UGANDA: Ten Days on Mission
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
BY: STEPHEN ODUM
The air in remote eastern Uganda is alive with rhythm. On Sunday morning at the Village of Eden Church, voices rise in chorus, drums echo through the sanctuary, and children clap and dance as women sing harmonies that carry into the warm air. I had traveled more than 7,000 miles to be here, but in that moment, I felt at home.
I was serving with Moyo Missions on a ten-day trip in Namuwombi, working alongside missionaries at the Village of Eden—a 130-acre community providing hope, safety, and education to hundreds of children. Each day was full and meaningful, each encounter a reminder of the resilience and faith of the Ugandan people.
Traveling through Uganda is an adventure. The roads are filled with color—brightly painted shopfronts line the streets, boda bodas weave in and out of traffic, and women balance baskets of produce on their heads. The countryside around Namuwombi is lush and green, with banana trees and sugarcane fields.
Red clay roads cut through the landscape, turning slick in rain and dusty when dry. Goats and chickens wander freely, and smiling children wave as you pass by.
Of all the moments, visiting Julius stands out. For ten years, my family has sponsored him through Moyo Missions. Once a small boy, at 14, he is now a determined young man with big dreams. We picked him up from school and drove to his home, a mud hut with a thatched roof. Inside, he sleeps on a thin foam mattress on the dirt floor. A pigeon flapped in the corner—he was raising it for food—while chicken eggs waited to hatch. When asked what he wanted to be, his answer was immediate: “A mechanic.” To celebrate our visit, I brought him a soccer ball and gifted his family a goat. His joy was unforgettable.
Uganda taught me this: it doesn’t take much to change a life. A soccer ball, a goat, a bicycle—small things to us, but life-changing gifts for a child like Julius. I returned home with more than memories. I carried perspective and a renewed
commitment to stand with Moyo Missions, the Village of Eden, and the remarkable people of Uganda.
