24/7/2010

24/7/2010


Olyotya (How are you?)--I pray this email finds you all well and please know that you are daily in my thoughts and prayers here in Africa. It is hard for me to believe I have now been away from all you and been here in Africa for four months. It has now been a year since my first “AMAZING” trip to Kenya last year and what an “AWESOME’ year it has been. Webaale (Thank you)---for all your prayers for me. I am very fortunate to be from such a praying, loving, and caring church family.

This morning as I lay here in bed with a fever and a very bad sore throat (there is a bad verse that has been going around for several weeks here and it is my turn to have it). What better time for me to watch videos from home and send you all an update from Uganda. I have been watching the “Amazing” revival you had in April and it is so good to see all of your smiling facings and hear “Awesome” choir of Tunnel Hill 1st Baptist. I praise GOD for each and everyone of you and thank for allow me to be a part of your family. Oh how I miss being there and serving there with all of you in Tunnel Hill but I know God has called me to serve HIM here.

“HERE I AM“

“Sometimes your calling, comes in dream Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze,
You reach for the deepest hope in me, And call out for the things of eternity. But I'm a man, of dust and stains, You move in me, so I can say,
CHORUS:
Here I am, Lord send me, All of my life, I make an offering, Here I am, Lord send me, Somehow my story, Is part of your plan, Here I am
When setbacks and failures, and upset plans, Test my faith and leave me with empty hands, Are you not the closest when it's hardest to stand? I know that you will finish what you began.
These broken parts you redeem, Become the song, that I can sing
(chorus)
Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness, And the fear that I'll fail you in the end, In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces, I can't put this together but you can.”

As I listen to the words of this song and they hit home for me. I have to tell you it still blows my mind that somehow my story, is part of HIS plan, and that HE chose to use me even with all my setbacks and failures, and upset plans, and believe me they test my faith and leave me with empty hands, standing here overwhelmed here in Uganda on a daily bases wondering why am I even here, wondering what good am I doing and there are days I am so overwhelmed by my weakness and fears that I have failed HIM here in Uganda.

But I know that in my weakness and brokenness HE is made strong and HE will pick up all the broken pieces and make it into what He intended for it to be. And I also know that GOD will finish what HE began in me here in Uganda.

And to be honest with you I may never know why HE chose to send me here to JINJA UGANDA or what my real purpose for being here was. But one thing I know without a doubt is that GOD HIMSELF is the one who sent me here to serve HIM however HE see fit and where ever HE needs me to sever that day. For instates just like today HE needed me to be home sick in bed with a fever and sore throat.

I may never see the fruits of any of my labor here and that is ok . GOD has allowed me to helped HIM tilled the ground and helped HIM plant some of the seeds here. And one day GOD will harvest what HE was planted here. To HIM be the GLORY AND HONOR FOR IT ALL.

I HAVE TO TELL YOU HE HAS DONE SO TRULY REMARKABLE THING IN MY LIFE IN THIS PAST YEAR AND ESPECIALLY THESE FOUR MONTHS THAT I HAVE BEEN IN AFRICA. And it is all because HE has been the one writing HIS story in life not me. When I left my dear family and friends back in Tunnel Hill 126 days ago now I had really NO idea what I would be doing here or even where I would live or how long I would be here. Since I have arrived in Jinja on March 24th I have had the honor and opportunity to serve GOD in so many, many ways. I have been BLESSED beyond measure by people here and in the states. HE has provided a place to stay and so much more. For all of this I give GOD the HONOR and GLORY for it is HE that has done all of this not me.

In these short 4 months HE has opened my heart and eyes in so many ways and to things I never imagined. I have been able to serve HIM in areas I never dreamed possible. He has given me the opportunity to serve HIM in an very small office on a computer doing while the books for Amani (I have gotten to share HIS love with some of my Uganda MAMAS while making sure they are paid and babies have food to eat, I have even gotten Mama Agatha hooked on my “American Praise and Worship music). HE gives me the chance to hold and love on babies and children all day long. HE has also given me the opportunity to be an encouragement to several of young ladies who have come here to volunteer at the babies home over these 4 months. HE has allowed be to teach MK kids VBS and to serve and minister to their parents. HE has given me the to work with one of the local church in children’s ministry. HE has given me the honor and privilege to get to know and teach 18 boys who once were street kids (I go once a week to tell them a bible stories and teach bible verses from bible drill). HE has blessed me by allowing me to be able to be a part of “Spring of Hope’ once a month by going out into one the village to help care for disabled kids and because of HIS previsions I have the honor of being the sponsor for 2 of those dear precious children. HE has given me time and time again to share HIS story the one that HE has written on my life to the people here. HE has allowed me to become very close to several of the missionary’s kids and Ugandan mama’s kids here and I am very honored to be called their “Auntie” and they know I love them and would do anything I can for them. HE has allowed to see 4 children go to the states and 6 go back to their families here in Uganda since I have been here. HE has also found family for one child that we did not know about. HE has blessed me to be a good neighbor because when HE blesses me with food and things and I share everything I have with my neighbor and her family (she told me that I am a very good neighbor and that that is hard to find here in Africa she also told me that she believes that GOD did not send me here for Amani but that HE sent me here for her and her family). GOD has given me the opportunity to serve HIM in so many ways including sickness and now even death.

So where do I even begin this email there has been so much take place since my last newsletter home. I know I serve a BIG, and MIGHTY GOD who PROVIDES and PROTECTS me everyday of my life.

Here is one great example of HIS protection over me here; as most of you have heard by now on 11 July 2010 at least 74 people have been killed in twin bomb attacks in Kampala (about a 2 hour drive away from me). The victims were watching the FIFA World Cup final in Kyadondo Rugby Club and the Ethiopian Restaurant. Al Shabab, a militant Somali Islamism group claimed responsibility. It claims the attacks were in retaliation for Uganda's decision to send peace keepers to Somalia.

I am very thankful for GOD’S protection and intervention in this because as I shared with some of you already; me and our medical director (Siouxanne) had originally planned on going to Kampala that weekend so I could get lab work done but thanks to GOD’S intervention it ended up being the second Friday of the month which when I go out to one of the villages with “Spring of Hope” to give out medicines to sick and disabled children and so I had asked Siouxanne could we reschedule for the next weekend. So on Monday when we heard about what had happen we both PRAISED GOD for HIS PERFECT TIMING and PROTECTION because HE is the one who rescheduled our trip and kept us out of harms way for one of the place we would have gone would have been that Ethiopian restaurant.

We have been asked to take precautions by the U.S. Embassy in Uganda they are encouraging U.S. citizens in Uganda to strongly consider the risk of attending large public gatherings because these events can provide vulnerable targets for extremist or terrorist groups.

There was a big agriculture fair here in Jinja that started 2 days after the bombing that brought in people from all over Africa (it has held in a field just down the road from the house I am in). So to be on the safe side we told all our volunteers not to attend just in case that was the next target and we have also stopped meeting as big group at on of the local restaurants here just to be safe (it is ran by Muslims and they know a large group of American meet there every Sunday at 6:30). There is also a big summit of all the Africa leaders that just started in Kampala so continue to pray for safety here.

I just want to THANK YOU for all your prayers for “Baby Peace” has most of you know by now she went home to rest in the arms of JESUS on 17 July 2010 after much suffering and sickness. Please continue to pray for her mom Ashley. As you know it is never easy to say goodbye or to let go of someone you love especially a child. But Peace’s little body had so much fighting against her (she has HIV positive, she had TB, pneumonia

and they were afraid that she also had cerebral palsy. GOD in HIS great wisdom showed HIS mercy on this dear child and took her home with HIM to be HEALED. But it was very hard for this young mother it have to let her go but through HIS GRACE she was not only able to pray Lord of she can not get well please don’t let her suffer any please take her home to be with you and it was also through HIS GRACE she was able to take her little body back to village from which she came to be buried by her dad.

This was very hard it was a very hard and very bumpy 3 hour ride to this little village and shortly after we arrived in the village Peace birth mom came to Ashley and said “now that Peace gone why don’t you take Sharon“ ( Peace’s older sister who is 3). Several of you have asked about this little girl, Ashley did not take her because she is a health and happy here in her own village being raised by her Grandmother (her father’s mother) and she does NOT have HIV so her chances for survival here are good and she is loved by her father’s family. Ashley said she did not believe you should take a health, happy child out of the village she loves. Please continue to pray for Ashley and her other daughter Diana (who also is HIV positive).

I thank GOD for Ashley and her willingness to love these sick children. I also thank GOD that HE allowed me to be there for Ashley in her time of need that only HE could do.

We have see a lot of death here in Uganda these last few weeks. This past Wednesday a boat went down on the lake here with between 30 to 45 people on board. No one could swim and the bodies were not recovered. They don’t know if it was because the boat was to full or because the very hard rains we had that afternoon or maybe even both. So please keep these families in your prayers.

I PRAISE GOD that we had oxygen here at the babies home and was able to take care of Peace when the hospital ran out. I also PRAISE GOD that 2 of our children got to go back home with their father. Mebra and Isaac our oldest set of twins. Their mom died when they were babies and they have been with us since they were little. Their father always come to check on them and always said one day he would be able to take them back home and that day has finally came.

Yesterday we had “Christmas in July” at the babies home with all the “mamas”. The mamas called it “The Day of Love”. We exchanged names a couple weeks ago with mamas. They were so excited about this day that they are the ones who set the limit for it for the gift we were to spend at least 10,000 shillings which is $5.00 USD which meant that a lot of them had to really sacrificed to buy their friends gift. We arrived and they were all in their smart clothes and so excited to exchange their gift. So some mamas gave glass ware, pots, pans, dishes, even clothes and other things. They laughed, sang and danced they all had such a great time. Then we had homemade cinnamon rolls and sodas.
They enjoyed the day so much that they have asked can we do it again in December.

Thank you for all your prayers and love for me. Continue to pray for HIS WILL to be done here and in my own life. Pray for Ashley has show grieves the death of her baby. Pray for the families that lost loved ones in the bombs and in the boat accident. Pray for me as I teach this young boys that they will come to know JESUS as their savior. Pray for the 53 babies we have left at the babies home that they would all get “FOREVER FAMILIES”. Please continue to pray for safety here. Pray for Martin Simiyu and Possibilities Africa as they get ready to minister to children in the village again. Teaching over 2500 children in 3 communities on Living by Christian Values. Village Vacation Bible School Monday, August 16, 2010 at 12:00am Mbeere (16th to 21st) Ahero, Bokoli (23rd to 28th). Thank you again for all prayers.