No streets of gold - just dirt roads and paths. But as we walked up the muddy dirt path, we passed happy children along the way - greeting us with waves and smiles.
When we got to the campus of Open Door Revival Church, we found ourselves at the top of a hill with a beautiful campus of a sanctuary, parsonage, classrooms and offices with a square in the center.
More children - more smiles from both the kids and the adults.
When we entered the sanctuary, there was singing and dancing and praising God. All ages - all together. What a site - a peak at what heaven will be like!
Pastor Solomon, Pastor Godfrey and several other church leaders strive to minister to poor children and many single-parent homes in the community - both Christian and Muslim. One of Solomon's daughters is the secretary, youth leader and also helps in other roles around the church! Every Saturday, the children from the community are invited to the church for programs and each Sunday a separate children's worship is held for them. Solomon and his church have a dream (and a blueprint) to build a school - They have 10 acres, now they need the means to build the building.
One of the things that Pastor Solomon asked was that we let you know of their thanks for the shoebox gifts that come from the United States. So....THANK YOU!
A beautiful story of how God works happened right after all the shoeboxes were handed out and opened. We had purposely brought some extra shoeboxes on our bus in case we had an overflow of kids. The other boxes that you see in the picture above had already been delivered to the church before we arrived.
The church leaders got word that there were 19 more children who were coming a few minutes late. So we went to the bus to see how many we had. We had only 15 boxes. Guess what! When the children arrived, there were 15 kids - not 19. Should we be amazed at how God works? I think not!
One thing that keeps coming back to me as I process all that we did and all that I saw in Uganda is that Operation Christmas Child is the tool that empowers these local churches to reach not only the children with the Gospel message, but to also reach the community. Churches grow because their children are nurtured. Communities become stronger because of the simple gifts we send. One of the phrases that has caught on in OCC circles is that we are called to do immeasurably more........more shoeboxes to empower these churches to reach more people for Christ!
"I walked the dirt roads of Uganda, I see the scars that war has left behind. Hope like the sun, is fading and they're waiting for a cure no one can find. And I hear children's voices singing of a God who heals and rescues and restores. And I'm reminded that every child in Africa is yours." Steven Curtis Chapman "Yours"
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