Reading in the library at lunch hour.

Gloria laid her first egg!

Reading + drawing time with Nakandi Caroline (and of course, green lollipops).

Cutting cabbage for the “Women’s Day Celebration” feast (half-a-cow’s worth of raw meat not pictured).

Hello. It is a new month and these days have been filled with new experiences and new people. With all of that plus the internet being absent for several days at a time due to stormy weather, it is difficult to find time to share it all with you at home. I hope the few lines and pictures I can put here will give you an idea of what my time here has been thus far.

Easter Sunday was very nice. After worshiping with the members of True Vine and enjoying the children’s smart easter clothing, we visited Pastor Stephen’s house for lunch. It was lovely to spend time with him and his wife, Jessica. They are a beautiful, faithful couple who have given their lives completely for the children God has called them to serve.

Before leaving we did also visit the cows and hogs they are raising at their farm.

While it was a different kind of easter than I would have at home, and I did miss the familiarity of easter traditions, it was a blessed day of celebrating our risen savior.

The children were on vacation during easter weekend, so it was quieter around here. The girls from Gulu (up in northern Uganda) stayed here during vacation, so we spent much time with them. From them, Carly and I have been taught some lessons in true womanhood.

Several days ago, we learned how to wash clothes – the real way. Having no previous training in the ways of hand washing, we decided to risk complete failure and figure it out for ourselves. So there we are, going at it, swishing our sheets in a basin of soapy water, when our friend from Gulu, Morine (who is about 12 or 13 by the way) comes in to visit us. She stands there for a moment before saying, “Can I help you?” You could almost hear the pity in her voice. We asked if she would teach us, and she most graciously did so. I am not joking – this girl is an amazing women. I was deeply humbled that day, in the very best way. Morine scrubbed and wrung our sheets like a machine. As we attempted to copy what she did, she would look at what we were doing and say, “Oh” with the slightest hints of sympathy and dismay in her voice. But she was very patient with us and “somehow” she “managed to teach us.” Soon our friend Janet was helping as well. and they both made a potentially disheartening situation fun and uplifting.

(right to left: Morine, Me, Janet)

Later, Morine said, “I was just playing outside when my heart said, ‘go to them.’ So I went and I found you washing. And my heart said, ‘Oh. Help them.’ But then I thought, ‘no, I will wait and see how they will do it.’ And then you began to wash and I knew I must help you.” And that is when she intervened, and I praise God she did so. I praise God for all those girls and how he has blessed our friendship with them.

The second exciting experience of the past few days – the slaughtering of this unfortunate chicken. Carly did the honors and I filmed. The next one is mind. It will suffice to say that there was blood and feathers and post mortem flapping. The accomplishment tasted better than the bird itself which turned out to be a rooster and therefore was more sparse and tough than usual. But it was overall a rewarding experience.

Lately our time has been divided by studying, praying, teaching reading in the classrooms, having children in our home, and planning for the up and coming start of the discipleship program for the p6 and p7 girls.

Two points for prayer. One would be the speedy completion of the new library for the school. Carly and I have the privilege to help fund this library project. It will be wonderful to have a larger space for the kids to come read with us, to us, and to read to them. We also want to be praying for books to fill the library. Children’s Heritage Foundation is having a fundraiser on April 17th, and part of the fundraising will be for purchasing books to fill this new library. To find out more about the fundraiser, you can go here, and to donate money for books online, you can go here.

My second prayer request is for the discipleship program we are beginning this Friday for the girls at the school, and then again on Saturday for some women in a church nearby. Carly and I feel God’s hand so far in the planning of this program, but would love your prayers for continued attentiveness to how his spirit is leading us. That he would give us the words he wants us to speak, and that the girls and woman would understand the things we say and be receptive of them and impacted by them. Pray overall for the spirit to be moving among the group, softening hearts and opening eyes (mine included), and we, “Being rooted and grounded in [Christ's] love, may have strength to comprehend with all the aints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Thank you for your prayers and your comments! May God bless you all my friends.

“Strengthen the weak hands. Make firm the feeble knees. Say to those with anxious heart, “Be strong. Fear not. Behold, your God is…”

Isaiah 35

After a very long time of travel (24 hours turned into 36+ hours when a one hour delay in san diego caused us to miss every single connection) we are finally in Uganda. It was a long and sometimes overwhelming flight, but God was faithful to give me childlike faith in him and he gave me so much peace throughout the journey. We arrived at the airport around noon yesterday (which was 2pm for everyone on the west coast) with all but one bag (Carly’s, which has still not shown up. Pray that it does). There to pick us up at the airport were Pastor Stephen (the “senior” paster), Pastor Gabriel (another pastor), Godwin (one of the social workers), and Jackson (not sure of his specific role). Everyone was so kind, gentle, and welcoming and genuinely grateful we are here. Everyone we’ve met so far has been so gracious and I am falling in love with them already.

After so many hours of travel Carly and I were both worn out, dirty, and overwhelmed, but God is glorified in our weakness. We didn’t do much for the rest of yesterday but unpack and shower. We met one of the matrons who lives in the dorms with the boys. Her name is Florence, who for all intents and purposes is “Mama Pat,” and she is the sweetest quietest women I’ve met. She made us dinner and made certain we were well cared for. She has two little boys, Gabriel (4) and Patrick (5 or 6) who we read “Go Dog Go” with.

Despite all the kindness and welcoming, it’s difficult to not be overwhelmed by all these changes. New home, new country, so many new faces, an overall new way to live, and on top of it missing my family and friends so much. I could feel the newness of it all causing me to withdraw, and I was very discouraged by the feeling that I was already failing in what God had called me to, which at the same time I knew was silly  because it had only been the first few hours and I was running on 3 hours of sleep and some energy bars. Carly and I closed the night by praying for God’s hand to  quiet our hearts and give us rest. Which he did so graciously be cause we both slept soundly for around 9 hours.

Things seemed brighter in the morning. We got through with no mosquito bights that I’m aware of. We ate fried eggs and fruit (which is what I’d be eating at home) and played uno with Carly, Patrick (the boy she sponsors) and Patra (his younger sister). We met several other little friends including Bright, Henry, Moses (who has some serious dance skills when he puts on sun glasses), Marvin, and Sam. After a while of playing cards and getting settled in our new home, Emmet (an American guy who has been living here for a couple of months) showed us around Mukono. We found places to buy food and got money from an ATM.

We got home and joined the children for “Evening Glory” worship time. It was so amazing to here their beautiful voices and see their sincere passion for God. We introduced ourselves to all the children and came back to our apartment. It is now 7:39pm and Carly and I will be making dinner soon.

I feel God’s blessing all over this day – waking up full of energy, not being sick by the food, feeling more able to open myself up to the people here, and able to take things one step at a time.

My prayer now is that God would do an even bigger work in me that I would not withdraw or hold back any of myself even when I feel overwhelmed or out of place. That I would continue to feel needy and draw from the rich well of God’s grace. That I would be more conscious of Christ’s love for me and these people more than I am aware of self, for that will be my only comfort.

Patrick is sitting on the arm of my chair and he says “hi” to you all. I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers. God knows I need them. pictures and more updates are on the way.

Goodnight.