When talking about the work that God has called the Kay
family to do in Uganda, I have tried my best to use the pronouns “we,” “us,”
and “our” as much as possible. This is OUR Adventure in Africa, not MINE.
It is Andrea’s, Hannah’s, Rachel’s, and Maggie’s African Adventure as much as
it is Tim’s.
But Tim - you might say - you have been in Uganda for almost
two months now and Andrea and the girls have been in Atlanta. They are only
coming for a month, and you will be there for five months. You are doing all
the work for this “Kingdom venture” in Africa, right? WRONG!!!
Andrea, Hannah, Rachel and Maggie are coming, and they are
coming to participate in the work here, particularly the work of 60 Feet.
But that’s not all – and this is the really important point I want to make here
– Andrea and the girls are participating in the ministry of ABU
and Sixty Feet and Gateway Bible Church in Bwerenga right now in Atlanta.
They have been participating in it for the past two months; they will be for
the next two and a half weeks before they come over, and they will continue to
participate in it when they go back home until I join them there in June.
Here is what I mean: I would not and could not be in
Kampala, Uganda, doing what I am doing, if my amazing wife and three wonderful
daughters were not willing to endure the hardship of my being gone, supporting
and encouraging me through prayers, emails, notes, text messages, Facetime
sessions and phone calls. But there is more, much more. They are there at home
continuing to do ALLLLL the mundane necessities of life, without me to
participate and help. Three birthdays will happen back home in Atlanta while I
am here in Uganda, school continues (homeschooling three girls without Dad
around), the “not un-complicated” social lives of one preteen and two teenagers
continue, bills have to paid, taxes had to be prepared, passports had to be
applied for, plane tickets had to be ordered, the apartment we moved into right
before I left had to be settled into, cars have broken down and had to be
repaired, preparations for a trip for four to Uganda have to happen, and on and
on it goes. So much is going on, and it is going on without me around. My
admiration and appreciation for those four women in my life is HUGE, though they
do not hear me say so enough. And the work that I am doing “on the ground” in
Uganda would never happen without them! Not one bit of it. So any usefulness
God in his grace is giving me in his work here in Uganda is owing to the hard
work of Andrea, Hannah, Rachel, and Maggie.
But there is still more. This whole Adventure in Africa
would never have happened if not for Andrea (hold the comments about the
sovereignty of God, all you reformed theologians out there; I am talking about
the human instrument God used, okay). Sure I have known about the ministry of African
Bible College pretty much all my life. I have appreciated and respected and
prayed for this ministry for many years. But I never said to Andrea, “Hey let’s
go serve God in Africa.” It was Andrea who about two years ago – completely
unbeknownst to me – began quietly, consistently praying that our family would
have an opportunity to go serve Jesus in Africa. Initially, she was not even
really sure why she was praying it, except that the Holy Spirit had laid it on
her heart to do so. And she definitely did not know what it would look like,
and I…I was oblivious to it all. Then along comes Shelly Owens (co-founder of
Sixty Feet). She and Andrea met at a homeschool moms once-a-month
sanity-preserving evening of wine, salad, chocolate, and each other. They hit
it off, and as they talked Shelly began to share about their work in Uganda.
Andrea was intrigued. Then…Andrea received a call one day from Shelly inviting
her to come over to Uganda with a group of women to see and participate in the
ministry of Sixty Feet. We were amazed and recognized this as a partial answer
to Andrea’s prayer that we would have a chance to serve Jesus in Africa. And
away Andrea went last June.
So while Andrea was in Uganda, there was a conversation
about a pastor’s training conference that Sixty Feet was helping to sponsor in
September. Again it was Shelly who said, “Hey, Tim’s a pastor; he should come.”
The next thing I knew I was contacted by Shelly’s husband Dan inviting me to
come. I will be the first to admit, that as excited as I was for Andrea about
her trip and her experience, and as willing as I was to come over myself for a
week or so, I saw nothing more. I had no particular passion or vision for
Africa or Uganda. All of that changed in September when – just like Andrea
experienced in June – my world was turned upside down by what I saw and experienced.
The result is that WE, Andrea and I, are certain that Uganda will always be a part
of our lives and our ministry as a couple and as a family. We do not know what
the details look like beyond June 2013, but this much is clear: a part of OUR
hearts is here in Uganda. And it all started with Andrea’s quiet, persistent
prayers. It continued with the way God shook her up while she was in Uganda and
returned to share with us. It continued still more as God did a number on me in
September. But the clincher was this: as we prayed about it last Fall, Andrea
was the chief encourager of this Adventure in Africa. And so WE decided to accept the invitations
from ABU, Sixty Feet, and Pastor Ernest to “come over and help.”
So WE would not be in Africa were it
not for the spiritual sensitivity and boldness and vision of my incredible,
godly wife, Andrea of whom I am so very proud. Thank you, Andrea!
WE also could not be here if not for the willingness of my
three beautiful girls, Hannah, Rachel, and Maggie, who have endured having
their lives turned upside down with two moves in less than two years, as their
parents sought God’s direction for our future. Thank you H, R, and M! I am so
very proud of you and thrilled to be your Dad.
So…pronouns do make a difference. This is OUR
Adventure in Africa. WE are serving Jesus together
here in Uganda. And WE need YOUR prayers. Do you remember that
long list of all the things going on in my absence? Please pray for Andrea,
Hannah, Rachel, and Maggie as they do all those things without my help and
involvement.
Thanks for reading, praying, and sharing!
Tim
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