2. To feed the poor

"To effectively impact a life, a relationship must be forged, trust built, and accountability established."
— Robert D. Lupton

❀

Hanging out with our family group, Worcester

"What did you do in Uganda?" 

I've been asked this question no fewer than a dozen times since I returned home one week ago. Part of me knows the asker is simply curious, but another part of me fears he or she is waiting for a thrilling response. Did we clothe street children or feed starving babies? Did we paint orphanage walls or, better yet, baptize a multitude?

We did none of those things. Not one. Well, what did we do?

We arrived at Kasana and quickly realized the many ministries of NHU are well-equipped to operate without our aid. After all, true development "requires a longer-term commitment, not the sort of involvement that lends itself to short-term mission trips," says Lupton. Knowing we couldn't rely on projects to fulfill our sense of purpose, we took a page from Uganda's book and made relationship our theme.

As much as possible, we spent time getting to know the people. From the cooks who graciously prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us, to our guide Joanna, to the missionaries on-site, to the Worcester family group — Winnie, Helen, Adam, Big Dan, and the rest, we... hung out. 

Asked questions. Listened. Expressed interest. Shared our hearts. Laughed and joked. Ate together, played volleyball together, worshiped together. 

We did not achieve anything grand on that trip.

If we had done great things? Paul says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). I believe that by focusing on relationships more than projects, we made love our aim and thus fulfilled a better purpose.

"Mission trips have value. They open up new worlds, new perspectives, new insights. They expose us to fascinating cultures, connect us with new friends, allow us to experience God at work in surprising ways, inspire us, break our hearts, build camaraderie among traveling companions. Any one of these benefits might well justify the time and expense." — Robert D. Lupton