I have been trying to describe the gift of time we had with Moses Abasoola.  That seems about as easy as capturing a moonbeam in your hand.

Tim & Colleen Stevenson, Missionaries to Uganda, introduced Moses to us at the Church of God North American Convention in June.  Moses came to the States for the convention and to visit with churches across the continent. 

At supper with Tim & Colleen, Hubby fired away questions about the upcoming trip to Uganda with our work team.  As Roy tries to wrap his mind around preparing a group for international travel, he has been searching for ways to make it more personal for our congregation.  Tim & Colleen had a full itinerary for their furlough time in the U.S. and couldn’t come to our town for a visit, but mentioned that someone else had traveled to the meetings in Indiana.  From there, the details rolled into place for Moses to come to Jamestown for a visit.

From the day Roy came back from picking up Moses in Ohio, I knew we were going to hit it off.  Moses is quiet and non-assuming, but a man of great character.  Roy & Moses actually got to the house before I got home from picking strawberries in Sugar Grove.  As I apologized for not being there when they arrived, Moses replied with his standard response, “It’s no matter.”  I soon learned that it was his philosophy on life:  just take everything in stride.

Here are 5 things I learned about Moses.

1)  Contentment is a great treasure.  Moses was content with anything we offered.  Whether Mountain Dew, Chai or water, everything was accepted with great appreciation.

2)  Be satisfied with good enough.  When we would apologize for being late or keeping him waiting, Moses would say, “It’s okay; it’s enough.”  Again, he was content to just take life as it comes.

3)  Awe of God’s provision.  Roy & I took Moses to see Niagara Falls.  Everywhere we looked, Moses exclaimed, “God provided all of this!”  His thrill of God’s creativity was boundless!

4)  Humility speaks louder than words.  At first impression, Moses seemed to be very quiet.  As we got to know him, we became more aware of the wealth of knowledge he contained.  Moses was a keen observer of people.  And when he prayed, we were ushered into the presence of our Almighty, Loving Father.  It was a delight to listen in on the conversations Moses had with the Lord.

5)  A good sense of humor can transcend any language barrier.  Words may fail us in relationships, work or crises.  But laughter can lighten the load.

We miss having Moses here, but he has returned to his wife Beatrice, his village in Uganda, and to his work as a pastor to pastors in his country.  His visit with our team solidified their desire to visit Africa, and to find the funds to make it happen.  I’ve only scratched the surface here; go to facebook to see the pictures I posted there!

Sally