Two Different Worlds Worshiping the Same Lord

Hey Everyone, This is Holly. When we first landed in Uganda, I knew something was completely different, I could just feel it. The initial meeting with Peter and Pheobe Sozi led me to know that we were going to be treated with the upmost hospitality. In the city of Kampala, even though there was millions of people there, we were treated with so much respect. The dirt roads in Uganda would have to be the worst roads I have ever been on in my life. Of course, out in the bush life was totally different. Instead of many buildings, cars, buda buda's, and homes... we found just about nothing except a few huts every now and then. The people that lived out there have absolutely nothing. They live off of their land and that's about it. Even still when we would go to visit some of the homes they would greet us with so much thanksgiving. Almost always saying "Mukama Yebazibwe" which means Praise the Lord. Most would go in there homes and bring out rugs for us to sit on instead of having to sit in the dirt as well as others would invite us inside. The school that we served at for a few days was almost like an oasis in the bush. We found that some of the children had to walk 8 miles + (one way) every day just to come to school and then would have to leave by 4:00 in order to get home by dark. Even though, these children live such hard lives they still praise our Lord and Savior. At this school, these children are taught the love of our Father and His presence is evident among them. This is only the beginning of what an organization called Divine Care Ministries does. While we were in Uganda we were able to see of course the primary school but also the secondary school. At this school, 34 of the Divine Care Sponsored Students are boarding there. This was so great to see because it just helped to show how the money we give to sponsor children really helps them to get an education. We also were able to meet with a group to the College age that were Divine Students. We met one afternoon and had a time where we shared with each other what God was doing in our lives and prayer request. This meant so much to me because it let me know that even though we are on totally opposite ends of the world we still have the same hopes and dreams, we still go through the same hardships.. even though they may be different circumstances, they are still struggles of the heart and most importantly we worship the same Lord and Savior!! Another thing that really sticks out to me is Sunday morning worship services. One imparticular sticks out to me the most. It was the 2nd Sunday we were there. We had Worship undernieth a giant tree at the Divine Care Farm. I could feel God's presence there all around me. Some would say, it could have been because their weren't 4 walls around me.. and well, I can't say that I wouldn't agree to some extent because God's presence was everywhere. In the people,the singing, the shouts of praises, the trees, the breeze, and even the animals. Even though a lot of the time I couldn't understand what they were saying because it was in Lugandan, it translated just fine to my heart which went to the Lord. Sometimes in America we like to put up a mask and won't give everything we have to our Lord.. not in Uganda!! There is no such thing is a "mask". When Autumn and I were leading worship that morning, there was NOTHING there to hold me back from my Lord. I could have stayed right there in that exact place with God forever and would have been happy. All of this to say is that it is such an encouragement knowing that there are other people on the other side of the world praising the same God we do over here. We should take note to not only praise God in the Church, but to praise Him in our schools, in the office, on the streets, in our homes.. EVERYWHERE!! Because God is at work all around us. We just have to join Him!! "Mukama Yebazibwe" Praise the Lord!!!