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“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Why we joined the mission

We had wanted to join the Healing Mission trip for several years, so when our school calendars finally permitted this, we were over the moon. The opportunity to devote ourselves to serve in such a radically different mission field was one that was so exciting, giving itself over to its own unique challenges and new experiences. As medical students, the medical focus of the Healing Mission felt even more pertinent.

Closer to the departure date, our excitement was overlaid by a realisation that we needed to prepare for the trip with a greater sense of responsibility. Being the only two members from Sydney to join the mission trip, we had been bystanders rather than participants in the whirlwind of organisation that had been going on in Korea. Consequently, we had daily prayer meetings in the week leading up to our departure, with the primary goals of preparing our hearts to be willing vessels for God’s purpose, and to be good coworkers with the Korean and local Ugandan mission team members.

What happened during mission

Kampala

We arrived in Entebbe a day earlier than the Korean team, and we were thankful for the warm welcome of the missionaries at Kampala. Missionary Michael Lee toured us around Kampala and we were given a glimpse of the uniqueness and magnificence of the country. Our first evening was spent was at a Korean restaurant, followed by ice cream for dessert at Acacia mall; all in all it was an experience we previously would not have even imagined to be possible in Uganda.

We had the privilege of staying over with Missionaries Livingstone and Grace Kang, where we were served with incredible hospitality (and where we first tasted the legendary Ugandan pineapples - they certainly fulfilled our expectations). The next day, we were toured around Makerere University by Shepherd Jonas, a graduate of the university. A memorable aspect of this tour was the frequent sighting of the enormous Marabou stork, which made Australian fauna look miniscule in comparison. Besides this, Makerere University was in many ways, much like the university campuses in Australia. We also had the opportunity to visit the new site of the proposed UBF centre, where we prayed for the construction project and for the ministry of Makerere UBF.

Busia

The healing mission itself was a four-day long program. We spent two days as members of the village team, the other two days in the hospital team, and we were incredibly thankful for the diverse experiences and opportunities to serve.

As part of the village team, we travelled by bus to Masaba and Busima, which were not far from where we were staying in Busia. The medical component of the village team had pharmacists, doctors practicing internal medicine, traditional Korean medicine, and paediatrics. Their work took place in an extremely hot and poorly ventilated church building, and the doctors had no break, seeing hundreds of patients in a row. Most days, this totalled around 600 patients, though on the last day it was nearly one thousand. Despite how exhausted they must be, they were always the last people to eat lunch, and the first to come and ask us how we were going, and thank us for working hard. It was such a beautiful model of denying themselves and their physical pain to serve.

Although limited in our capacity to provide medical treatment ourselves, we helped out in ways that we could. One of the villages had an extremely high incidence of malaria, so we helped by carrying out malaria tests. In addition, we participated in the culture team, playing with crowds of children with bubbles and balloons as they waited for their parents to receive treatment, as well as taking part in the pantomime and dance items. We educated waiting crowds on HIV/AIDS prevention and water sanitation through a local translator. One of the most rewarding experiences was taking part in the gospel ministry, sharing the message of the love of our Creator God, who saves us from our sins and promises eternal life.

Taking part in the hospital group, which was subdivided into surgical and dental units, was a different experience altogether. Our main role in the dental team was as translators, from Korean to English, facilitating communication between our medical staff, local doctors, nurses and patients. We enjoyed making friends with the local nurses in the hospital, and other members of the Healing mission team.

Our reflections on the mission

The overwhelming feeling from our time in Uganda was that we gave little and received so much. On the first day, as we walked from the bus into the church building used as a makeshift clinic, we were welcomed by the villagers singing and dancing. It felt as though I had done nothing: we had barely walked off the bus, and we weren’t even going to provide the treatment for which they were so grateful. Yet we were welcomed with undeserved grace and joy. It was such a poignant moment, as we were reminded that it was the same undeserved grace Jesus offers us, and how easily I forget what an immense gift it is and take it for granted. The little we were able to give was but a rightful response to the overwhelming grace we receive.

A sense of deep joy and satisfaction really captures how we felt about our time in Uganda. Despite being in a foreign country, we felt very much at home, as the superficial concerns that plague us at home evaporated and we were fully immersed in a sense of mission. It was such a privilege to be able to participate in the Healing Mission, and we will carry our experiences and memories close to our heart as we endeavour to live a mission-centred life in Sydney too.

By Esther Kang (20y) and Rebekah Kang (18y) from Sydney, Australia

Note from publisher:

From February 4th to 7th, the 12th Healing Mission Camp held in Uganda located in the eastern part of the country and facing the border with Kenya, (Busia) region. In this camp, 38 people from the United States, Australia, and Uganda participated in medical ministry and cultural event. The regional hospital and the three districts in the Busia District of whom 2,600 patients were treated.