Good day from Uganda!

I arrived Tuesday night (Tuesday afternoon mountain time) and had a relatively uneventful few days of travel. Airports were empty and planes were not full. While waiting in Amsterdam I was advised I would be required to self quarantine when I arrived in Uganda. Beverly assured me there was a place I could do this on the compound. As I landed in Uganda the government had just changed from self quarantine to government quarantine. I was given the option to leave the country on the flight I just got off or to self quarantine, at my own expense, at the place they choose. God sent me here to serve so I agreed to be quarantined. I was taken to a hotel that Beverly is familiar with and I felt good about the quarantine. I was even able to serve those other travelers around me in Jesus’ name.

Then I failed. Let me explain.

I was told the minister of health would come talk with us Wednesday morning. I got up and went down to hear him speak. He did not show so I returned to my room. I was then called to come down for lunch and I went down. I ate in the dining room, said hello to the few people I had waited around with for hours the night before, we even talked about setting up a card game. We did not shake hands or sit close to each other. Then I noticed a few new faces. More quarantined people. Interesting. I went back to my room. Then I saw another bus load of new faces arrive about 3am.

I did not think and I went down to breakfast Thursday morning, sat alone, and then returned to my room. There were many many new faces this day. Mid morning I heard a bunch of people talking outside and saw a meeting happening in the courtyard. I thought well, I guess the minister has come and I went to the meeting. It was not the minister again, but someone from the airport to hear our complaints. Which people had many (I took a few live videos on my Facebook page if you want to see a meeting).

Here is where I am wrong. I agreed to self quarantine and then I didn’t do it. I understand quarantine to mean going somewhere and secluding myself for 14 days. I do not want to get Ugandans sick. I understand their governments concern for their people. I want to comply and be respectful. I knew from the news that I should only be around 10 people or less, and not to be physically very close to them. As I stay here there are more and more people coming and going so I am choosing to literally quarantine myself in the room. I apologize to Ugandans for not taking this route sooner. Despite what those around me are doing, I need to do what the government asked of me to gain entry into their country. I do not think I am sick but that is what quarantine is for and I apologize I did not fully comply promptly. There have been errors on all sides and I am extending grace to the government, the hotel and its workers, other travelers, and the Ugandan people and am asking for your grace in return for my failures. I am taking steps to do my part, to do better.

I wanted to tell you about God moving during this time. As you know, we have been working towards moving to Norway so we can serve Norwegians. When I prayed for the next step to get there and God told me to go to Uganda for the summer I thought it was crazy. But our God is a genius, he really is, and I obeyed. On the last leg of my flight God put a man from Norway next to me. Chuma, from Bergen, the city of rain 😂 Hi Chuma! The flight went by so quickly we were landing before we knew it. Enjoyed learning more about Norwegians and making a friend who lives there. Chuma is married with three children under 5, and his wife is 6 months pregnant right now. They are hoping for a girl so they can have two of each. He enjoys singing and is in a reggae band. He was visiting his family in Rwanda and thought it wiser to get home to his family before the virus shut things down. Which he did, he is safely at home with his family now. We even talked about how God moved the whole world so we could sit next to each other on that flight. 💚

Prayer requests

• I could love and serve people from quarantine

• Beverly’s furlough rescheduling and ministry fundraising

• thankful for God providing more connections in Norway

• Chuma, his family, and the baby on the way

• Quarantined people around the world

• Thankful for internet so I can stay connected to everyone