Uganda Mission Trip, by Joshua Foo

Thank you so much for your financial and/or prayer support for my trip to Uganda. My expectations for the trip were exceeded far and above, and God did more within and through me than I could ever imagine. Without your support in prayer and intercession I doubt that it would have had so large an impact on my life. If I needed further confirmation that God is calling me to missions in developing nations, I certainly received it through this trip.

Highlights

There are too many highlights to count, but I will share a few of my favourite stories.

The first was an open-air crusade in the slum of Namatala, where I was asked spontaneously to preach. I spoke on the story of Lazarus, and Jesus being the Resurrection and the Life. Afterwards, our team collectively prayed for at least 100+ people, with many receiving Christ, people being healed and delivered, and children being connected to the Bible Clubs that JENGA runs.

A second highlight was meeting my sponsor child and his family, and getting to know him over several days. It was a blessing to see the fruits of JENGA’s ministry in his life – he is an orphan living with extended family, became a Christian (after being raised as a Muslim) through a JENGA Bible Club at the local church, and has become a hard-working and thriving student.

My third highlight is not ministry related, but rather the extended periods of time I was able to spend with God. This was one of the things I was looking forward to the most: living for 6 weeks without first world distractions, and being able to prepare myself spiritually for a season of hectic ministry in 2018. I was able to spend heaps of time in the Word, took up the underrated discipline of memorising chapters of the Bible (Romans 8, John 15, Isaiah 53, Matthew 5), and managed to read 22 books. This was one of the most valuable parts of my experience.

Challenges

After having to leave Schoolies early to fly to Uganda, I did feel a bit of FOMO [fear of missing out] early in the trip. Towards the end, my mind switched to mission mode in Australia, as I started to envision all of God’s plans for ministry this year aligning with mine.

The major challenge for me was existing within a team environment with people at various stages of Christian maturity. God taught me the importance of speaking and acting in grace and love, particularly over less important theological issues.

Changes

This trip was so fruitful in terms of the transformation that God made within me. I now have a clearer picture of my calling (South-East Asia/Pacific Islands) and how I could use my gifts serving long-term.

I have a clearer understanding of God’s voice, and am more confident in speaking prophetically into people’s lives, Christians and non-Christians. This came unexpectedly, but was mainly due to the many opportunities to do so at JENGA, out on the streets, during ministry times, and within our team.

My relationship with Christ has become so much stronger, through my dependence on His grace, provision, and plan for my life. I feel more equipped in my understanding of theology, evangelism, and leadership.

Again, I cannot emphasise how grateful I am for your support. It seems like 6 weeks is hardly enough time to make any lasting impact in any place, but God has shown He can do anything. This letter even seems excessive for such a short trip. But it has had an eternal impact on me. I’m hoping and praying that God will continue to send me to the ends of the Earth.

Love, Josh

Joshua Foo on Facebook – more photos