Uganda?

At the end of last semester I went to an informational meeting about a missions trip to Uganda this summer (it is for one month). I didn’t think I would really go, but I was interested in finding out more about it. The focus of the trip is, among others, to not only reach out to the Ugandans but also to develop spiritual gifts such as evangelism, teaching, preaching, etc. From what I understand there seems to be a heavy emphasis on evangelism. In the mornings there are seminars or some kind of teaching session, and the participants go out and evangelize most of the afternoon. Anyway, I decided not to go for various reasons, one of them being I felt like I would be spreading my focus too much, and I wanted to make sure that I could graduate. In addition, I could not justify to myself asking for $3500 when it seemed to me I could just as easily minister to people here in the United States.

However, at the beginning of last semester doubt resurfaced, and for several days it was difficult for me to focus on school. I once again decided not to go. One of the reasons is that the person who was recruiting seemed to place undue importance on going to Uganda and I felt like he was being agressive in trying to recruit me.

I have been interested in doing some evangelism with the church that I go to, so I decided to join its evangelism group. It just started and it was evident to me that the people who began it weren’t exactly sure what to do. One of them suggested contacting a certain person who was working for a couple of churches as an evangelist, and it was somebody I knew. I also knew that he had been on this Uganda missions trip several times before, and I suspected that he would try to convince me to go to Uganda. So I got together with him and he did explain to me why he thought it would be good to go to Uganda. He said it was a very good training ground and that the Holy Spirit appears to be moving mightily in that country. He was very nice and he said he was not trying to pressure me, but that his advice was to go to Uganda.

Anyway, this again cast doubt on my decision not to go to Uganda; however, I once again decided that I would prefer to stay here over the summer and work in my church. Part of the reason for this is that I felt like I could not go to Uganda for the right reasons because I felt like I was romanticizing or idealizing both Uganda and the trip.

Today however, I went to an evangelism club meeting, which was just started this semester and is being head up by the same person I had talked to earlier, and towards the end he told a couple of examples of how some Ugandans came to know Christ. When going out to evangelize the participants go in groups of at least two people. One time two of these people came to a Ugandan man and asked if he wanted to hear the gospel. The man responded that he had just been wishing that there were somebody that could tell him about Christ. In another instance, a pair came to a woman and as they were approaching she was filled with joy. She said that the night before she dreamed that two white people were going to come to tell her about Jesus. For the first time I really felt excited about going.

Many times I feel so excited and awed by the grace, love, and power of Christ that I feel like shouting in the streets and proclaiming the gospel, but I feel like I don’t have a good venue. I don’t know why I don’t share Christ with those in my immediate vicinity. I suppose because I am very busy and because I am afraid. Perhaps going to Uganda would be a good way to develop boldness and skill in presenting the gospel. I am just not sure at this point. I asked two of my friends what they thought and they strongly felt that I should go, both because I might not be able to have this kind of opportunity again and because I will have plenty of opportunity to get involved in church later on, when I get settled in graduate school and find a church there.

If I decide to go I need to decide quickly. I would greatly appreciate your prayers regarding this decision, and your advice or suggestions. I think I want to go, but I am just very unsure at this point and confused, too.