I’m in my last couple of days in Uganda before moving on to the next place on my current trip. I’m leaving with a lot to think about and a lot to “digest”. I didn’t know the Ugandans were as spiritually hungry as they are. Actually, a number of my preconceived ideas turned out to be inaccurate.

Maybe it’s like the story of the poor man on the road to Jericho that Jesus talked about and how the Good Samaritan stopped to help him. For those of us who’ve dedicated our lives to the Lord, we of all people are compelled to help those in need. But in this case, rather surprisingly, the biggest need I’ve seen is for those who can labor to fill the immense spiritual vacuum that exists here.

My first week in Uganda I spoke to a Sunday fellowship held by my friends, to show one of the videos I’ve done on chapters in the book of Daniel and then to answer questions afterwards. It was the questions afterwards from ones here that surprised me the most. They were deep, knowledgeable, sincere and with a tinge of desperation and searching in the way they were asked. I really don’t find that so very often in my travels.

Here is a picture of me and Hassan. He was at the fellowship in Kampala where I shared my video on the book of Daniel, chapter 7 and then answered questions about the future according to the Bible’s view.

Hassan comes from an Islamic background but received Jesus about 2 years ago. He came up to me after the class with some very deep questions about salvation, is it eternal, can we lose it and what about people who’ve never heard about the Lord. His dad is Ugandan, his mother from the Congo and he came here, fleeing violent civil unrest in the Congo, a very large country to the west of Uganda. We had quite a talk which is not unusual here as so many have deep and sincere questions concerning Bible truths.

And from what I have heard from friends, this really is how it is in this country: a pervading hunger for spiritual training, particularly in the ways of the Lord and in the Word of the Lord. But you might wonder, “Yes, Mark, but how was the country? Did you see a lot of starvation, people dying of AIDS, child soldiers and overall depravation? Did you see lions, elephants and gorillas?” The answer would be no to all of those.

Well I did see monkeys when my friends and I one day visited the source of the Nile River near Jinja, to the east of Kampala. I’ll share a picture from that, right at the point where Lake Victoria pours in to the beginning of the Nile which then flows 4,250 miles to the Mediterranean Sea. I’m standing on a tiny island where that sign is. To the right is Lake Victoria and to the left is the beginning of the Nile River.

Uganda may have a reputation left over from over 30 years ago of a nation racked by AIDS. That’s now the distant past. It’s actually doing pretty good within the context of central and east Africa and I did notice the stability and economic growth that is going on. But also I noticed the tranquility of the people. In being here two weeks, I can’t remember one moment when I saw anyone anywhere fighting or even arguing with each other. I certainly cannot say that of a number of countries I’ve been in in the past but I won’t mention names here.

A little like how it was when I was in Northern Ireland last year, there is a very strong element of Christianity in Uganda that has soaked into the fiber of the country and knowing and loving the Lord is close to the norm. I don’t know if it would be right to say it’s a missionary’s paradise. But I’ve been thinking how, if there is anyone reading this post who’s looking to the Lord about a place of Christian service on the mission field, I can certainly “send back a good report” from Uganda. If you’re into really getting deep and real with people through the Spirit of God, this may be what you’re looking for.

And I met an exceptionally inspired group of young people here who not only come from my hometown, Austin, Texas, but one of them goes to the church I go to. And her mom is in the Sunday school class I go to. Funny things do happen when you are serving the Lord, no? The group of 6, all in their late teens to early 20’s, have been going all over Uganda, speaking to rallys and large groups of Christian youth, calling out their generation to take up the call of discipleship and greater Christian commitment.

I‘m leaving Uganda with a couple of major projects started in the way of books and DVDs and I look forward to keeping in contact with my friends here and the work they are doing.