Karibu Sana Cannan Farm

Welcome back friends, to Cannan Farm!

On Sunday after we arrived to Uganda, we left Sera's house in Jinja and ventured on public transport to Kampala.  There we met up with our great friend Richard Angoma.  Richard and his wife Susan are the directors of Canaan Farm.  With Richard, we drove to Entebbe to pick up the Yobel International team.  

After we picked up the team, we began the long haul trip to Canaan farm. In ideal conditions, this trip takes 4.5 hours, but on this particular day it took closer to 7.  But after much anticipation, we made it to the farm!

The next morning we awoke and were amazed at the changes to the farm since the last time we were here (3 years ago).  The main compound area now has electricity provided by multiple solar panels, and the bathrooms and kitchen have running water thanks to a new bore hole and solar powered pump up to a holding tank.  Even though we were in the village, it honestly felt like we had moved into a rural African resort! The rest of the team may have thought otherwise, but for us this was definitely a large step up from last time.

After a day of seeing the farm and catching up with old friends, we began preparing for the business training.  The training was designed by a ministry from South Africa called Paradigm Shift.  PS's head director Jedd Schroy came up from South Africa to join us in the training.  Jedd was a great guy to get to and I (christian) am thankful he was there given that I thought I was going to be the only guy on the team! 

We took all day Monday catching up with people and preparing our training sessions.  The plan was to give the course to 50 people. On Tuesday morning during the welcome time, the room had 102 participants eager and ready to learn!  Jedd and the Yobel team did not have the heart to turn anyone away so we all took a deep breath and moved forward.  

We will post in a few days about the details of the training and the remainder of our time at Canaan Farm.  Also, when we get back to the states, we will be able to post pictures as well.  

Thanks for following! 

Sera Beautiful Sera

Sera beautiful sera.

When we first entered Jinja, we had about four days to spend there before connecting with the Yobel team. We were planning to visit Sera's Caring Place. I (Marlena) spent most evenings with Sera and her boys when I was in Jinja for three months in 2009. This was a perfect time to be there.  All of the children had holiday and we could spend each day with them. We spent lots of time with Sera too, talking with her about the challenges she is having and the joys that she has in being the mom of 27 children!! The last time I was with her she had 16 boys and now she has added more boys into her home and four girls. It was a beautiful experience to come back and see the same children and their new sisters and brothers. It was also a little different this time because all over the world when boys become men (which seems to be about 14 here) there is a whole new dynamic. They are more to themselves and mature. This was wonderful to see how Sera has given them each there own room to branch in different directions and really become who they are. For one instance, Richard is very involved at his church so he has been going into church for Bible study's and piano lessons. Another boy Gabriel is a good trainer (runner and weight lifter) as you would say here! He went on a nice long morning run with us one day and then did a cross fit work out with us too. It has been so so good to see the Lord work in there lives and to watch them grow. 

I am always so moved by Sera, but I must say I have not been the best about keeping in touch with her.  However without a doubt she will always welcome me into her home. When people ask what I do in Jinja I tell them I am going to spend time with my Rwandan sister. She feels closer than a friend and I do believe if we get to be here in Uganda she will be a big part of my life. I love her so much and am so grateful for our friendship. She is a wise woman and I always learn so much from her. I plan to stay in touch more frequently now that time has not separated us.

OSL–FRA–ADD–EBB

We began our Tuesday morning at YWAM Grimerud with a time of fellowship and worship, and we felt so loved as the wonderful people at the base sent us off.  Grimerud's resident mechanic gave us a ride to the train platform in Stange and hopped on board for Oslo Gardemoen Airport. The train ride was a time of thought and reflection as we discussed ideas of getting involved in ministry in Norway in the future.  

Marlena and I are thankful for the fluidity and consistency of European travel.  The tray arrived promptly at 10:03 at the airport and check-in was flawless.  We appreciate the organized structure there because we knew that once we arrived on the African continent, this luxury would be nearly non-existent.  Oslo to Frankfurt was a quick and uneventful flight, however we had a long 6-hour layover once in Germany.  From Frankfurt-Ethiopia-Uganda, we were traveling on Ethiopian Airlines (not the best choice, but they get the job done).  One thing we found interesting in Frankfurt is that the African airlines receive the worst, run-down wing of the airport.  There are no shops, limited seating, and there is only one very small restroom.  This was a drastic change from the lush and pristine wings that Lufthansa and KLM occupy at the Frankfurt airport.  

After our uneventful stop in Frankfurt, we boarded an old and slightly unloved small Ethiopian aircraft that would take us the next 7 hours of our trip.  Our flight left Germany at 10:30 in the evening and we arrived in Addis Ababa at 6:00 in the morning.  Through the night, we "slept" next to three very extroverted Ethiopians who talked loudly the entire night. Also, the flight attendants kept the overhead lights on for the entire flight.  This was far from the quiet European flits we are used to, because we typically fly Lufthansa, KLM, or British Airways to Uganda.  On a positive note, this experience helped us begin preparing us for the everyday African lifestyle!

Once we arrived at Addis Ababa airport, we stepped off the plane onto the runway and were greeted by the smell of Africa in the air.  This may sound unpleasant to many of you, but it is such a comfort to us! We have missed life here and were excited to back on this beautiful continent.  

Our layover in Ethiopia was supposed to be nearly 16 hours and for those of you who have been to that airport, you know that it is not the most exciting place to wait.  Luckily, I did my research and found there was another flight to Uganda 12 hours earlier, so we began our efforts to change our tickets to this earlier flight. And through all sorts of confusion we made it to the plane and to Entebbe. The flight was much bigger than our flight to Ethiopia which was surprising! 

At around 12:30 in the afternoon we touched down in Entebbe and we were so happy! Finally, no more planes! We took a taxi to our guesthouse in Entebbe, and we stayed a night to rest and regain some energy. We took a good part of that day trying to acquire a charger for our Uganda cell phone (we lost the original in the process of moving back to Colorado).  While searching for one, we stopped at a whole in the wall Ugandan restaurant and treated our taste buds to some of our favorite food.  We had rice, matooke (ma-toe-ké, mashed savory bananas similar to mashed potatoes), and green peas.  We had so much food and all for a whopping 12,000 Ugandan Shillings which is about $5.  

The next day (Thursday), we hopped on local transport called Matatu (look it up, it's an old school Toyota van made for 14 but often carrying up to 20) and traveled to Kampala where we braved the taxi park to find another Matatu to Jinja.  Kampala taxi park is not a force to be reckoned with! We finally found one and we were off to Jinja, our home away from home.  

We got to Jinja a few hours later and stopped for our favorite snack, a Rolex.  It's the Uganda version of a breakfast burrito! And finally after much anticipation, we were picked up by our great friend, Sera Kasonga. Marlena became friends with her during her first trip here in 2009.  We also stayed with her for 2 weeks in 2010.  Sera is a 26-year old Rwandan refugee who came to Uganda when she was only 5.  She now is the primary caretaker for 27 young girls and boys, all of whom are orphans or homeless.  About 6 or 7 years ago Sera saw a need in Jinja.  There were so many street kids who begged and had very bad manners, so Sera said that she must do something about this.  The Lord has truly blessed her and now the children she cares for are the most well behaved, loving, and serving kids you will ever meet.  They are also all in school and are so smart.  We will be staying with Sera and the kids until Sunday when we meet up with the Yobel team in Kampala to go to Canaan Farm. 

When we arrived at Sera's house, we were so kindly greeted by all the kids. I thought it would be fun to set up my slackline (look this up if you don't know what it is), and it was the exciting and entertaining focus for the next few hours.  Today is now Friday and we are taking all 27 children to a local hotel for a swim! I hope the hotel owner doesn't mind! 

Marlena and I have already been so blessed by the people here! We thank you all for supporting us financially and prayerfully, we couldn't do this without you!  

Prayer Requests:

-quality time with Sera and the kids

-safe travels for the Yobel team.  They are flying right now!

-safety for us as we head to the farm on Sunday. Ugandan transportation is not the safest.  

-our relationship as we do many of these things for the first as a married couple.

-the business training coming up at the farm. 

Our time Norway

As we take off on a plane to Uganda my heart is so thrilled and yet it sinks. The culture and love in Norway is so great, and our time there was incredible and divinely orchestrated. Really. We spent our short four days near the town of Stange (Stawng-uh) at the National Norwegian Youth With A Mission base (YWAM). This base is called Grimerud, and it sits just up from the bank of Norway's largest lake: Mjøsa. We came to find out that this weekend was one of few that there would be space for us at Grimerud. There was a national holiday on Thursday which everyone in the country received off and most YWAMers took it as a chance to take a break. We were super thankful to be in a community of international folks who had a love for Jesus and for people. Norway is so expensive that staying elsewhere may have been impossible on our modest "student" budget.  In a country where a typical meal at McDonald's runs about $22ish (Nkr 125), lodging costs seem through the roof!  For a Norwegian however, this seems normal given that their minimum wage is roughly $20 per hour (Nkr 20). All of that to say, we were very thankful for the administration at Grimerud for blessing with very inexpensive lodging including meals. 

With the base being quite empty and even the nearby towns being quiet, we learned quickly that taking rest is a big part of the culture. As one of the best countries to be a mother, Norwegian women receive up to 56 weeks off work with 80% when they have a child. The men even receive a significant amount of time off including pay when they become fathers.  a typical work day in Noway lasts about 7 hours (8:30-3:30), and Sundays are always off...a person can even receive a ticket for mowing the grass on Sundays! 

Another part of their culture I loved was the hospitality.  You never go to someone's home without having coffee or tea and some form of snack; typically being cake or waffles. This type of care and hospitality carried over into most of our time at Grimerud. The majority of our time was spent in missionary's homes talking about the culture, daily life, joys and struggles, and ministry. Grimerud is so diverse with culture and nationalities. I remember acknowledging at one of our meals that we were sitting with two Koreans, two Dutch, we are two Americans, and we were in Norway! Small World!

 It really was so rich and refreshing for our relationship as husband and wife to gain a new perspective and pursue something new together. We took our down time to imagine ourselves living there, to pray and ask what it would be like to be there, and to focus on what the Lord was saying to us. We knew going into it that four days was not enough time but we feel that for the time we did get it was perfect to really be with the people and hear their stories.

Thanks for adventuring with us!

C & M

What's Coming for the Outlaw's

On a bus in Uganda, summer 2010

This last semester in Arkansas has been so good for us, but sadly has gone by so quick.  I graduate in 31 days and we leave the country in 36 days.  Though those may be great things for us, I can't bring myself to really thinking about them because of all that must happen in that short time.  Part of not wanting to think about that time is that we are sad to leave Siloam Springs.  We love this little town, our community, our workplace, our church, our friends.  The relationships that have developed over the last 4 years are so important to us, and we are saddened by the fact that we will be leaving.  However, it is a bittersweet feeling because we are so thrilled to be going back to our home in Colorado.

As for a life update...

Families at Canaan Farm, summer 2010

Many of you reading this have received a graduation announcement and/or support letter about our upcoming trip to Uganda and general life update.  Before I go in depth with that, I want to clarify a few things.  Some of you have heard that we will be taking a short stop in Norway on our way to Uganda. 4 days.  This is true.  Marlena and I are very interested in Norway as a possible home some day so we are taking this time as an opportunity as to discover and see.  We want to spend time meeting with locals and praying about our possible future there.  It is important for us to let you know that the support we are raising for our Uganda trip does NOT INCLUDE Norway, we are paying for this ourselves.  We desire transparency with this whole trip, and we know that giving money for a trip involves a lot of trust in those being supported.  Regarding this, if you have any questions, concerns, or possible advice for Norway, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We would love to hear from you.

Now back to Uganda...

Canaan Farm, Summer 2010

Our plans are becoming more set in stone, and we have our plane tickets! Praise the Lord! This part is always such a hurdle, but it is also always so fun to see how He provides.  We will be arriving in Uganda on May 16th and partnering up with Yobel International out of Colorado Springs.  Their team will arrive a couple of days after us.  We will join Yobel in leading a business training course at Canaan Farm in the Kiryandongo Dirstrict (formerly Masindi) of Uganda.  The course was a curriculum developed by a ministry in South Africa, and is specifically tailored to apply to rural African village business.  Yobel taught this curriculum at the farm last year and the response was so good, that the farm leadership asked if we would come back and teach again to an entirely new set of aspiring village entrepreneurs.

Marlena with 2 of Sera's boys, summer 2010

We plan to spend roughly 12 days at the Farm and we are so thrilled to be going back there.  Some of you may know this already, but Canaan Farm is where our relationship began back in 2010.  This will be our third time going back, but our first time as husband and wife. We finally get our own hut! Both Marlena and I have many long standing friendships at Canaan Farm, and we are so excited to go back and pick up where those left off.  After we leave the farm, we will head south to Jinja, Uganda.  Here we will connect with our dear friend Sera Kasonga.  Sera is a foster mother to 27 girls and boys, all of whom were either "street kids" or abandoned by their families.  The month of May is the children's holiday, so it will be a perfect time for us to visit and spend time with the kids.  After we spend time in Jinja, we will leave Uganda on June 4th to return to Colorado.

Why now?

I will be graduating college in early May and we will be moving to Colorado 2 days later! From that point, we have until June 10th before I start my job.  That gives us an entire month of free time, and we believe the Lord has called us to use that time to be in Uganda.  We hope that he continues to send us there in the future, but we feel this is may be the last opportunity for a while for us to serve for this amount of time in Uganda.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.  We will be updating it regularly with information about our trip, and also plan to publish many stories of our time once we return.

If you are interested in supporting us, you can make a tax-deductible donation by writing a check to:

Grace Episcopal Church, memo: Christian & Marlena

and send to:

The Outlaw's, box 3272
2000 W. University St.
Siloam Springs, AR 72761

Have a wonderful week and enjoy this beautiful spring weather!

My great friend Jackson and I, Canaan Farm, Summer 2010

Wifely Sabbatical

As of August 12^th I have been a wife.

This choice to do so has become the best decision. I have never felt so treasured, so adored and so romanced in my life. As I had the biggest Princess Day it was only followed by continued awe moments. Moments that I still am not sure I have really been a part of. Moments that I never thought would really happen, and yet they are. It has been continual excitement to always be for someone else. To be the best that I can be and the most intentional that could possibly be. Marriage is the most beautiful and incredible relationship that I have ever been a part of in human form. The beauty of this all comes from our Awesome Father Jesus Christ and it is a wonderful thing to see that in His image, marriage is good. To be in and a part it has all been made much clearer. That in prayer and reading His word and serving together with my Husband as one it all is incredibly enhanced within a marriage. I really could not have imagined a relationship of Three to be so very immaculate. The Joy of accountability and the magnification of desire and the embrace of the Father as you are with another is just striking to me. Marriage came to me as a large surprise and I don’t know even really how to explain such bliss that I still am in.

It has been a joy to come back and slowly hear all the great stories of our wedding day. From a beginning of my parents families meeting for the first time and seeing a great blend there. Also seeing a broken relationship between my Grandma and my Step Grandma after 40 years of not a word spoken to an entire night and day of catching up on where they had left off. To my brother of course having a crazy trip to the wedding trying to make it back on time, and getting delayed by taking a ride with a surf bum in Colorado…quite a story and so thankful he made it to the weddingJ And fun with hearing who danced with who and what tasty food there was, because we didn’t get a lick of that:) Hah It has all truly been the best and really more perfect than I imagined.

And for me I have been brought to the South to the Beautiful Siloam Springs Arkansas. As we have established our place we call home and made plenty of meals and had probably too many laughs. Life here has been quite a pleasure. Although I still have sadness each morning Christian leaves for school, I have been quite a busy bee, which has come as a surprise to me. I never thought that making sure two people eat and stay organized and keep clean clothes, on top of setting up our “home” to be a good place to come back to, is really a task. I know things will slow down and I will begin this week reaching places I desire to work with a resume that states me on a piece of paper, in hopes that they will also desire me. This has been on my list for a few days but has not happen yet, which I am enjoying and I have really never taken so much time off, to just be and to develop the role as a wife. So really I am easing into it and going into it with much prayer and trust that my Father really knows what I will be doing and where I will fit into this town best. I really am thrilled to be a part of this sweet southern town! Thank you for reading and supporting and loving us. We feel incredibly blessed by those who have been in our lives; we wouldn’t be the same without you!

Marlena Outlaw

Joy+Freedom+Restoration=Our Engagement!!

This is the incredible story of our engagement on March 19th 2011!! Wow where do I begin, well I first start with the incredible last couple of weeks that I (Marlena) have had.....many of you know that I have been the one that Christian has been waiting on, really all of your relationship has been me coming through a bit later, since Christmas Christian had the ring and was thinking about it then, but my response to his desire was fear and unready feelings, so that leads me really until this past two weeks of feeling abundant peace and freedom with our relationship. Some of that may come from the fact the my parents told me in January that the were getting divorced which was crushing news, considering they had so much restoration from years before but they were done this time they could keep pressing through what wasn't going to work but (!!!) a week ago my daddy called me to share with me his thankfulness of my mom and that he asked if they could just have a separation and that they were going to do counseling and try once again. This of course brought me so much JOY! So with that preface it has been a journey to get to were I was the day before he proposed I let him know that I was finally at peace and felt that I wanted to be with him...For the rest of me life!!! Little did I know that he wanted that also and he was ready to go:) The following morning he had already been planning it all out, months before. He told me his parents would be in town early and that we were going to have a full day with them so I woke up and just did the normal, went for a run and spent some quiet time with my Father, but the Shannon who I was staying with here was very persistent that I get ready and I was a bit confused but once I was ready I thought his parents would be coming but she then gave me a red envelope with the first letter, this letter explained that the day was changed and he had a scavenger hunt for me. To begin it he made a video of himself of the last 10 days or so of leading up to me being here. In the videos were songs, scripture and recalled memories. As I was weeping, sweating and laughing I was still thinking that maybe it was just a sweet date he was planning, but I had a feeling it was a bit more than just a sweet thought. He wrote another letter then explaining his love for Jesus and how he really wanted me to focus and pray a bit before I left. Then his friend Julian came to get me and brought me to a bridge and gave me a map to get to Christian, he told me to walk and focus on those scripture and pray but I had a hard time doing that so once a saw him I threw me purse and started running across the bridge that lead to the pavilion he was in and I ran into his arms. As we were both so nervous, we had Communion together and then he brought out his guitar and began to sing a song he wrote for me!!! The name of the song is 10,000 and at the end he put his guitar down and pulled out the box and asked "Will you marry me?"!!!! Ahhhhhh I jumped into him and he put the ring on my finger...And the rest was history. =) Thanks for all your support and love to us. Please be praying for this time we have together and also when we have to part, hopefully the last time to do so, but that we would ultimately Praise our Father for His incredible love for us and for the healing and restoration he has brought and that we would enjoy all the following process!! Much love to you all!!