Hi everyone! My name is David Geigerman, it’s nice to know you! I am starting my blog off with a little about me and my life, but I really want to talk about Africa. I had a great trip to Uganda last month with a medical mission team, which really showed me the blessings God has given me and the great reward of serving and loving others.
I am 26 and I live in Atlanta, GA, which is actually where I was born. I lived in North Carolina during high school and college, when I went to UNC-Chapel Hill. I studied at the business school my last two years, and got involved with a good church and campus ministry through Every Nation. I also enjoyed performing in musical theater productions on campus; I got to write, cast, and direct a segment of a musical revue one semester, which was fun but quite a bit of work. I have worked at SunTrust Bank in Atlanta for almost three years now at different branches, and it’s been a good experience for me.
I first wanted to go to Africa last year, when I met Pastor Elijah from Uganda at church. That desire grew stronger over the year, as I gave time to supporting his ministry, Hands of Love Orphanages and Schools, which now sustains over 500 orphans and gives them a real future. I’m sponsoring Charles, a great young boy at the orphanage. (By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about sponsoring an orphan, I’d love to talk with you. )
So I started looking for trips to go to Uganda for this summer. Amazingly, my friend Scott from UNC was leading a trip to go and serve a clinic in rural Uganda this summer! I really wrestled with the thought of really GOING, for a MONTH. It was a big step for me to trust God that it could work out, and to ask people for help. And God was so faithful to provide. First, I got an incredible amount of time off of work, way more than the vacation days I had remaining. Then, I started making calls to ask for financial help with the trip, and people were excited for me, and actually gave money! I am so thankful for everyone who made this trip possible for me. So I really got to GO, praise God!
I flew to Washington, DC and met the rest of our 12 person mission team. Each person was different, and had great gifts and talents to share with people in Uganda. We spent time that night organizing the medical supply donations we had received, over 500 pounds’ worth. We flew out the next morning, June 26th, on Ethiopian Airlines. After a very long flight (17 hours) some really good conversations with my teammates, and dozing in and out, we reached Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The leaders who had founded the clinic met us outside, and I also met with Pastor Elijah and Charles, the boy I am sponsoring. We then drove and reached the Agule Community Health Center, our home for the next 30 days, that night.
During our time in Uganda, I feel that we accomplished much more than we had hoped. I spent almost all of my time in and around the Agule Community Health Center (near the town of Pallisa). Here are some of the major achievements of our trip, and some of my personal projects that went really well:
We helped put up brick, rafters and iron sheets to finish the roof of a new 35-bed ward for mothers and children. Our team also shoveled dirt till it hurt to level out the floor for cementing, which should now be completely done. All this took place in less than three weeks. The donations that our friends and families gave went a long way in finishing this building, and because of extra donations that came in, we should be able to totally furnish it with beds and other supplies. This will be a great addition to the clinic and allow them to take care of many more patients, most of whom could not reach help anywhere else in case of emergency due to the distance of the nearest hospital.
I took it as my first project to clean and organize the medical supply storage room. I also measured for and helped install four large shelves, labeled drawers, and created an easier to use inventory system for the clinic. This project may have helped save somebody’s life—supplies are now easier to find and the doctors and nurses can get what they need fast. That storage room was hot and a little stuffy, with no A/C anywhere to be found. I stuck with it, because I wanted to make it better for everyone. I also wasn’t really ready to learn how to stick people with needles, so this was a good way for me to help in the clinic without doing that.
With the help of friends from my team and many great kids, we built four soccer goals for the children to enjoy. The kids would come by the dozens every afternoon to play with us, and it was gratifying to see them have such a good time playing with the goals. The children in this place craved our love and attention, and I had a great time with them. They literally ran to us to shake our hands, and to get swung around by their arms, and get piggyback rides. Many of them were suffering from malnutrition and had swollen stomachs. They were really good kids– they even helped me to saw, nail, paint the varnish, and put nets on the goals. Two of the goals will be donated to a primary school in the area, and two will stay at the clinic. It was great to see this get accomplished after planning, and improvising, and somehow making it work, so that on the last full day we were there we were able to finish the four soccer goals.
I spent alot of time with patients in the clinic who were waiting to be seen by the doctors. They were glad to talk with me and taught me words and phrases in their language, Ateso. I learned enough to squeak by and understand the gist of conversations. I got to pray with some of the patients for their healing, saying “Kiserereng Edeke” (may God bless you). Praying with people and encouraging them was important to me. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have to provide for a large family, lacking food, living in a mud hut, and still needing to get medical care for yourself or loved ones who are sick. That was the situation for many of the people coming to the clinic, and yet, they were smiling at us, and earnestly telling us “Yoga swam” or “well done” for the work we were doing. It was just really gratifying and humbling to know that we were used by the Lord to help these wonderful people.
Going to Uganda showed me how much I have to be thankful for here in the US, and how I can serve other people in need. But it also showed me that I can’t and should not feel responsible for saving the world and solving everyone’s problems. I feel this burden to help the poor, but the need is so great that I can’t bear it all. I have to lay it at my Father’s feet and pray for him to lift these people up, provide for them, and make a way for them to experience the abundant life of Jesus. God is faithful and good, even when things get tough. I know that for sure now. I am so glad that I got to take this mission trip. Thanks for reading this and have a wonderful day!
-David
