Helping 
hands

Caleb (from left), Peggy and Brian Strom pose for a photograph during their missionary trip to Uganda. Brian is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Princeton.

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

PRINCETON/UGANDA — The journey began in February 2003 when Pastor Evangelist Bruce Wilkinson spoke at a Promise Keepers Convention. Wilkinson spoke of his grave concerns with Uganda, a country in the continent of Africa. Wilkinson stressed the urgency of missionary work that needed to be done to help save a dying country and its children.

Pastor Brian Strom of the First Baptist Church in Princeton listened to those words and made his first journey to Uganda in November 2003. Since that time, Strom has gone to Uganda once a year, taking two trips in 2008. But he hasn’t gone alone ...

“I was blessed to have my mother accompany me on my trip in 2007 and my son, Caleb, in 2008,” Strom said. “I was doubly blessed this past March when all three of us made the trip to Uganda as a family — three generations working together to make a difference, albeit small, in the villages of Uganda.”

The trip didn’t start out so simple, though. Cost was a major factor. After explaining to Caleb the amount of money the trip required ($2,500 per person), Brian said, “He took it upon himself to take on mowing jobs, detassling, to pay for his own ticket.”

On March 9, the Strom family entered Uganda and stayed until the March 24. Peggy, who made her first trip to Uganda in 2007, was excited to be able to share this trip with not only her son, but also her grandson. as well.

“I was so proud of what my son was doing, trying to accomplish, that I was ready to go again and help wherever I could,” she said.

“I was concerned, at first, with regards to Caleb coming along,” she said. “I thought that he might be too young, but I was pleased, pleasantly surprised and proud of the way Caleb handled himself with the children of Uganda. It was a special thing, to witness watching Brian sit back, watch and listen, while Caleb with his spirit of adventure jump right in to help wherever he could. He just couldn’t do enough. I was so proud of him and my son.”

Caleb, 13, the youngest member of the generation, appears to have been greatly affected by the trip.

“At first when I got off the plane, I was amazed by how civilized the city was. Once I got into the villages though, it was a different scene altogether. Watching my dad work with the villagers and the other missionaries was amazing, and watching my grandma read stories to the children, talk to other missionary wives, listening to their stories, their concerns with regards to the health and safety of their own families, was awesome. She is a special person and making the trip with her was great. I love spending time with my grandma,” Caleb said.

Brian said the experience was very touching.

“I was able to show my mother and son Kampala, the first village I had a hand in making a difference. Watching their reactions to the villagers, seeing the compassion from both of them, I was touched.

“We have three goals for each village we sponsor,” he continued. “We want to give them a medical clinic to help alleviate the serious problems of AIDS and malaria. A school where the children can learn, eventually be able to go out and find jobs to help their families, is a second priority. Water is a huge problem. Most villagers travel up to two miles to get to a river for water, which is unclean. We want to make it possible for the villages to have a well or some type of filtration system. Clean water would help eliminate a lot of the serious medical problems that the children contract.”

The village of Kampala was the first village in which Brian was involved. Now, thanks to his help and the sponsorship program, Dove Uganda Children’s Fund, the village today has a working medical clinic, a school and a water filtration system.

There are currently four other villages in which Brian and the sponsorship program are involved — Nyakagonda, Wakiso, Jinja and Mbale. Out of these four villages, they all have a medical clinic; some already have their schools and are currently working on a clean water system.

“These people are precious. They are polite, friendly and hard working,” Brian said. “They value relationships, and do not take anything for granted. I was amazed and proud at the way my son, Caleb, handled himself. Watching Caleb desiring to serve others in need, his wanting to help them, with no thoughts of himself, it was amazing to witness.”

Caleb was also surprised by the compassion these people have for each other.

“They have nothing, yet they are so happy with their lives,” Caleb said. “They are always grateful for whatever they receive. We here in the United States have so much, and there are so many people here in the U.S. who seem to think they never have enough, always wanting more. It is not like that for the people of Uganda.”

While Dove Uganda Children’s Fund makes the basics possible for the villages of Uganda, the children will always need help and assistance. For those who would be interested in helping, sponsoring a child, or even thinking of taking a trip themselves, they can visit the Web site at www.doveugnadachildrensfund,org, or contact Brian at (815) 879-3227.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.