felt like we were walking for a long time when we stopped to take a break and someone said that it had been two hours. It was discouraging as it had felt much longer and we still had hours to go. Shortly after this stop I had to ask one of the guides to carry my day pack as it was beginning to feel very heavy to me. It took a bit to convince myself to ask for help as I wanted to do it on my own. But I know that I would not make it to the top if I didn't ask for help. The lack of sleep, lack of water and lack of food were beginning to catch up with me. I was getting very tired and my body wanted to sleep. After almost falling asleep walking, I just focused on breathing and taking one more step. After four hours of walking I knew I needed some energy or I would have to go down. When we stopped I ate half a digestive biscuit hoping that it would stay down. Eating just a little bit gave me a boost in energy and I felt like I could keep going. The next thing that gave me more energy was the sun rising. It was a beautiful sunrise. It brought warmth with it as my hands and feet we starting to get cold. It really wasn't that cold out, around -5, but my body was not staying very warm without much energy and we were walking very slowly.
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| John fell asleep a few times when we stopped |
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| Sunrise over Mawenzi, the lower peak on Kilimanjaro |
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| Our group refreshed as the sun came up |
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| Resting at Stella Point before making the final push to the top |
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| Almost at the top |
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| It was a beautiful clear day, especially after five mostly overcast days |
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| Our team at the top of Africa |
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| Glacier and Mt Meru in the distance |
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| The volcano crater covered in snow |
The hike up was such a tough challenge as part of me felt like I should turn back and I wouldn't make it to the top. A few lesson that I can see in it as I reflect on the experience. We are not here to struggle on our own. Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. In times when we feel strong we are to help others bear their burdens. For me the lesson was that in times of weakness, when we cannot do it in our own strength, we need to let other help bear the burden for us. In this instance that was asking the guide to carry my pack, but in our lives we must not be too proud to ask others to help us. That is one of the blessing of being in a family of believers/
Another lesson that I learned was that we don't always know how we will encourage others. After struggling with whether or not to turn around I decided that unless I thought I was going to die I would keep going one step at a time. Even though I was feeling very weak I knew I could take one more step each time. What I didn't know was that Roly, who had also gotten sick that day, was walking right behind me thinking if someone turns around to go back he would go with them. By persevering in our struggles we can be an encouragement to others.
The last lesson that I want to pass on is that God is able to give us strength when we are weak. I don't really know how I made it to the top, and other team members expressed the same feelings, but God gave me enough strength to make it to the top. Although climbing a mountain is such a small thing is the eternal view, God can still use the experience to teach us and show us his faithfulness. God will give us the strength we need to take the next step.
Peter got sick at Stella Point from the altitude, so he took a while to reach the summit. The rest of the group reached the top and most of us sat down it the snow, tired and relieved to have made it to the top. It was beautiful at the top. It was covered in fresh snow that was glistening in the sunshine. After all the days of being cloudy and raining, we had a perfect day at the top. Once Peter reached the top we took a group picture and began the descent. Since we were not going any higher and no longer had to adjust to the altitude, we no longer had to walk very slow. The 8 hour ascent took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to get back down to camp. The descent was my favourite part of the hike as we could run down in the loose scree beside the path. It felt like skiing down the loose gravel in my boots. I was following the guide in front of me and when we stopped and looked back we were several hundred meters down the hill and most of the team was still at the top.
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| Descending from the peak |
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| Our descent back to camp. This is what we hiked in the dark. The sun melted most of the snow |
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| Barafu camp about to be engulfed in clouds |
We came back to Barafu camp and rested. We ate lunch and rested again then descended to Millennium camp, 3800m. Our team was very tired at this point from the long day of hiking and lack of sleep. We ate dinner and went to bed early.
Waking up on Sunday morning I felt like a new person. I had energy again and my stomach felt fairly settled. It was a clear sunny day again. We hike down to the gate in 4 hours, it was a very good pace as we were ready to leave. We had some spectacular view and it was a great day to end the trip on.
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| Our team with all the guides, cooks, and porters, 50 in total |
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| It was another beautiful, clear day |
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| The peak visible through the trees in the forest |
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| John and I and a massive tree |
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| Our group in the rainforest |
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| Reaching our destination, the gate out of the park |
It was a great trip, such a unique experience. We had a wonderful team to share the experience with. I am once again reminded that life is about relationships. This trip strengthened some existing relationship and created some new ones. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do this. It has been great to help raise fund for EMI's new office in Uganda. Again this week I have been reminded that my work here is not about designing and constructing buildings, but it is about relationships. This new office will allow EMI to expand and grow in the way that we are building relationships in East Africa.
May God bless you today as you build and invest in the relationships around you,
Matt
Praises:
-A great trip and I made it to the top
-Aaron was safe and is healthy again
-I was again reminded upon returning to Kampala of the wonderful community that God has placed me in
Prayer Requests:
-Fundraising for the office project, prior to the fund raised for this climb we were at $214,000 out of the $275,000 that the construction projects will be.
-We are waiting for some government approvals for several months before we can continue the permit process.
-It feels like I have been gone for a while and have struggled to get back in to things here.
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