What is Uganda's greatest need?

Another way that I've asked myself this question is "What do I dream for Uganda?" And I've been tempted to answer it in various forms.

As you walk around this country, you can't help but get overwhelmed by the poverty. Every where you look you see it; you can't escape it. As a result, I dream about a great influx of income into the country. I mean, Hope and I are RICH in this country. Even with some extravagances that we have worked into our budget (like cereal and swimming), we still have a ridiculous amount of discretionary income that we could give to start and maintain schools or support local missionaries, but there's a problem: It's rare to find a man or a woman that you trust enough that you're comfortable and excited about contributing, because dishonesty and deceit are so entrenched in the culture. As a result, we sit on the money we have set aside to invest in the poor of Uganda waiting for an opportunity we not only believe in but especially a man or a woman we trust.

Uganda needs jobs. I've met and chatted with a number of young people, and I'm beginning to see how valuable, precious, and rare jobs are here. So at times, I catch myself dreaming about starting a company and bringing industry to this country which would create a large cache of employment opportunities, but there's a problem: Corruption runs rampant here, so a business would eventually begin lining the pockets of the rich and marginalizing the poor. So even if I had a good idea for a way to create jobs, I would only launch it after I found a man or a woman who could be trusted to direct it toward the dual objectives of profit and community development.

So, here's the conclusion, and it's not a new one for me: Uganda needs laborers, men and women who have been captured by a Living Savior and rewired for Kingdom Work no matter where they are geographically or what they're doing professionally. I love the description of Jesus found in Matthew 9: "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

Even Jesus realized his limitations as the God-man. He went, taught, preached, and healed, but the crowds were still there. He was only making a dent. When He took on flesh, He took on limitations. He couldn't go everywhere. He couldn't teach everyone. He couldn't preach everywhere. He couldn't heal everyone. So after he ministered, there were still needs; the crowds were still there, so he turned to his disciples, both literally, as in stage directions, and figuratively, as his hands and feet, as those who would continue when he was gone. And he challenged them first to look and see. I don't know about you, but my first tendency when I see great need is to pretend that the problem doesn't exist. But Jesus doesn't give them this option, because he lays out the problem\opportunity: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

He calls them to look and see, but his next step is not "Do something." He invites them to ask God to punt out laborers into this harvest field. This is a prayer that Jesus seemed to pray everyday of His earthly ministry. It is a prayer that Jesus seemed to live everyday of His earthly ministry. He traveled from town to town, preaching and healing, but he never went without his men and even his women, those disciples who followed closely and heard the inner workings of his mind and ministry. Jesus spent day after day ministering to present needs as he taught and served, but he also invested in future needs by pouring into these 12 and 70 that he called "apostles" and "disciples".

So what do I dream for Uganda? I dream of laborers, men and women who have been captured by a Living Savior and rewired for Kingdom Work no matter where they are geographically or what they're doing professionally, because this is the hope of Uganda; this is the hope of the world.