Seeing God at Work in Uganda

“I hear you just got back from Africa! Was it a good trip?”
“Yeah, it was amazing!”
“So, was it a mission trip?”
“Well . . . not exactly. . . .”

From Aug. 9-19, 2025, I was blessed to be one of a dozen World Renew supporters who participated in a Discovery Tour to Uganda to see the organization’s work, learn from their local partners, and hear from people whose stories are changing for good because of God’s work in their communities.

I don’t describe our trip as a “mission trip” because World Renew’s Discovery Tours are not primarily about doing evangelism, construction, or disaster relief. Rather, as the name suggests, they are about seeing and learning where God is at work through World Renew and local partners, and discovering more about the worldwide church and the beauty of the world God created.

This year’s Discovery Tour to Uganda included nine people from southern Ontario, two from Minnesota, and one from Illinois, including two World Renew staff who acted as group leaders for the trip, Loise Muthumbi and Randy Hedman. (And, as visitors, we all paid our own way except for the World Renew staff.)

After a long set of flights, we got our first glimpses of Uganda as we drove away from the airport. The next morning, we all worshiped in Watoto Church in Kampala, with a style of service that would be familiar in many contemporary North American churches. After an orientation session with World Renew Uganda staff members, we rested in preparation for a week full of travel and activity.

World Renew Uganda staff members Dennis Ogwang (finance and logistics coordinator) and Fred Tuwangye (office assistant) were two of our drivers (along with Patrick of Experience Uganda), and we were joined throughout the tour by World Renew Uganda’s bridger, Carol Musoke, and country director, Raymond Mutava. All of them were patient with our many questions about what we were seeing and learning, and their insights and guidance really shaped the tour for us.

On Monday we met more of World Renew Uganda’s staff and toured their modest office in Kampala, then set off in the direction of the first “field visit” we would make, in the Karamoja region, northeast Uganda. For this part of the tour, we were joined by World Renew program consultant Edward Okiror.

There our group split into two, and each smaller group visited a rural village. My group’s visit to Lolelia was something I’ll never forget. We were greeted with singing and enthusiastic dancing by people from the village and many others who had gathered from neighboring villages. Some from our group pulled out their cell phones to try to capture the moment with photos and video. Laughing, some of our hosts pulled out their phones for the same reason.

Several people and groups had prepared a presentation – also involving singing and dancing, along with explanations – to help us understand the positive changes World Renew’s work has brought to their region, reducing violence and theft  and opening ways to peace, productive agriculture, and improved relationships in homes and families. Another part of these presentations demonstrated how people are learning to advocate for ways to further develop their area, such as providing more schools, improved access to clean water, and better roads to transport their agricultural produce and craftwork to wider markets.

The next day, we met with World Renew’s local partner the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) Uganda, worshiping together and then hearing reports about their work and its impacts. Toward the end of the gathering, each visitor also received a meaningful gift: our hosts explained that by coming all the way from North America to visit and encourage people in the Karamoja region, we had become part of their story, and we were each given a Karamojong blanket, which they tied on our shoulders in the traditional ways for men and for women, to take home.

Our second field visit was in the Nebbi region of Uganda, where World Renew partners with the Church of Uganda (Anglican). Here we were accompanied by World Renew program consultant Joseph Mutebi. Again we split into smaller groups to visit several villages. In a presentation at the village I visited, women from the community told their stories about change. One told us how the village savings and loan association introduced by World Renew had enabled her to buy her first goat – and she now has a herd of 12 goats. Others in the community also bought goats, and some were purchased communally, so the community has a growing herd. Another explained how the farming methods introduced by World Renew helped to increase her produce yields so that she and her family have enough fresh vegetables to eat, as well as some to sell, and how they can pay their children’s school fees with bags of maize (corn).

One of the final speakers, Janet, started with these words: “My husband was a drunkard.” She told us how he would be drunk before 9 a.m. and that when he came home after a full day of drinking, she and their children would scatter. He didn’t help with chores or field work but expected to control whatever funds came from Janet’s efforts. Then he was drawn to attend training about gender and rolesharing – perhaps partly because while cell phones (charged using solar panels) are fairly common in rural Uganda, big screen presentations are more rare. He took to heart what was said in the sessions, and he cut back on his drinking. He began to help with his family’s field work and chores.

Janet said she was skeptical about whether these changes would last. One day, however, he stopped drinking entirely. He continued to help and became a better father and husband. The change was real! Then our interpreter laughed and explained, “And it seems that the man we’ve been talking about is right here!” – indicating a man seated not far away, who smiled and waved a bit sheepishly. Janet’s husband, Collins, came forward and told his side of the story, sharing his gratitude for the gender work that has brought positive change to his family and many other families in the village. Collins is now a leader in the village.

We ended our visit with a crop tour, where Topista, a farmer trainer, and others proudly showed us their acres of corn, cassava, pumpkins, and other staples. Around the village we could also see a number of goats, rabbits, chickens, and cattle being raised by community members. Meeting the next day with Church of Uganda staff, each member of the tour received a gift reflecting local agricultural efforts: either a jar of honey or a jar of peanut paste. 

While World Renew’s work focuses largely on community development, the gospel message shines through as the work is done in partnership with churches and in Jesus’ name. As Reformed Christians, we believe that all of life and the world belong to God, and World Renew’s work helps to show this as farming, family relationships, and flourishing communities can reflect our desire to live in gratitude for God’s grace and to share it with others.

Near the end of our time in Uganda, we traveled as well through a large national park to enjoy some of the natural beauty of the land and its wildlife. An early-morning drive allowed us to see elephants, giraffes, buffalo, baboons, a lion, and many interesting birds among the grasses and trees.

While visiting the park that day, we also enjoyed a group devotional time and worshiped our great Creator next to a raging waterfall in the sunshine, surrounded by the beauty he made and delights for us to enjoy.

If you support World Renew, have questions about their work, or just want to see a part of the world in a different way than via a typical bus tour or independent travel, consider taking a World Renew Discovery Tour. Check for upcoming trips at worldrenew.ca/volunteer (Canada) or worldrenew.net/volunteer (U.S.).