In America, we’re experts at being busy. We fill our calendars, optimize our schedules, and take pride in our efficiency. We have "human doing" down to a science.

Our culture treats waiting as an inconvenience—a problem to be solved. We tap our feet in the grocery line, sigh at a red light, and refresh our email inboxes impatiently. The seconds we wait feel like wasted time.

Then, you go to Uganda.

Anyone who has been on a trip to Uganda with Hearts and Hope for Uganda will tell you that one of the first and most profound lessons you learn is the art of waiting. And in that waiting, you discover something you didn't even know you were missing. 

In Uganda, waiting is not an interruption; it’s a part of the rhythm of life.

Your first lesson may take place in the infamous Kampala "jam." You may find yourself on a bus or in a car, surrounded by a sea of boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis), not moving an inch. A trip that should take 30 minutes might take three hours.

Your next lesson might be in a village, where life moves at a different pace. A "quick meeting" might start an hour after its scheduled time, not out of disrespect, but in fact, quite the opposite. It’s because the people you are meeting are finishing their current conversation with intention, valuing the person in front of them before moving on to the next task.

There's a common saying you might hear: "In America, you have the watches. In Africa, we have the time."

At first, this slower pace can be jarring. Our stress levels rise as our carefully planned schedules fall apart. But then, something beautiful happens. You have no choice but to surrender.

You look out the window. You listen. You talk to the person next to you. You are forced to pause.

In these unhurried moments, the stress of doing melts away, and you are left with the simple, profound gift of being. You come out of the stress of your life back home and finally have the chance to just... breathe. You begin to appreciate the moment you’re in, rather than rushing on to the next one.

As it says in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." In the forced stillness of a Kampala traffic jam or a long wait for a rainstorm to pass, we find a sacred opportunity to do just that.

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Keywords: Hearts and Hope for Uganda, Mission Trip, waiting, patience

This post is written by the Hearts and Hope for Uganda team. Our insights are drawn from years of on-the-ground experience, countless mission trips, and the deep, transformational relationships we share with our Ugandan friends and partners.