Medical Mission Trip to Uganda
Author: Elliot Huang
Date: 01/31/2026
Category: Thanksgiving Testimonies
I recently returned from my medical mission trip to Uganda. It was a marvelous and meaningful experience, and I am immensely grateful for your partnership in making it possible. I am writing to share a glimpse of the journey and a few insights the Lord impressed my heart.
We arrived in Uganda late at night, so we were unable to see much of the country then. But the next day, when we woke up and pulled back the curtains, our breath was taken away by the sheer grandeur. What we saw was rolling hills painted with a rich green and speckled with red roofs. We were filled with awe, not only at the splendor of creation, but even more at the glorious Creator it points to.
Following a day of adjusting to the new time zone, we headed to the hospital and were greeted by an ocean of people already lining up under a temporary tent. The reason for the multitude was that we were offering all health services at no cost, something the hospital could do only with volunteers like us helping with both staffing and costs. The few days we were there, we were able to serve hundreds of people, numbers that would not have been attainable without your support.
Under the guidance of the long-term hospital staff, our team was assigned various ways to assist. Some of us learned to measure vital signs. Others became skilled at pricking fingers for blood tests. Some even grew adept at deciphering doctors’ handwriting to distribute the correct medications. I assisted the ultrasound technician in examining internal organs and searching for abnormalities.
With my help, we scanned over one hundred people. Among them was one woman whose story will always stay with me. She came in complaining of abdominal pain which she believed was caused by the kicking of her child in her womb. However, when I reviewed her medical records, I saw that she had recently experienced a miscarriage. How could this be?
When we visualized the uterus, we did not see a child but rather a mass of cells resembling a cluster of grapes, known as a molar pregnancy. I was struck. What was developing inside her was not life as she believed, but something harmful. I began to wonder whether her wish for a child had not only led to a mislabeling of what was happening but might even have been a factor contributing to the abnormal growth within her body.
Medically, this was speculation. Still, the experience led me to think about the power of desire. Searching my heart, I discovered a longing for something good that had expanded to the point of harming my joy, my capacity to care for others, and possibly even my physical health. I am currently praying and meditating on this, working with God to discern the right path forward. I invite you to do the same: to look within and ask whether there is a desire in your heart that is not glorifying God but instead harming your life.
While these activities were going on in the clinic, another part of the team was digging trenches to lay pipes to connect families to the water system. Although this work was not as explicitly medical, its impact on health was potentially even greater than that of the hospital. Later in the week, we visited a small stream that served as the main water source for the local community. Looking to the left, we saw a woman filling a plastic container with water, but when we looked to the right, we saw a group of men washing mud off their motorcycles in that same stream. This provided a clear illustration of just how filthy the water was and how urgent the need for piping was. Each new house the team connected usually meant a group of more than ten people receiving a constant source of clean water for the first time, enabling a reduced risk of a wide range of diseases and a significant improvement in quality of life.
After a few fruitful days working both in the hospital and on the water project, it was time for the next portion of our trip. We all squeezed onto a bus and traveled three hours south for a new initiative: going door to door to visit families. There were two main purposes for this. One was spiritual: to connect with people, pray over them, and share the gospel. The other was physically giving out high-quality water filters, providing a reliable way for them to treat their drinking water at home.
Traversing the rural villages, I found an extensive material hardship. Whole families were living in one-room houses with no doors. People stood outside half-broken stalls attempting to sell homemade products, even though there seemed to be no customers around. The roads were dirty, the floors were dirty, and it clung to everything.
However, I also encountered great beauty. The soil was so fertile that residents could simply go to their backyards and pick mangos off a tree for a snack. People were gathered together everywhere, large families and groups of friends just conversing, laughing, and spending time together. Instead of being confined within individual houses, kids were free to roam, play with each other, and simply have fun. This meant we were constantly accompanied by an entourage of children, which was delightful.
For our visits, we divided into groups, each with an assigned translator. This was necessary because even our hosts could not communicate with the villagers. Although Uganda is only about the size of Oregon, more than 40 languages are documented there.
At each house, we handed out the filters, which were received with gratitude and excitement beyond our expectations. These were bittersweet moments. We grieved the hardships they had endured, but we were also thrilled that some of their burden would be lightened.
Throughout the days, we encountered people at every level of faith. Some had believed for many years, and we learned about their struggles and prayed with them. Others, despite having committed themselves to Christ, still had a limited understanding, partly due to a lack of access to Bibles. We were able to share key passages with them, and because of this, we plan to bring small Bibles to distribute on our next mission trip. Most gratifyingly, we met some who had only heard about Christianity, and we were able to share the gospel with them. One woman prayed with us and professed her faith in Christ.
At the end of every conversation, we would ask for prayer requests. They mentioned many things that are familiar to us, such as medical issues, their children’s education, and financial stability. However, I realized that most of them asked not only for themselves, but also for their neighbors to experience these same blessings. This was a powerful wake-up call for me. When people ask what I need prayer for, my mind usually goes straight to whatever challenge I am personally facing at the time. Rarely do I say, “Pray for what my friend is going through, what my community is facing, or what the world is enduring.” It reminded me that I am not just an island in the ocean, but part of the greater whole of humanity. I decided to begin reflecting not only on myself, but also on struggles beyond my own, and to pray with greater intention and specificity for troubles that do not directly affect me.
Finally, on our last day, we had the opportunity to go on a safari in the savanna and take a boat ride on the Nile, where we experienced the wonder of Uganda’s wildlife. It was captivating to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. It was also meaningful, as the cost went directly toward supporting the hospital and its related ventures.
I am safely back in the States, and as this journey comes to a close, I want to say thank you. Every patient treated, every pipe laid, every filter distributed, and every prayer spoken was made possible because of your generosity and prayers. I pray this voyage encourages you, as it has me, to reflect more deeply and carry the needs of others more intentionally before God. I ask that you not forget the people of Uganda, but that you will continue praying for the hospital staff, the families who now have access to clean water, and all the other inhabitants of this country.
With gratitude,
Elliot Huang
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