How To Be Just Another American Missionary

Lose Your Ability To Have Compassion

So often I see American’s (and others, but focus here is the good ole U.S.A) come in to Africa and really love on the locals. All is well, life is good. Then the “honeymoon” phase begins to wear off. The hardships begin to sink in and moods begin to change. Joy turns to cynicism. Love turns to haughty pride. A perception arises that America is the standard for all things good and holy, and the locals are stupid for not following in line. The missionary believes that the way America does things should be universal, and all non-Western cultures are behind. The locals begin to “deserve” the hand they have received. The second your compassion fades, there your ability to love and sacrifice yourself like Christ also vanishes.

Go Home, And Nothing Changes

You come and experience Africa, see a safari, hug some kids, say Jesus a couple of times then fly back home. Yet nobody sees any heart change. No stories are told (and that is ultimately what many of the people hear want, to be heard). You jump right back into the American Dream and never look back. But that’s ok, because you checked “Visit Africa” off the bucket list. You didn’t have to really sacrifice anything, that is way too radical. However, something in people changed when they witnesses Jesus working in scripture. They could not go back to what they were. They had a new responsibility to do something about the things they saw.

Value Money And Gifts As The Most Important Thing You Bring

From your first step off the plane to your return to the States, your hands are always reaching into your wallet and your mind is constantly hurting from solving problems. Instead of actually helping the community, you begin to enable the locals to not do anything. They can depend on another white man to fill that need. Because that is all you are good for, filling that next need. But the truth is that Jesus is the best gift you have for these people. HE is what they really need, paper and plastic fade fast. You are a missionary, a carrier of the freedom and hope found in Christ, not just another humanitarian worker.

Continue To Believe One Person Can’t Make A Difference

You are fully bought in to the fact that one person cannot make a difference in the world. I mean, you aren’t possibly capable of doing anything significant. Just stay where you are, no need to move. Being a missionary is only for those qualified and super-spiritual. And even if you went, something bad might happen. You know, there is Malaria in Africa! It kills people! Please let calling drive your actions, not consequences.

If you sense a hint of sarcasm/anger/joy, you are correct. I am honestly tired of seeing people come and go, and having to come in and pick up the trash left behind. I am tired of seeing people claim Christ and not be willing to give up some things for Him because it’s uncomfortable. But know I see something happening. There is this generation/group of believers willing to do the hard things to make Jesus known. And man are they ready to go. So, to you reading this, ready to break the mold? I believe in you, God sure as heck believes in you, these people need you, go…

Uganda and the LRA

Invisible Children has made the LRA, The Lord's Resistance Army, and their leader Joseph Kony infamous over the past couple of years. Being the skeptic I am, I approached it all with some praise and some criticism. However, being in Uganda for almost three weeks has changed my perceptions on the entire organization.

For background the LRA began in 1987 under a Ugandan woman named Alice Lakwena. She claimed to have a direct message from God to overthrow the Ugandan government. After a short while Kony took over and began his assault on Uganda. He preached to his soldiers that they should cover their bodies with shea oil and bullets would not harm them, and they would raid villages and grow in number by abducting the children and forcing them to kill their families and then join their army. Over 10,000 children since 1987 have been forced in the army with the majority of them dying.

Kony and the LRA are reportedly in the Central African Republic jungles now and have fled Uganda. But a 20+ year war leaves scars and destruction. The town we are in, Lira, is located in the exact center of the former LRA zone. Everything and everyone here has a past with the LRA, and it hurts to be a part of it. Most of our ministry deals with the kids of the community and the scars are evident. One desk in a local primary school, ages 4-14, has the phrase "I killed..." scratched into the top of the wood. James, a friend of ours, ran from his home village after his father who was in the LRA was murdered for attempting to turn himself in. 500-1,000 kids in Lira live on the streets because the LRA either killed their parents, they were former soldiers, or they are scared to go back home.

And the story closest to my heart is that of a man named Patrick. He works at the place we live and drives us around. He is in his mid-20's. Both of his parents were killed when the LRA raided his village when he was a teenager and he barely escaped. But he lost everything. He now has a wife and one-year old boy named Desmon. He has the biggest servant's heart I have ever encountered and will drop everything to help us out. We took him to a nice cafe in town and treated him to lunch yesterday and just talked. Randomly, I gave him a watch I have had in my backpack for a while and didn't really think  about it much. A teammate asked if he likes watches, he responded with "This is my first one. It is nice!" and proceeded to thank me 43 times during lunch. Talk about an emotional moment. While laying in my hammock at our home I watched him walk by admiring his new watch with the biggest smile on his face. He has yet to take it off. Humbled doesn't do the situation justice.

All this to say, the LRA's destruction is still felt around here. We hear LRA being whispered about everywhere we go. It is still a sore subject. But, we are seeing hope spring up from the ground. People are picking themselves back up and moving on. Kids who have done things I can't imagine are being rehabilitated and re-entered back into society. And we are getting to see it first hand! God is pouring out  His love on these people and they have so much faith! They constantly dance around and sing songs of thanks to the Lord. So beautiful.

Continue to pray for Patrick, James, and the rest of Northern Uganda. God has not forgotten them
Ben Moore

Entering Uganda

Hey guys! Wanted to fill everyone in on my first few days in Uganda. Here we go:

Our plane touched down at the Entebbe airport at 11 pm last Thursday night, and following some logistical confusion, made it to the capital city of Kampala by way of bus. We stayed two nights in the city at hostel called The Pacify Bar and Hostel. A great place. I got to ride on a boda-boda, or motorcycle, around the entire city and see the different sights. Very cool! Witnessed our team praying over a girl that they had just led to Christ, another cool moment. We played with the locals in the streets, teaching them the wonderful art of Ultimate Frisbee. Had a meeting with a man named Onesmus who runs all ministry in Eastern Africa. What a wise man he was. The city was great, lots of movement and beauty.

From there we began to make our next journey. We woke up at 6 am and took a 7 hour bus ride into northern Uganda. The north is known for its involvement with the LRA, the Lord's Resistance Army, a group of rebels that terrorized the area for years killing women and men while abducting children to serve in the army. So I was interested on seeing the area. We passed over the Nile River, the longest river in the world. That was great to see, as well as all the baboons that were hanging around it.

Finally, we arrived in Lira where we would be for the next two months. The town seems very similar to the places I stayed in Kenya. We quickly found out that we would have the option to get plugged in to many different ministries. HIV/AIDS care, child development, farming, water sanitation, prison ministry, medical work at the hospitals, and working with street kids. I am looking forward to helping with the prison ministry and the street kids. Both have been heavily influenced by the rebel LRA group and are close to my heart. These kids have no where to stay at night and many have been forced to kill and rape. So many sad stories in the area. But, I'm looking forward to new hope spring up and see restoration take over! We also got to love on 200 poor or orphaned kids for 8 hours yesterday and it makes your heart jump to put a smile on their face.

Overall, we are excited. I am excited to lead this group into the unknown. Having fun and enjoying every second. Praise God.

and he's off!

This is Ben's sister, Molly. I made this blog for sweet Ben so that he could keep us all up to date with the wonderful things he will be doing in Lira, Uganda! He is currently in Toccoa, Georgia with his team for some training before they begin their long journey to Lira tomorrow afternoon! Please pray for safe travels for his team and him! 

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GO BEN!!