Friday, October 8, 2010

What Courage Looks Like

Moses’ first live performance

Tomorrow - October 9 - is Independence Day in Uganda. Moses, aka “Mr. Man,” will be performing a song for President Museveni during tomorrow’s celebrations. It’s a dream come true. 

Several weeks ago before I arrived back in Uganda, Moses and his wife were diagnosed with HIV. You may remember Moses from an earlier post. We became buddies back in the Spring when I started instructing him in CrossFit (see pic below). 

Moses confided his fears to me as soon as I arrived back in early September. It was a blow to me for several reasons. One, Moses is a good man with a good heart. His passion for life is unmissable. I love him because he is an underdog, persistently chasing his dreams of becoming a country music star. And two, because HIV/AIDS has been a social fixture for my generation, yet I’ve never experienced the viciousness of the virus up close and personal before. 

After he broke the news to me, I committed to giving Moses hope for the duration of my stay in Uganda. In the end, I am ashamed to admit that it was he who gave me hope. To many, this terrible virus is accepted as a death sentence - dreams smashed and families broken. But Moses hasn’t wallowed in his plight. In the 30 days I have been in Uganda, Moses performed his first live show, recorded and released his debut album under the stage name “Mr Man,” and is now playing in front of the president of Uganda and thousands of others on independence day. What a stud. 

Having a tough day? Feeling sorry for yourself? Think of Moses. Moses IS courage. This guy is chasing his dreams while fighting for his life. God Bless him. 


I thank God for the people and experiences he has injected into my life.  

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Consequences of Free Will

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of security."

The unknown is often frightening. I have many sleepless nights pondering the path of my feet. When I was first presented the opportunity to work in Uganda, I couldn’t even locate it on a map. My assignment was to empower people to fulfill their dreams. That’s it.

So, I’m to travel across the world to a mysterious continent to team with total strangers from a culture that is mind shatteringly different than my own? Was this a joke? Leave a city I’ve fallen in love with, leave my new friends, depart away from my family, put my personal ambitions of serving my country on hold? Yeah, now you got me really laughing.

This was one of those fork in the road type moments. Fortunately, God gave me free will. It’s my free will to live comfortably, cleanly, even complacently, but I know that I’m also free to get my hands dirty, to live extraordinarily, to live for something bigger than myself. When my back is up against a wall, I tend to fight. So, when I was faced with a life altering opportunity, the decision was easy. I have no right to judge anyone’s free will. It is just my personal belief that God gives favor to people who challenge themselves, who take risks steeped in trust and faith. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

The consequences of faith and freewill...

dreams become reality...




families are united...

new friends are made...

baby Light, an orphan, was left in a trash bin. she is now healthy...

presidential candidates show up at your church!