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!

Homesick, in more than one way...

After getting home tonight from rafting on the Nile River today, I got on the computer to check my email. In my email, I have a list of many different blogs of people I know, which update whenever they add a new blog.

And that's when I found out.

I read my sister's latest blog and learned that my grandfather had passed away. Then I got on Skype and sure enough I had voicemails from my mom and sister telling me the news. I knew that this was coming, and in the recent weeks since my time here, I just have felt in my heart that I wasn't going to be seeing Papaw when I got back home, maybe even from the moment I saw him in the hospital on July 30, the day before I left for Tanzania, when he told me he loved me and was proud of me as tears were filling his eyes (and mine).  Maybe this was God's way of preparing me for what was to come. This is the first grandparent to leave my sisters and I, and being so far from home makes it difficult for me to really grasp. I don't think it will really seem palpable or real until I get home in December and he's not there...

Despite the loss in our lives, today was a wonderful day. God is still God, and the victory is still His. I can only think of the things that I saw today, the beauty of God in the nature of Africa, and I wonder what I was looking at during the exact time that Papaw went to be with the Lord. This morning I saw my first sunrise since being here, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It was truly breathtaking. I saw more than 20 miles of the Nile River, experienced the fury of powerful rapids. I saw the bluest sky and the whitest clouds, so amazing and somehow different than any I have ever seen. All these things created by the God of the universe, and now my Papaw is in His presence worshipping Him. No more frail body or bruised bones, no aching or hurting. A new creation made for an eternity of being in the presence of and worshipping the Almighty God.

I wish that I could be at home with the rest of my family during this time, but I know that God has called me to be here serving Him. Just as Matthew 10:37-39 says, I must continue to take up my cross and follow Christ. I must realize that there is still work to be done here, all over this earth, that there is still a race to run (Hebrews 12:1-2). Even though I feel homesick more than ever, missing Papaw and friends and family back home, I can look forward to a day when I will be back home, and the day when I will truly be home with Christ, just as Papaw is. May we strive to live for Christ, spreading His name and renown wherever He takes us, that the words of 2 Timothy 4:6-8 might be true to our lives when God calls us home.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."    Matthew 10:37-39 (ESV)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."    Hebrews 12:1-2

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to al who have loved his appearing."    2 Timothy 4:6-8 (ESV)


"Homesick" by MercyMe

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me, Lord, cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why, I wonder if I'll ever know
But even if you showed me the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ there are no goodbyes
And in Christ there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

In loving memory of

THOMAS "JACK" HOWARD SHELTON, SR.

Husband, father, and Papaw

September 2, 1921 - September 26, 2008

Christmas comes early in Africa...

This afternoon felt a lot like we were opening presents as Hannah, Breanne, and I were over at the Shelton’s house looking through all the things that were sent to us from home with the mission team from Mississippi. Kind of funny, since we knew most of the things we were getting, but I guess that’s a lot how Christmas usually is, too. My parents sent me some Barbeque Pringles (they have them here, but the store down the street has been out for a couple weeks), grape jelly (yay!), fabric softener sheets (hard to find here; smells throughout the house...), peanut butter filled pretzels (that got mostly crushed in transit haha), CD-Rs & DVD-Rs (always come in handy), iPhone armband (gift to myself to use when running), and my favorite: cards from friends at church. I cannot tell you how much the messages in each of these cards mean to me. Even the simplest “praying for you” or “miss you” means so much more and brings more encouragement than anyone could ever know. Thank you all so much for encouraging me and praying for me.


Today was a good day. The team from Mississippi got here this weekend, so today was their first day of ministry. We went with them this morning to an area called Bootabika (no clue if that’s spelled right, but that’s how it sounds). We did door to door evangelism and encouraging, as the Kampala Urban Team is looking to start house churches in this area. We were witnessing to people, but also looking for persons of peace in the area to use a house or a courtyard for people to meet and fellowship in the future. Some of the groups saw many people come to Christ! My group met many who were already believers, but we spent most of our time with one woman, who did not choose to accept Christ today. I hope that you will pray for her, as we will, that God will convict her heart with the words she heard from us today, that she might have visions and dreams so that she will realize that she is in need of a Savior.


For lunch, we introduced our new friends to I<3NYK (I Love New York Kitchen) at the Garden City Mall. It was quite delicious, and they were grateful that we showed them that little gem. While we were eating lunch, the sky fell out and rained out the plan for the afternoon. I think the team ended up going shopping, but the 4 of us came back to the compound for much needed rest. It’s amazing how exhausting going out can be. After resting, Hannah, Breanne, and I went to the Shelton’s an picked up our “care packages” and Hannah stayed to watch the Shelton’s girls so that they could go out to eat with the mission team. Breanne and I came back to plan for tomorrow. We will be going to a school nearby during their lunch hour and doing a presentation of sorts. We pretty much have the hour or so to do what we want, so we decided to have a little church service. Breanne, Hannah, and I will lead four or five songs and then Steven will bring a message. That is what is on the agenda, but God could totally have something else in mind. We’ll see.

I am so excited about Wednesday. We found out yesterday that Hillsong is in town. If you look in my older posts, you’ll see that I posted the lyrics to a song sung by none other than Hillsong. I am stinkin stoked that they are here and we will [hopefully] be going to see them in concert Wednesday night. I told the Berry’s that I would have to see if I could take Darlene Zschech and the band to lunch (haha). I have no idea how big of an event it will be, but I am so excited for some Mzungu worship and songs… or better yet Australian worship and songs!

That is all I have for now. I’ll try to update again this weekend. Pictures are being uploaded constantly and randomly, so check often to see the ones I’ve added. Thanks again for your prayers and support! God is good!!

Photos Added!

Click "Photos" on the right side, a little further down the page. I added photos from Tanzania and some from Uganda so far.