Yet Another New Experience

I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog lately; I suppose I haven’t been sure what to write about. Things here in Uganda are good but feel pretty ‘ordinary’ if that is possible. It may also be that I’ve been a bit lazy when it comes to taking the time to sit down and write something that anybody would want to read.

However, as I was emailing a friend I got an idea of something I want to share. Our church has challenged us with a weeklong fast and it starts today. At first I loved the idea and didn’t seem to think about how hard it will be. Then, I remembered the one other time I fasted. It was only for one day and I spent the entire workday thinking of how hungry I was. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the point. But as I got to talking to a few friends the other day about why they fast and how they actually fast for 7 days without dying, I began to think about it a bit more. My friends said they fast for a 12 or 16-hour period during the day and eat one meal at night. Then they shared Isaiah 58 with me about why we fast, and it began to make more sense. As we talked about how different people fast, whether it is one meal and two snacks, liquids only, nothing at all, I wanted to go back to the reason of the fast because the purpose is certainly not to starve ourselves. Isaiah 58 is amazing and I love what it has to say. The entire chapter is good but a few verses stuck out to me:

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness [a] will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Tomorrow is the first day of the fast and I have decided to only take water or tea during the day and then eat one meal at night when I get home from work. I think most of the people here don’t take any water during the day but I’m terrified of getting a bladder inflection (sorry if that was too much information) and am pretty sure dehydration is the cause (but of course I may have made that up).

I am going to journal about my experience and try to update my blog each day about the fast. I decided to pick one thing to focus on each day to help me stay on track because I can get distracted all too easily. For tomorrow I have decided to focus on my role in Uganda and how I can serve God more.

It is going to be quite the experience but one I am looking forward to in a weird way. I excited for the time I will get to spend with God. I am confident that I will learn something from this, and I think it will be more than how much I love food. Being in Uganda is amazing but extremely difficult at times and I feel like 7 days of committed time with God is going to be a wonderful thing for me.

Stay tuned for more updates.