Hello from Africa there has been so much here that GOD has allowed me to be a part of since my last email home. I told you in my last email home how I had the chance to work with the street kids and the children's ministry day at Calvary Chapel. While on June 3rd - 6th GOD gave me the opportunity to serve HIM in a very different way, this time with Missionary kids mostly Muzungu. There was around 50 or so missionaries from the IMB where here in Jinja. They were from Jinja, Kampala, Kenya and even the Sudan they were here for a 4 day prayer retreat. While they were here I had the privilege for serving as one of their children volunteers and teaching their children in VBS for those days.


I have to tell that doing VBS here in Africa is very challenging do to limited supplies and things don't always work here, like they do in the states either. I have be truly honest with you I really missed our supply closet at Tunnel Hill, being able to go Wal-Mart or calling the best church secretary around to have her order stuff for me and of course all of you who help with VBS at Tunnel Hill.

How I wish these MK and the children of Africa could see and experience how we do VBS in the states. They could not truly imagine just how VBS is suppose to be done. And you think you are tired after doing VBS from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm each night there in the states you should try doing it here in this heat from 8:30 am until 6:00 pm with only a break for lunch.

God can and does great things even with limited supplies. It was great to see these precious children bond with each other over these few days. And to hear them interact in the story telling. I looked into these precious faces of these dear boys and girls during that week and see future missionaries, Sunday school teachers, preachers and worship leaders. I can not wait to see just how GOD uses each of them as they grow up to be men and women serving HIM. I am very thankful for this chance to be a small part of their lives even if it is just for a few days.

I am also very thankful for all of your prayers during that week. I asked you specifically for a certain little preschooler and I praise GOD that I can report to you that I truly bonded with that precious little boy and I am ever thankful to report to you that your prayers were answered and he never said “THAT WORD” the whole time I had him. Please continue to remember him and his family in your prayers as the face great challenges in the Sudan.

On Sunday I had the chance to not only serve the children but also serve all their parents as well. We had on last meal together before they all headed back to their homes. We went eat at Serge’s for pizza and he were short handed and since he is husband to the owner of the baby cottage I serve at I filled in for him and took drink orders and delivered drinks and pizzas to over 70 people. (GOD will use you in a lot of ways if you are just willing to let HIM).

This week I got a great and wonderful surprise from home it was the care package that the Boyd’s, Smith’s, and all of the McClain’s sent me. It was wonderful to receive this fantastic care package. It made my day and the day of so many others as I shared what was in side.

I have to tell you I never knew how such little things can make someone so happy. You see about 4 weeks ago how Mama Agatha one of the dear Ugandan ladies (she is our Ugandan case worker) asked me if I had brought some extra notebooks with me and I told her no I had not. But I had forgotten that I had asked Julie to send me some so when she came into the office on Monday she asked me was the big box sitting there from the states and I told her yes.

Then I asked her did she remember asking me about an extra notebook and she said yes. I told her that my church family had sent me some and I would give her one. She could not believe that I would share with her what you sent me from the states. So I reached down inside that box to pull out a simple spiral notebook and handed it to her and you would have thought that I had given a million dollars. She hugged me and thanked me over and over so I asked her would one be enough she told me she would make it do. I told her that they had sent me several so I pulled out another one and handed it to her and she hugged and thanked me over and over and told me mama you have truly blessed me with your gift.

Even after being here almost 12 weeks now it still amazes me just how they are so excited over the littlest of things here. That same afternoon I opened a bag a gold fish crackers and shared them with her and several of the other Ugandan ladies here and they had never had anything like that before and to hear and see the excitement when they try these things is totally amazing.

One of the other things in my box that I was very excited about getting was applesauce (which I have been craving but Julie did not know that). On Wednesday I had given Agatha a strawberry granola bar and that got us started on another one of my great conversations about American this one was on farming and canning.

We got to talking about apples and what all can be done with them and I mentioned applesauce. She had never heard of it let alone tried it so I told her that was one of the items in my care package. I told her to hold on of just one minute while I ran up stairs to get something for her. I returned with a cup of applesauce and a spoon. She opened it and ate every last bite she said it was great and thanked me for sharing my American food with her and introducing her to applesauce.

I can not tell you just how much I appreciates all that you have sent me and these dear people. I just want you to know that GOD has used it in ways you can not imagine and for HIS honor and glory alone. So thank you a hundred times over for everything you have done and for all your prayers. I know that this may not seem like big things to you but to these dear ladies it means the world to them and to me that you sent these things. Thank you again for all you have done.

On Wednesday during our ladies bible study we were talking about going to some of the villages and I was telling them I had not been to the village yet here in Uganda and I missed that. Teresha who is the founder of “SPRING of HOPE” ministry said Friday was her clinical and she could really use the help if I wanted to come ago. I told her I would love to and that I would try to get her some other help too.

On Thursday it was truly bitter sweet for me as I moved from the baby’s home in to the owner’s parents house to house sit for the next few months at least. I know I need time away from the baby’s home but I also hated to move because I have been with my roommate Sarah for over 2 ½ months now and hated to leave her and the other volunteers that I had gotten close to. I also don’t know if I will feel safe in a big house by myself when I have lived in a room no bigger than Larry Anderson’s Sunday school class for almost 3 months now with at least 3 to 5 other girls. I moved in with Corky’s wife Dorothy and their daughter Stephanie and 3 of her 7 children. Stephanie has been her 8 months now working on her 3rd adoption here and they will be leaving here just as soon has she gets their visa worked out then I will be alone in this big house.

One of the things that I have done an awful lot of even before I ever left America and arrived in here in Africa is saying good bye, whether it was saying good bye to family and friends back home or to the people here that GOD places in my life for just a short time. I have to tell you that it does never gets any easier no matter who it is or how short a time you have known the person. Thursday night was another one of those nights where we had another one of our good bye dinners and to say our final good byes before someone else left to go back to the states. You know GOD puts people in our lives at just the right season and HIS perfect time so whether it is for a few weeks or for years GOD timing is perfect.

On Friday morning me & my roommate Sarah got up early to meet Teresha Clark of SPRING OF HOPE ministry who is one of the organizations' founders (she has a passion for helping children living with disabilities and epilepsy). We took boda bodas to the taxi park where we got on a van licensed for 14 and ended up with 22. At one point there were 5 people setting in the seat with me on a seat made for 3.

We took the taxi to the this little town were we met Teresha’s team of 3 Ugandan men, Emma (who teaches daily living skills to the children and as the Luganda translator), Charles (records, bookkeeping, organization during the clinic and education), and Moses (an occupational therapist that does a lot of PT and education as well). We all got on another van to drive into the village where there clinic is set up.

We arrived to fined a tent full of people waiting to be seen and waiting for their medication to be given out to them. Teresha had asked me would I be willing to do a GOD slot when we got there. I set under the tent with Charles as he took roll. I started my GOD spot by telling them that in the states we were getting ready to celebrate Father’s Day and I wanted to tell them about a Father that loved them so much that HE gave HIS one and only son for them and that HE would never leave them or forsake them. As I spoke Emma translated for me.

I went in to help count out pills for the clinic for a while. Then I came outside sit with Charles as he took roll. It was then that this little boy came up and grabbed my hand and tried to talk to me as only he could because you see he was deaf. His mother came up and told Charles that he needed to go beck to the deaf school but she had no money to send him. We told her that we would do what we could to send him. She told me as he was trying to communicate with me that he really loved Muzungu. I told her this muzungu loved him too.

I went back in to help count more pills when Moses came in from his nutrition class to tell Teresha that there were two that needed to go to the hospital. He asked what can we do to get them there so she turn to me ( you see on the van ride there she was talking about there need for sponsors so I had told her that GOD had provide some unexpected funds this week from a couple churches back home). Teresha look at me and said you had some extra money with you can you pay to send these kids to the doctor. I told her yes I GOD blessed me with this extra money this week that I was not expecting so yes I will help them. So I gave her the money and Moses asked me to walk back out to his class to met these two mom’s and their children.

It was there in Moses’ nutrition class that I noticed this mom holding this little girl. I am telling you that I have never seen anything like it before, you always hear about starving kids in Africa until you see it with your own eyes you can‘t believe it. This child’s arms and legs are no bigger then a stick. I have never seen anyone so skinny in my life. Moses turned to me and said that this little girl is 14 years old which I could not believe she looked to me be no older than 7 or 8 years old. I have never seen anything so sad as this little girl. She had malaria at 3 months of age, she doesn't talk, has never walked. Moses left me with them while he went in to get Teresha and she came out see this child. She said they needed money to feed this precious child. I gave the mother what they told me to give to feed this child for one month then they explain that they would be checking in on this child weekly to make sure she is improving & that the mother spends the money on milk for her.

I then when back into the clinic to help count out more medication and help out any way they needed. Spring of Hope ministry http://www.springofhope.org.uk/index.html works to provides Phenobarbital (anti-seizure medication) and folic acid (supplement) to 140 children with epilepsy. When we ended our day it was to get back on the van to leave out of that village and we took the little deaf boy that I started my day out with, with us so we could drop him off at one of the deaf schools.

Then we made one last stop and went to check on a 16 year old that they had found lying in the streets on Tuesday having a epileptic seizures. She has a one year old child that her grandmother is raising. She does not live with her grandmother she lives on the porch of a store in the village because of her condition and a mental illness and while she sleeps on that porch men who come and rape her in the dark of night. This is how she gets money to eat. Moses said that she will probably make 200 Ugandan Shillings (about 10 cents) for sleeping with them. We stopped by to check on her and Sarah and I gave the team money to get her medicine and buy her some food. They will continue to check up on her and hope that one day she will be able to go home.

I praise GOD for this opportunity to be a small part of what this great team is trying to do for GOD here in UGANDA and I look forward to serving with them again. Thank you to those who sent me extra money this week so that it come be used for these dear precious children. Thank you for all your prayers for me.

Continue to pray for these dear families who are trying to get home with there children and get all their paper work done. Gwen arrived back in Uganda on Wednesday and went to her visa appointment Friday now it is just wait and see what they ask for next. It was so good to see her and to she her with her babies.

Today is Tuesday and I received another fantastic care package from home this box was from JoAnn, Geneath, Judy, Judy, Missy and Carole. It was great and everyone is jealous of my American snacks. So I have been sharing with my Ugandan buddy’s and the family I am living with at the moment who has been here 8 months. So thank you so, so much for loving me so much and for sending me a care package.

Please remember me in your prayers as I fly to Kenya tomorrow to visit with Martin and the staff of PA for a couple days. Please pray that GOD will use me in Kenya these days. Pray for safe as I will be returning late on Saturday night and traveling through the forest after midnight and that is not always safe. Please continue to pray that GOD will be glorified and that HIS will is done. Please pray as I will be taking on a new roll at the babies home when I return on top of handling all the business there. They have asked me to help Agatha in reuniting the children that we have who have families in Uganda and to help with the home visits. Also pray as I have also been asked to help Teresha in her ministry and an other missionary has asked if I would pray about working with the street kids on a weekly bases. So please pray that GOD’S will is done.

Thank you for all your prayers for me and I miss you all so, so much. It is hard for me to believe that I have been gone three months. I stand amazed at what I have see GOD do in those three months and just what HE has taught me. I do miss being with each of you and being a part of what you are doing. But I know GOD has a mighty plan here and I am very honored to be just a small part of what HE is doing. I can not wait to see what HE does next and where HE leads me from here. I never imagined that I would have ever been a part of the things HE has allowed me to be a part of and oh the lessons HE has taught me.