Africa; the beginning of a transformation

Posted on October 2nd, 2009 under Uncategorized

Forty thousand feet above the Atlantic Ocean I opened to the first page of a new book, breathed in the smell of the fresh pages, and began to read:

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns

Driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

The hallowed heights of Troy.

I snapped the book shut, too excited to read further, and began to ponder my kinship with this traveler. Just like Odysseus, “the man of twists and turns”, I was setting out on a great journey, a journey that promised to transform me.

As an Honors College student at Eastern University, I have the privilege of spending a semester attending a University outside of the United States. Eager to experience a culture completely different from my own, I chose to study at Uganda Christian University in the heart of Africa. A few weeks ago Africa seemed to be made of only dreams and expectations. Now, a month into this adventure, I can look back and see how this place has started to change me.

The past weeks have been filled with far more new and shocking experiences than I could possibly recount here. But, I’ll do my best to briefly summarize some of the moments that have challenged me the most.

A few days after our arrival in Africa, the group of 43 North American students studying in Uganda was joined by 12 African students as we traveled to Rwanda. We spent the next seven days together learning about the genocide of 1994 that took place in this tiny African nation. Hour by hour we heard personal accounts and saw the physical evidence of the vile atrocities committed within this community. The scenes of brokenness I witness in Rwanda – piles of blood-stained clothing left behind by genocide victims, shelves full of the skulls of those murdered, the testimony of a lonely orphan girl – I will never forget. This nation taught me about the identity of a human being, and the evil that we are each capable of.

Fortunately, the genocide is not the end of Rwanda’s story. In the 15 years since 1994, the process of reconciliation has restored this broken nation. As we traveled throughout Rwanda visiting various communities, we were consistently confronted with evidence of a powerful forgiveness. In one rural church where I had the opportunity to deliver the Sunday message, we saw victims and perpetrators of the genocide worshipping together. Later that week, our bus got stuck on the way to a women’s community home and a group of ex-criminals, re-entering into society by serving community service time, eagerly helped our group. While bitterness remains in the heart of some Rwandans, the country as a whole has become a restored community once again.

The message we learned in Rwanda was complex but powerful. The blood of Rwanda is a stain on the collective conscience of humanity, not just the shortcomings of a few individuals in Africa. But, the reconciliation that has taken place in this community is a powerful testimony to the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

In the weeks since returning to Uganda, a new semester has begun and I’ve slowly become part of the community on campus. Every week is filled with adventure; journeying to Kampala to work with street children, playing pick-up Ultimate Frisbee with a group of Ugandans, learning some traditional African dances and teaching some of my peers to Swing dance. Through my classes I’ve learned a lot about East African society and I have been challenged to view things from a more communal perspective than I’m used to in the individualist Western world. At moments when I’m sitting in a class of hundreds of Ugandan students or singing worship songs with a chorus of African voices, I have started to feel at home here. But, I’m glad that I have a few more months to try to find my place in this community.

At times I’ve felt like a tourist – white water rafting on the Nile, spending a luxurious weekend at Lake Victoria – but I’ve done my best to embrace this place, learning that I am part of a group that has embarked on a pilgrimage. I am not here to bring home exciting stories; I am here to find out how God will use this place to transform me into a disciple of Christ. He has already started that process and I know that He’s not done yet.

This is my own Odyssey; one more facet of my education and one more chapter in my life. I’ll leave you with the benediction that concludes every worship service at Uganda Christian University:

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The love of God,

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Be with you now and forever more. Amen.