MALARIA STRIKES!!!

Yes, that’s right. Malaria has ravaged the team. Even our own Lisa Nelson has fallen victim to the deadly disease. But on an anticlimactic note, Lisa’s malaria was easily treated with a few pills over a few days. Malaria is as common here as a cold. The treatment for malaria has been worse than the actual disease itself.
The team has had an intense week. Most were busy, tired, and homesick. The question, “What are we even doing here?” came up more than once. Many people were content pointing out the problems but didn’t have any solutions, which brought the spirits on the team pretty low. But on Wednesday our team reacted in an inspiring way for me. The leadership on the team put in a lot of time praying, researching and talking, to give the team a stronger focus. We came together to agree that everything we do as a team will be based around the fact that we are here to reveal God and become more like Jesus. We chose Ephesians 5v1 as our foundation and are incorporating this theme into everything we do.
Defining our mission and common inspiration was important for us as leaders to do because as the weeks have gone on, all of us have, to some degree, gotten selfish and disconnected from each other and God. As you might be able to picture, this attitude on “Outreach” led to feelings of discontent to say the least. So we refocused the team on why we are here and everyone followed suit in a mature fashion. Things have been remarkably better since then. I still find it funny how miserable people can get when they focus only on getting what they want. For the last week or so, we’ve been doing the exact same things as before, but it’s all being done with a fresh motivation and it’s made all the difference.
The last week has been great for Lisa and I. We’ve had a lot of fun with each other and doing ministry. We’re still taking care of orphans, bringing food to people in the hospital and meeting folks in the town who have incredible stories shaped by Uganda’s crazy recent history.
Lisa and I have really invested in our team members and the ministry. To work hard at something you believe in gives you a satisfying feeling of tiredness at the end of the day. I feel my energy has been well spent. I’m not sure why, but out of this, Lisa and I have had more energy for each other lately. There’s been a lot of laughing every day and it’s been grand.
I love you all and I’ll leave you with a quote that sums up the African lifestyle and communication that we get the pleasure of navigating on a daily basis.

Lisa- “So I do have Malaria?”
Emaculate (Lab lady) – Nods
Lisa – “What kind of malaria do I have?”
E – “Ha ha ha. It’s OK”
L – “Can you tell me what kind of malaria I have please.”
E – “OK. It’s fine! We are best friends now! Come back any time! J”