Jinja Mission Team - Busoga Churches of Christ

This is Meagan’s first extended overseas mission experience. Her recognition of America’s self-absorbed society has Meagan looking forward to experiencing a new culture and anticipating how God will shape her through her time spent in Uganda. Meagan grew up in Round Rock, Texas – home of Emily Bogle! She has heard many things about Uganda through Round Rock Church of Christ, who supports the Bogles and is valuable to this work in Jinja.  This is what motivated her to participate in the internship. Meagan graduated from Abilene Christian University as a business management major and has aspirations of owning a successful business one day. Meagan is surrounded by many significant friends, her boyfriend Daniel and her encouraging family – all of whom continue to shape who she is becoming.

A desire to enter full time mission work drew Zech Schewe back to Uganda after his first visit three years ago.  Zech grew up in Berkley, Michigan as one of five children and now attends Rochester College as a Christian Ministry major.   He counts among his varied interests mountain biking, fishing, soccer, and hockey.  We’d like to see him explain ice hockey to Africans living on the equator!  He might try though since he considers personal challenges an important part of his spiritual development and something that attracts him to serve God in a foreign mission field.  During the next six weeks, Zech hopes to immerse himself in the lives of Ugandans and the world of missionaries so that he can be shaped, more fully, into a  person prepared to witness to God’s Kingdom - wherever he ends up.

Katy approaches this internship with, not only a desire for full time missions, but a commitment to a team that is forming and discerning together God’s direction for them as they prepare for 8-10 years in either Uganda or Tanzania. She and her fiancé Adam Hacias, also an intern, will be married this August and will remain in Michigan.  Katy to begin her Masters of Divinity this fall while Adam begins teaching math at Rochester High School. Katy’s mother is a nurse which is part of her inspiration for becoming a missionary. Her commitment to missions is also motivated by her faith and her interest in the sociology of developing countries. As she envisions her future as a missionary in Africa, Katy’s positive spirit, ability to laugh at herself, and her willingness to engage new people and conversations will no doubt well equip her!

Adam Hacias hails from Michigan, the oldest of three brothers (all self-described sports junkies) and a recent graduate of Rochester College, where he studied secondary education.  Adam is sharing this mission experience wtih his fiance, Katy Allison, who has significantly influenced his faith.  Adam and Katy share a dream of moving to Africa as full time missionaries with two other young families from RC. Adam is drawn to mission words by Jesus words, “whoever will lose his life for me will find it.”  Through this experience Adam hope to find God using him and shaping him while he engages a culture so radically different than his own.

Even though Shalmar is excited to participate in a foreign mission work, meeting new people and learning about a new culture, her missional hope is to join God’s redemptive work in Detroit, Michigan with her roommate. Shalmar’s desire to love this city through word and deed is rooted in her faith which has grown out of her mother’s example of pursing closeness with God. Shalmar is a Social Work major at Rochester College who loves to read, write, watch movies and spend time with her friends. Shalmar learned about this internship through a friend who had previously experienced it. Though hesitant to anticipate the ways in which God will shape her through this mission experience, her time in Uganda will no doubt offer new perspectives on missions and mover her closer toward her future hope.
 

Stephen is our wooly-faced wanderer from Texas who recently concluded one semester-long adventure in Australia to begin another in Africa.  Stephen’s life has revolved around Abilene Christian University where both his parents teach chemistry and he studies accounting and environmental science.  But the world is his home and he harbors hopes to set foot on every continent!  Stephen is a perpetual learner who soaks up life through books, conversations, and experiences, and is ready and willing to incorporate new insights into his faith.

It is a delight to have yet another sibling from the Shields family on internship! Alyse is the youngest of five children –her brother, Chris, and her sister, Sierra, participated in prior internships. Alyse hopes this experience in Africa matures her mentally and spiritually as she gets to know the Basoga people and their way of life. And through this maturity, she wants to become less aware of herself, and more aware of others. Alyse grew up in Chicago and is studying social work at Rochester College, with the hope that this will prepare her to help the children she encounters in life.

After one month at a tanning bed, Adam is ready for the African sun! Though missing Taco Bell, he’s looking forward to experiencing what he’s only heard in stories told by John Barton, his professor at Rochester College. He hopes this mission internship gives him some sort of direction as he considers his future in ministry. As the son of a pastor in Monroe, Michigan, Adam himself is preparing for a role in ministry as a Christian Ministries major. His relationship with his two year old nephew, Jackson, has him looking forward to playing with the Ugandan children in the village.  

With aspirations to participate full time in a foreign mission work, this internship is an experience that continues to shape future hopes for Stacy. Her interest in foreign missions is fueled by her love for learning different cultures and seeing the ways Jesus is reaching people in different parts of the world. Stacy had previously been to Africa, which also motivated her to join the internship. Stacy hopes her continued exposure to new cultures will shape the way she lives and responds in her Western culture as she grows more compassionate, accepting and aware of the needs of others. Stacy is thankful to share this mission experience with her fiancé, Garrett. They will marry in May of 2009, and together discern where God is leading them for future education and ministry. Stacy attends Abilene Christian University as an Elementary Education major. Abilene, Texas is also where she grew up and where her family currently lives. However, she is proud to share that her parents are moving to Panama in January for their first long term overseas mission experience.  It is exciting for Stacy to see her parents engage what has been a long time passion of hers. 

Tom is 23 years old and grew up in Bugaya, a village in East Uganda. He is one of eleven children. He loves art and music, but much of his spare time is spent with Tessa, the Manry’s 10 month old daughter who has chosen Tom as a favorite! Tom joins this internship group for a completely different reason. His close relationship with the Manry family has led to an exciting opportunity for Tom. In August, he moves to Michigan, leaving Uganda for the first time, to attend Rochester College. While the other interns are being exposed to Ugandan people and culture, Tom is spending quality time with American college students, which is a great prelude to his upcoming new environment. Tom has not decided on a major yet, but is exploring options in business and biblical studies. Though anxious about moving to a completely new culture, Tom is looking forward to embarking on this exciting adventure and hopes this internship helps him understand Western culture better. 

Whether in Michigan or Africa, Kristen enjoys exciting adventures (especially when experienced with her boyfriend Michael!). Eating bugs and living without air conditioning is not Kristen’s idea of an exciting adventure in Africa. Rather, her interest in a different people, culture and lifestyle is what draws her to foreign mission work. She hopes her experience in Uganda is humbling as she learns to appreciate all people. Kristen is an Elementary Education and Language Arts Major at Rochester College, not far from her home town of Royal Oak, Michigan. As Kristen considers her future, she deeply desires to fulfill God’s purpose for her life. She appreciates the way her parents have encouraged this desire in her. She is also thankful for the way her parents and her two sisters, whom she considers her very best friends, have supported this internship opportunity. Through the Holy Spirit’s prompting and her family’s support, this mission opportunity became a reality and is quickly becoming a meaningful adventure in faith and missions. 

Travis Hughes recently graduated from Oklahoma Christian with a degree in Biology that he would like to parlay into vocational ministry. He has a strong desire to serve others based on a deep conviction that faith necessitates a practical expression.  Travis is drawn to foreign mission fields and international experiences where cross cultural contact fulfills his desire to travel while challenging his faith and expanding his understanding of God.

Glad to be away from the busyness of life in America, Courtney is thankful to be in Uganda, forming relationships with the people. Her interest to visit Uganda developed from having helped promote Invisible Children on the campus of Rochester College. Courtney hopes she is able to take in the meaningful moments and experiences of the internship, allowing them to shape her in a way that helps her connect with God, as she encounters him in a new culture and new people. As a Christian Ministry major, Courtney is preparing for a future ministry.  And according to her photography skills, she may very well have a future in this as well! Check out the website to see how she’s captured internship and Uganda so far.

In her first week in Uganda, Emily climbed a long flight of stairs and plunged toward the Nile River! The adventure of bungy jumping set a tone for many more weeks of adventure and challenges of being out of her element. Emily’s desire to participate in the Jinja internship comes from her interest in long-term missions for her future. Her major is interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on Psychology and Religion. Emily hopes this experience helps her to become less concerned with herself. Ultimately, she wants to discern more clearly God’s purpose for her life so she can join focus on the things he wants her to do.