To begin what will hopefully become a more regular occurrence, I would like to give God the Father all the glory for everything that I write and communicate. He is the author of my life I am merely a vessel for the continued growth of His kingdom here on earth.
From the beginning of this opportunity it was made quite clear to me that there would be no possible way I could do this myself. The realization has only been reenforced in the month or so I've been here! When people say "it's small world," they are often referring to similarities that span the globe. While that sentiment holds true in some aspects here, in other's the 10,000 mile gap between Uganda and where I've spent the last 24 years of my life is very evident! With that said let me start at the beginning, hopefully I can catch you all up to speed.
On March 22, 2010 I received a phone call from a good friend informing me that there was a teaching position which needed to be filled at New Hope Academy, New Hope Uganda. At first the excitement was almost overwhelming! I had been seeking direction in my life and this seemed like an opportunity God was giving me to not only serve Him but stretch and challenge myself in a whole new way. After receiving more information, praying, and seeking counsel my feelings were reaffirmed and I applied. Within days the Lord answered, not only through the offering of the position, but also by providing a ticket on the same day!
Following my acceptance things began to happen very quickly! I had only a short period of two months to prepare for a six month commitment. Once again the Lord provided, through prayer and generous gifts from friends and family everything came together and I flew out on May 28th, 2010. Again the Lord blessed me throughout the trip by providing little things like seats with good leg room and overall safety.
After roughly 20 hours of flight time I touched down in Uganda at 7:45 a.m. July 1st. With the struggles of preparation and travel behind me the real challenge was only beginning! Arriving a week into the current school term I was very anxious to get into the classroom and hopefully avoid playing catchup with them. My first day began with me trying to wade through a pile of tests, papers, notes, books, and various other forms of teaching materials, not exactly what I had in mind! The education system I walked into shared few similarities with the one I spent 17 years in back home. Thus began the real challenge, one which I will continue to struggle with until my time here is finished.
Thankfully the Lord has continued to give me daily guidance and things are beginning to become more natural. The children here are amazing and God is doing wonderful things in their lives through New Hope. Unfortunately, teenagers are teenagers no matter what continent you're on so that in itself brings with it a certain number of daily challenges that need to be overcome. In my time here I have seen the Lord do amazing things in and around me and I know that is because of your prayers! I would like to ask that you all pray for continued guidance as I work to teach the students about agriculture and God's plan for them. Also please continue to pray for my health. There are so many things here my body has never encountered before and it's only by God's grace that I've been able to avoid any form of illness.
Hopefully this post has helped answer some questions about what I'm doing and how I'm doing. I will definitely try to keep updating on a consistent basis so I don't have to cover so much time in one post! Thank you all for your prayers and support! I miss home and everyone there but time is going quickly and I will be back before you know it. I'm praying for you all!
God Bless,
Andrew
