Our day started with breakfast at 7 a.m. at our hotel. Breakfast included potatoes, omelets, and some other items. Most importantly, though, pineapple. Pineapple in Uganda has got to be the best thing I’ve had here.
As we all ate our food, my best friend, Madison, led our devotional for the morning. Going over Isaiah 40:26, we are reminded that the same God who created every star, placed them in the sky, and knows each one by name is also the God who sees us personally. Powerful enough to hold the universe together, yet loving enough to stay beside us through every trial, never leaving or forgetting us.
After our breakfast, we loaded onto the bus for our first activity of the day – getting a tour of The Master Cares School from our dear friend Solomon. He gave us a tour around each of the different levels/grades of the school, showing us their different classrooms and dormitories for the students. He also showed us the school library, science laboratory (inside, they had a place where they were experimenting on rats, it was quite cool to see), and an art room with different paintings and drawings the students made.
After our tour of the school, we were shown a video about a new farm that the Master Cares Ministry was creating. In the video, they explained the discipleship programs they do there for couples, teaching them the Word of God, and helping them grow their faith while also teaching them farming (agriculture) to sustain themselves and bring their knowledge back home after the program.
Then we were given about a 2-hour break to spend time with the Secondary 1 and 2 students. We split into two groups, and each one of us got to talk to a group of around five or six students. Some of us were discussing different Bible stories with them, like Jonathan. Others, including myself, chatted about hobbies and played games with one another.
The highlight of the day happened for me here. I got to see a student I met the first time I came to Uganda. We had a great time catching up, and it was honestly a special moment for me, considering that out of all the classrooms I could have walked into, it just happened to be the one he was in. Everyone had a great time with the students and was happy to get to see them one last time on Sunday.
Around this time (1 p.m.), we ate the lunch that we packed that morning, hanging around some steps as we got to catch up as a group before loading onto the bus and heading to our next destination: The Master Cares Hospital in Bethlehem.
We also had the opportunity to get a tour here as well by Moses, the head discipler/leader at the hospital. We went through different rooms in the building, such as the male, female, and maternity wards, the lab with different testing equipment, and the operating rooms.
Then they led us to the Pediatric Ward and NICU, where they treat malnourished children for free, really showing us how God has worked through Master Cares, providing such resources and facilities to families who need them, all while discipling them and teaching them the Word of God so that they know the Creator and that He is the one we give all our glory to.
After this, Moses led us out back to the farm they have that feeds the families and children who stay at the hospital and teaches them proper nutrition. At the farm, he showed us the different plants and animals they had, and specifically the newly added mushroom farm!
The tour ended shortly afterward, but we stayed a little longer because Drew, our team leader, had the opportunity to fit a patient with a prosthetic leg. Almost immediately, the patient began learning how to walk with his new leg. It was incredible to witness, seeing a man regain the ability to walk when, less than an hour earlier, he had relied entirely on crutches to get around.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at another Master Cares Ministry partner that sells jewelry and bags that women and girls are learning how to make, giving them the opportunity to support themselves financially while also discipling them to follow Jesus.
It’s amazing to see how many ministries Master Cares is creating in this community.
While we were there, my friends and I met a young boy named Jessie, who was quite talented(and who also happens to have a talented brother who is a lawyer). We had a great time getting to know him and spending time together. His energy and enthusiasm made our visit even more memorable, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. After some of our group had bought items at the jewelry store, we headed back to our hotel and had a break before dinner time. As usual, we debriefed about our day and got ready for tomorrow.
I would say that this was a memorable day for the books. See you all tomorrow!
