Go to Uganda: Fear and Faith? Part 2
(Continued from Part 1)
So, we know we are supposed to go to the ends of the earth and for us, this means, Uganda.
But, why go now? Why take the risk?
This trip has been planned for nearly a year. And, we believe, that God knew ahead of time that there would be this uncertainty around us - Ebola, ISIS, and so on. Yet, His call did not waver. In fact, many if not all of the team members can relate consistent experiences which confirmed God's direction and provision to go.
Still, given all that is swirling around us, is it unwise?
Let's consider the facts. The media seem to be in full speculation mode. This was heavy before we left (Oct. 3) and probably worse now. The facts, as I understand them, are:
a) It is NOT easy to get Ebola. To contract it, one must have contact with bodily fluids - blood, stool, saliva, vomit, and urine. It was never in our mission plan to have contact with such fluids and, given the circumstances, we have been extra cautious regarding keeping our hands consistently clean with soap or hand sanitizer or both.
b) Africa is a very, very big continent. Therefore, the West Africa Ebola outbreak is far away from Uganda - some 2500-3000 miles distant. As a comparison, East Canton is closer to an outbreak in Dallas than Uganda is to West Africa. What I suggested to those who didn't understand the scope of the continent is this: not going to Uganda because of the West Africa outbreak is like not going to Ohio because of what is happening in California (actually California is closer). There's a lot of space between here and there.
c) After arriving here, we learned of a Marburg virus discovery (another Hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola) in Uganda. This is unrelated to the West Africa outbreak and, from what the local media reports, has at this point been contained. This recent Marburg virus discovery has produced one death in a country of 35 million people. And, we did not travel in the area affected.
d) Uganda has already put in place health screening at the Entebbe Airport where we had to fill out a health survey (looking for symptoms, and recent countries visited, etc.) and have our temperature taken. Compared to recent reports out of Dallas, Uganda seems to take this disease seriously.
Okay, but what about the decision?
We relied upon three credible sources of advice/wisdom as we approached
our time away: the CDC, the State Department, and our missionaries in
country. The CDC and State Department advised caution, but none of the
three advised against coming to Uganda. Our missionaries are still a bit
amazed at all the fuss surrounding the media exposure of this disease.
Equatorial countries in Africa, including Uganda, have dealt with
Ebola-like viruses off-and-on since they were discovered in the 60's.
Uganda has typically handled this sort of thing well in the past -
enough that they recently sent resources to West Africa to help contain the
outbreak there.
(Moreover, even while we are here, the US Embassy knows of our location and communicates to us when important news needs to be delivered. Still, we have received no news from them recommending that we should leave prematurely.)
While the approval of the overall trip was a leadership decision, each team member could always make their own decision whether they would go as individuals. It was clear that this trip, started in planning nearly a year ago, wasn't etched in stone. While we could have canceled it based in part on the wisdom of the credible sources above, each team member could decide not to go - and that would have been okay. However, after spending nearly two weeks here, I asked each of the team - 8 of them - what advice they would offer someone making a decision for a trip like this. The unanimous reply was: yes, please come to Uganda.
With all that said, this was NOT an easy decision - as a group or as individuals. I had my share of sleeplessness and spent plenty of time on my knees in prayer. Ultimately, after considering all the information offered by these sources of wisdom, I had to lay this before the Lord and ask: what is driving the decision? I felt that God's call last year for us to go hadn't changed and, ultimately, He would have to change the decision or protect us. Because we return home tomorrow, the trip is not yet over. I'm praying for a good/safe trip back and a God-glorifying re-entry into the community. I have warned the team that fear from others may come out in unexpected ways to which we'll have to respond with Christ's love.
So, at this point, based on the information at hand - including faith in the systems around us on this trip, if we would not have gone to Uganda, it would have been because of fear. And, we would have missed out on so many opportunities to grow in faith while blessing the very ones who He called us to serve.
I can say that the team is healthy - maybe a little tired, but healthy. And, we accomplished the mission God gave us and then some. The villages we visited were encouraged - that they're not alone, that there is hope in the Lord, and He has encouraged them through a bunch of folks from Northeast Ohio, who before were strangers, but now are members of family.
Their family and His family.
But, why go now? Why take the risk?
This trip has been planned for nearly a year. And, we believe, that God knew ahead of time that there would be this uncertainty around us - Ebola, ISIS, and so on. Yet, His call did not waver. In fact, many if not all of the team members can relate consistent experiences which confirmed God's direction and provision to go.
Still, given all that is swirling around us, is it unwise?
Let's consider the facts. The media seem to be in full speculation mode. This was heavy before we left (Oct. 3) and probably worse now. The facts, as I understand them, are:
a) It is NOT easy to get Ebola. To contract it, one must have contact with bodily fluids - blood, stool, saliva, vomit, and urine. It was never in our mission plan to have contact with such fluids and, given the circumstances, we have been extra cautious regarding keeping our hands consistently clean with soap or hand sanitizer or both.
b) Africa is a very, very big continent. Therefore, the West Africa Ebola outbreak is far away from Uganda - some 2500-3000 miles distant. As a comparison, East Canton is closer to an outbreak in Dallas than Uganda is to West Africa. What I suggested to those who didn't understand the scope of the continent is this: not going to Uganda because of the West Africa outbreak is like not going to Ohio because of what is happening in California (actually California is closer). There's a lot of space between here and there.
c) After arriving here, we learned of a Marburg virus discovery (another Hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola) in Uganda. This is unrelated to the West Africa outbreak and, from what the local media reports, has at this point been contained. This recent Marburg virus discovery has produced one death in a country of 35 million people. And, we did not travel in the area affected.
d) Uganda has already put in place health screening at the Entebbe Airport where we had to fill out a health survey (looking for symptoms, and recent countries visited, etc.) and have our temperature taken. Compared to recent reports out of Dallas, Uganda seems to take this disease seriously.
Okay, but what about the decision?
We relied upon three credible sources of advice/wisdom as we approached
our time away: the CDC, the State Department, and our missionaries in
country. The CDC and State Department advised caution, but none of the
three advised against coming to Uganda. Our missionaries are still a bit
amazed at all the fuss surrounding the media exposure of this disease.
Equatorial countries in Africa, including Uganda, have dealt with
Ebola-like viruses off-and-on since they were discovered in the 60's.
Uganda has typically handled this sort of thing well in the past -
enough that they recently sent resources to West Africa to help contain the
outbreak there.(Moreover, even while we are here, the US Embassy knows of our location and communicates to us when important news needs to be delivered. Still, we have received no news from them recommending that we should leave prematurely.)
While the approval of the overall trip was a leadership decision, each team member could always make their own decision whether they would go as individuals. It was clear that this trip, started in planning nearly a year ago, wasn't etched in stone. While we could have canceled it based in part on the wisdom of the credible sources above, each team member could decide not to go - and that would have been okay. However, after spending nearly two weeks here, I asked each of the team - 8 of them - what advice they would offer someone making a decision for a trip like this. The unanimous reply was: yes, please come to Uganda.
With all that said, this was NOT an easy decision - as a group or as individuals. I had my share of sleeplessness and spent plenty of time on my knees in prayer. Ultimately, after considering all the information offered by these sources of wisdom, I had to lay this before the Lord and ask: what is driving the decision? I felt that God's call last year for us to go hadn't changed and, ultimately, He would have to change the decision or protect us. Because we return home tomorrow, the trip is not yet over. I'm praying for a good/safe trip back and a God-glorifying re-entry into the community. I have warned the team that fear from others may come out in unexpected ways to which we'll have to respond with Christ's love.
So, at this point, based on the information at hand - including faith in the systems around us on this trip, if we would not have gone to Uganda, it would have been because of fear. And, we would have missed out on so many opportunities to grow in faith while blessing the very ones who He called us to serve.
I can say that the team is healthy - maybe a little tired, but healthy. And, we accomplished the mission God gave us and then some. The villages we visited were encouraged - that they're not alone, that there is hope in the Lord, and He has encouraged them through a bunch of folks from Northeast Ohio, who before were strangers, but now are members of family.
Their family and His family.
...the safest place to be is in the middle of His will. - Unknown.
Comments