KAMONKOLI, UGANDA

Being my first mission trip, yet alone my first trip to Africa, I had no
idea what to expect as our van pulled into Kamonkoli village in
Uganda. A mixture of anxiety and excitement in tow, Kamonkoli greeted
us with open arms as we pulled up to what would be our home for the
next week. The next seven days were filled with so many eye opening
experiences and realizations that it is near impossible to recount
them all, and I would hardly do them justice in terms of the gravity of
impact they made on my life.

One experience that certainly sticks out in my mind is leading the
men’s Bible study at the local community church. The lesson I had
chosen was a short message on the be-attitudes, and never having used a
translator before, I was a bit nervous opening up that morning. Just
to break the ice a little bit I shared my personal testimony and
asked them to do the same. Little did I know what I was about to
hear. Hands shot up all around the room full of men of all ages eager
to share their stories.

Growing up in a strict Muslim household, one
man told us about how his father had disowned him and threw him out of
his house as a teenager after telling his father he was converting to
Christianity. Another man told us about growing up in a home that was
heavily into witchcraft and the ongoing persecution he has faced from
that community after he came to Christ. One after another, the
stories went on like this. Even more amazing was the fact that
despite all that these men had gone through in their lives, despite their
poverty and the adversity all around them, they were some of the most
upbeat and positive people I had ever met. Despite my attempts to
share a few words of insight into the Biblical text, at the end of the
day it was they who were the ones doing the teaching!

From the men of that special Bible study to the line of children who
waited outside their huts to run and hold my hand each morning as we
walked down the village road toward the worksite, the smiling faces
and warm embraces of the people of Kamonkoli will always hold a
special place in my heart.
Pat Wilson