Towards the end of July I was privileged to lead a team of immense talent and heart on a “short missions” trip to Uganda. We traveled under the banner of ‘Zest4Kidz’ who operate around the world with a mission to bring light into little lives. It was by coincidence almost all of the team were from St Marks or had strong family ties with the church.

From the get-go the church family supported us with love, encouragement, finances and, perhaps our most coveted prize, they covered us with prayer. It’s easy in the rush of modern life to underestimate the simple and effective power of prayer. However time and time again as we worked on the ground things happened in a seamless way, hearts mysteriously softened, doors unexpectedly opened and situations amazingly changed.

We were to minister to children and teenagers who had been subjected to the vilest evil imaginable, many having been forced to suffering and inflict torture and some even admitting to being forced to murder. Many now find themselves orphaned and outcast and quite quickly you realise that in all their eyes the sadness that is left where ever Satan comes to steal kill and destroy. But have seen that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world . We know that His blood avails for all, and what we learned in great measure is that the grace of God is sufficient.

Often in bleak circumstances Satan whispers in our ear “What difference does it make?” “Why bother there is no hope for these children!” “ Give up you can not restore the lost years!”  So as we ministered in Lira and in Gulu in Northern Uganda we were reminded of the widow’s mite, and the little boy’s loaves and fish lunch and the 5 stones of David. All small and seemingly insignificant but in the hand of God they were mighty blessings.

So we played with and laughed with and sat with and shared with and danced with and left our hearts with our new Ugandan family. Your love traveled the seas with our team and alongside the Ugandan team Ben, Patrick, Stanley, Sam, Joseph and Agnes we brought light into some little lives.

- Robert Carley