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Live By the Spirit – Keep in Step With the Spirit

Key Verses: Galatians 5:25: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Mark 6:37a: “But he answered, 'You give them something to eat.' ”

I thank God for his supervision during this year's journey to Uganda that took place from June 17-27, 2016. Once again, this time was really different from the other trips in the past years. In 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 our small European team participated in the Healing Mission Camp sponsored by the coworkers from Kwangju III that took place around the Korean New Year. In this way, we had assignments in Nebbi in northwest Uganda (2010), on Bovuma Island (2012) and twice in Kapchorwa in the mountains along the border to Kenya (2013+2014). Last year it turned out that because of the Ebola epidemic no Healing Mission Camp was planned. Thus our field assignment that was made of a purely European team consisted of just a few operations in the operating room in Bethesda Medical Center (BMC). I was not particularly satisfied with the last assignment in different aspects, especially because we could not serve needy Africans. So, I began to pray for God's direction, whether I should continue with this kind of service at all and, if so, in what way and with what goal it should be carried out.

At first, I assumed that we would be a part of the Healing Mission Camp from Kwangju UBF this year. However, God led this matter differently. After some back and forth because of the the presidential elections in February which always present potential unrest, it was determined that, although a small Korean team would go to Uganda in February, we were not welcome at that point in time. I arranged another date in June with M. Luke Lim but did not know how to deal with this news spiritually. I prayed that a team of four or five people would come together once again and invited everyone personally whom I could think of. Yet, time went by and nothing happened. Except for Krystian, I could find no other participants. When we studied a special lesson on the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, I accepted the verse in Galatians, „Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.“ The Holy Spirit wants to lead our life of faith and bring forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit within us. Our duty is to accept his leading in our everyday lives and let God work in our lives through that. In this way we live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. This verse helped me to view the preparations for the trip from the spiritual perspective. I did not feel neglected or poorly treated anymore instead had the firm conviction that I was following God's best plan and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I stopped praying for winning more travel companions by any means and began to pray to be able to accept the Holy Spirit's leading. I received the new prayer topic that God would be honored through this trip instead of everything going according to human plan. I also received the prayer topic that we would pass on God's love to the inhabitants of Bovuma Island and that Krystian would come to know Jesus more deeply through this trip. Medically and organizationally this journey was a huge challenge for me. The assignment was to take place on Bovuma Island, the second largest island belonging to Uganda in Lake Victoria. On the island, there is neither running water nor electricity. The health center in Bukali was renovated with UBF offerings and was extended through a new annex and had electricity through solar cells and a generator and a large water tank. However, inside the rooms were practically empty. There was neither an OR- lamp nor an OR-table nor equipment for sterilizing and certainly no anesthesia equipment. There were absolutely no instruments or maintenance products. We had to prepare each medication, each ampule local anesthesia, each single pill. I only knew that we should reckon with with 20 or 30 patients but did not know what kind of diseases or operations we had to deal with. In spite of this, in Germany I did not even know how much ibuprofen a hernia patient needed.

Shortly before the trip, M. Luke Lim drew my attention to the fact that there was no budget for this assignment in Uganda and that we should consider how the costs could be covered. He suggested that we share the costs with the coworkers in Uganda. When I prayed for this question, God gave me his word from Mark 6:37a, „But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” I decided not to burden the coworkers in Uganda with the costs but to carry them out in Germany. By our departure enough donations had come in to cover all expenses.

On June 17, 2016 Krystian and I flew with around 60kg of luggage to Uganda and landed on June 18, 2016 in Entebbe. There, we were picked up by a new missionary, Michael Lee. He has been in Kampala since September of last year but was not sent by UBF. He is in his late 30's and an IT specialist with a specialty for network security. After his father's death of a stroke, he not only had the desire to follow Jesus but to go to Africa as a missionary according to God's calling. M. Samuel Yoo's daughter, whom he came to know through his work, introduced him to M. Luke Lim and after a few short visits came to Uganda last year for good. He prays to be able to work on the Makerere University long term but must improve his English skills. He was to accompany us on our assignment on the island and offer practical support since he had a few months of practical OR experience with the plastic surgeon Dr. Koo.

After we rested from the strenuous flight, we attended the Sunday worship at Makerere UBF that was in the basement of the Bethesda Medical Center. They are praying that Makerere UBF can buy a piece of land near the campus and have their own center. They had just begun Mark's gospel Bible study on that Sunday and we heard the message from Shepherd Albert. As in Cologne, there are several native shepherds who take turns serving the message. After praying for a long time, the leadership for Makerere UBF went from M. Luke Lim to Livingstone Kang and then to Shep. Steven Sebbale. The other UBF center in Kampala, Kyambogo UBF, is in the meantime led by Shep. Julius Ecuru. UBF Makerere is praying that each fellowship can reach out to one college in Kampala. They also are praying for the pioneering of Rwanda. There are a few disciples of Jesus there who are growing in faith, but right now there is no missionary. M. David (originally from China) takes up the 12 hour bus ride once a month to support them spiritually through Bible study. A medical missionary is to be sent out to the capital Kigali so that there is a possibility to conduct a medical assignment in Rwanda.

Since our trip was in the summer break, many coworkers were not in Kampala. In spite of that I was still very happy to meet old acquaintances again. June is the coolest month in Uganda which meant that the weather for us Europeans is very pleasant: Sunday was partly cloudy, a short rain shower here and there, a cool wind and not too hot.

On Sunday afternoon we packed the materials and equipment for the assignment. Besides Michael Lee, Leonard, a coworker at BMC, an anesthesiologist, and M. Luke Lim came along. It became quickly evident that it was impossible to transport people and equipment with the ambulance so that a minivan also had to be taken. We started out at 4:30 am on Monday in order to catch the ferry at 7:30 over to the island. We arrived on time without a traffic jam; there were no cars and also no ferry! We learned that the ferry had been defect for a month which had not been made known around Kampala. In Uganda such a repair can take months. That meant for us that we had no possibility to get our vehicle and all the equipment to the island. Looking back, I believe this was the work of the Holy Spirit. In this situation M.Luke Lim had an idea how to overcome the problem; we should go by boat, examine the patients and plan the OP's and then bring the patients to Kampala in order to operate on them at the BMC. At first, it did not seem to be a good idea to me since the BMC is not a hospital where we could house a great number of patients. However, in retrospect, this did help us and the patients a great deal. M. Luke Lim hired a speed boat from the police that not only got us on the island within an hour but took us directly to the right place. Along the way, he reported that 50 patients had been screened. In the end, only 20 patients were there so that all who came could be examined. Among them were 18 who needed an operation. One of them got cold feet immediately and did not want to be operated on. From the others we took five from the list on the boat and drove back to the mainland in the evening. They had a huge carton with them in which they had four live chickens – that was their payment and thanks for the possibility to be able to have an operation. The chickens landed one after the other in the cooking pot the following days. I felt like Joseph in the Old Testament who managed the famine in Egypt by not just rationing out grain free of charge but demanded a return service and thereby hindered the people from becoming like welfare beggars.

In the following four days, 16 operations could be performed on 13 patients. Except for Leonard and Michael Lee, we had support from the anesthesiologist Moses Othin and Priscilla and Azoli, two colleagues at BMC. Among the patients, there were several who had other medical problems and needed to be seen by an internist before they could receive anesthesia. The blood pressure of one was much too high but could be brought down through medication, one woman had a heart valve failure so that we could operate on her only under careful precautionary measures. An older woman's blood pressure was still too high at the end of the week, so we could not operate, instead she had to receive more medication. All the patients received HIV screening which in one case was positive. The patient did not know up to that time that he was HIV positive. We operated on him with some additional precautionary measures, and, with God's help, none of the coworkers were harmed during this or any other operation.

After the operation, the patients spent the night in the basement of the BMC and then brought to low-priced accommodations in Kampala where they could stay longer until they were fit to take on the return trip home. Although the basement of the BMC is not especially comfortable, the patients felt so well off so that some of them wanted rather to remain there. Not all of the patients were Christians, some were also Muslim. Without exception, everyone was very thankful for the treatment, and I pray that they could experience God's love and care personally. One patient even sang out loud on the OR-table and thanked God. Lastly, I am very thankful, that God led our trip with his Holy Spirit so that we could treat the patients effectively and in a secure environment. Early complications did not occur. The patients are to be treated by a nurse at the health center in Bukali after their return to Bovuma Island. I asked M.Luke Lim to check if any problems would come up. All the operations were either hernias or umbilical hernias or diaphragmatic hernias. Once again I noticed that the pelvic anatomy of the Africans differs greatly from that of the Europeans. I had to adjust my operation strategy accordingly. That meant that the plastic net used as a standard here in Europe for hernias does not have enough room in an African.

On Saturday Krystian and I had the chance to visit the Uganda Museum and get an impression of the history and culture of Uganda. On Sunday we heard a message from  Shep. Steven Sebbale on Mark 1:16-39 with the title: That is why I have come. Before the worship service, there is 45 minute of worship, during which there is a lot of clapping and dancing. The message was very long (50 minutes), but with many lively examples so that one could listen well. At the end of the worship, newcomers had the chance to introduce themselves. We also had the chance to share our thanksgiving topics. After Sunday worship, we left for the airport where a team of eye doctors were to be picked up on the same day. So that the return flight would not be so strenuous, we had a layover in Dubai for one night and could take the time to tour the Arabic-Muslim environment for a few hours.

In summary, I would like to thank God for answering our prayers in a special way. He led us with his Holy Spirit according to his wisdom and for the best of the people entrusted to us. His name was honored and glorified. Needy people experienced his love personally. We could cowork well with the coworkers in Uganda in one heart. I have learned a great deal and had many chances to pass on knowledge and skills. I could find out the prayer topics of the coworkers in Uganda and they will pray for us here in Cologne to reach out to the students with God's word.

One Word: Let us live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit daily.