(Shhhhh.... between you and I, I lifted some material from my last post here. What can I say? I was writing it at midnight:30 and was SOOOO tired! Yes- lazybumitis! :))
From Carissa Drauss
We’ve been home for one week now…. Ask me if “real life” has hit me yet? Ok… no. It hasn’t. Frankly I hope that it never does. God did such an amazing work in my heart and life…. I hope it never fades away. I fear that being back and being surrounded by “stuff” will drown out the Voice that I heard so clearly when I was in Uganda.
This past weekend at church, I noticed that I now have beautiful footage in my heart and mind to go along with worship. For example, when I read in Psalm “He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth,” I noticed that I now have visions of Deborah – a beautiful Ugandan woman who had gangrene so bad that her leg may need to be amputated- but I’m told that she had her arms lifted to the Lord! Presumably she was praising Him because she trusted Him and He sent our nurses! She worshiped and praised Him despite the fact that she was in tremendous pain and staring death right in the face. Deborah is a true testament and example of what we are supposed to be.
There were so many stories like this- so many beautiful people. People who trusted and loved the Lord simply- purely- with a genuine love. A humble love. I pray that I will not only experience that kind of love here in the US, but that I may continue to be a vessel for Jesus’ love here. I pray that I don’t get mired in the stuff of “self” or frozen in fear or concerned with what people think. I am often so worried about what people think! I can’t be like that anymore. I am God’s! I must submit and surrender completely to Him so that He can use me – so that He can help me BE the love.
It was so cool to be able to feel Jesus giving me His soft eyes filled with love to look at these people with! Also, I had never shared the Gospel or my testimony or walked with anyone as they accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior – but I was so blessed to have had that opportunity on this trip! It was so wonderful to feel connected to the Source and Sustainer and to be used by Him in that capacity!
Also – I have a quick note about our team – our God-breathed RVM Uganda Team! If you’ve read in 1 Corinthians 12 about everyone in the church having different parts – different rolls to fill – well, that was definitely the case here. God put together a team that truly complimented one another. Individual strengths were shared and woven into the fabric of our team’s shared heart. It was another miracle. God just poured His blessings out on us all!
I am so grateful for this experience! I am grateful to God first and then to the Via Family, and to Godfrey & Joy Wanamitsa & Arise Africa for their leadership and the hard work they invested in making this life-altering trip a reality! THANK YOU ALL – leaders, team members, supporters and of course, the Ugandan people – for your passion for and faithfulness in spreading the Good News!!! He is risen!!!
God Be Praised!
Carissa Drauss
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