Uganda Transformation Trip
When one goes on an Aglow Transformation trip, faith and trust must be two components of the trip that go with each one. Constant prayer is the other constant friend. You can ask any of the team of seven who joined together to reach as many as possible in Uganda, a country with many needs.
Fran Hallgren, Transformation Team Leader from Alaska, said, “We all arrived with our luggage except for Steve. We know that God works all things for good to those who love Him, but it won’t always look that way in the beginning. Because Steve’s bag didn’t arrive, he was delayed at the airport because of filling out lost bag paperwork. While we waited, the driver of the van who came to pick us up asked if he could go get a spare tire.”
It was a seven-hour drive to arrive at the accommodations for the night, and even though many trucks caused traffic jams, the team arrived safely around midnight, where they had a nice dinner before bed.
Knowing they had to be up for breakfast, communion, and devotions by 8 am, the team quickly went to bed. After their time together with the Lord the next morning, the team, along with seven from Uganda, set out for the remote village of Karajoja – a 10-hour drive with no AC in the van! With the windows down for air, some places in the road were muddy and had huge crevices in other places, causing travel to be at a very slow pace. Once, when the van became stuck in the mud, everyone climbed out so the men could push until they were free to move down the road. It wasn’t too far before the driver noticed the van driving funny, and sure enough, a tire was flat! Thank God that Steve’s luggage was late, so the driver had time to pick up a spare tire!
Even though there were 14 people in the van and the journey was long, it was well worth it as God moved mightily through the speakers at the Aglow training. After the first three speakers shared, lunch was not ready, so one of the men on the trip, Kevin, spoke about Men of Issachar. The men who were in attendance were so touched, and many of the pastors said that this was a highlight for them.
Still, lunch was not ready, so the team began to worship again, followed by a leadership message. That session ended with an altar call, and almost everyone in the room was ministered to. God is so faithful!
Fran said, “When the food was ready, we were really hungry. The roasted potatoes, braised cabbage, beans and rice, matoki – steamed, mashed plantains, and stew were really received!”
After rest and food, the team loaded back on the van and drove a couple of hours out in the bush, where a nomadic tribe was.
Fran said, “There was no venue, no chairs, and only one mic and one speaker. We estimated there were nearly 2000 people, including babies! There was so much need. There was no way to make prayer lines, so we just turned around and prayed for whoever we could. I felt like the Lord showed me that He knew we couldn’t pray for everyone, so He sent the blessings rippling all the way to the back of the crowd. We gave testimonies, and at one point, Janet Mangum climbed on top of the van so people in the back could see and hopefully hear. Many hands raised to receive Jesus.”
No matter what, God is faithful to touch those who have not heard of Him. Wherever His Word is spoken, life comes forth. Many blessings to this team who sacrificed their time and funds to go and give out what God has deposited in them. If you would like to join a Transformation trip, watch for upcoming trips to be announced.
After a full day, the team headed back to the hotel to go over the next day’s schedule. They were also blessed that at the home of one of the Aglow women, two people received the Lord! God is faithful to not leave one person without an encounter with Him.