Never underestimate the impact you can make in the life of another.

March 1, 2013                                       Newsletter #2

Never underestimate the impact you can make in the life of another.

I awoke this morning to the sound of the SOG school bell clanging to call the children in the village to start preparing to come to school and village life all around. The early morning newness & cool breeze is so refreshing –what a wonderful way to start the day. 

In 2000 Jeff & I first came to Uganda. Since that time the teams that have done MANY things: Vacation Bible School, construction, medical clinics, seminars, etc. But those are “programs” which require many “tasks” that we can identify with & check off our list of accomplishments. What we miss so many times is that it is not about the program but about people.

Yesterday I spent some time talking Alyssa. She & Mary, 2 wonderful Godly young women, were young girls when we first came 13 years ago. They are now starting an orphan’s ministry here in Gulu. Alyssa & I talked about what our teams have done over the years & our future work. The thing that struck me the most was her memories of those who came on the first trip in 2000. She shared how the time invested in her by others, if even for a short time, made such an impact on her life and that of the other children. She shared that the programs were great, but it was those small spontaneous interactions that left the greatest mark on her life. People who gave of themselves & spent time with her are treasured memories. She may have only met once or twice, but she continues to pray for them & thank God for the blessing of them on her life.

So….just in case you ever wonder if those spontaneous interactions are worth the interruption in the “program” of your daily life – they are! God’s appointments are always at the right time!

Today we will visit a new ministry here in Gulu then head to Southern Sudan after lunch for a Youth Conference with Far Reaching Ministries. 

As we get ready to load the land rover & hit the road let me share with you an interesting tid bit of trivia….. You can get a pair of broken leather strapped flip flops fixed for 0.13 cents :)

Cindy