On August 30, a team of 15 people set off for Uganda. Since I had been to Uganda several times before, I already knew what to expect: a warm-hearted openness and kindness that is rarely found in Germany, and people who are incredibly grateful for the support they receive from Germany.
Traveling to Uganda feels like entering an entirely different world — the everyday stress of life in Germany is quickly forgotten and far away.
After a long journey, we were warmly welcomed by a group of children with traditional drums and singing. The men in our group surveyed the grounds and the upcoming work and got started right away.
Since it was school holiday time in Uganda, there were lots of children on site. We spent a lot of time with them, playing, crafting, and singing together. We also told them stories from the Bible, prayed with them, and encouraged them. The radiant eyes of the children, so grateful that someone was spending time with them, are unforgettable. The children’s program in the village was especially beautiful. Together with the children from our home, we walked through the village and gathered every child we met along the way. On a large field, we told the children about God’s love and sang with them. In this way, we were able to bring joy not only to the children in our home but also to the children in the village. The home visits to some of the poorest families in the village were particularly emotional.
Through joint effort, our team accomplished truly great work, and we returned home with many new and moving impressions. Seeing the deep poverty in which these people live and how grateful they were for our help in the form of food packages was very touching. Our construction team worked with great dedication and energy over the two weeks and was able to fully complete the shell construction of the dining hall and kitchen. They even spent the day of departure welding the roof structure.
