Author: Gina Sawyer

Uganda – From a Visitor’s Perspective

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As we have mentioned before, we love hosting visitors! We are so thankful when people make the sacrifice of time and finances to come experience Uganda with us. Not only do they get to see the ministry, but they can also relate to our life a little better. In March, we had some very dear friends come to visit and we asked them to share their thoughts about their visit to Uganda. Hopefully this will encourage YOU to come visit, too!

What are some things that stood out to you while visiting Uganda?

“People seem to genuinely care for each other and look out for each other, such as helping each other in the marketplace, asking about each others’ families, children taking care of the younger ones, etc. We enjoyed getting a taste of daily life like driving, shopping, and meeting with various people in different villages. The coffee tour was also incredible to see where and how production happens, and to hear the detailed process and how integral relationships in the community are to ministry. We got a glimpse of how relationships are key here. In regards to safari, it was like being in “National Geographic”- it was amazing to see so much beautiful creation in one setting.”

Were there any cultural habits or traditions that stood out?

“It was impactful to see the social significance of the mission work through building relationships with so many people. Being including in those interactions and relationships was meaningful to us. We enjoyed witnessing the importance of speaking local languages like Luganda, but also seeing the country’s emphasis on English being more widespread with the upcoming generations. We also enjoyed hearing different phrases in ways we wouldn’t normally use, like ‘You’re welcome’ when coming into a someone’s home or the church, or ‘Praise God’ as an initial greeting with someone. The other thing that stood out to us was the meal rituals of washing visitors’ hands before eating and serving the visitors’ food – it seemed like more relationship building and serving one another.”

What was difficult for you to see?

“Life seems tough. It seems that many people, especially children seem to be missing a purpose of structure to engage, which could lead to problems like boredom, lack of education, limiting personal or community growth, improving living conditions, etc. It was hard to see poverty all around us, without simple solutions to help.”

What felt similar to your life back in the U.S.?

“Daily life seems to be similar to ours: shopping, eating, household chores, dressing up to show respect or honor, etc. Missionaries also seem to be able to engage in a range of local and personal cultural activities such as household responsibilities, education, different foods, social engagements, driving, etc. It was nice to see that while the cultures are very different, we have a lot of similar daily life activities.”

What things were different than you were expecting? What things were the same?

“We expected life to appear more challenging, but we were pleasantly surprised that their lifestyle seemed more collaborative and functional with a community, relational focus. Driving appeared chaotic – driving on the other side of the road than the US and with so many small motorcycles (called bodas) moving in and out of larger vehicle traffic. The weather was more enjoyable than we expected, even though it still felt hot and humid. We adapted better than we expected. Also, the natural beauty was a bonus. The mission work seems to be as deep and engaged as we thought and have read about in newsletters, but the relationships were stronger than we expected. Overall, we were well prepared for our trip, but there are still things we are trying to process from all that we saw.”

Is there anything you learned about the ministry or Uganda that you didn’t know before?

“The ministry work is much broader than we realized. With the mission work, Mbale Church of Christ, village churches, Messiah Theological Institute, discipleship groups, and other development projects, there’s a lot going on. But also with relationships with Livingstone International University and Good News Productions, we didn’t realize the relational connection with the mission work and their partnership with one another.”

What moment(s) from the trip will stay with you the longest?

“We will never forget our experience on safari and seeing so many animals up close! But also, we saw that daily life can be simple and is unique for each person or family. Sometimes we overcomplicate or fill our lives with too much. Another thing that will stick with us is the reminder that relationships are so important for everything. Sometimes we get too busy for people, but they are who matter.”

What would you like to share about your trip for others to know?

“Don’t wait!! Visit when your heart calls you. For us, making the journey and experiencing the culture convicted us in regards to the American lifestyle of individualism and divisiveness. This trip increased our desire for deepening relationships with God, and with others in our own life and community. I hope more people will take the opportunity to visit you and Uganda.”

How to Pray for TCKs / MKs

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For those who don’t know, a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. A TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures they experience while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into a TCK life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background. A Missionary Kid (MK) is a subset of TCK – they are born or raised abroad, and have both the privilege and the challenge of growing up in their family’s place of ministry. Adalyn is an MK. She has spent 10 years in Uganda. She came to Uganda as a toddler and is now a teenager. She is part American, part Ugandan, with several of other cultures that have influenced her since living in an international community.

A TCK/MK has some unique needs. Here are some ways to pray for Adalyn as she continue to grow into the woman God has created her to be…

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Oh the Life We Live…

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In the past, we have shared different blogs about the funny, beautiful and challenging things about living in Uganda – things that make us smile, things that drive us crazy, things we marvel at, and things that give us a serious laugh. I’ll list some old blog posts at the bottom of this post about the different aspects of life here. But in all of it, we regularly say “oh the life we live…”

For example, every morning, we wake up to ask the question “Is electricity and water on”? We have a small community WhatsApp group that is regularly messaging about power or water issues. It’s an every day thing! We are used to it, mostly. But there are time when electricity or water has been off longer than anticipated, so we have to ask others to determine if it’s an area issue or only at our home. There is solidarity of community in “suffering” when electricity or water is off for everyone, rather than the panic and going into “fix it” mode when it turns out to be just our house.

There are many times when products are no longer in stock – staple items that you might not fathom could be out of stock for months at a time. There was a period of several months when the ladies in the community were having ongoing conversations about how butter had been gone, and we were not sure how long it would be gone, so when some of us traveled to Jinja (about 2 hours away) for a weekend and found 6 sticks of butter – we bought them all! Frozen chicken and beef are regularly not missing. Yes, I could get a live chicken and slaughter it myself, but I have my limits. 😂 A good brand of toilet paper many people really like went out of stock without any knowledge of when it will come back (and yes, we have a favorite toilet paper). You might be thinking, just get another brand of toilet paper, but that’s easier said than done. Most of the options are either like using a soft sand paper or tissue paper – not ideal. 🤨 I don’t usually trust box food (cake mixes, cereal, oatmeal, bread crumbs, etc) because I’m unsure how long it’s been on the shelves and I have found them full of weevils on many occasions. No thank you! We also get excited when a new product comes into town for a little while, like chocolate chips, shampoo/conditioner, cream cheese, or American-recognized brands. We can’t expect them, so it’s a nice treat when “special” items arrive. We never know how long they’ll be there, but we rejoice for the moment. And we often take photos to share with one another, in case someone else might want the product.

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Journey to Uganda – 10 Years In

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Many of you have asked how we got to Uganda. Some of you have been with us throughout the long journey, but some of you are new to reading our blog and don’t know the full story. So, as we celebrate 10 years in Uganda, here’s the story. It’s a long one, so be prepared….

In 2010, Leland and I went on a “once in a lifetime” trip to visit our friend who was living in Nairobi, Kenya. We went on safari at Masai Mara, and then we took a 12-hour bus ride across the border to Jinja, Uganda to white water raft on the Nile River. Like I said, it was a once in a lifetime trip! One evening, Leland and I were walking around the village near the camp we were staying, and we asked the question “Could we live in a place like this? Our friend lives here, could we?” And thus the seed was planted…

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Thankful in the Midst of Hard

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I am in a season right now where I am feeling HARD of life in Uganda! In our training at Missions Training International, we learned that as missionaries, we wake up at a higher stress level than we used to when we lived in our own passport cultures by almost double. We have learned to adjust and adapt, and even thrive in our lives here in Uganda. But sometimes, all the things that we can normally manage become overwhelming: things that shouldn’t take as long as they do; having to go to several stores and still not finding the food items we want for months on end; instability of consistent water, electricity, and sunshine (which the combination is needed to do laundry); household items that continuously break without the ease of buying a new one or getting it repaired correctly; good mechanics are impossible to find and roads tear up our vehicles; having work done on the house NEVER goes how we expect or want, often with errors, lack of appropriate tools or supplies, and any mistakes are at our expense; and don’t get me started on driving with the “mosquitos” we call bodas (small motorcycle taxis) that swarm the streets in ridiculously large numbers. We typically manage these daily challenges, and they have been part of our lives for the past 10 years. We have not only adapted to these things, but things have also improved with more options available in town, people we can call when we need repairs, people who help us find things we need from town and even deliver them to us, and a community of friends that is always willing to help in all sorts of situations. In the midst of the HARD, I can also see the GOOD.

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Our Life & Home – A Refresher

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Many of you have been with our family from the very start of this journey to Uganda, but others have joined after we moved here. Some people have not seen photos of our home, our town, Adalyn’s school, and the mission property in Mbale, Uganda. This post is for YOU! I want to give you an update of everything, so maybe it will help you visualize when we talk about our life and ministry.

We live at the foothills of Mount Elgon, under a ridge known as Mount Wanale. We have spectacular views of sunrises, sunsets, and waterfalls when walking or driving through our neighborhood and town. It is easy to sing God’s praises when we look at THIS every day!

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Officially a Teenager

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We officially have a teenager. Adalyn has turned 13 years old. For us and for many of you, it’s hard to imagine that tiny little toddler who left America just as she was 3 years old is now a teenager. But Adalyn has grown into a beautiful young woman, both inside and out. Our prayer continues to be for her heart to love Jesus as she matures and gets older. Here are her annual questions and answers for your reading pleasure.

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Realities of a TCK (Third Culture Kid)

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As a family, we are very aware the impact living overseas in another culture has on each of us, our family, and our daughter, Adalyn. Some of our fears and stress come from worrying about what that impact will have on her future education, relationships, and life. This leads us to pray A LOT, and trust that God will continue to be faithful in the areas we screw up.

I recently asked Adalyn some questions about her worldview and life as a TCK. Here are some important facts about our TCK, from her perspective, along with some general perspectives of TCK life. Please continue to be praying for Adalyn! She needs to know she is loved and that she belongs, even when she is different; and be real with her, because she desperately needs that.

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Summer Fun

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I don’t know about you, but I love summer! I love the chill vibes, slower days, low-key plans, sunshine, swimming, and traveling. In Uganda, summer is a bit different. First of all, the weather is the same year around, so the sunshine doesn’t change. Secondly, the Ugandan school system is not the same as the U.S. school system, so they are still in school during our “summer break.” Thirdly, we have more people who come to visit us in the summer months than any other time of the year, so we are busier hosting teams and groups of visitors. And, in the years that we are not in Uganda, we are traveling around the U.S. visiting churches, family, friends, and supporters on our home assignment. When we are in Uganda (like this past summer), our summer relationship dynamics change because the missionary community travels back to their home countries at different times; so friends are coming and going. But I still love summer, even though it looks different than a typical “American” summer.

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Partners in Ministry

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We are always so blessed when people visit Uganda to see the ministry here. Not only do we get the opportunity to show them how God is at work for His kingdom in a variety of ways (from disciplemaking in villages to community development projects to bible studies in churches to conferences and trainings and so much more) but we also get the opportunity to share our life with people. And answer questions about our everyday life that is so different than what our life was like in America.

At the end of June, we were blessed with 15 men and women, ranging in age from 14 years old to adult (we won’t mention ages), from Quaker Avenue Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. This is a special trip because of the history Quaker Avenue has with the mission work in Uganda. It’s the founding church who sent the first missionaries here to Mbale to start the work with New Testament Churches of Christ thirty years ago, which is the organization from where all the various ministries have come from (Messiah Theological School, Livingstone International University, Tyler Homeschool Cooperative, Good News Production – Mbale branch), and of course what the work is doing now with disciplemaking and church leader development.

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