Long time, no...blog?

Sorry it has been so long since my last update! I can't believe how fast the days are going by now. It's crazy! Yesterday was, strangely, one of my favorite days so far. Breanne and I met Steven at Citizens Trust Senior Secondary School, the school we have been going to on Tuesdays for over a month now. Steven was with Douglas, an awesome Ugandan, so he came as well. I stinkin love Douglas. He has an awesome heart and is just so great to work with. Our routine with the scripture union at the school has gotten kind of, well, boring. But Douglas brought a change to all that. He just has a way of talking to groups to encourage them and get them excited about Jesus. It also helps that he is a Ugandan. He had everyone commit to bringing 5 friends each to the meeting next week and he committed to come, as well. At the end he had everyone get in groups of 3 or 4 and pray to close with each of us mzugnu in different groups. Something so simple that we never thought to do. Also, after talking tonight with him, he gave us some great insight on things we can do to really connect with these students. It's almost like we could adopt this school for the semester. He mentioned making cards for them when they start their exams to encourage them, and something as simple as buyng them pens and pencils to use for their exams. We've been trying to just do a program once a week when we have the chance to do something so much more, and Douglas helped to open our eyes to this.

Last night, the 3 of us went with Douglas to Butabika to go to a medical school and meet with students there. It was pretty much awesome. There are some incredible guys and girls there who are so eager to do great things for Christ! I got to see one of the dorm rooms. It was about 3 or 4 times the size of my closet back home and had 2 bunk beds, so 4 guys stayed in each room. We rode with Douglas in a car he is borrowing from some missionaries who are stateside [I think], and that's been an experience. Ugandans are interesting drivers, to say the least. The car was pretty cool. It is a Mitsubishi Pajero, an older model, but it had leather, armrests that folded down on both sides of the back seats, and get this, an oversized sunroof over just the back seat. I decided that it might just be the African equivalent to a town car or some other car good for having a chauffeur . :) On the way home we opened up the sunroof and looked out at the clear night sky. Marvelous.

But enough about cars. I'm excited about the days ahead. I am going to be putting a video together for the missionaries here, a presentation of the different ministries going on here. I will hopefully be going out with the different missionaries in the days and weeks ahead to take pictures at different sites. Also, looking at possibly going to an orphanage in Jinja sometime next week with Hannah and Breanne.

I just discovered Stewart and Kelsey's blogs online, so I added them to the links on the right. I'm so excited about all the things God is doing back home in the lives of my friends! I'm so proud of the huge leaps of faith that people are taking in trusting God with things. It's awesome that people are seeing that there is something greater in life than just the "American dream." To my friends back home: you are all amazing! Keep striving to do good things for God, and in turn, He will turn them into GREAT things! I am so seriously proud of all of you and miss everyone so stinkin much! I love you and am praying for you all!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and love. Continue to glorify God in all you DO! [keyword: DO something!]

New Album: Uganda [thus far] 10

The most annoying thing in the world...

is the sound of a mosquito buzzing in my ear! So many mosquitos...

I mean, I am outside but still. There's a whole lot of 'em out tonight. Just thought I'd share. :)

So, about those pictures...

I know a few blogs ago I said that I am constantly updating and uploading photos, and that's half true. I have been updating my photos on Facebook, but I've been slacking on uploading them to Photobucket for non-Facebook users. Until I get a chance to upload photos to Photobucket, here are links to my albums on Facebook:

Uganda [thus far] 9
Uganda [thus far] 8
Uganda [thus far] 7
Uganda [thus far] 6
Uganda [thus far] 5
Uganda [thus far] 4
Uganda [thus far] 3
Uganda [thus far] 2
Uganda [thus far]

Thanks for your continued prayers and love!

Haggling with a Boda Driver

Driver: Hello, my friends! [this is how they try to get passengers as people walk by]
Stephen: Muyenga, Tank Hill. 2,000 schillings
Driver: 3,000
Stephen 2,000
Driver: 2,500
Stephen: 2,000
Driver: Okay, let's go.

Victory. My mother would be proud...

Halfway there...

Today marks the halfway point in my journey here in Africa. It's crazy that it has already been that long, and at the same time it's nice to know that I'm that much closer to being back home. I want to thank everyone so much for the encouraging notes and messages for my family and I after last weekend. I really appreciate the prayers so much!

Steven and I got moved into our house this past week. We moved into the house that the girls were living in and now they have moved into another place. The BMU has these big storage containers on the compound that are full of household items to stock missionary's homes here, so I got to go through and pick out a bunch of stuff for the house. That was fun. A lot of the stuff is kind of old [think 70s and 80s type decor] but it works. It's a really awesome house, but we have to walk back down to the guest house (where we were staying) in order to use the internet. That's one reason I haven't given an update in a while. It's nice waking up in the morning and not thinking, "I need to check my email." Well even if that's the first thing I think of when I wake up, I then remind myself that I can't.

In reflecting back on the past 2 or so months and seeing where we are now, I'm not sure what to think. At times it seems that we haven't accomplished a lot, but that the same time, I know that God has done so much in me and that He is still working in me. It's crazy how many things I see here that parallel ministries back home. It's helped me to see how much effort and love it takes to do [especially to start] any kind of ministry, whether in Africa or in Bartlett. It's given me a greater respect for missionaries and has just opened my eyes to what the life of a missionary is really like. It should be just like any other Christian's life. The only difference is that we are taken out of our familiar culture and immersed in a foreign culture. For any Christian, our lives should still be all about telling people this incredible thing that we know. That there is something wrong with us. We are separated from God, but He loved us so much that He came back for us. And He's coming back again!

Being the first Hands On team here in Uganda, we are kind of the guinea pigs. And I knew that going into this and from just about every mission trip I've ever been on, I know one of the most important things is to be flexible. Thankfully, God has prepared me in so many ways for this experience, even in some circumstances that are somewhat humorous. I know that whatever God has planned for the rest of my time here, it will be more than I could ever achieve on my own. Anything that is accomplished is simply and utterly a gift from God, nothing of me.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10 (NIV)

May we all learn to boast in our weaknesses, that Christ's power may increase as He receives all the glory!