Jesus Loves the Little Children!

In our typical fashion, we are once again a little behind on the blogging. BUT we have a good excuse this time, seeing as we have only had power for a couple of hours in the past 5 days, it has been near impossible to keep these posts up to date! Therefore, as always, I have a million things to say, and because I didn't space them out over many days like I should have, I will just pile them all into one blog:)

Let's see, so Wednesday as school was finishing up for the day and Mary and I were about to make our walk back home, Patrick (the Zana school Headmaster) offered to give us a ride home because it looked like it was going to rain. I was of course like, "Oh no, we're fine, we'll just walk don't worry!" But he insisted, and so just as we pulled out of the school in his car, it began to rain. But not just rain, I mean like it began to absolutely POUR!! We were having to take another teacher to a school about 15 minutes away, and let me tell you, it was one of the scariest car rides I have ever been in. The rain was coming down so hard that the road were becoming rivers, everything was flooding, you could not see 2 feet in front of you, and to make matters worse, Patrick's windshield was fogging up horribly. It was literally like driving a car blindly, and with Ugandan traffic, you do NOT want any more factors to be added to the already crazy roads! All to say, we made it home safely, and I am SO grateful for Patrick's wisdom in not letting the little American girl walk just because she thinks she can:) With that storm though, our power was knocked out, and besides it coming on for a few hours Saturday evening, we have been without it since Wednesday until this very moment. There are times when it is fun to brush your teeth or read by candlelight, or eat dinner with candles, but then there are those moments in the middle of the night when you need to get to the bathroom realllyyy badddllyyy but you run in to four walls trying to get there... doesn't seem as fun then. Needless to say, I will not be taking the power here for granted anymore and am EXTREMELY grateful for the days it is working!

The past few days we have continued to enjoy teaching, learning more and more of the what the children are like as individuals, learning personalities, and FINALLY memorizing all the names! They continue to wear me out with their energy and at the age of 6, everyone loves to tattle on their neighbor. Thus, I get a constant stream of "Teacher, this one's beating me!" "Teacher, teacher, this one is shouting!" "Teacher, give me rubber!" (which is the eraser). It is constantly overwhelming for sure, but I continue to do my best to teach them things like sharing and forgiving. It is so funny here too, because being from the south and just having been raised with manners, I am all about saying "Please" and "Thank You", but that is not something that they really say here culturally. So every time the kids want something, they say, "Give me this one." "You go away" "Hand me!" I am constantly telling them, "Say Please", but I am not exactly sure it is going to stick. I have just had to come to terms with the fact that they are not being rude at all, they  just say things by their tone of voice rather than words.

We had our first biblestudy on Thursday afternoon with ten of the 16 and 17 year old girls, and I am SO encouraged and excited to have this opportunity to be with them. Mary and I are going to go through what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like, and really challenge them on what it means to be a woman of God.  They were so precious, and already I can't wait to be asked questions and teach them, but also ask them questions and learn more about their culture and ideas too. On Sunday afternoon, we began our other biblestudy we are doing with the girls that board at Zana School. We had 18 girls come, and spent time singing worship music, praying together, and just answering any and all questions they had for us. We are going to be spending time going in depth on the fruits of the spirit these next few weeks with them, and learning how to apply them to our life, and then pray for each other to be filled with these fruits also. All these girls, younger or older, are constantly thanking us for our time and for wanting to teach them. What I wish they could understand is how much of a blessing and honor it is for Mary and I to even be given this opportunity. The Lord has opened doors for us to teach the young children, and now minister to the older. It is just such a testament of the countless ways the Lord is allowing us to be His vessels!

So that is kind of a summary of the highlights of the past few days, but the biggest news for me personally is about Anisha! After talking to the school, I discovered that Anisha does not have parents paying for her education, and in fact, she has not even paid for this past term and was about to be turned away for next semester. Although my heart is broken for her and her story, I am thanking God so much for opening a door for me to help her and be a part of her life! I have no idea why God placed her so heavily on my heart, or why I ended up getting to teach her class, but I am thrilled by how the Lord can use me and my family in her life! Sunday, Patrick took me to go to her home and speak with her aunt who keeps her. As I heard the aunt tell me her story, my heart broke. Anisha's father died years ago, and when this happened, her mom realized she couldn't provide for her anymore. Her mother lives in a very very rural village about 80 miles away, and gets to see Anisha VERY seldomnly, whenever she can save enough money to make the trip. Anisha was sent to live with her aunt in the city, in Zana. The aunt does not even have the funds to take care of her really either, and the best she can do is have her a meal to eat every night. Neighbors have helped buy her books occasionally, or her uniform, but at the end of the day, Anisha plays a guessing game of when the school will tell her she can't come back because she hasn't paid. This little 6 year old girl has had to drop out of school once before when they ran out of money, but my prayer is that through me and my family, she will never have to face that situation again! I am talking with two organizations this week about what sponsoring Anisha will look like, and how we can make this tangibly happen. My parents have been incredible, and are all on board for us being a part of this precious girls life!

Anisha, her aunt, and myself at Anisha's home!

After watching a movie on the Lost Boys of Sudan the other night, my eyes were really opened to so many things, and Mr. Dave said something that was such a great reminder, "To whom much is given, much is required." As Americans, we have been blessed far beyond most, but with that, we are called to give freely and help increase the Kingdom of Heaven. To help keep Anisha in school, with food at lunch, a uniform, books, pencils, and a medical checkup, it will only cost roughly $30 a month. THIRTY DOLLARS A MONTH!? Think about what $30 usually means to you. Going to two movies maybe. Eating out 2 or 3 times. But, that money is also enough to help give children here a future and an opportunity to be educated and continue to be taught the Word of God at Zana. Anisha is not the only one who needs help financially. There are countless children who do not have parents, or have families that can't provide for them no matter how hard they try. I just want to challenge everyone to have an eternal outlook, and to really ask the Lord where you can begin to give your money, time and life away to. I know not everyone can adopt a child from another country, and some may not even be able to sponsor them financially, but you CAN keep these children in your thoughts and prayers. It has been overwhelming to watch the joy that these children have, when they literally have nothing possession wise. I know people say that all time about 3rd world country kids, but I truly mean it. There are two girls at Zana, Queen and Howa, who are sisters. Years ago, their father abandoned them and their mother is an alcoholic who won't take care of them. They were always seen peaking into Zana school, when finally Patrick asked if they wanted to attend school there. He took a leap of faith, that God would provide, and he allowed them to begin school as he paid for it little by little himself. The girls were Muslims, and have now become Christians. When they were given their first Bible's they took them home, where their mother took them from them and tried to sell them for money for alcohol. The girls now live at Zana, in a more safe environment, and the mother has nothing to do with them any longer.

I want to share these stories, because I hope it stirs you to realize how incredibly blessed we are, but also how God calls us to love and take care of the orphans and widows, and maybe through this God can pull at your heart to help a child just like He has for me and my family. I am in not asking everyone to call me up and ask to sponsor a child, (although I would LOVE if you did!...seriously!), but mostly I ask that you keep these children close to your heart through prayer, and that you do not forget that Jesus is our ultimate joy and satisfaction, just like these children display for me everyday. God is doing incredible things through Zana school, the leaders who give their time and love so freely, and I am humbled beyond belief to even get to be a small part of it. God is opening my eyes to so many of my own sins and complacency, and my greatest prayer is that I never return to Montgomery or Auburn the same, but that I will always remember His faithfulness while here, and the things I have seen. Please keep Anisha in your prayers also, and that God would give me guidance and direction on how to best serve her and show her the love of Jesus!!

As always, this is way too much for people to read again, but I want everyone to see the splendor and love and graciousness of our God that I am getting to see everyday here! We are excited about this week ahead of us, and can't believe how quickly it is all flying by. Also, please keep Mr. Dave in your prayers as he files to Atlanta for a few days on Wednesday. Praying that God is more real to you all with every passing moment, and that you cherish Christ more everyday.

-KK

Fickle Mother Africa

   "Fickle Mother Africa"

Fickle Mother Africa, you keep me on my toes, 

Whether or not to pack an umbrella, no one ever knows, 

I thought for sure I'd found the secret to your weather game,

Thinking it was all in the way the children and cattle play,

If they were restless and bucking all around, 

Yelling, screaming, and stomping on the ground,

There was no need to account for what the skies might say, 

We were sure to have a wet and rainy day. 

Fickle Mother Africa, you keep me on my toes, 

Whether or not to pack an umbrella, no one ever knows,

Knowing for sure I'd found the secret to your weather game, 

I paid close attention to the way the children and cattle played, 

They were restless and bucking all around, 

Yelling, screaming, and stomping on the ground, 

Although assured by what the skies did say, 

Not a drop of rain fell from the Ugandan skies today. 

We took our "eats" inside the classroom for fear we might get caught outside in the rain. 

The children were so wired that it was impossible to do actual school work.
So, instead, we watched Garfield! Ah, one of the many beauties of my baby class! 

- Mary Grace

   

Week 3 for a Weak 2

    KK and I are both blogging today in order to make up for the lost time. I don't want to be that person that makes excuses but the reason we haven't updated in a while is because we've been down with... well we're not exactly sure. The Eby's seem to think our malaria medicine, Lariam, is making us sick. Some  side effects we've been experiencing are: fever, chills, nausea, lightheadedness, fatigue, sore muscles, loss of concentration, loss of appetite, the inability to sleep, and some others that I think I'll leave up to your own imaginations. I am convinced I'd rather have malaria than take the drug to prevent it.

    Thankfully, Mamma D is taking care of us! We went down to the drug store at Quality yesterday and replaced our Lariam with a more mild malaria preventative, Doxycycline. Yes, the same drug used back in the States to treat acne. Let's just say, KK and I aren't complaining. 

    With hopes of becoming well and achieving beautiful skin, we start our week off with optimism. We have a lot to look forward to these next seven days! Tony's wife, Angel, will be returning to the compound any day now with a new, healthy baby girl! There is a Bible conference down at ABU (African Bible University) that we will be attending in the afternoons. Two of the speaking pastors, Dr. Dennis Johnson and Pastor Fletcher, are staying here on Plot 2 with us. We had the privilege of hearing Dr. Johnson preach yesterday at Zana Presbyterian Church and enjoyed a time of worship last night led by Pastor Fletcher. We're getting a taste of that L'Abri-like atmosphere Mrs. Darlene was telling us about on our arrival here in Uganda. 

    Tesara, a California local who's been teaching at the school for 3 1/2 months, is leaving on Wednesday. We part with mixed feelings; sad to see our new friend go but excited about what her departure will bring! We will be taking over two of her bible studies this week with children from Zana Community Christian School. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will be meeting with a small group of older girls. Our plan is to study Proverbs 31 and really delve into what it means and looks like to be a godly woman. On Sunday afternoons, we will be meeting with the boarding school children studying various bible stories and finding ways to practically apply those lessons to our lives.

    I believe KK has already introduced you to her "special" little girl. I wish I could say I haven't picked any favorites but some children just have a way of stealing your heart!... Ayabale is the child who has stolen mine.

   Well, that's all for now. 

                                                                                                                               - Mary Grace

     

    

Just Trying to Keep My Mother Happy;)

Welllll, it's been about a week since we last blogged, and although that doesn't seem too bad to me, according to Brenda Payne, it is just downright unacceptable:) Although, now that I am sitting here trying to recount an entire weeks worth of events, it seems a little more difficult than I had imagined. Anyways, lets see, I'll just talk about the things I can remember, which will mostly be random and sporadic of course, but here we go!

All last week we continued to go and teach at the school every morning. We are becoming more accustomed to everything now. The schedule, the children, whose good and who needs discipline, the teachers, tea time, and even the little chants. One of our favorites is when the kids do something correctly, everybody sings, "Lovely, lovely, and NICE!" It is quite adorable, and far different from the "way to go" we give American kids:) As we spend more time down at the school, my heart is continuing to melt, and I am finding myself wanting to bring back more and more of the children from my class. I even spent today teaching them "I love you" in sign language, and the rest of the afternoon they went around flashing it to everyone. It was adorable. There is one child I have become particularly fond of, in fact, fond doesn't even scratch the surface. I am head over heels in love with this little girl, whose name is Anisha. She is beautiful with the most wonderful smile I have ever seen. She is also extremely intelligent, finishes her work quietly and promptly, has a kind heart towards all of her classmates, and also treats me so respectfully and lovingly. I am honestly just a sucker for her! Ha there are times even in the middle of class when I am teaching and she will just walk up and start playing with my hair and stroking my arm gently. All of the kids are yelling, "Teacher, teacher, Anisha is not sitting!" And yes, I know I am supposed to be a fair teacher and send her back to her seat...but I just can't! I instead almost fall asleep as she pets my hair, and hug and laugh with her as she flashes that smile at me. I am already a push over when it comes to African children, but this one, gosh, she's got me heart and soul. I ask you to please keep Anisha in your prayers as I long for her to continue loving the Lord and being a light to all she meets. I also ask that you pray for God to give me an opportunity to serve and care for her. I am talking to the heads of the school this week to find out more about her background and family, and see if there are any needs, even her education, that I could help or assist with financially. I long to see this incredible little girl continue to grow both in her knowledge and education, but also in her love for Jesus every year!

My precious baby, Anisha:)

Hmmm but ok, straying from that little tangent, lest see...Wednesday night, everyone here at the compound had a banquet to attend all night at African Bible University, and so Mary and I had the great pleasure of enjoying a "girls night" together. We watched "Little Women", snuggled up on the couch, and even indulged in one of our favorite things to eat here, peanut butter with apples;) The rest of the week I can't remember too clearly, as we had 5 Malawians move in to the bunk house here, and Dr. Dennis Johnson from California also move in to the house. All in all, we are once again a full home, and meal times are fun with usually 15 to 20 people eating dinner here each night. Oh, thats another thing! Thursday was sweet Mr. Dave's birthday and so we had many Ugandan friends over, and Mrs. Darlene prepared a WONDERFUL meal of green beans, cole slaw, tilapia, steak, and we even made chocolate dipped frozen bananas. It was such a wonderful time of fellowship, and I can not even begin to tell you what a blessing Mr. Dave is, and how thankful I am for the life he has led for Christ and the example he has set before me. It is truly a privilege to get to stay with the Eby's and soak up all the wisdom I can from them while here.

Friday was a tiring day as the end of the week always is. The kids were extra crazy, and even more unwilling to obey than usual, but Mary and I did our best in keeping their attention with songs and her guitar playing for chapel and much of break. That afternoon, we enjoyed the Eby's porch, vigorously reading our novels, and excited to start the series "Love Comes Softly" on dvd that night. Unfortunately though, after enjoying popcorn we had so eagerly purchased, and finishing two movies of the series, I began to feel awful. Thus, for the past 3 days, both Mary and myself have been sick. We are not sure with what, it could be a little bug, something maybe we picked up from the kids at school, or most likely it is the Larium drug we were on for Malaria. We both spent 2 days in bed sleeping, feeling nauseas, having hot and cold flashes, seeing black spots when we stood up, and honestly being drained of all our energy. Although, we didn't do much but rest, we are now feeling MUCH better this morning, and have also switched to a different, not so strong, Malaria pill that will Lord willing cease the aches and fatigue we were feeling mostly likely due to the side effects of Larium.

In spite of not feeling well yesterday, we did try to go out a little, and attended Zana Presbyterian Church with the Carsons, and Dr. Johnson, who was preaching. The church building is at the same place where we go to school, and it was so fun to see many of the teachers and students there that we see on a daily basis at school. This church was vastly different from Bukwinda (where we went last week), and was just as wonderful and enjoyable! They have a solid building, microphones, a choir, a screen to help people like us read the Lugandan words (thank goodness, because Mary and I have just been making up gibberish this whole time!), and we even took communion yesterday. Dr. Dennis preached on Philippians 1: 12-26 and did a wonderful job! It was a great reminder of just how we are to have one goal and that is to glorify God. We may have other goals, good goals at that, like providing for our families or parents wanting to give their kids a good education, but beyond those goals our SUPREME goal must be to bring glory to God with our whole life. He talked about how for Paul, the choice between life and death was a choice of the greater of the 2 goods, not between good and bad. Because in Paul's mind, living meant more fruitful labor, more time to advance the kingdom and glory of God. But to die, meant to be WITH God, to spend eternity with Him forever. Everyday should be a day we put the needs of others above our own though. Paul exemplified this when he wanted to stay on earth to continue the work of the Lord, although selfishly he wanted to be with His Father in Heaven. Jesus of course exemplified selflessness to the upmost by dying for us. That is why my prayer after yesterday has been that God would rip me of my selfish desires, and that He would engage my heart with His causes!

While I'm on this little streak of a sermonette, I mine as well spill my heart about what the Lord has been challenging me on lately. Mostly, I have just been struck with how absolutely selfish my own heart is and how fleeting my emotions are as a human. I know that when I was in Auburn in school, ALLLL I longed for was to be in Uganda! Then when I was home for those 2 weeks between school and Africa, I just wanted to be back in Auburn with my friends! And now that I am here, absorbing this incredible opportunity the Lord has given me, I sometimes find myself thinking of home and thinking about how excited I am when I get to see my family. Don't read me wrong, I wouldn't trade a day or minute of being here, I am just showing you how fleeting my desires can be though! When I really noticed this the other day, I literally laughed out loud, and was absolutely disgusted at my own selfishness. I mean, in all those situations, what is the one common them? ME. It is a total disregard of being 100% content wherever the Lord has me. Instead, I am now continually asking the Lord for a renewed heart and mindset, one where I find absolute joy and peace and contentment in every circumstance, no matter what, because the Lord is faithful and good in ALL things! It is so amazing to me, how God is just continuing to pull back the layers of my awful, sinful heart,  but doesn't leave me there. Instead, He shows me my weaknesses, and then shows me even more His power through them;  my absolute and utter need for Him.

I always laugh when I leave Uganda, because I come here thinking "Oh, Lord let us help others and change their lives and have left an impact!" Instead, although I pray we do impact many here, I always see my own life altered and changed more when I return home. I realize when I come back, everyone always wants to know what "Mary and I did" and all that we got to witness or be a part of. And yes, all of that is wonderful to recount, but what I am realizing is that most, actually all of my stories, will involve recounting the MANY wonderful things God did! The lives He changed, the blessings He bestowed on us and others, the opportunities He made available to us, and mostly, the way He continues to refine me. Dr. Johnson talked last night, as all of us here at the compound sat in the Eby's din after dinner and had a time of worship and preaching together. He said something that I have known forever but struck me hard last night, and that is that I bring absolutely nothing to the cross, my hands are empty of anything and everything. In our world, if I want to give something to others, I give my time or talents or help with whatever gifts the Lord has bestowed upon me...but even those I can't quite "offer" the Lord because He is the one who gave them to me in the first place! Ha I don't know if this is making sense to you like it did to me:) I guess I just realize how absolutely helpless I am, how in debt I am to the King of Kings who laid down His life for me, and at the end of the day I have nothing to give, nothing but my entire life. That is all God is asking. He died, so that we might live, and in that we are just called to live for Him. It is so simple, so freeing, a deal such in our favor that is unfathomable. How great and awesome and loving is our God when you really truly sit down and think about what He has done....

Ok, well I'm off of the seriousness now, or at least somewhat pointed babbling:) My sweet parents and Cole and Mary have to listen to my thinking out loud constantly, but I am so thankful for their patience, and all in all, I hope in some way this has encouraged someone as it did me. School today was splendid! Mondays are usually best as everyone seems well rested from the weekend and ready to learn again. A really cool thing we witnessed today though, was the giving away of Operation Christmas Child boxes at school. Yes, we do realize it isn't anywhere close to Christmas, making it a bit confusing. But it WAS so cool to witness children in a 3rd world country actually RECEIVING these boxes that us Americans usually make. The children were thrilled to have new toys and shirts and shoes, and it was such an encouragement and inspiration to realize that the time we take to serve others in America, really is impacting lives here! Just a cool thing to have been on the side of making the boxes at ECS years ago, and then being on this side as we watched the faces of children who were receiving them from somewhere!

Anyways, this is what happens when I don't blog for a while, my post ends up being like a mile long:) Please continue to pray for our health, our efforts at school, and for the conference that is taking place this week that Mr. Dave and Dr. Johnson will be preaching many nights at. Missing all my sweet friends, but continually excited to exchange stories of all God has done in our lives this summer when I return!


With tons of love,
KK

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words :)

KK on the road we take to Zana school. 

The baby and top class building.

The student's bathrooms... lovely pit latrines. Complete with flies and consistently soiled grounds.
Thank goodness KK and I  have access to the teacher bathrooms. 

My baby class! :)

My baby class hard at work! :)

The verse the children pray daily. 

This is where we have our Friday chapels and where my babies nap. 

Our bedroom!

Front porch of the Eby's home. Great place for devotions and coffee in the mornings.

Check out the view from my hammock! 

The Eby's front yard... Absolutely flourishing with exotic plants!

We strung up our hammocks on the front porch... they make for a perfect afternoon rest!

Meet Zach, Zeke, and Zed! 

President Museveni

Textile merchant's hub in Kampala.

The vast sea of taxi's!

Where we found our taxi's yesterday.

Traffic in Kampala... is crazy!

- Mary Grace

Rule #1: Be Flexible.

    Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days... I have been prioritizing my free time with some more important things... like fighting the Capitol alongside Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire and of course, sleeping.
    This Tuesday morning just as KK and I were about to leave for school we were reminded once again that we aren't in Kansas anymore... I mean, that we aren't in Alabama anymore. The weather here in Uganda is always changing. One moment the sky is perfectly clear and the next it's filled with dark, heavy rain clouds. Well, that's exactly what we experienced this morning. Mrs. Darlene said that once it starts raining even an umbrella won't help you keep dry. With that in mind, KK and I decided to wait out the storm.
    We arrived at school an hour late, but thankfully so. Our day with the children can be summed up in a nutshell, "Change in weather makes children and cattle crazy". I just kept thinking, How do teachers do it? The children were crying, hitting, crying, pulling hair... did I mention they were crying? I think I heard "Teacher, he's beating me" a hundred times. If there's anything I left the school with today, it's a much greater understanding and appreciation for teachers. So to all you teachers out there, I thank you kindly.
    Whatever trouble the children posed, we made it through the school day knowing the afternoon would be much better. Oh, how wrong we were.
    The plan was to go into Kampala with our African guide, Jean-Pierre, for lunch and some shopping. KK and I were so excited to get a taste of the bustling city and culture! Things were beginning to look up when we boarded the "orange bus" and comfortably road into town. Kampala is a world apart from Zana. Horns raging, people pushing and shoving, voices on loud speakers, whistles directing traffic... My head was spinning. We rounded the corner, and then another corner, walked a little farther, and farther... Finally, KK, feeling quite tired and hungry asked, "J.P. are we going anywhere specific? Or are you just showing us around?" "Oh no, no. We're going to the mall, Garden City." He responded. We knew very well where we were supposed to be going. But after thirty minutes of what seemed to be aimless walking, it made us wander if he knew.
     Our doubts were confirmed when he stopped to ask for directions, not once, but three times. Forty-five minutes later, we arrived at Garden City. Ah, a shopping mall has never looked so beautiful in my entire life. We took lunch in the "mizungu hot-spot", CafeJava. KK had a teriyaki chicken wrap and I had a beef burger and fries. We inhaled the food and unfortunately, it was soon time to walk again. We went into Garden City and then to another mall just a ways down the road.
    Leaving the mall was when all the fun really began. J.P. informed us that he wanted to see his cousin in town before we headed back home and promised it'd only be five minutes out of the way. Five o'clock traffic flooded the streets and the sidewalks. The pushing and shoving had increased by 100%. It took everything in me to focus on simply keeping up with J.P. and KK. My concentration was broken by a rough tapping on my shoulder. "Zip up your bag!" I heard a woman yell. "Your bag is open. Carry it in front of you. They're trying to..." I looked at my backpack to find it hanging wide open. KK was looking with the same disbelief at her own bag. In a crowd full of dark, we, pasty Americans, stick out like a sore thumb. Of course, we were walking targets. Fortunately, the thief was too short on time, we supposed, and left everything untouched.
    We walked with our arms tightly wrapped around the bags, frantically watching everyone pass expecting a second attempt at steeling our things. Already feeling unsafe, we turned a corner into a very sketchy alley and entered the textile warehouse. Presently consumed with the Hunger Games, I couldn't help but feel I was in the Hub and that Peacekeepers would be there to arrest us at any minute. To my relief they never showed up. Instead, our initial waiting time of five minutes was extended to twenty.
    J.P.'s cousin escorted us to the place where we were to find a taxi. And trust me, there were plenty to choose from. The sea of taxis swarmed with people trying to sell us anything and everything. I remember thinking how stupid KK and I were to think we could face Kampala on our own.
    The ride home was more or less a blur seeing how all I wanted to do was rehydrate and shower all the exhaust and dust from town off of my sweaty body. We finally made it home, greeted by Mrs. Darlene and Mr. Dave who we practically ran to for comfort.
    Today puts a whole, new meaning behind Rule #1: Be flexible.




                                                                                                - Mary Grace

Sunday Mornings In Uganda...There's Nothing Better

Today we awoke to Sunday, the Lord's Day, and what a wonderful day it was! We all got dressed into our "Sunday Best", which if I'm being honest, here in Africa its the same thing I wear every other day:) Long skirts and shirts are never out of style here in Uganda. What a blessing too, as it makes picking out an outfit every morning a cinch! Nine of us then proceeded to load up into the Eby's vehicle, the list consisting of: Mr. Dave, Mrs. Darlene, myself, Mary, Sarah Ellen and John Carson (missionaries here also from the US), and then Timothy, JP, and Claire who are all from different places in Africa. The road was long and bumpy, but it was a wonderful and intriguing ride as we rode through villages and got to feel right back in the heart of "real" village-like Uganda. Mary and I are already planning on trying to go back to that area and just walk around and spend time with the people and the children sometime soon. We got to the church (a high tin roof with wooden benches under it) and proceeded with Sunday School as Mrs. Darlene taught the children and Mr. Dave the adults. We have a large group of children who were all smiles and eagerly listened to the lesson on Jesus's being tempted by Satan, and afterwards ended with joyful singing.
Church then began, with a call to worship and singing of two hymns from a classic American red hymn book. But THEN was the best part of an African service to me. True African worship music with drums and all and singing in Lugandan. Although I can't understand a word that is being said, I can read the smiles on peoples faces, the raising of hands, the joy and heartfelt worship that these people display when it comes to praising the Creator of the Universe. They are not lacking in zeal, and so often I find myself wishing for a version of this in American churches. It is pure worship, as they sing and dance loudly and unashamedly because of their love for Christ. I honestly believe that this is the way we will worship our Father when we are in Heaven. For me, it is a little taste of what the angels must be doing all day long. It is my favorite thing to be a part of for sure! The preacher then (whose name I have somehow forgotten right now) preached on Philippians 4: 4-9 and challenged the congregation on worry and how to overcome it. He told how worry is a sin and tells God that we don't think He can take care of us or that we don't trust all His promises for us. To overcome worry we must earnestly pray with supplication and thanksgiving, and from this God promises peace. Christ is sufficient, He is more than enough. What a wonderful reminder!
Overall, church was incredible, and definitely my favorite part of this 7 week stay so far. I already can't wait to go back next week, and Mary and I are preparing children's songs so we can lead the sunday school singing next week. Oh, something funny I forgot to tell was that right before the service, the pastor had the two of us and then Sarah Ellen and John come up front and introduce ourselves and speak. Mary and I had no idea we would be doing this, and therefore were caught a little off guard. Let's just say that we didn't quite give them the information they were looking for as we just said our names and thanked them for letting us worship with them and then awkwardly giggled on stage as they waited for more. Whereas, John and Sarah Ellen told ALL about their ministry in Uganda and their home in America and their family back home. Haha it is just so different from America, where if you get up to introduce yourself, most people want the shortest version possible. Here in Uganda, they want to know everything you can tell them and are 100% engaged and interested. After this realization, Mary and I have now thought out what is actually important to know about us, practiced it, and are ready to go anytime we are asked to introduce ourselves now!:)
After church, the 9 of us came back and Mrs. Darlene prepared cole slaw and American salad with chicken on top for us! It was absolutely WONDERFUL! Most laid down for naps after, and from there on we have spent the afternoon and night reading, fellowshipping, talking, and even trying to make cookies with just peanut butter, sugar, salt and vanilla....they weren't bad either! As everyone now winds down for bed, we are so excited and looking forward to this week ahead that is busy with school, more people coming and moving in, moving others out, and constant surprises as Ugandan time really doesn't work on a set schedule.
We laugh because Mary Grace's posts are always so clever and organized and well thought out, while mine are all over the place and probably have little flow, which I do apologize. Yet, if you know me in the least bit this wouldn't be a surprise to you at all:) But, I thought I would share something that has been on my heart and I have been so challenged about. I was reading a Piper sermon on boldness the other night, and he was saying how in our life if we can be bold, then our life will have not been in vain. Boldness leads people to Christ and that is the most significant thing in a person's life. Unfortunately though, we fall prey to the love of human acceptance and praise and the love of comforts and securities that money buys. I have been praying for boldness in the way that I live my life as I seek to imitate Christ. I have been praying for boldness in the way I share the Gospel. I have been praying for boldness even in the way I love people. Today in church, it was a Ugandan woman's first time ever being there, and yet she got up and shared her testimony, challenged others even though she had just lost her husband and son, and then proceeded to start singing praises to God as she led the congregation. Where in America do you see this kind of boldness for Christ and proclaiming of what He is doing? I have been so challenged to take this back to America and to live a life that will not be in vain, one that seeks to boast about Jesus and what He has done everyday.
Please keep us in your prayers as we begin a whole new week tomorrow, and our first FULL week of teaching. We were just talking, and although we do selfishly in our flesh miss our friends and families at times, we would not trade being here for these weeks for anything in the world. I asked God to not let me return to the US without having been changed, and He is remaining faithful to that request as we grow more and more everyday!

Love to all.

KK