Songs.

Every morning I wake up singing a song, not out loud, but in my head. I rarely remember my dreams but I always remember a song. Lately its been "99 red balloons" and quite often its "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. I don't even like that song but I don't have any control over that, so it's always a little hilarious to me. But this morning I woke up with this refrain from the hymn "'tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" in my head:

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
 How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; 
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
 Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I can't even remember the last time that I sang that song in church, or even heard that song. But I'd like to believe, unlike 99 red ballons or some random Miley Cyrus song, that this wasn't random. I'd like to believe that the Holy Spirit put this little refrain into my head, because these lyrics have been such a gift to me today.

Here's the rest of the lyrics to the song:

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 
Just to take Him at His Word; 
Just to rest upon His promise,
 And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! 
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
 Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus, 
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
 And in simple faith to plunge me
 ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
 Just from sin and self to cease; 
Just from Jesus simply taking
 Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
 Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; 
And I know that Thou art with me,
 Wilt be with me to the end.

I am finding such comfort in these words. Love that third verse. Right now I am really resonating with the line "just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace." So simple, not always so simply lived out however, but has such profound meaning for our lives.

This is such a blessing and a challenge and a comfort for me.

Thank you Jesus for always waking me up with songs, especially today.

The Call of God

Ok, I totally ripped this entire blog post from Oswald Chambers. My Utmost for His Highest is, more often than not, one of those books that when I read the entries I feel like he is writing directly to me. Today is one of those days and I wanted to share.

"Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel..." (1 Corinthians 1:17)

Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by "the gospel", namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are not commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification - we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (John 12:32 -"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."). It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden his energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints.

The one passion of Paul's life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason - these things kept him unmovable for his devotion to the gospel of God.

This speaks so deeply to my soul. I've been selfish in my prayer life. And I've been narrow minded. I'm encouraged and challenged by this today.

Retreat!

Today we leave for our fall retreat. This is my first retreat as a co-director. Big time.

I'll let you know how it goes :)

Storytime.

I've been thinking a lot about stories lately. And I guess by lately I mean in the past year. Since my last semester at Moody I've been learning how important people's stories really are. How everyone is coming from a different point of view. How everyone's backgrounds contribute to the way that they think, feel and process things. That's so beautiful to me. And there's so much redemption in hearing people's stories and telling your story. It restores relationships, breaks down categories, allows us to bear one another's burdens, brings people closer to the Jesus. List goes on.

Last night at Lighthouse, Cliff (I think his name is?) in a super passionate way went through the story of the Bible. He focused on salvation history (which really is the pinnacle of the Bible anyway). But how about that for a story! The metanarrative - the story which encompasses all stories. When all stories, since the beginning of time are working towards/contributing to the story and person of Jesus Christ. And we get to be a part of that story.

It's always interesting when people from your past show up in your life. I had a little run in today with someone that I maybe wouldn't have been super pumped about seeing in recent history. It's been years since we've seen each other. There was definitely a great deal of hurt in that relationship, and it came from both sides. This run in was totally unexpected - you don't even have to know me well to know that my face always says it all, so I don't always handle unexpected situations with ease. But we laughed. We picked right back up. My face was totally regular (!) by the grace of God. Because of the story that God is writing in my life and the story that he is writing in her life, it was a moment of redemption.

You can know that I will always love to hear your story.

I'm back! and Newspring Leadership Conference

Well it has been a very long time. I thought about starting an entirely new blog, but Uganda has been such an important part of my story, so even though there is an incredible gap of time it felt right to pick up and keep going. I've been feeling like I should start back up for some time now, so now is as good of time ever. I pray that God will be glorified through the words that I write.

This past week I did probably one of the most spontaneous things I’ve ever done – Wednesday morning Brian came into the office and said that we could go to the Newspring Leadership Conference. We were pumped. But then he dropped the bomb that it was the next day. And then he dropped an atomic bomb when he told us it was in South Carolina! 12 hours away! There were things that we had to work out to make this possible, especially me (thank you Sara for being so flexible), because it wasn’t until 4:00pm that afternoon that I finally decided that I needed to go. And this is Wednesday night, mind you, so we all still had to do church that night. Even though these past few days have been such a whirlwind, it is so clear to me that attending this conference was no surprise to God unlike it was to me. He has been preparing my heart and working on my thoughts for months leading up to Newspring, and I heard what I needed to hear at the exact time I needed to hear it. He makes all things work together for our good, and I don’t even know why! What do I have to offer?! But I am so grateful that he does.

Let me just give you some highlights:

Perry Noble reminded us of the importance of getting alone with God. One thing he said that really resonated with me is that “If you are always accessible to people you’re hardly ever accessible to God.” That got me right in the heart.

Francis Chan… what didn’t he say?!? His passion for Jesus Christ was made so clear as he spoke for an hour. He was all over the place, but it was so encouraging and convicting! He spoke about boldness and faith. We need to live our lives knowing, really knowing, that we are living for MORE than this world has to offer. When has it ever been about us and what we can and cannot do? We can’t do anything apart from Jesus Christ, but we can have boldness (and boast!) in the fact that we know Him.

Mark Driscoll blew my mind. When he walked off the stage my mouth was literally hanging open. He began by saying, “For those whom God greatly uses he will first wound deeply” – suffering is not a punishment for our sins but a correction from our Father who loves us deeply. Suffering is painful and it costs us so much, so we cannot waste it. We have to embrace it and use it in our lives for the purpose that God intended. He walked us through 6 ways in which suffering can be used for God’s glory. I literally could write pages and pages on my thoughts from this session. If you want to hear more about it, let’s go out to coffee, because I’d love to have further conversations about it. But I’ll end with saying that I think one of the biggest things I took away from his talk was that we NEED (bold, caps lock and italics – this is the real deal) to talk about our suffering because it brings about humility, repentance and faith. If we can’t talk about our suffering/shame/sin then that says we’re living in a religious culture. It’s not about what we do, it’s not about behavior modification, its about life transformation. And suffering is a huge part of that transformation. Oh boy… suffer well!

Steven Furtick called us to action! We just have to do it! We have to live it. When we feel the Spirit’s leading in whatever he tells us to do, we just have to do it. And he kept saying over and over “Jesus told me to!” And I loved that. Sometimes things don’t make sense, but when we know that we are to do something, we are to respond with immediate obedience. Nothing is insignificant when done for the most significant purpose on the earth, which is the advancement of the Gospel. So, just do it! Let’s go!

Judah Smith was something else. He brought it, and that was an unexpected blessing. I hadn’t ever heard of him, but I’ll never forget him. He talked about what we are to do in the “Matters of the meantime.” I think this talk, along with Driscolls’, was the most influential in my personal life. He used Mark 5:35-5:1 and the story of Jesus calming the storm. We have to remain faithful when we’ve floated off shore, but are sitting in the middle of the lake waiting to get to the other side. And sometimes we can’t even see the other side; this is the meantime. Our culture is so highlight orientated, and it was helpful for me that he pointed this out. We never glorify the meantime, but Paul after his conversion was living in the meantime with 3 years in silence and Jesus lived in the meantime from age 12 to 30! In the meantime, we are to trust and rest because God is preparing us – and while we rest, there is One who never sleeps. We have to stay in the boat – this plays out several different ways in my life. I’ve been feeling the meantime, but was approaching it in a very different way. We can talk about that over coffee too :).

And lastly, Andy Stanley. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say about this talk – there was too much! I was hanging on every word he said. He talked about 4 gravitational pulls every church leader feels (gravitational pulls meaning things church wrestles with). He hit every nail square on the head. He gave us a lot to think about and incredibly tangible things that we will bring back to our church. He began his talk by saying that we as the next generation of church leaders have been handed “the baton”, that we are joining saints throughout history in the ministry and for the advancement of the Gospel and we have to be good stewards of that. I am confident that God will use his message to change the way I am involved with ministry.

After the last session, the four of us were able to sit down over a meal and debrief and process with one another. It was encouraging to me that we already began to apply some of the things that we had learned throughout the day even in our conversation, and then wrote down specific ways in which we can implement into our ministries the things that God taught us. I know He is doing a mighty work. I know he has laid things on my heart that He is calling me to do and he prepared my heart to hear those things yesterday.

I am refreshed, I am challenged, I am excited, I am hopeful, I am grateful, I am convicted. By the grace of God I am forever changed.

...

Also, I'm not sure if I will be able to get internet access for the next few days. So if that is the case, I will write my next post from my little living room on Secluded Lane. Just saying. 

Beginning of the End

Well, time for the "goodbyes".

The first one took place this morning as I attended my last church service at UCF. It was hard to hold back the tears, and every now and then, one slipped down my cheek. I have loved worshipping there, it has been a pure joy to be apart of the fellowship. I did not have to say goodbye to the staff, as I decided that I am going to go in on Tuesday for a couple hours to visit and give gifts and take pictures. Not pumped for that. On my way home today from church, I stopped at the grocery store and had an African meal. I mean, my own version of African meal - the stuff I like. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I haven't been a fan of the Ugandan food. I think the biggest reason is because its like a million degrees and then they give you this piping hot food. I'm just a lightweight, and I hate to sweat, and this is a recipe for perspiration. It's really left me and Ugandan food on bad terms. So anyway... today I bought passion fruit juice, which is the best, baby bananas, dried mango, and a rolex. When I first came to Uganda I was so confused because people were always talking about getting rolexes, and I thought it was just a joke they thought was funny. And then, I mean after like one time, its not funny anymore. But then I found out it was food. Its basically an omelette rolled into a chapatti (which is kind of like naan bread, or a more pastry like pita). It's so good, and so filling, and so cheap - 1,500 shillings and its about a foot long. 1,500 is equivalent to about $1.50. Beat that subway. And then the other thing I need to mention is that Uganda has made me a believer in bananas. I absolutely love them here, I eat them whenever I can get my hands on one. But they're baby, they're like half the size of regular bananas, and they are so sweet. All the missionaries have told me that the bananas are so much sweeter than they are in the states, and way better here - so I don't anticipate eating any at home. But here's hoping that this love carries over because there so convenient and delicious.

Ok, back to goodbyes.

The second one is to our beloved Kololo house. Maybe one of the hardest goodbyes... I absolutely love this house. Right now, as I am writing this, there is a major thunderstorm taking place. All the windows are just screens, so everything is open and I can smell the rain and feel the earth cooling down as the wind is brought through the windows. I love that; it's so cozy. This place has been a refuge, and I feel at home here.

And then, as I already said, Tuesday is the big church staff goodbye day. That will be so hard.

And then of course to the Davis'... and that will be real hard as well.

But of course, at the end of the goodbyes come the hellos. Which is the sweet side of it all. And here comes the chance for me to bring back what I have learned, and how I have grown here, and how to apply that to my day to day life. And honestly, I am nervous for that transition. And I am praying earnestly, and maybe you can too, that God would be faithful in showing me ways to transition well and that I would continue to grow on this path that God has set me on. And I'm scared that I am going to forget - to forget all that God has taught me, the experiences I have had, things I know about myself, about God, about His Word. There's just so much! Maybe that's a silly fear, but I'm praying that I won't forget.

Tonight is USA vs. Brazil. So pumped about watching the game. A win for the US would be a great last memory in Kololo 1. Holler.

King of Pop

What a shock! This is even a huge deal in Uganda. I walked into a bookstore this morning and they were blaring MJ's Number One's album. And people were fighting over how many number one singles he had, to which I replied "13", but they didn't hear me because they were shouting too loud. That felt kind of weird. 

But LAURA, you love him. And I am praying for you today. I mean, not over the fact that Michael just died, but Michael Jackson just always reminds me of you, so as I'm thinking of you, I'm praying for you. See what I mean? 

I took this picture for you in London, Laur. Just seemed like a good day to show you.

Week of Fun.

Well it all started in Gulu. 

Sarah and I left early in the morning and arrived in Gulu early afternoon last Friday. When we got there we went to the guest house we were staying at, and took about 2 hour naps. Then we met with Pastor Alfred, the pastor of Gulu Baptist Church and site manager of Hope Alive, and then we went out for dinner. Saturday we woke up early and went to the Hope Alive program. Hope Alive, by the way, is a child sponsership program that was started by a WorldVenture missionary. There are four sites throughout Uganda, and the main branch is here in Kampala. There were about 200 kids at the Gulu site, and about 8 mentors. The mentors go to the kids houses about twice a week to make sure they aren't sick, help with homework, and make sure everything else is okay. Many of the kids in this site are orphans because of the war, and the head of the house is just a 12 year old kid. So Hope Alive, through its sponsers, pays for the school fees. It also has a food pantry on site. It's a really neat program. There's lots more I'll tell you about that when I get home, if you so desire.

So we were there from about 9:30 to 3:30, and then we went to Pastor Alfred's house for sodas and snacks, where he told us about the NGO's in Gulu and what the government is doing to rebuild the city. That was kind of our purpose in going up there. We have heard a lot of smack talk about the NGO's in Gulu as we have been here in Kampala. So as a westerner, I wanted to know what I could do from my house in Farmington Hills to effectively help here in Gulu. And what I found to be the answer is really what I knew all along. At the core of everything, what people need is Jesus Christ. He is the only hope, the only way to bring peace, and the deepest satisfaction one can ever know. So, support orginizations that support the truth of the Gospel. And Pastor Alfred gave me some specific ways, and we can also talk about that if you so desire.

The on Sunday we went to Gulu Baptist and experienced village church. It was so awesome. And then we went home. And it was the worst bus ride of my life. Our driver was so out of control and was running other cars off the road. Sarah and I were praying the entire time, and its only by the grace of God that we got home. He was insane. Then we entered the heart of darkness, which is Brian's term for downtown Kampala. This is where the bus stop was, and where Renee was going to pick us up. But there was some miscommunication, and all in all, it was a pretty scary half hour. My phone got stolen right off my person. But it wasn't even my phone, i was borrowing it from the Davis'. Such a bummer. And a rough night. 

I think all in all, my time in Gulu peaked my interest for the village life. Kampala is so fast and such a big city.  The picture I had in my mind before I came here of where I would be working looked much more like Gulu. And if you are wondering what Gulu is like, think Evart, Michigan but just African style. Seriously, I kept thinking that.  I would love to come back and stay in the villages for a while someday. I'm just praying about that. 

Then, on Monday, Sarah and I had our final debrief with Renee. We went to this GORGEOUS hotel and ate by the pool and just talked. We called it the "Oasis", but that wasn't its name. But it did feel like we stepped out of Kampala for a moment, and that was such a blessing. Especially after that rough day we had on Sunday. But, it was such a good day and then we went to the Davis' house for a bbq. We each had some time to talk with Renee and she basically evaluated us on our time here. And I'll tell you about that if you so desire. 

Then, Tuesday morning, we left for the Safari. I know you're all wondering, but we did not see a lion :(. But it was still awesome. We went on the game drive wednesday morning for a few hours and saw buffalo, elephants, giraffes, one billion antelope, vultures, baboons, warthogs and various birds (and probably some other animals I am forgetting). And then took a boat down the nile river and saw a billion hippo and some crocs. And it poured! And we got soaked! And then today we went on a hike up to see the waterfalls and they were absolutely majestic. And then we drove home. And here I am. 

Tomorrow Sarah and I are going to go to the mall to pick up some gifts, and then its our final pizza movie night. Can't believe I'm almost leaving Uganda. 

and here's some pics. just some highlights. 

Some of the beautiful Hope Alive children. 

Our little tent at Murchison. 

I was so pumped I just wanted 

everyone to see it. 

This was my favorite Giraffe shot. 

What an awkward little pose.

Got lots of pics of these guys for you to see pamma. 

Elephants! SO INCREDIBLE. I got so many pictures of elepants. 

The Falls. 

Independence Falls is on the left and Murchison Falls is on the right. Breathtaking. 

Rainbow.

 

SAFARI.

WE ARE LEAVING FOR THE SAFARI TODAY!

Sarah and I are leaving in about 5 minutes. I am so excited. It's been a fast few days, so I'm sorry about my lack of blogging, but I'll get right to that when I get home thursday night. 

But here's the thing. Murchison Falls, where we are going, is not known for its Lions. I mean Uganda in general is not known for Lions, but its really hard to see them here. The last team that was here saw TEN, but many teams don't see them. Can you please pray that me and Sarah would see one? Just one. It doesn't even have to be a male, but that would be AWESOME. Lions are my fav, and I've dreamed about this moment since I was a little kid. Drama, I know. But, I mean, if the Lord brings it to mind and you feel like its not that lame, I would appreciate your prayers. :)

SO pumped. Even if I don't see a Lion. 

oli otya.

my friend joseph from UCF thinks its the best idea to just speak luganda to me, and not tell me what he is saying, but just say it over and over again. he thinks i'll learn it best that way. that's why i titled this oli otya - it means hello. and this was the fourth round of things he just said over and over again - and I didn't know any of the proceeding phrases he said. but i knew the answer to this one, which is bulungi. joseph, you little stinker. 

tonight I gave my last talk with the choir. It was on "I AM the vine." I didn't know this, but Ivan (in charge of choir) said in staff meeting this morning that last week they spent quite significant time talking about what they were learning through my time of sharing with them. I had no idea. I wasn't even sure they were listening. But they were. And I pray that the Lord was glorified in those times and that it was His words that stuck with them and not my own. 

I am beginning to feel the weight of James 3:1-2 that says teachers will be judged more strictly. I am learning so much through my own study time, and every week and every topic there are like a million things that I need to improve upon. And I am going to be held accountable for that. I want to be a person of integrity who really walks what I speak, and that's where God's awesome grace comes into play because I have so far to go. 

Sarah and I found out today that we are actually going to Gulu THIS WEEKEND! just schedules getting changed again. That means that my last day at UCF is going to be this thursday now, instead of friday. But, we won't have to say goodbye to all our Ugandan friends because we will be back at our churches for service on 29th June. So even though I won't be working all next week, I'll still get to see everyone one last time. Then, our game drive got moved back to next wed-fri. all things go.

I am looking forward to so many things in these next 10 days, but then I can't even believe that after all those things are done I will be leaving Uganda. I don't think I am ready to do that! But, of course there are things I am excited to come home for too. 

I can't wait to write to you about my trip to Gulu. 

weekend update.

Oh man! What a great weekend it has been!

Yesterday I was going to take my day off and go to the pool, but it was rainy and cloudy, so I decided instead to work on my talk for Tuesday night during the day and then take my day off tomorrow (Monday) and go to the pool. But, if the weather isn't nice tomorrow, then I suppose I'll just skip the pool altogether. But at least I'll get to sleep in a little!

The yesterday afternoon, Nate and Sarah and I went to the Uganda vs. Tunisia Rugby Match. It was so nuts! But it was probably one of the most fun things we have done so far. I had never watched Rugby before, but that game is intense. We had a blast. 

Then we had language lesson, and then we went out to eat at Lotus Mexicana... which was so delicious. I just really love Mexican food. And I'm so pumped because I have leftovers for dinner tonight. Holler! Then we rounded off a great day with Toy Story. I mean, we borrow all our movies from Brian and Renee who have five kids, so the majority of their VHS' are disney... but I mean, let's be honest, I love Toy Story. AND I got to talk to ALL of my family members on gchat last night, and that was so awesome. 

Then Sunday, I woke up at around 6:30 to prepare for my Bible Study and finish writing out my testimony, which I gave during the 2nd Service. Dr. Lightbody preached this morning and she spoke on Joshua 1 and spiritual leadership. God tells Joshua three times "Be strong and courageous", and backs up that statement each time with either His 1) character, 2) spoken word, or 3) a promise. I have felt in my time here that the Lord is really beginning to show me more fully who He has made me to be.  Krista, I thought of you yesterday morning, because you have told me time and time again that I don't give myself enough credit. And I am learning that God has gifted me with certain things. I need to utilize those gifts, and as I do, I need to be strong and courageous. As I set my eyes on God and follow his will, there is no reason to fear anything. I can be strong and courageous. And I can make mistakes... but even if I do, I learn from that. Out of fear of making mistakes, I think in the past I have been prone to step back and not accomplish what the Lord desired out of me, and as I had read in my Utmost for His Highest the other day, this leads to spiritual sluggishness. 

Just stuff for me to process.

And then after church, all the summer interns and Brian and Renee went to Pastor Micah's house (the pastor of the church I work with), to have a little going away party for Dr. Lightbody. So that was a good time. It was a long day, and I finished it up by doing some writing for my talk on tuesday night (for the last time

tooth.

If the Lord brings it to mind, please pray for my tooth. The pain really subsided for a while, but in the past week it has flared up again and its becoming absolutely unbearable. I wake up every night in terrible pain, and the pain-relieving effects of Advil are slowly starting to fade away, because unfortunately, I have become so dependent on it. I am trying to get an appointment with the dentist that Brian and Renee use, because I don't think I can wait until I get home its so painful. 

Thanks. I appreciate it. 

Catch Up

It's been a few days, let me try to catch up a little. Yesterday and today were busy. 

Yesterday I went to the school and taught literature with Sarah, and that went well. The kids were so smart, so it was fun to interact with them and pick their brains. Then Sarah and I picked up lunch and came home (and watched Dead Poets Society which was SO good and reminded me of Mrs. Horlings all over the place) until our meeting we had last night at the Davis' house. It was basically planning out what our last week here in Uganda would look like. We're going on the game drive the 22nd through the 24th. PUMPED! And then we talked about going to Kisoro, which is in the Southwest part of Uganda for that last weekend. But as Sarah and I were talking after our meeting, we both felt pretty passionate about going up to Gulu. There are many refugee camps there and is one of the major places that was affected by Joseph Kony and the war. Even though Kony and his army have moved to the Congo, they are still greatly affected, and as Brian put it, even though Kony is in Congo, the war is still going on in Gulu. This war is what first put Africa on my heart, especially because of the child soldiers, so it is a great opportunity to go there.

Then today I met with a girl from church, and then Diana and I went into the hostels to do some follow up with people we had met with last week. I went back to the room occupied by Benny Hinn mega fans, and we had some intense conversation. It's those kind of conversations that I never feel adequate enough. But I think those are times when God can really use us, because he is more than enough. And its humbling, and an encouragement to study more and know the Scriptures better. This is real life, and this is what counts. And there are some things as a result of the conversation that I really need to wrestle with and try to understand better, and thats a good place to be. 

Then I went back to the school after outreach and taught art, and then I came home, took a nap, and went to the Davis' for pizza movie night. We watched Newsies. It was great. And tomorrow is my day off, so I am going to the pool, and then going to the Uganda v. Tunisia Rugby match with Nate and Sarah, then language lessons, then Lotus Mexicana - Ugandas only Mexican Restaurant. I do love Mexican Food. 

Yo...

Happy Anniversary Mom and Pops. 

and that is all for now. 

love you crazy kids. 

many blessings.

Well, yesterday and today were both good days. 

Yesterday was another national holiday - Heroes Day - so we had the day off. There was a prayer meeting with all the World Venture women. They're going through this book published by the Navigators called, "Enjoying the Presence of God" (i think). Yesterday the chapter they were discussing was called praying without words. And basically what that means is praying while doing activities. But not actually praying with words, just praying (or praising maybe is a better word to describe it). Like one woman explained it as her praying while she's sitting on her porch watching the birds... and although she isn't using words to talk to God, she is enjoying his creation and worshipping him in that way. And another women talked about how she praised God through her aerobic exercise. I hadn't really thought of that before. I think too often I get caught up in compartmentalizing things in my life, I mean to me, doing yoga is just doing yoga. Not necessarily an act of worship, and I forget that I can worship God in anything I do. Seems elementary, but as I was sitting in the meeting I wasn't sure how I practically lived that out - where my body is just a continual sacrifice of praise. It's a re-training of my mind to think in that way. Anyways, not sure if that makes sense, but it was encouraging to me nonetheless. 

Then we went out to lunch at a Krua Thai... authentic Thai cuisine. Delicious. Still loving Panang though, and sometimes dreaming about it at night :)

I spoke last night at church, and that was probably the most encouraging time yet. I was actually getting verbal feedback during my talk. Such an answer to prayer. And when I ended, before I was even able to pray, the people just clapped. God really blessed me with that.

Then today we did outreach at the hostels again. Today we went to a boys hostel. That was an intimidating situation for me. I went with two guys from the church, and they really held me together. I was finding it hard to initiate conversations. Then Joseph (one of the staff members at UCF) told me that I was in charge of leading the discussion, and that they weren't going to talk. I mean, I don't think thats the best system, but it definitely had to draw me out. Of course the next room was full of guys, about 6, and here I am this white girl from America trying to talk to them about their eternal destiny. So the conversation started with Barak Obama (which it almost always does), and then we just kind of moved into spiritual conversation (and to be honest, Joseph helped a lot in leading it in that direction). Turns out one of the guys in the room was a Muslim, so we spent the next 2 and a half hours talking to him about his faith and our faith. It was intense. And it ignited a passion from deep within my soul. It was hard because the arguments were kind of circular, and when we left we were in no way on common ground. Despite that it was still a rich time. And it was still so encouraging because we were just able to dive into the Word and talk about spiritual truth. I walked out of that room loving Jesus more than I did when I walked in the room. 

Maybe my "evangelism style" is more of a relational type, and I prefer to show Jesus by the way I live my life. BUT, I have to think, is that just an excuse because bringing up spiritual conversations can be awkward and uncomfortable? And hard because its on the spot, and unknown as to where the conversation is going to lead? I'm not saying that either method is better or worse. But at the end of the day, the truth of Jesus Christ needs to be preached in love by whatever means necessary, and I need to actively live out that calling in my life. It's good for me to visit these hostels. I'm so far out of my comfort zone.

Tomorrow I am going to a little Ugandan Christian School to teach the Literature lesson to the 8th graders. I got connected with this school through Renee, because her kids go there, and I am going to be helping out a little this week and next week. I think Sarah is going to come with me. I'm excited about that.

The next few days, and this weekend, are going to be busy. So I should get some rest :)

Peace and Love. 

monday morning thoughts.

This morning during my quiet time, I read from My Utmost for His Highest. He used an analogy of a harbor, and talked about how we grow in spiritual discernment by not wading by the calmness of the dock, but by cutting the rope and floating out into the squalls at sea. And our spiritual sluggishness comes when we know that God is calling us to do something and we don't do it. But as we brave the storms of life, responding in obedience and fixing our eyes on Jesus, we grow in knowledge of ourselves and of God. 

I kind of feel like that's where I am at right now. I'm out to sea. And for me right now, that sea is called Africa. Sometimes the water is calm and the sun is shining, and me and God are just floating along. But then, by the definition of a squall, the wind and rain come out of nowhere and I'm caught in a violent storm. And I don't know where I'm going or what the outcome will be, but I am doing my best follow the purposes of God, and thus be more spiritually discerning. And there are situations where I need to beware of paying attention to what I once was, when God wants me to be something I have never been. As I reflect on this, I know that there are situations where I need to break free from the safety of the harbor and trust God more. Where I can step out in obedience. And I pray that the Lord would give me the boldness to do so. 

I spent the morning working on my talk for tomorrow night. It's on "I AM the Good Shepherd." Keeping in mind that the Bible is universal and that truth is always truth, I am still finding it hard to make practical and relevant applications considering African worldview. But I am encouraged that the Word of God does not return void, and having Jesus as our shepherd is such a powerful, life-changing, and beautiful thing. The fact that he knows us so intimately, AND leads us, AND protects us, AND that we can know him, AND that he lays down his life for us.  The fact that Jesus is our shepherd is so humbling to me - in the OT lambs were sacrificed for the sake of the Shepherd, but here the roles are reversed and the Shepherd is sacrificed for the sake of the lambs. Overwhelming.

I've been thinking about home a lot today. I thought about Dad this morning when I was doing my quiet time at breakfast -- because he always does that. Then I was going through my suitcase and saw all the stuff I packed that I haven't used yet or didn't even remember that I brought, and I thought about mom :). Then life in technicolor by Coldplay came on my itunes and I thought about Andrew. I'm so blessed by your lives and I will be so happy to see you all in 21 days. I love you guys. 

oh and just a little correction: Sarah and I aren't going on our safari this week. Unfortunately. The reason being, is that the guy from Kisoro (in the province where we will be spending a few days our last week here) is coming up on Thursday and we are meeting with him to talk about what we will be doing there. But Brian and Renee assured us that we will be able to go on a safari, probably the last week we are here - we'll split our time between Kisoro and the game drive. So that's fine... I just need to see a lion. 

The Same Power.

The same power that conquered the grave lives in me, lives in me

Your love that rescued the earth lives in me, lives in me. 

We sang this song (or maybe just a little refrain?) in church this morning. The Lord really blessed me as I meditated on the lyrics. I am feeling that power as I am over here, as I reflect on all the Lord has done and all that he continues to do. And I am realizing just how vast and immeasurable that power is; I was struck by the magnitude of that power. And I am realizing how much I have taken that power for granted. 

The Bible study started today (Don't Waste Your Life). We were divided into groups and the other leaders welcomed everyone and then just passed the ball off to me. They were like, "Okay, Katie's going to be in charge today!" And I had no idea that was the plan. But it went well. I am so amazed and blessed by the level of openness and community that these Ugandans exhibit. There were some tough questions that I asked today, and they kept talking until we ran out of time. We didn't even get through the whole lesson. As they shared, I was so encouraged, because they were just talking from their hearts, being honest about their struggles. Consequently, I felt like I knew them better, know how to pray for them better, and there is a level of honesty that I am not necessarily used to. ESPECIALLY when I've first met someone! There's a lot I can learn from that.

Then, I taught the "big kids" sunday school. That was rough, at least in the beginning. They were too cool for school. But I shared a little bit from 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and tried to relate it to them. I talked about how we know the will of God for our lives, it is our sanctification, and ways that practically looks in their lives. On the complete opposite side of things, it was brutal trying to get them to talk and have discussion. I was counting the seconds of silence. But I do have to give them some credit, they have no idea who I am. By the end of our time together, I had them talking and laughing, so they just had to be drawn out. Another answer to prayer (I prayed for that during the talking droughts :) ). 

Today for Sarah and I was USA day. We went to the mall and got our nails done :) and then we went to this cafe called New York Pizza and had Hot Dogs and orange pop. Hot Dogs here are nothing like hot dogs at home, however. Sarah and I were shocked. They basically are sausage. and they were about a foot long, and there were two of them on a piece of french bread. I mean, it was fine, just different. It made me get kinda pumped for the fourth of july, even though I won't be in Chicago this year :( But bring on the grill-outs, those are the best. 

We were going to try to watch You've Got Mail tonight, but we don't have the right hook ups for our VCR. Yep, VCR. But, the TV in the house is working now, so Sarah has Prison Break on. It's just home away from home here :).

I met a woman at church today, and her and her husband are missionaries with Touch the World. They do a lot of work in an orphanage, so I gave her my number so I can maybe hook up with her sometime this week and spend the day at the orphanage. Hopefully it will be a continual thing, and I can visit every week. And also, tomorrow I am going to Bethel Christian school (where Brian and Renee's kiddos go to school), and I am probably going to volunteer there Friday afternoons to help out with art projects. Pumped about those opportunities!

2 Biggest Regrets...

I just need to express this. My 2 biggest regrets are that:

1) I did not bring more crew neck t-shirts and

2) that I did not bring a pair of sweatpants.

that's it. and also maybe that I didn't bring more granola bars, but that's only an anticipated regret. 

It's Saturday Again!

Just another start to a great Saturday. I mean, I assume. I woke up, and finally saw Sarah! She's been gone FOREVER! And then she went to bed (because she was up all night at a lock in... I can't even handle that), and then I ate breakfast... and went back to bed :). I was so pumped yesterday because I just kept thinking, "I can finally sleep in tomorrow!" And then I woke up at 7:30 and could not fall back asleep. So I laid there for an hour and a half, and finally got up at 9. But I wanted the satisfaction of feeling like I slept in, so that's why I went back to bed. And now its eleven and I've wasted my whole morning, and it feels so right. And now, I'll probably spend the rest of the morning on the porch reading East of Eden. And not to mention, its beautiful outside!

Tonight we're going over to the Davis' again for pizza movie night. Highlight of the week. And let me tell you, I mentioned last week that Renee said Brian's pizza is better than Giordanos. And I will say, for making everything from scratch, and for being in AFRICA where no ingredients are the same as they are in the US, his pizza was very very good. Good work, Brian. 

Yesterday we went into the Hostels to do some outreach. I was feeling pretty nervous about that for many reasons: 1) I'm coming from a different culture, not really understanding Ugandan culture and worldview yet, 2) I felt weird just walking into a dorm and knocking on people's doors, 3) This kind of door to door evangelism is not really my forte (or my style, if I can say that?), 4) I just altogether didn't know what the expectations were.

So we went. Many of the rooms in the dorm were vacant because its break right now. But the first door that answered were two girls. They welcomed us in the room, and I look at the wall and its covered in Benny Hinn posters! And he has a conference in town that started last night and ends today that they are attending, they were so jazzed about Benny! So that was a shocker. I'm going back next week to talk to them more about the conference, and to get more chance to to talk to them about what I think about Benny. Which, honestly, I'm going to have to do some brushing up on because I never have really heard anyone take him seriously (or at least this seriously), so I've never really even discussed it. So room number one was a good time. The girl in the next room that we went into did not know the Lord. But she still invited us in. Joseph (the guy from UCF I was with), basically did the Romans road, and then was like "OK do you want to accept Christ?" And she said, "I'm not ready yet." And he said, "Give me a reasonable answer you are not ready." And it went on like that for a few minutes. I was starting to get hot, holy cow. Feeling a little uncomfortable. It just felt so forceful! So direct, so bold! But she was so honest and so open, not looking or seeming uncomfortable at all. And it was the same way in the next room that we went into. And I talked to Joseph a little about that after, and he didn't understand why it was a big deal. So, that's great then. Praise the Lord that they are so open to letting strangers come in their room and talk to them about the truth of Jesus Christ. I'm looking forward to the upcoming times of outreach, there's a lot I can learn and a lot of people from very different walks of life that I am excited about getting the opportunity to interact with.

And then last night, I went to Jon and Jenny Davis' house for dinner. Not related to Brian and Renee. But are also WorldVenture missionaries, and are actually supported by Highland Park. So that's another fun little connection. She made veggie lasagna... pumped about that. And then we made homemade ice cream in ziploc bags. It actually worked. I mean, you put the mix in a little ziploc bag, and then you put it in a bigger ziploc bag that is filled with ice, shake it around for about 20 minutes and you have homemade ice cream. Low budget. Good Stuff. And then we played a little game of Settlers of Catan. Just gotta keep up on the skills to cream Dan and Amy and Bogdan (and whoever else is up to the challenge) in the fall. Maybe I'll even school you, Dad. But probably not. That's never happened. Actually Dad you would have hated it, because whenever you rolled a seven, their house rules were that you could choose to use it or not. And if you chose not to use it, you could just roll again! So there was one time I had like 15 cards in my hand and rolled a 7, and there was no way I was using it. I guess it's cheating really, and kind of lame, but I'll take that if they let me :).

Tomorrow we start the "Don't Waste Your Life" Bible Study at church, and then I am teaching the Sunday School class (of high schoolers) during the 2nd service. And then tomorrow afternoon, I think Sarah and I are going to get our nails done at the mall :) Maybs.