When Adria Bryars took her first mission trip to Uganda, it was an experience that changed her perception of what it means to be a Christian and serve others.
Adria had been around Sozo Children since it was founded ten years ago.
“I knew the stories but until I walked the streets I didn’t understand, ” Adria said. She went on her first team trip with Sozo in 2012 and again in 2014. Now, she has organized her own team for summer of 2020—if restrictions from coronavirus are lifted by then.
“Going with Sozo changed my perspective on serving,” she said. Adria was emotionally overwhelmed by the third day of that first trip. She witnessed so much poverty and a world completely different from her home in Alabama. But, she also noticed so much joy in the Ugandan people. God broke down her perceptions about love, service and giving and showed her a world beyond material blessings, she said.
During those two trips, her teams served the children at Sozo by planting vegetables and building a rabbit pen. They also cooked meals, led devotions and visited a local school. For Adria, like so many others, it was an opportunity to grow spiritually, bond with her team members, and walk alongside the people of Uganda in faith.
The experience inspired Adria to participate in local ministry as well. She serves in several ministries at her church—helping people struggling with addiction, assisting people who have experienced house fires, and visiting with elderly in the community. Her Uganda team is largely comprised of youth from her church as well.
“John 15 talks about abiding in Him. He is the vine we are the branches,” she said. Adria came back from Uganda convicted to serve God and bear fruit. “It also made me look at all the scriptures that talk about the rich— those were talking about me! It was a sobering moment. I hope my team will be radically changed by this trip.”
To learn more about Uganda mission trips, visit www.sozochildren.org/trips
