Let us encourage one another daily.

We’re just a bunch of twenty-somethings living out our lives in Africa.

While that’s not entirely true because there’s a lot more to it than just that, sometimes I do look at the team of missionaries I live, work, and breathe with and smile.

We’re young, we’re single, and we live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Over the 6 months that I’ve lived in Uganda, I’ve been extremely blessed by the relationships of my teammates. So far I’ve made nothing but generalizations about my team, so let me clarify that not all of us are in our twenties, and not all of us are single. But most of us are.

For those of us that are, we love having a good laugh together and giving our team leaders, the Skinners, something to worry about.

So, in honor of our youth, singleness, and humor we had a little Valentine’s Day date. The gentlemen from our team picked us up, and treated us girls to a night out.

Some of the gang...

This Valentine’s Day date was one of a couple of experiences I’ve had among young singles here in Uganda that has struck me with the seemingly normalness of it all. On this evening date, we went out for dinner at Agip (one of Mbarara’s two finest dining experiences…) and then indulged in conversation as we kicked back and listened to the sounds of a live Ugandan jazz band, which included the American drummer who happened to be one of our very own team members, Harrison.

Then, this last weekend I went camping with one of the local church’s university groups. Not knowing what to expect, I was somewhat apprehensive about going. I pictured myself truly roughing it in the African bush. However, it was just another experience that proved to me people are people no matter where you are in the world.

As I socialized and fellowshipped with the university students at this retreat-like weekend, I couldn’t help but note the familiarity of the environment to that of a retreat with university students in the states. The bus ride to our location included rowdy college boys standing up on the bus and making jokes. Loud Christian rap from artists such as Lecrae and Trip Lee blared from the bus speakers allowing me to save my ipod battery. The young men and women both stayed up late engaging in smaller cliques of intimate discussions and large group entertainment. As the weekend went on, I was shocked to notice that I was the one taking the fewest pictures. I had also left my laptop at home thinking it would be silly to bring it; however, much to my surprise I spotted more than one student with a computer over the weekend and undoubtedly checking facebook.

The weekend retreat’s focus was Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It was a call to the future leaders of Uganda to spread the gospel.

It was a call to all of us and especially to me. A call that reminded me to share the good news that a Savior came and died for the sin that makes us worthy of death. To share that it’s about the redeeming love, the grace, of God that saves me, not the tallies of good versus evil on my score sheet. To share that I’m not good enough, never will be good enough, and yet I’m saved for all eternity.

It was a call reminding me of the passion I have for Christ that led me to accept the invitation to come to Uganda in the first place. It was a reminder of the passion I have for seeing the gospel shared, for seeing seeds planted, for seeing transformation in the lives of people, for seeing the glory of God be displayed in my life.

As I sat there listening to the speakers, listening to the students, listening to the voice of God in my heart, I just kept thinking, Yes. This is why we’re here.

There are eight of us young, singles living here. Friends, who allow me to be a part of their lives, who allow me to share in laughter with them and challenge me by the way they live for the advancement of the gospel. There’s a family of four who love me, mentor me, befriend me, and let me intrude on their everyday living. We’re a team. And, regardless of where we are at in our lives or what part of our lives we’ve left in other continents, we are here today. Maybe not because of the same reasons, but definitely for the same purpose.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28: 18-20

Ability doesn’t have anything to do with it. My personal agenda doesn’t have anything to do with it. And, where I’m at in life, what might be better for me to be doing with time doesn’t have anything to do with it.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Wherever I’m at, whatever I’m doing, whoever I’m with, I pray that is a truth in my life.