College Station team ministers in Uganda

A six-person missions team from Central Baptist Church in College Station ventured to the AIDS-ravaged country of Uganda late last year to assess needs for future work, with plans to return this summer.

In Uganda, with 31 million people in an area the size of Oregon, medical supplies and educational opportunities are limited, and the needs are great.

“I feel pulled in the direction of helping improve the availability of medical care in Uganda,” said team member Eric Wilke, a physician who has traveled there before, even taking his family on one of the trips.

The team of six traveled there with Wilke, church missions coordinator Kelly Kleinkort, university pastor George Jacobus, and church members Bethany Crutcher, Faith Payne, and Tara Thompson.

Even before they had decided to go on the trip, Wilke, an emergency room physician, said the Holy Spirit had been moving in him to return.

The Ugandan people are not educated on prevention of certain diseases, including the spread of HIV/AIDS, Wilke said. Folklore says Ugandan men may be healed of their disease if they sleep with a virgin. AIDS has killed approximately one million people, and has significantly reduced life expectancy. It has depleted the country’s labor force, reduced agricultural output and food security, and weakened educational and health services. The large number of AIDS-related deaths among young adults has left behind over a million orphaned children.

While living in Phoenix, Wilke became aware of Love Works International and the start of New Hope Primary School and Orphanage through the work of Ugandan pastor Chris Lubega, which has grown in six years from six children to more than 1,000. Upon returning to Texas, Wilke had told Lubega to contact Kleinkort, Central Baptist’s mission coordinator, to see what role Central could play in supporting the ministry there.

“We had arrived at the airport in Entebbe, Uganda at night,” Kleinkort said. “It was just as one might expect a third-world country might be?loud, dirty, unsanitary and crowded,” she said.

Crutcher added, “I was filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation. I was ready to see what work the Lord had for us that week.” Little did she know what an extraordinary impact the people of Uganda would have on her, she recalled.

Each day the orphans would line up for medical treatment, some with extremely painful remedies, but nothing there was taken for granted.

“Children in Uganda are grateful for whatever treatment they receive regardless of any pain they might have to endure. They’re just so brave,” Crutcher said.

Such was the case with one little boy with a large infection in his knee. It started off as a small cut, but due to lack of cleanliness and sterilization of the sore it became infected. In order to help the young boy he had to bear tremendous pain to heal his leg.

“The roles of men, women and children are very different there than here in the United States,” Wilke said, “In Uganda the role of each individual is just seeking basic survival. With there being a dramatic difference in the prosperity of the United States and Uganda, people are the same in a fundamental sense, yet without the extreme noise of American materialism. But it’s funny?without that ‘noise’ many of the Ugandan people seem to have more joy despite having nothing.”

Noting a congregation worshipping in a building with only three walls, Wilke said, “There is a palpable and tangible presence of the Holy Spirit. It is truly amazing.”

Like many African countries, there are many opportunities for gospel ministry and relief work.

“Because of the mandate Christ has put on every believer, we are to go,” Kleinkort said.