DATELINE:  Near Byali, Uganda.  10:43 P.M Village time.  That’s 2:43 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

I’M IN DE-NILE!

This morning our team had a wonderful and unique opportunity.  Because Cindy leaves tomorrow, she needed some time alone with the children to explain to them about what is happening over the next few weeks.  Mike suggested that this might be a great time for us to go exploring on the Nile…and who were we to argue with that logic?!?

So off we went…in the tipper once again. Read the rest of this entry »

DATELINE:  Village of Hope, near Biyali, Uganda.  7:09 P.M. Village time.  That’s 11:09 A.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

THE MISSION BEGINS!

This was our first full day at the Village. We enjoyed a breakfast of french toast - which may simply be fried sweet bread - but it was REALLY good!  After breakfast, we spent some time in prayer, specifically for the Village of Hope.  There was an outside chance that an important decision could be made today, and we felt a great need to pray on behalf of those involved in the decision-making process, and for the outcome to be favorable.

There had been an issue with getting the examinations printed for the children, so Careenna and Connor spent some time in the “office” typing up the mathematics exams for the children to take tomorrow.  While they worked on that, several others of us went down to the school office to organize the supplies we had brought, as well as the clothes and ESL and craft materials.

It took much longer for Connor and Careenna to finish the exam, but once they were done we were able to have our team devotionals.  Dave had asked me if I’d be willing to share devotions today and of course, I was happy to oblige. Read the rest of this entry »

DATELINE:  Gulu, Uganda.  10:15 P.M. Gulu time.  That’s 2:15 P.M. for those of you keeping score at home.

WORSHIP

What a day!  What an amazing, incredible, glorious day!  A day filled with the joy of the Lord and His incredible presence here with us! Read the rest of this entry »

DATELINE:  Gulu, Uganda.  9:39 P.M. Gulu time.  That’s 1:39 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME

What a day!  What an amazing, incredible, beautiful, heartbreaking day! Read the rest of this entry »

DATELINE: Gulu, Uganda.  8:02 P.M.  That’s 12:02 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

THE LONG AND BUMPY ROAD

Today, we made it to Gulu!

Because things have begun to settle down after the bombings in Kampala, the VoH board decided to have us drive after all.  Charles-the-Driver (not to be confused with the Charles of Rose-and-Charles fame) arrived to pick us up…with Asunta!!  It was SO GOOD to see them again! Read the rest of this entry »

DATELINE:  Entebbe, Uganda.  11:04 P.M. Gulu time.  That’s 3:04 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

We made it to Africa!  It’s been a full 24 hours since we left American soil.  It’s hard to believe, but we’re actually HERE!! Read the rest of this entry »

Note:  These blog entries are taken directly from my journaling over the past two weeks.  I have backdated them to reflect the actual dates and times of my writing.  And I promise to do a better job of blogging this trip than the one I took in November.  Who knows, I might even write about the entire trip this time!?!

DATELINE: August 4, 2010.  6:04 P.M. CST.  That’s 2:04 A.M. Gulu time for those of you keeping score at home.

Today, I return to Africa.  Technically, I’ll only make it halfway - to Amsterdam - today.  I’ll make it to Africa tomorrow.  Even in terms of Dallas time.

Regardless, I’m going back!  What an honor, a privilege this is! Read the rest of this entry »

In the words of a current local sports team slogan….It’s time.

Time to go.  Time to be the hands and feet of Jesus to desperate and needy children.  Time to share love and hope with children who have suffered unimaginable loss and sorrow.  Time to speak words of healing and joy to those who are lost and hurting.

Time to teach.  Time to put all those materials we’ve been collecting over the past few weeks to good use.  Time to use my God-given skills and abilities into practice.  Time to listen, to learn, to anticipate, to react, to adjust, to be creative, to be flexible.

Time to learn.  Time to open my heart and mind to what God will teach me.  Time to allow Him to speak directly into my soul, showing me what He wants me to know.  Time to be still, to meditate, to ponder, to think, to drink Him in deeply in a brand new context.

But most of all, it’s time to give up.  Time to give up my “self” and let Him take over.  Time to open my hands and release all control.  Time to allow Him to be my voice and His words to speak through me.  Time to be His hands and feet and let Him serve through me.  Time to let “me” be invisible, so that only He shines through.

Yep, it’s time.  Time to go back to Africa.  Time to love on these precious children who have never been far away in my thoughts.  Time to see what God has done in the past 8 months.  Time to reconnect and form new friendships as we journey together in a strange land, a completely different culture where WE are the outsiders.   Time to pull myself away from the comforts I’ve grown so accustomed to and live outside that comfort zone in order to more deeply connect to those I seek to minister to.  Time to hug my babies, kiss my husband, drink in the moments that have brought me here.

It’s time.  And by God’s grace, I’m ready.

Sometimes, I’m such a twit.  I can’t tell you how glad I am that God, in His infinite patience and endless love and mercy, never actually says that to me.  But I’m sure there are times He must feel like it.

This epiphany came to me this weekend after spending several days trying to climb out of the deep dark emotional funk I’ve been in.  The circumstances of the past couple of weeks, coupled with a never-ending list of stuff I gotta do, have worn me down.  Physically, I’m tired.  Mentally, I’m frazzled.  And spiritually, I’m empty.  The sum of all these parts is depression.  Darkness.  Despair.  And as much as I hate being in that place, I’ve been unable to find my way out.

Until this morning.

As the sun pierced through the windows in my studio, it was like God opened a ray of light into my soul and spoke directly to my heart.  I was re-reading our passage of study for our Uganda trip meeting when suddenly He had me park here for awhile:

I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.  John 17:15

As I meditated on this, He gently moved my eyes back a few verses to read this:

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.  John 16:33

And then He sent me here:

Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  James 1:2-3

You’re probably more of a quick study than me.  By now, you’ve probably noticed a theme, a trend, an obvious connection.  Eventually, I did too.  But what struck me is that these verses contain a promise, too.  Maybe not a happy, all-warm-and-fuzzy, let’s-get-together-and-sing-Kum-ba-Yah kind of promise, but a promise nonetheless.  These verses promise us that as believers - heck, as human beings - we will experience trials.  There’s no escaping them.  We might as well accept that fact and be prepared, because it’s gonna happen.  Cancer.  Job loss.  Accidents.  Political strife.  Some trials are more difficult than others, but there is no escaping that promise.  Trials will happen.  Life is hard.

Oddly enough, as God reminded me of this promise, I began to feel energized.  Renewed.  Fearless.  And - ironically - hopeful.  Crazy as it seems, this reminder that hardship is inescapable, that trials are promised, that life is difficult brought me a sense of calm and restored optimism.  Because there is more to the story.  Like all optimists, I search for the silver lining.  And there’s a big one.

Our trials have a happy ending.  It’s guaranteed.  I don’t know exactly what that happy ending is, because it’s different for everyone and unique to each situation.  We are protected from the evil one.  Christ has overcome the world.  We have the strength to endure - which means an end is in sight.  We will get through it.  We will succeed.  We will have joy once again.  Just read those verses again and I’m sure you’ll see it.

Is it any wonder, then, that this song spoke so deeply to me this morning as I had the privilege of singing it at church with my favorite trio?

Most people, when they are preparing for a mission trip, spend a lot of time shopping for supplies for international travel.  They shop for new clothes appropriate for the culture in which they’ll be traveling and the work they will be doing.  They purchase snacks and little travel-size toiletries and certain creature comforts which may be difficult to find in a foreign land.  They get immunized and ensure their passport is ready and do research on their country and maybe even learn a few words in the natives’ language.

So what do I do?

I get my team together for a COPY PARTY!!

I couldn’t understand why one person was particularly excited about this event until I realized she thought I said, “COFFEE PARTY.”  Needless to say, my party didn’t exactly live up to her expectations.

We met up at church yesterday to begin the VERY BIG task of copying the materials we will use during our ESL lessons.  With 72 children, that means a lot of copying, cutting, collating, and laminating.  I must admit, I get a serious adrenaline rush just thinking about it.  Seeing the ideas in my head come to life, watching as our team comes together for a common goal, knowing we’re doing something good and making a long-term impact in the lives of others is enough to boggle my mind sometimes.

But enough about deep thoughts and serious moments.  So there we were, makin’ copies.  On the copy machine.  Bein’ the copymeister.

And for those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, here:

(disclaimer: I have tried to find an original online but this is the best I can do.  It’ s not as good - or as funny - but he does capture the essence pretty well.  Just put Rob Schneider in the place of the Richmeister and imagine it’s an SNL set and you’ll be all set.)