Our family is currently vacationing in Uganda. My husband and I were both born in Uganda and grew up here. We moved to Canada as adults. Our 7-year-old son had never visited before and our 9-year-old daughter last made the trip as a 4 month old baby, so this experience is all new to her as well.
We have been having an absolutely fantastic time exploring Uganda and all it has to offer like delicious indigenous foods, wildlife, breathtaking views of nature, plantations that go on forever, mouthwatering tropical fruits and most importantly; having our children spend priceless time with their grandparents, cousins, and other relatives.
Rachel Matembe
This week we took a road trip from the capital Kampala to a town called Jinja to visit the source of the River Nile. The longest River in the world.
Rachel Matembe
The Nile River begins its journey in Jinja, Uganda, where it flows from Lake Victoria downward from East Africa all the way to North Africa. It starts it’s long and majestic journey in Uganda and flows through ten other countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and all the way to Egypt where it finally pours into the Mediterranean Sea. It takes the water 3 months to complete this journey of 4,130 miles (6,650 km).
Rachel Matembe
We took a tour boat to the exact point where the two waters intersect. Where the Nile River leaves Lake Victoria. It was easy to spot because the water at this point is bubbly. Lake Victoria on one side has still waters and River Nile on the other side does not. I found this quite fascinating and one cannot help but marvel at the infinite wisdom of our God while witnessing such intricacies of nature and the beautiful world God created by the power of His Word. Indeed, all creation declares the glory of God!
Psalm 24:1-2 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Rachel Matembe
While the Nile River is the longest River in the entire world, Lake Victoria from which it originates is not without its own accolades. Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater Lake on the continent of Africa and the 2nd largest freshwater Lake in the whole world. Second only to Lake Superior in Canada.
Rachel Matembe
As we sailed along the Nile, the children recounted the story of baby Moses in the book of Exodus. Specifically, the part when his mom Jochebed hid him in a basket and set it to float along the River Nile, just as we were currently floating ourselves.
Exodus 2:2-6 When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him.
Rachel Matembe
The tour guide pointed out various animals along our journey like large monitor lizards, Kingfisher birds and velvet monkeys. Our son enthusiastically told us that in Egypt, the Nile has crocodiles too and that is why he was glad we were sailing along the Nile in Uganda instead. Our daughter chimed in with the words: “I’m happy God protected baby Moses from the crocodiles and that it was the Princess that found him not the crocodiles”.
Rachel Matembe
Wow, I never thought about it like that. Isn’t it just like our God to protect us even when we are not aware of the dangers that surrounds us? I’m pretty sure little baby Moses was not aware that he was floating in dangerous waters.
I’m also moved by the faith of Moses’s mother Jochebed. She trusted that her God would make a way where there seemed to be no way and followed the Holy Spirit’s leading to do something so strange and out of this world and what had never been done before. Jochebed’s bold and brave move not only saved her son’s life but saved the entire nation of Israel.
Rachel Matembe
Dear Mama, I pray you will have ears that hear the leading of the Holy Spirit concerning your children. I pray for supernatural boldness to do what has never been done before and what may seem so strange to you and others but is born of God and will save your child’s life. I pray that your husband will be as supportive as I imagine Jochebed’s husband was in encouraging her to go against the world system and do things God’s way, not the way of the world or current trends of world culture.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
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Read more of Rachel’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
