Hospital Visit

The steering committee of the Mbale OPCU church, decided to start a ministry of visiting the local hospital on Saturdays.  The hospitals in Uganda are much different than hospitals in North America.  They do not provide food, bedding, or clothing.  The patients family is expected to provide all of this.  But there are often people hospitalized who do not have a sufficient support system and so a hospital stay can be very difficult.  Members of our church, then, go to the hospital, find people like this and visit with them.  They share the gospel, pray for the person and then leave them with a bar of soap.  To fund this outreach, they are using 5% of each weeks offerings (usually about $2.50 or so).

This is exciting, because this was completely the idea of the church.  (No missionary involvement at all.)  And their generosity and desire to reach out to others is so encouraging and challenging to me.  They aren't waiting until they have their own property and building.  They aren't waiting until a higher economic stage is reached.  Now.  They are giving now.  They are investing in eternal rewards now.  Lord, help me to never wait until later!  Help me to give generously now!

I'm also excited about it, because my Timothy was able to join them today.  I love finding ways that he (and all my children) can reach out to others.  But the hospitals here are more "graphic" than in America.  They don't attempt to hide the suffering.  As a parent, there is always a twinge in my heart, when I know my kids will see suffering. It is a temptation to want to present the world as a pretty place.  Wouldn't it be easier if I could hide their precious hearts from disease and death?  But, I also know that disease and death are a reality...and it is a reality that the gospel can reach.  And I want my kids to see that. And thankfully, it doesn't bother him as much as I would like to fear it will...or maybe as much as the Liar would like me to fear..."mom, you wouldn't be able to stand it, but it didn't really bother me." is what my man-cub told me upon his return!  He makes me smile!  And so does this...that Christ touches suffering.  Gospel answers suffering.  I want my kids to breath and live and smile in that reality, too.

Timothy was glowing when he returned and gave us a good accounting around the dinner table tonight.  They handed out 9 bars of soap and prayed with the receivers.  But what really excited him was that they prayed with one man in response to a gospel presentation.  Praising the Lord for that, and praying that God will make the gospel a reality in that man's heart...

...and make it bigger in my son's heart...

...and more powerful in the hearts of my brothers and sisters in Mbale OPCU.