The Desires Of My Heart

The beats of my heart go with those of the deep bush. This last week I experienced something I never imagined. The bush and not even in its full. I went deep, maybe 15K into where there is no town no anything just hunts and very small "centers" which are a few brick rooms. I felt everything where there was nothing. The district is Masindi and it is not even all the way north. Cannan Farm is a place where many families were able to run to from the rebels or there own civil war. It is a project started my Ugandans that owned land and saw the need of many Acholi people. So even this very rural place seemed some how Civil and is developing well. Still there the school had 1000 children and maybe a handful had shoes, none with uniforms and all cramed into 7 class rooms. The P5 level was the class that welcomed me into sing to me and welcome me to there village. 114 students in maybe a 25x25 room all ready to learn. So with that being the school the clinic was just one room on the other side of the center with one lady there, really not a lot. But it was there! Praise God. The week I was there, 6 people died of famine in Kitgum. There is the real deep village were everyone fears and people are in a struggle just to find food and water. The needs here are endless, but I believce God can do mighly things. I feel the most alive when I am there though. I want to be permanently there. I was very tempted to stay but I am alone. I think God wants me here. Please pray he would use me in the way he is wanting. I have been planning nursing for sometime and now see it is needed! But really so much is needed please pray God would move here! He is much greater than any food and any amount of money!

some realities of it all

On the real side these people have Joy! They have joy that is unheard of where I come from. Joy that overcomes all circumstances. A joy I could never grasp a hold of and obtain my self. I believe in the States we grow up with so much and it is given and taken away in moments and we can not be happy with having less than we once had. Well maybe just maybe if we were to have Nothing to begin with, a room of cement and a basin of cold water to wash. We would have the greatest joy to see even a plant growing. This is something I must take with me along side of every where I go. That happiness should not come from anything but a relationship. The end, that is all, so maybe if it comes to the end of the earth with no one person or God then my Joy could fade. This is something I must learn and teach. I am still and will always be learning. The truth of these things no matter were you turn we all are human just living in different places and different struggles. We are all in this together and from the way we have been taught to live we shall learn from each other in our ways so that one day we will be able to have the freedom to LIVE!

A day with my TWIN!

Hanifah is a beautiful girl! I have been so blessed to get to know her. Through the V-Team urging me to meet this wonderful girl that was looking like me! Although the skin color is slightly differing people say we are looking similar:) So I have been with her in a out through this "holiday" she has. Philip with Young Life Jinja has taken her in to live with him and to send her to school. It has been quite a journey of knowing them. They have really thaught me so many things.
With Hanifah soon going back to school I decided to take her out for a day! We went to a very nice pool right on the Nile(in picture). She is just learning to swim so I was able to give her some lessons on how to become a better swimmer! She is learning so very well! She really loves it too which is so wonderful. The small bit she knows she holds onto and is progressively learning. It makes me very thankful for the, what feels like, being born with the talent of swimming. Essentially it is being born in a place where naturally you learn how to swim or go to "school" for it! So then after swimming and laying out in the relaxing breeze, we went to eat. There is a place Flavors that is Dutch owned and is very nice you can get lots of Muzungu food. I did not realize it would be a challenge when it came to ordering for Hanifah. She had never been to a place as this and was put into a hard spot. We eventually got through though and she really enjoyed it in the end:) I had a wonderful time with her on that fun filled day! Please pray she is able to go to school this term and that there is peace in her life!

Bathing under the banana tree

What a beautiful place: Katente. The village I was able to visit over the weekend! To get there it took 2 taxi's and 2 boda ride's from Jinja. The place we went was were OJ was born and raised. It had been a complete jungle around his hut but now there was some farming taking place so it had been some what cleared out.
The father of OJ has 11 children and OJ was the last born. Musa is his name, he is 86 years old and still so strong. He is able to read the smallest bible letters and carry loads of wood and also slaughter a goat. As soon as I was there the slaughtering began! And over the course of the weekend we finished what seemed to be the entire goat, from the intestines , to the liver it was all consumed. All the food that was eaten was grown there. That is were all of there food comes from and if there is none grown then they are not be to be feed. Recently there was a famine and barely made it through, also Musa had just been bit by a "flying snake" and almost died but was still doing so much work while I was there! So incredible! He has been there since 1941 and there has not ever been a Muzungu(a white person) there. People were coming all night just to see if I was really there. Even some men had made some bet that I was not really there. It was quite an sight. Then al so to fetch water was a very distance process, first take cans about 1/2 mile away down into the jungle, then bath there so that you didnt need to waste water, then fill the can again and head out and up the hill back to the house. Also the house ha just been put there by on of Musas sons because his 3rd hut had fallen in. I could go on and on of stories that were told! It was really an amazing thing to see though, something I will never forget!

The way of Sunday...

The way I am able to spend my Sundays is a beautiful thing!! I wake at 8 and get some food in me before I head to Njeru. It is 1500 Shilings to ride a cross the Nile and to the AOET on the hill. There they are empowering Ugandans that raise orphans. There is a small fellowship lead every Sunday by Pastor O.J. and his family. The community consists of mostly children which make for a joyous time. Always full of loud singing and they have even put together there own choir that practices every Saturday. I was able to get connected to this wonderful family through Sarah Ray. Pastor O.J. is one of the most incredible people I have ever known. I could be around him all the time he is always laughing and having caracter it is so great to see. He has had much stugggle in his life. He did not recieve shoes until age 17 if that tells you anything. He was rescued by an older sister that brought him away from his sick father that was unable to care for him. He remebers the pain of himself because he was so poorly taken care of. It was only little he was able to tell me because he said it was so painful to even remember. So now they live in a very nice place AOET has given them for 4 years then they must find a place and be on there own. This is there last year and he does not know what the Lord will bring him but if fully dependent on the Lord. His faith is incredible from even going some days with out knowing what he will feed his family for breakfast but the Lord providing a loaf of bread. It is so real. His family consists of Mama Sarah, Rachel who is an orphan and in school but on break now, then Panina who is so timid but a beautiful heart, Samuel who Sarah was able to pray and have the birth be complete, Joel also shy but is now not fearing me and baby Shalome. O.J. also tells me I am now apart of the family! I feel blessed. The way he lives his life is incredible. He has 9 pigs he feeds every morning at 5 he leaves his house on his bike and rides for 30-45 min to hotels to get scraps to feed them and that takes a couple of hours. Some days(Mon, Wen, Fri) he has to go directly from there to preach a study then from there he has a garden at home that is always needing work. Then if he has school he will go from 4-10 at night and when he returns the family will wait so he can eat. To top it off he make hospital envelopes at night to sell. It is unreal, and then he has children that needs his love and he gives them so much! I have learned so much from this true Man of God I feel so blessed to know him. This week I am praying that I am able to send his family including my self to see his village because his children have not seen yet. I do not know if things will work out there are some challenges so I ask you pray I am able to take them for a couple days. Thank you! Blessings!

Blessing to baby Marlena

A beautiful journey to Masisi lead me to a child that had no name. The baby girl was just one week and there were many struggles with their lives. The mother had asked me to name her so my name is what I gave to here. I wrote it on a small scrap of paper and the mother took it to a very safe place. The mother is not a part of Suubi but had just gone that morning to talk to a chairperson in Suubi to see if it would be possible for her to join. As soon as baby Marlena was born the father ran out. Before the child was born she was cooking alchol to make ends meet but now she was unable to do that with the child being born she is now with no income. I can only pray now that the Lord will provide for her in some way. I am hoping with all God's power there is something she is able to do! Please pray as well! The more prayers the more power! I believe that her family and friends will beable to help her because I have learned they live in community and when one is down they are all down and are open to help in any way! I praise God for that! I feel blessed to have another Marlena on the earth!

Becoming An African =)

It has been lovely living as the people do here. I have now done 2 steps of the farming here that they do. The other morning Mama Dorothy and her two daughters Margret and Charity footed me out to there gound. All people were stopping and wondering what in the world I was doing going out with them. I told them all I was digging! and they would just laugh and laugh! So once we got the the area I wraped my self so I would not get dirty and took off the shoes, grabbed a plow and awy we dug. I was blessed that it was a cool day becuase the work I was not used to. We just took out all of the weeds so the following week they could plant. After a couple of hours we completed the work and headed back home. There I was given water to wash and they brought me bananas and a coke. I then beaded some necklaces for her. Her other daughter had been cooking so she finally allowed me to help and I ground sim sim into a kind of peanut butter look. It was hard work but I was glad to be "managing" it!!
Today I have just returned to town from planting with a lady Betty, or Mama Grace. She is very fluent in English and knows a lot. Planting was much better. One would put in holes and the other would put a few beans or corns into the hole and cover it! It was a hot day though so I think I sweated more today! hah
So slowly I am learning the way of a realy African. I am not ever able to reallly become one until one thing: I marry an African!!! Iye Iye Iye!! Only if the Lord whiling!

Ahhh the beautys of Africa!!!

Hello!!! I have now found a good place to connect to you all!! hah So this here is some food I was served before teaching English class the other day! JaJa Margret said I must eat before I teach, it is a nice chunk of fish with posho and white ants! yum!! I am feed more than enough to fill my belly every womans house I go to! It is wonderful that i don't have to worry about eating I can just go! The woman I am with there is Grace she is a whole lot of fun. Only little English but she knows how to have a good time. I really love her. Her energy is so friendly and welcoming it makes me feel as if I have known her for ages!!
I have just begun a Campeners here for Young Life Jinja which is just a few blocks away! It has been really fun to begin but wants me to stay permanently, I will just have to trust that God will keep it going when I depart. I am sorry I can't tell everything. Everyday is a new story and I will try to get them all to here sometime!!
Today is a off day I have just been roaming around with my friend Sera here that has the home of boys, she is showing me the good spots!! It is nice to have someone to connect to. She is from Rwanda but I feel as if we are long lost sisters :) She is wonderful!! Much love to you all i will try to keep writing!

mpola-mpola

Slow-slow, the pase of the Africans! The way they live there life is something to take after. They walk and talk and be so at such a slow pase. Never in a rush or worry about things. This is something I love and hope to learn from. Things have been so wonderful here in Jinja Town. The team from Yobel Market has just returned home so now I will be really starting to connect here and find the way! The people here are incredible, there kindness is unheard of and there devotion is so intense. We have been traveling all about the town to the many different ministries here and about. People are really making an impact. We all need each other.
Today the first women of Subbi received a bank account. Natalina was so over joyed to have finally be able to hold her money in a bank safely. The account was free to open up she just had to have a certain amount to open it. She has 11 children under her and is always smiling. Such a wonderful women of God. The gift is so small but yet it is a day that she will always remember!
Last night was my first visit to the boys home. The ministry is Caring Place and is about a 2 minute walk. There about about a year ago some westerners came over and saw the need of a place for street kids. They connected with a gracous women Sarah from Rawanda and took the start. The boys they took in had been living off the streets. They range from 5-13 and there is 15 boys they care for now. They rent a house and teach them and play with them so that they will stay. They love soccer and games. Some have run away but the most of them have stayed for food and a bed to sleep. It is incredible the things that are able to be done here. That is just the gist of the organization but things like that just keep showing up! But there is never enough so much help is needed.Be inspired pary for Him to show you what you can begin!
Because of the oppression of the weak and the groan of the needy,God will rise Now! Psalm 12:5
Now off to visit a women Claira who was resently in a collision of 3 Bodas(motorcycle). I believe she is recovering well but a visit will hopefully bring more healing with prayer.

Miracles in the Preparation

To say the least there have been powerful things happening as I prepare to head off to Uganda. As the day approaches, approximately 15 days, God is working throughout me.
To being, I knew one thing I must have before entering into Uganda was a Yellow Fever shot. As I began to find out where and how to get it, I knew that it was going to have to cost me. I had no idea what the price might be. Just days before I was going to receive the shot an unexpected check came into the mail for a very odd amount. It ended up that this check was just dollars aways from the exact amount that the shot was going to cost me! Tears of Joy came for I knew the Lord was working. About a week after that I also realized I must purchase Malaria pills, people helping me get things together just let me know to buy on month worth in the States because they are much cheaper in Africa. Once again I did not know how much these were going to cost me. As I went to get rung up for the month of pills I handed the clerk my insurance card,while crossing my fingers, although insrance companies do not cover for things like this. She had said to me " You cannot pay anything less than nothing". I was in shock. My doctors back home had the insurance information already and it was covered! I had later written my friends in Uganda to tell them that, they told me they had never herd of that happening! Tears of Joy kept falling.
As the date was approaching I really looked into my itinerary. I remembered that I would be staying a night in Ethiopia, as a layover. This now became more of a reality. Mind you I am already flying over there by my self. I was a little worried. A friend of mine,Sarah Ray,that helped me out with getting to Uganda, had told me there was ministry in Ethiopia that I could connect with. So I emailed her in hopes to get a plan for my night there. The very next day my travel agent called and told me that my flight was changed and I would not be staying the night and I would be leaving a day earlier! What a blessing.
That very night Sarah Ray called and had promptly asked me if it would be ok if she roomed with me my first week in Uganda! Laughing we agreed it would be a perfect plan. I just recently found out she would even be there for a part of when I would be there. So I could truly not stop laughing after getting that great news! What comfort He brings to those who need it!
Then to really top things off I had been planing on bringing 3, 100 dollar bills as my cash while I am there. The exchange rate is better with bigger bills.This was one of the last large things to get before leaving. I had not let anyone know this. Then it was gifted to me in the exact form and all. Many Tears of Joy came flowing out, as if He were right there letting me know not to worry about such little things as money. The least of my worries now is money. When before it was consuming all my thoughts.
He really will make things happen if it is what He is wanting to do in your life. Let Him be in control!!