An energetic high school teacher by profession and first-time street evangelist, Scott brought a profound perspective on the dynamics of the Entebbe GO Trip.
“Our team had a real mix of young people, older people, and middle-aged people. We had someone who was 78 years old, and then we also had a 21-year-old as well. This was really one of the strengths of our group—each person brought something a little bit different. What I loved about this trip was that we partnered with local churches. That’s one of the things that sold me about this trip to begin with—working with organizations on the ground. I think that’s so critical to missions. I really didn’t know what to expect, I hadn’t done street evangelism before. But I found it so impactful to be able to share that God has a purpose for people. For us in the West, it’s really easy for us to say ‘God is good,’ because we have stuff. Travelling to Uganda reminded me that God is good not because of the stuff that I have, the things I get to do, or the privileges I’ve been blessed with. God is good because of the gospel that He gives us—because of Jesus. That’s an internal message we can communicate. It doesn’t matter about your race or riches, God is always good. The gospel is inclusive! We may not always be able to offer people money; we can’t just go and buy people new houses all the time. But what we can offer is hope.
One day, we stopped and talked with a couple of young men who couldn’t have been more than 17 or 18. They were working at a little store, selling all sorts of things. Three or four of their friends came over and we began telling them about Jesus. What happened afterwards was amazing. My local partner, Grace, walked away and since I felt a connection with these guys, I kept talking with them. At one point, the boys said, "pray we can find a way to go to Canada." I responded jovially, "Why do you want to come to Canada!? It’s minus 30º below zero right now!" They laughed and said, "Life seems better in your country; there’s no hope for us here." I joked again, “Yeah, Canada is a great place; it’s not always freezing cold!" Then I sincerely expressed, “But Uganda needs good men like you guys. If all the good people leave, who would bring change to the country? I believe you have a purpose here, to serve and lead your country." It was impactful to communicate the message that God has a purpose for everyone, right where they are.”
—Scott (Paraphrased)
