Last Easter, 11 people took a bold step of faith that took them across the world for a life-changing week in Uganda.
Among them was now-senior Dalila Krieg.
Krieg, along with five other students, three teachers, a parent, and a friend of the community partnered with Show Mercy International “loving on children, visiting the most vulnerable, postnatal care, encouraging teen moms, planting a key-hole garden, dedicating a water well, tutoring kids, making friendships, encouraging one another, crying with each other, celebrating Easter in a local village, and showing mercy to the ‘least of these,’” said team leader Harry Tom.
It was a profound experience for everyone on the trip, which included two days of travel and five of ministry for Krieg, Sophia Beers, Deanna Cosio, Preston Dang, Andrew Das, Ben Garcia Jr., Amy Martens, Laura Stafford, Tom, Quang Dang, and Jeremiah Newhouse.
Upon her return, Krieg wrote the following reflection about all that God was stirring in her heart:
Africa has always been a place that I have dreamed that I am able to change and impact, but I never dreamed that it could have the impact that it did on me.
Before I went, I felt very burnt out and going through the motions just because I needed to – and everyone else was. Now I realize that going through life without purpose is not a way that I want to live. People who live life with purpose are people who are truly alive. I am supposed to do this. My heart feels so full. I don’t know how to describe it but that my heart is full and that empty space that was there before is not there anymore. I always want to keep it like this.
I know that my relationship with God has grown significantly too. Everything that I do from here on out is truly for him. The lives that these kids lead are not even comparable to mine and yet they seem so much happier than the kids back home. In other ways, though, they also seem sadder. They have seen and experienced things that are traumatic and sad but they are still able to see the positives in certain situations. I admire those kids so much about those kids.
The people there are so incredibly welcoming. I want to bring more community to the village, and I need to figure out how to do that.
Here in America, we have the money and technology to have it all in a sense. But in Uganda they succeed in things that are more important in my mind than technology and money. They have a community, they care for each other, look out for their families. They are real. At home, people can be fake, but the people there are genuine in their situations and struggles and the things that they are going through they don’t pretend to have it all together or have all of the answers they are just there.
Something else that I wanted to take back with me is just presence. Being there can have way more of an impact than you think. The little things impact the people in incredible ways. I love how all of the kids wave at us when we pass them. I am definitely more changed than the people I served but I hope I was able to help plant seeds in people’s hearts about God. I pray that they grow in their faith. Some of the people there had way more faith than I have. They trust God in the simplest of things, and we need to believe that God will provide for us no matter the situation.
God is a good God.
PHOTOS: HARRY TOM