The Body of Christ

            A couple weeks ago I started having this tiny little backache.  It’s not a big deal whatsoever, but it’s just annoying.  Every time I take a wrong step, or bend over wrong, or twist awkwardly it inhibits my once effortless movement.  On a scale of 1-10 of pain and severity, this back ache is a 0.  It’s nothing- miniscule, but it consistently affects my daily life in the smallest of ways.  However, it stops me in my tracks to imagine a more serious pain.  What if I had a bullet embedded in my skin from 10 years ago?  What if my nose had been cut off to signify I was a child soldier, or my right arm blown off in an explosion?  Even worse, what if I didn’t have ANY access to medical care?  No ibuprofen bottle sitting around to numb the shooting pains, no antibiotics to stop an infection…nothing.  How in the world would I go about living daily life?  The physical pain would get to be at times so unbearable my mind would literally shut down and make it impossible to focus on anything other than the immeasurable hurt going on within my body.  There’s absolutely no way I could work a full day, or sit down and focus entirely on any sort of task.  Not to even mention having a fruitful quiet and prayer time without crying out to God begging for any sort of healing. 

Unfortunately this hypothetical situation, as far-fetched as it is for us here in America, is the norm in Uganda.  While in Africa a couple of months ago, we heard story after story of physical ailments that plagued the Ugandan people’s everyday lives.  They weren’t complaining or whining; they were stating facts.  Their people are in a world where pain casts a dark and haunting shadow over absolutely every part of their lives.  It’s not that they are lazy or unwilling to work to start picking up the broken pieces a 25-year war left behind, they are physically unable to.  We’ve often been asked why The Tuli Initiative includes the “body” part of our mind-body-spirit approach.  The Nameless Project’s main mission is psychological healing, and Switchboard Missions’ focus is on spiritual awakening- so where does physical healing come into play?  As deep as their scars run emotionally, we can’t expect healing in their minds or spirit until the body is mended.  And what better way to present hope than by introducing them to The Great Physician?  By establishing the fact that we care about their physical needs, whether it’s providing a roof and bed for orphans, or clean water to drink, or doctors to perform life-changing surgeries, we can help provide freedom from constant pain and thus open thousands of doors in their hearts to a healing far more eternal. 

The Tuli Initiative: An Intro

Walt Disney was once quoted saying, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”  We wholeheartedly agree.  A standard mission trip with two nonprofit organizations in June quickly turned into the opportunity of a lifetime.  No, not the “opportunity of a lifetime” sleazy car salesmen kind of way, but rather the “opportunity of a lifetime” orchestrated entirely by God to change an entire country.  Rather than bearing witness to some of the greatest problems of the modern world and becoming overwhelmed, we quickly discovered God had clearly lit the way to a solution through a destined partnership between The Nameless Project and Switchboard Missions.  After meeting with over 40 government officials and the Governor of the Northern Uganda province and being offered full governmental support, there was really no option but to proceed.  The project is called The Tuli Initiative, and through it we plan to provide complete mind-body-spirit rehabilitation to war-torn villages.  This is no small endeavor, as we have committed to being a long-term presence in this country for years to come.  We have hired a Ugandan native named Walter Ogwang to serve as a full-time representative and presence for The Tuli Initiative. 

I can tell you stories from the people we met that would probably make you cry.  I could go into detail about the 25-year war that has rampaged their lives and ripped loved ones out of their arms.  I could recall the bullets still embedded in their skin or the desperation in their eyes when they pleaded for our assistance.  It would indeed make you stop and think, but we as Americans are pros at busying our minds to avoid harsh realities, so you would soon forget what you read.  To be honest, I’m weary of writing stories with orchestra-themed background music meant to tug at your heart strings.  We’ve come to realize that no matter how hard we work and how badly we want change, it is impossible to do alone.  Thank goodness we are all but alone.  Every single molecule of this project, from a chance meeting in a coffee shop to this very moment, has been entirely God-breathed and orchestrated.  He has already begun to assemble an All-Star team of the perfect combination of people born to make a difference.  It’s not our job to tug on your heart strings or pressure you to help, as I assure you God has been laying bigger things on your heart long before you read this blog.  Our job is the same as yours- to do what we were called to do.  You are out there right now reading this-born in America with every single resource possible at your disposal.  What are you doing with that?  You were born with a specific and unique set of talents and gifts to be fitted perfectly within your calling.  Over the next several weeks, we are going to further explain the vision behind The Tuli Initiative through a series of blogs.  We want to fully describe that which God has laid on our hearts to anyone who wants to listen.  God will make it abundantly clear to those who are supposed to join in this effort.  Not everyone is made for this, we know that, so to those whose passions are elsewhere we pray you keep searching until you find what you were made for.  Because changing the world…it’s not optional.  And believe me- it really is fun to do the impossible, because all things are possible with God.

Hello World!

      Word on the street is you aren’t really official until you have a blog, so with this post I hereby pronounce Switchboard Missions as a go!  Yep, that’s right- Switchboard Missions.  It’s ok if you haven’t heard of us yet- we’re pretty new.  Evidently God doesn’t care if you’re a 2 month or 20 year old organization- He moves as quickly as He likes.  He’s been doing some pretty amazing things lately that we just can’t possibly keep to ourselves any longer.  We’d love it if you would stop by every now and then to see what all is going on.  I can promise you this- God is still in the business of doing miracles, and He is making Himself known across the entire globe.  We’ve been so very blessed in getting to witness Him move in the heart of a tiny orphan all the way to rehabilitating entire countries torn from war.  Want to see it for yourself? Come with us on a short-term missions trip! Can’t go?  Then help send others by providing your time or resources.  God calls everyone to either be a “Goer” or a “Sender”- “Neither” is really not an option.  And praise God for that calling, because believe me- you’re going to want to be a part of this!

You may be asking what it is exactly that Switchboard Missions does.  Our official mission statement is “To be used by God to awaken the hearts of young adults to the life He has called us to live as followers of Christ through local and global missions and discipleship into a life that fulfills that calling.”  In other words, we serve as “operators” that connect the passions God has laid on the hearts of young adults to real missions needs in the world.  We do this through domestic and international short-term mission trips.  Once exposed to the work God is doing across the globe, the participants’ eyes will be opened to the reality of how God is forcefully advancing His gospel, and to the vitality of our obedience to his command to be a part of that advance.  We’ve found that one cannot witness such supernatural power and not be changed, so we hope to facilitate the flipping of the “Jesus Switch” in people’s hearts for missions so that once they see what God is doing they will be forever impacted.  Another one of our goals is to also mentor and disciple future missions leaders through the Roots College Program.  Plain and simple, the core of our organization is centered on providing opportunities for young adults to be a part of The Great Commission and the miraculous work God is doing across our world.  

God has opened some gigantic doors for us to walk through in the near future.  In addition to our normal short-term mission trip programming, we are also partnering with The Nameless Project on a new endeavor called The Tuli Initiative.  In the next six weeks, we’ll be publishing a Vision Series aimed at cluing you guys in on this new and upcoming work we will be doing in northern Uganda.  Check back here often to get information on this integrative rehabilitation program for traumatized individuals living in war-torn areas.  We plan to dissect our mind-body-spirit approach while laying out the next 15 to 20 years of work we have ahead of us!

Thanks for taking a few minutes to pause and read about our world at Switchboard Missions.  We certainly hope you’ll stick around and join us for what promises to be one incredible journey.