The Pearl of Africa … Uganda
By KELLY PRESTON, Chairwoman of RACE For the Orphans
The sights.
The sounds.
The tastes.
The smells.
They are all different in Africa.
This past July, I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda for the fifth time. Located in eastern Africa, Uganda is known as “the Pearl of Africa” for its beauty, abundant wildlife and diversity. My first time in Uganda was for a medical mission trip while in nursing school at Samford University in 1996. To say my eyes were opened would be an understatement! The medical needs were astronomical, and my perspective on what truly matters in life was changed forever.
Fast forward 20 years and the opportunity to return to Uganda opened for me in July 2016. Friends of mine from First Baptist Church of Newnan had started a non-profit organization called Mission Mbale, and my 12-year-old son and I were part of the first group mission trip to the Namatala slum in Mbale, Uganda. We returned again the following July (2017), my husband and son went the next year (2018), and I returned again with my oldest son and daughter in 2019. As the entire world came to a halt in 2020 due to COVID, our annual trips to Uganda had to be suspended for everyone’s safety. Needless to say, we prayed for and deeply missed our Ugandan family. Finally, this summer, after five long years, we were able to return to Mbale and what a beautiful reunion it was!
While many short-term missions focus on building things, relationships are the heartbeat of Mission Mbale. By returning year-after-year to the same church and the same school in the same slum, deep relationships are cultivated. We worship, pray, serve and play together. We learn from each other. We shed tears saying “until I see you next time” when our departure day arrives. Although they are 8,000 miles from Newnan, the people at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the children of Ebenezer Christian School have become like family.
Speaking of family, my family has sponsored* one of the school children, Joshua, for many years. By giving a monthly donation towards Joshua’s education and physical needs, we are blessed to help change the trajectory of his life. We also exchange letters throughout the year, so each time we make the trip to Mbale, the reunion with our Ugandan son is a joyous celebration.
In the midst of all the joy, there is also deep sorrow. Each time I am in Uganda, I’m reminded of the fact that I live in a charming small town in America and my life is overflowing with blessings. I have clean drinking water, I eat three meals a day, I wear different clothes each day, and my family and I have access to quality education and health care. While I realize not everyone in our great country has all of this, the extreme poverty and physical needs that we’ve witnessed in Uganda defy description.
Once called a “cesspool of humanity,” the Namatala slum is overflowing with people. Within a one-half mile radius of our partner church, 32,000+ people reside, half of which are children under the age of 14. This Ugandan culture is defined by children raising children. The abject poverty and diseases (malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, and AIDS, to name a few) are big problems, and through the efforts of organizations like Mission Mbale, lives are being transformed for the good of humanity and to the glory of God.
From my experiences in Uganda, my eyes and heart have been opened wider to the truth of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…”. His love and power are living and active throughout all of His creation, and I am thankful these opportunities have enabled me to witness this firsthand.
*For more information about how you can sponsor a child in Mbale, Uganda, visit www.missionmbale.org.
