Stained Red

I sit here completely exhausted. For the last 3 days we have been camping in the village building mud huts for an elderly woman and the pastor of the church the organization is building. We woke up every morning to a rooster, and other farm animals that wonder around the open field we camp in. To make the mud huts, we have to first make mud which requires lugging water in jerry cans a half mile from a spring. The next step is to pour the water in the red dirt and stomp around. We had about 4 people stomping, me included. You then have to get the mud out and slap it again the older mud walls. Hard work. To say I am sore is an understatement. To get back to the house after the 3 days was amazing. To take a luke warm shower with the water pressure of a lightrain was amazing. The village really makes you realize what you have. My hands and feet are stained red despite the shower and harsh scrubbing. I am stained red from the red dirt of Uganda, but also stained red by the blood of Christ. Fortunately, the blood of Christ will never wear off whereas eventually Uganda will come off my skin.

Every time I go on mission trips or am raising money for a mission trip, people praise me for the work I am doing and am going to do. How much courage I have, etc. But I hate that. We as Christians are all called to be missionaries. Some just ignore the calling, and I shouldn't be praised because I listen. I am only aware of how small I am, and how HUGE my God is, that draws me to follow Him. Do you realize how BIG He is? If we all really believed what we believed, where would God lead you?

Lauren