Wednesday, June 29th, 2016
Our partnership with the Palm Beach Atlantic University, Gregory School of Pharmacy has been a foundational support in keeping free medical clinics as part of what, and how, Word In Deed Ministries can evangelize to the people of Uganda. Â We are thankful to God for this blessing and pray that as long as these students are willing to serve in Uganda, we will continue to be in partnership with them.
Below is a journal reflection from Mrs. Andrea Mezentsef. Â She has traveled to Uganda 2-years in a row (2015 and 2016) and we are thankful for her heart for missions. Please read so you can get an idea of why we feel mission work is so important, and continues to be one of our core values.
PHR 4512: Pharmacy Missions-Uganda Reflection by Andrea Mezentsef
It was during the first few weeks of pharmacy school that I was first introduced to the Uganda medical mission trip. I recall listening to the students from various mission trips speaking about their experiences and how life changing these experiences were for each of them. For some reason, after learning about all the mission trips, I remember being drawn to Uganda. Similarly to Jonah (from the Bible), I hid in fear. I can recall trying to bargain with God and asking to go to Honduras instead; where I felt I would be more useful. After all, how can a mere first year pharmacy student be useful in Uganda? At least in Honduras I would be able to be utilized as a translator. Looking back now, I can see how wrong I was. I did not need to wait to have more pharmacy-related knowledge in order to go to Uganda. God had already chosen me to go to Uganda and out of fear, I hid.
People often say “everything happens for a reason†but contrary to this belief, I believe in what God’s word says. In Ecclesiastes 3, the Bible says “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heavenâ€. I believe God allowed me to go to Honduras in 2014 in order to begin preparing me for what was to come in Uganda. When the time to sign up for 2015 medical mission trips came, I did not hide in fear.
It was in May of 2015 that God allowed me to serve in Uganda. I felt an immediate connection to the people of Uganda. Seeing the streets of Entebbe and Kampala brought back past memories of a phase when I lived in Brazil. Seeing the villages, the simplicity of the roads containing only its red soil, and seeing both children and adults waving to us as we drove by, made me feel safe, at ease and home. Experiencing the joy, the gratitude the people of Uganda felt for whatever we were able to do for them, and seeing how much faith they had in God, made me grow spiritually. For the first time in my life, I shared my testimony of the hardships I went through after my father passed away. It’s interesting to see, how sometimes we wonder why we have to face certain obstacles or certain situations, when very often the answer is simple and right in front of us. The answer is: God want us to grow! God wants us to be able to connect with His children (here and in other parts of the world). When we read the Bible and learn of the miracles Jesus performed, this makes our faith grow stronger. Sharing one’s testimony, speaking about what God has done in our lives and how he has saved us, also makes the faith of the people of Uganda and our faith grow stronger. God continues being the same God we read of in the Bible. He is a powerful, almighty God and He will forever be. Although God had a purpose to use our 2015 team by evangelizing, serving, and helping the people of Uganda, it was the people of Uganda that God used to awaken a fire in me. God placed an immense amount of love in my heart for Uganda and for its people, and so I had to go back to Uganda in 2016.
Being able to return to Uganda for the second time made me see the people of Uganda in a different light. We, Americans, are often comparing our standards of living to that of other countries. We live in a materialistic nation where we are labeled by what we have and what we do for a living. We often think that the more we have, the richer we are; and this is not necessarily true. I have learned so much from the people of Uganda. I learned that they are happy because they have God in their lives. I have also learned that the people of Uganda are not poor! These people are rich of love, happiness and they are full of the Holy Spirit. They are rich because they have learned to completely rely on God.
Prior to traveling to Uganda, it was recommended for us, students, to read a book called “Kisses from Katieâ€. There was one particular part of the book that really spoke to me. The author of “Kisses from Katieâ€, Katie Davis, wrote about having to return to America from Uganda in order to fulfill a promise she had made to her father of pursuing a college education. While being home, she explains that the biggest culture shock she had experienced since returning home from Uganda was the “huge disconnect†she felt from God. She goes beyond to explain it by saying “I have stepped out of my reliance on God to meet my needs. I “miss†Jesus. He hasn’t disappeared, of course, but I feel so far from Him because my life is actually functioning without Him.†What Katie meant by “functioning†is that if she felt sick, she was able to quickly see a physician or visit her nearest pharmacy, when she needed to go somewhere, she was able to jump in her car and quickly get to her desired destination. From being able to “function†without God, Katie had forgotten what it was like to fully rely on God. Katie had forgotten what it was like to come to God first when facing an illness, when in need of something or when she felt sad. She had also forgotten what it was like to ask God for guidance when feeling lost. Katie had now found herself having to set time aside in the morning to pray, meanwhile in Uganda she explains she was in constant communication with God. In Uganda, Katie may have appeared physically poor but she was completely dependent on God and was spiritually wealthy as she ever was.
After returning from Uganda in 2015, I remember I would often cry whenever I thought of the people of Uganda (especially the children). In my eyes, they did not have what was necessary for them to survive. Now, after returning from Uganda just a few days ago, I find myself smiling whenever I think about Uganda. I smile because I can still hear the sound of the children’s laughter and their singing in my mind, and this sound is more beautiful than any other symphony, concert or orchestra. I smile whenever I think about Uganda because they have taught me what is like to completely be dependent on God. I smile whenever I think about Uganda because thanks to the people of Uganda, my team mates and I have grown spiritually. Similarly to what it’s written in Psalm 96:3, I have declared “his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all people†in Uganda and I have grown spiritually because of it. I can honestly say, I have learned more from the people of Uganda, than they have learned from me.
In addition to having experienced spiritual growth, I feel I have also grown professionally. I was able to work two days with one of the local Ugandan physicians, Dr. Robert, and was able to bring what I learned in pharmacy school for the past three years into real life. Dr. Robert is an intellectual individual who showed expertise in a variety of disease state topics. I enjoyed having him as preceptor for two days, and was able to see he enjoyed having students to teach. Dr. Robert made sure to address the disease state areas of my interest and also made sure to strengthen the disease state areas that I needed reinforcement on. Asides from working with Dr. Robert, I also experienced personal growth by stepping out of my comfort zone. Throughout the duration of time spent in Uganda, Dr. Maarsingh and I were the ones chosen to lead in worship every morning. In the past, I had never been the one to lead any group in worship, so in the beginning I felt a bit uncomfortable. Every morning prior to singing I prayed to God to calm my nerves and for Him to allow me sing and to accept my worship.
Spending ten days in Uganda cannot measure the impact this tiny little country located in East Africa had on me. The Ugandans have taught me what is like to be completely dependent on God and most importantly, they have taught me what love is. The love I feel for the people of Uganda is not just a simple and momentary spark I am experiencing because I have recently returned from Uganda. I felt this way ever since my first visit to Uganda in 2015. The love I feel for the Ugandans is similar to a flame that cannot easily be extinguished and I will continue to feel the same way forever. I will always remember the villages, the red soil, the laughter of the Ugandan children, and most importantly, I will always remember how spiritually rich the people of Uganda are. Just thinking about them warms my heart. I am thankful and content that God has allowed me to serve, to learn and to be blessed by the people of Uganda. I hope and pray, by God’s grace, that I will be able to continue to serve and be blessed by the people of Uganda by returning to Uganda next year.
Posted in Kampala, Newsletters, Short Term Missions, Uganda | Comments Off on PBAU – Gregory School of Pharmacy Returns AGAIN
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Uganda Trip Reflection
My chance adventure to Uganda was made possible by no more than a lucky coincidence, rather than an actual interest in going. After initially being “chosen†to go on the Costa Rica mission trip, which I had no interest in going on, I was casually walking through campus when Dr. Chahine made me an offer that would soon change my life forever. The proposition was to go to Africa to begin my rotation. To say I was uncertain about whether or not to spend time in Africa would be a dire understatement of my actual skepticism. Not only was I unsure if I wanted to expose myself to potentially very sick people, but I was even more weary of whether or not my own health problems would drastically hinder my experience. However, my inhibitions and fears were far outweighed by the excitement I felt and the prospect fulfillment from helping those who need help the most.
The next step was to get the opinions of my doctors and the people closest to me. So I began with my parents, who expressed their doubts, and my doctors were no more promising. So even though that is where many thought my adventure should end before it began, I had a different notion. The very next day I woke up knowing that I would be very disappointed in myself if I let my health issues control my life and steal such great opportunities that were in my grasp. Now that my mind was made up I had almost an entire semester to look forward to the trip. However, my excitement was short lived and quickly turned to fear and second guessing my decisions. I began talking myself out of going to Africa and often tried to manufacture excuses to get out of my obligation. Nonetheless, my fear was overcome by courage and a desire to help those who need help the most.
After returning I realized God has a plan for all of us, and the path laid before us is never perfect but rather a rough one filled with fear and doubt. However, it became clear that the dark curves of my path made the light shine brighter, and the weakness I faced along the trail made me stronger, and showed me the meaning of faith. Similar to Katie’s experience I took a leap of faith by trusting in God and it changed me forever. I was able to draw my inspiration from Katie’s words and experiences by letting go and acknowledging that “Every day, we have a choice. We can stay nestled in our safe comfortable places, as I did when the rat was in my room. We can let fear of something that really is small compared to the greatness of God cripple us. Or we can take a risk, do something to help someone else, make a person smile, change someone’s world. Life to the fullest exists. It’s available. All we have to do is decide to get up and embrace it.†Regardless of the immensity of the decision I always struggle taking the next step because my faith often lacks the strength needed to let go and embrace the world around me. Yet, I took a big leap forward and allowed faith to carry me on an adventure to Africa, and became a stronger person along the way. By choosing to go on this mission trip with the group that was selected I know I made one of the best decisions of my life, so far. Leaving the United States, though still quite nervous, I reflected on how blessed a person I truly am to have such an opportunity, little did I know I would return a much better person. Though my suitcase and wallet were much lighter upon my return, it did not matter. I saw things clearer and the world was put into perspective for me and I came to the realization that money and objects do not bare the weight to happiness. Many Ugandans had close to nothing in belongings compared to many Westerners, but had everything in happiness compared to many people who desperately try to buy their way to happiness.
My experience in Uganda was overwhelmingly magnificent and eye-opening that I cannot wait to return, and I am more than willing to go back next year if given the opportunity to do so. One of my favorite things to do while in Uganda was to sit with Dr. Moses for hours on end where I was able to learn more from him in those couple of days than I could in any classroom. I have never met anyone as passionate and fun to work with in my entire life. My time spent with him and the experiences I had with him opened my eyes to the possibility of maybe one day becoming an MD….but that’s an entirely other story! Another fun and memorable day that I had, was going to the school on Mpunge in the afternoon and being greeted by all the students with singing and dancing; it almost brought tears to my eyes. It was truly an unforgettable day that spanned from seeing the singing and dancing and treating a little boy named Moses who had an open ileostomy and fecal matter coming out of him. Just meeting this child and seeing the picture of him smiling a few days after his surgery was worth the entire trip by itself. This little boy went home with a new “normally†functional intestine which is a great blessing, and I came home with a new brighter outlook towards life in general. In the end I was the one who was truly blessed more than Moses or anyone could ever imagine. It is crazy to think how I went to another country to help others and change their lives and it turned out that the Ugandans helped me far more than I could have helped them, and I was the one who was changed.
When it comes to tangible objects I am way more blessed than most people in Uganda, but I now know that blessings come in different ways and most of the time the tangible goods are often the least important things in life. Children running and playing barefoot in the sun yet smiling and thankful for what God has provided for them. I have returned from Africa a better, stronger, and more mature man, and for that I am eternally grateful. If I could do everything over again I would not change a single moment of the entire trip. The way the trip happened could not have been scripted any better than the way it unfolded. We saw some amazing cases that we are likely to never see again. After coming back and talking to many of the other mission groups there is no doubt in my mind that this trip was the best one as a whole and for me personally to go on. When selecting a mission trip earlier in the year my goal was to go on a trip with my friends, but it was a blessing in disguise that I had the opportunity to go on the trip with the group that we went with. I built relationships that will last a lifetime. The leaders on this trip, Dr. Nornoo and Dr. Sourial, were great because they allowed us to do what we needed in order to get the job done and trusted in the rotation students. This reflection is best summed up with a bible verse which I feel expresses the entirety of this trip, and why I was chosen to go. “For I know the plans I have for you,†declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jer. 29:11.
Emile Abdo
Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Tags: Gregory School of Pharmacy, Kisses from Katie, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Uganda
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on PBAU – Uganda Missions
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Reflection Essay-Uganda 2013
There are some events in your life which redirect the path you choose to take. The first morning upon waking up in our hotel in Uganda a young Ugandan named Gerald explained, very philosophically, what he thought about life to me like this. Your life is like a stream which is meant to flow. Of course there will be pebbles and rocks in the stream. This will deter the flow of the water and create some rapids but afterwards the water continues to flow. We all want to flow freely without any turbulence but when we get to calm waters is when we should take a deep breath and realize what those difficulties in our lives have taught us. Without challenges we would be nothing and the fabric of our lives would be plain. Proverbs 3:5-6 states “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.â€
The preparation for this trip was intense. In addition to all of the other classes in our last academic semester, trying to arrange how we would serve a population none of us have ever seen in a place we have never visited was at times stressful. As a team I believe from the beginning we were very connected. I have been on a couple other medical mission trips but have never had the same level of teamwork and understanding as this group. I also believe this group has been the most spiritually-based of all the groups I’ve travelled with. We pulled all our resources together and between us sixteen people and more than thirty bags we were off and ready to go to Uganda. There was still hesitancy though. What if the bags were taken at customs or didn’t arrive? What would we do then?
Thankfully we all arrived safely and with all of our supplies to Entebbe airport. After that long flight and the inability to sleep for over 24 hours I was still ready to go. If there was a word to describe this trip it would be “thankfulâ€. Thankful to God that my dreams have come true to go to Africa, thankful for the people I was with and those we were blessed to serve, and thankful that everything went better than we could have expected.
After reading Kisses from Katie I think we had an appropriate introduction to much of the culture and what we would expect. There is however a huge contrast between what you can read in a book and what you experience in real life. For example, many people see humanitarian ads on television but become desensitized to it. The book did give our entire group something to focus on and ways in which mzungus are already providing aid in Uganda. Since many of us desire to continue with missions in our own way this book shows us how this can become a possibility.
The following day was our first clinic day. We did not know exactly how this was going to function but I believe we all managed it really well. As we continued through all four clinic days it only became more and more organized, especially with the constant advice and guidance of Dr. Sourial. We were full of energy to experience this new culture and make an actual impact in the lives of these people. I remember during the first mission trip meeting we had Dr. Nornoo had told us that many times we could only place a bandage on these people but it is the spiritual strength that we give them that is the most important and lasting. I would agree. As you go through many of the patients, the ailments could be easily solved. Education and better access to healthcare would solve most of their problems. Although through all the hundreds of people we saw and the fact that most came through with numerous illnesses I would agree with another comment Dr. Nornoo made that they’re not “poor†people. They were not poor in spirit and many times not absolutely poor in material possessions. We in the Western world are the poor people. Matthew 19:24 states, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I also think of the 8 Beatitudes and how blessed these people are.
The main example I would focus on is the boy named Moses. He had a perforated bowel and had not been using a colostomy bag for a month or so due to financial restraints. He could not get surgery to repair his intestines since this would be considered “electiveâ€. This is the same condition my father had a few years ago and I remember how hard it was on him and yet Moses is only a little kid. When we saw him again on the third day of clinic with Dr. Moses (who coincidentally had his namesake), Sam and I knew without any doubt that we would pay for the cost of his treatment. We arranged for him to go to the hospital and you could begin to see relief in his father’s face. I had not seen Moses smile yet and he looked like the life had been taken out of him. When we visited him again in the hospital after he had received surgery he was not awake yet. To make a long story short I ran to five different banks and supermarkets to try and exchange American dollars to Ugandan shillings. This was extremely stressful and unsuccessful. Considering I had to leave the room Moses was staying in because I felt tears about to come, the thought that if we couldn’t pay for his treatment he would possibly be discharged prior to recovering was a lot to handle. While writing this reflection I saw a picture of him on Facebook for the first time in the hospital bed with a huge smile on his face. The operation and recovery had both went great. I am so thankful to God for all of this. That alone was worth the entire trip.Â
Upon leaving in London a few of us sat around discussing the trip and what was to become of our future. Every one of us already had decided that this was only going to be the beginning. We had grown both spiritually and emotionally and have created much stronger relationships. If there is a way to measure the success of a trip I would say it is this: Days after arriving back in the United States we are still talking about what is next and how we can continue this journey of missions in the future.
Chris Schiel, Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University
May 28, 2013
Tags: Gregory School of Pharmacy, Kisses from Katie, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Posted in Kampala, Uganda | Comments Off on PBAU-Gregory School of Pharmacy-Partnership with Word In Deed Ministries
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Uganda Mission Trip Reflection
“An Unforgettable Journey to the Center of God’s Heartâ€
We all expected for this trip to be out of the ordinary; we were going to Africa, this had to be extraordinary. We could never have imagined that Uganda would creep up into our hearts and take hold of us like it did. Perhaps it was the red soil described by Katie Davis in her book, or the huge smile that we were greeted with by our guide Rachel; I knew that this trip would be different from any other I had ever taken before, the moment I left Miami.
We arrived at Entebbe airport after two days of traveling non-stop through the world to reach this corner of God’s creation, all of us tired and dirty. It was amazing how even while exhausted I could appreciate the natural beauty of Uganda. We were reminded to look for inner beauty by Pastor Keffa as we ate a hearty meal at his spacious home located near the hotel we had been placed at. He stressed how the people we were likely to encounter would be dirty, beaten, and weathered by life. I was personally reminded that God could care less what we look or smell like and that I was here with the sole purpose to show God’s love to the people of Uganda. With His words in my head I went to sleep that first night, aware that the days to come would bring new challenges and blessings.
After sleeping comfortably in the modest hotel I was worried how many of the patients we would see each day would go without the things in life we so easily took for granted. Breakfast was always served in the morning by the time we woke up, and even though it was not an amazing breakfast by American standards, it would be considered a feast by any of our patients. Day after day at the clinic I could see the stamp of poverty on the patient’s faces and body. I would wonder how things could be changed for the better for these communities and time after time I came up with the same answer: they need education. In order to be raised from their social status these dirty children I was playing with needed to overcome the illiteracy barrier and finish school. We were unable to provide for them anything more than some medical care and a kind word, but at least it was a start. I was letting God use me as His hands and feet for their immediate medical needs, and for the moment it was enough.
I understand that these trips, like most mission trips, are not able to create radical change unless they are longer and more comprehensive. In the end though, it became more about showing each individual that there are people out there that care enough for their needs that they will travel the world just to see to some of them. Perhaps, and this is always my wish, they saw some of God in each and every single member of the team.
There is one man I will never forget so long as I live. He allowed me to be humbled and blessed me more than what I could have blessed him. At some point in the hustle of the second day of clinic I was changed from Dr. Moses to Dr. Peace and was not very happy about that because in my own will I wanted to stay and learn from the more comprehensive and prepared professional, but as always God has a purpose even in the small things that he does. I sat for some time more than a little irked in the room I was assigned to, and looked out the window from time to time out of sheer impatience. I saw a familiar figure going up the steep steps leading out of the clinic. It was an elderly man I had seen before in the clinic, walking with the aid of two roughly made sticks. I wondered how on Earth he would be able to climb all those steps with no help and I realized that it would not be possible. As he tried unsuccessfully to climb the first step while fumbling with both sticks I waited for someone to help him. At that precise moment I felt a nudge from God asking me why was I waiting for someone else to help him when I had able hands and feet. I don’t even remember what I told Dr. Peace, I just ran out of the room as fast as my feet would take me and hoped it would be culturally OK to hold the man like I did. I took a hold of him from the back and quickly motioned him to move forward with my help, that it was OK now. As we made our way up the steps he started to hum, and at that precise moment I knew that he was content. He was showing me and helping me understand a part of God’s word that was partially hidden from me until then. When God tells us in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!†He meant always. He meant rejoicing in sickness and poverty like the man I was holding. I felt like anything that would ever come my way would be fine in the end because He has called me to rejoice even in the worst times. When the man’s humming subsided and we were still halfway to the level terrain of the road I started singing for him, I don’t know why I did it, I just know that it was what we both needed. As I started singing this man started humming once again, and I am sure we made a peculiar sight: the crippled man and the mzungu girl singing a universal song of praise to God.
This trip signified the true beginning of getting to know myself apart from every other identity I could possibly have. In Uganda I was no longer anyone’s daughter or girlfriend, no longer a student or mzungu: I was living God’s purpose in my life and this made me His. I believe that I was more touched by this trip and the many acts of kindness that I was able to witness and be a part of than any other single event in my whole life. It was in His will for the team to be assembled and to be blessed with the knowledge of the human body so that we could ultimately serve His people. If there is anything else that felt as good as this, I have never experienced it. I hope to be able to continue living in His purpose no matter where he places me, and while Uganda is far away from home, it will always have a place in my heart.
Stephania Almonte
May, 2013
Tags: Kisses from Katie, Medical Missions
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on Palm Beach Atlantic University-Gregory School of Pharmacy
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
This spring and summer, two teams visited existing projects and reached out to communities within the vision of future WID endeavors. First, founder Steve DeMoss travelled solo in April to Kenya and Uganda to visit WID farming initiatives and the rising Ntenjeru vocational school. In July, a seven-member team visited Pastor Edward Kasija at WID’s second home in Kampala, Uganda. The team of lay people and medical personnel visited WID projects and villages nestled around the countryside outside Kampala and Ntenjeru. Included was a trip to Mpunge, where all recent teams have visited to build relationships with the villagers at the site of a proposed new school building in the AIDS-ravaged fishing village near Lake Victoria Inflatable Water Game.
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on Teams add personal touch onsite in East Africa
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
 What did I picture when I heard the word Africa? Before this summer, the answer would have been simple: poverty and death. I did not see past what I saw on the television—I was too selfish to care. I suppose I would call it an American oblivion to anybody but myself. So, I think it came as a shock to both me and my aunt Kristen when, after a year of discussing the possibility of going to Uganda, we were on a plane headed there for a month.We were both completely amazed by the country itself and how different it was. However, we were both more amazed by the generosity and warmth in every beating heart there. People who are considered to have so little would still give their all to make us happy.Kristen and I were going to be working in Covenant Junior School in Kampala. The first day there, we fell in love with the kids. They were so eager for a smile or to be able to touch us. We were just as fascinated with them and how they lived and learned.So, what could we teach these kids? Well, Kristen brought a phonics program (donated by the publisher) to help the kids learn to read. We spent our days teaching the kids from Top Class, P1, and P2 (kindergarten, first and second grade) this program and teaching the kids in P3 and P4 (third and fourth grades) other useful things. It was incredible to see how much the kids liked reading, and how good at it they were when given the chance. However, they are rarely given the opportunity, considering they have very few supplies and almost no books. On the bright side, the teachers continue using the reading program to help the students learn new words and sounds. Now that we have returned home, I believe we would both do anything to see this school prosper.Ironically, we came to teach in Uganda, but were the ones learning life lessons that we will never forget.
From Megan Getz, high school student and WID summer team member |
Posted in Kampala, Uganda | Comments Off on “We were the ones learning life lessons we will never forget.”
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