We leave for outreach in ONE WEEK! I can't believe how time has flown.
We are going to Western Uganda for our outreach. We'll spend the first month in a place called Mbarara, and the second month somewhere else. Our accommodation in Mbarara is a small four-bedroom house, that has no running water and no electricity. 18 students and 4 staff are going on this trip, so imagine 22 people living in one house with no water or electricity for a month. Whoo! We'll have a water tank that catches rain water, and there is a well nearby where we can draw water if it doesn't rain for a few days. They said we might possibly have some solar power by the time we get there, but I'm not counting on it. We won't have beds, and might not have mattresses of any sort either. I'm buying a sleeping bag this weekend so that I have at least something to sleep on. It's going to be so crazy, and we're all expecting to fight and bicker at times, but we have been praying for unity for weeks and we're trusting the Holy Spirit to help us live together!
I'm not sure what all we'll be doing while on outreach, but I know it will be a lot of ministering and sharing the gospel and performing. We'll still be waking up at 5am to pray together for one hour, then having personal quiet time from 6-7am, then breakfast. We'll have our work duties in the morning while on outreach, to keep our place nice and tidy. Then all except two people will go out for ministry activities. The two left behind are the cooks for the day. Everyone else divides into groups and goes out for awhile, then comes back for lunch, then goes out again, then comes back for dinner. After dinner we all meet to discuss our day. Then it's bedtime! We'll be doing this Tuesday - Sunday, except for Wednesdays will be our weekly fasting and praying day where we stay at home. Monday is rest day!
I know for sure we'll be doing door-to-door ministry...and this initially gave me so much fear. In America it is not common or welcomed to go door-to-door and talk about religion. But I have since learned that it's much more common here in Africa, and even welcomed by many people. I still have hesitancy, but now it's more because I feel unprepared than because I think people will slam the door in my face. For sure there will be people who don't want to talk, or who challenge us and don't agree with us...I expect rejection at times. But I find comfort in the idea that sometimes all God wanted to do was plant a seed in someone's heart. Maybe they aren't ready to learn about Christ right now, but they are ready for a seed to be planted...you never know, years from now they might look back and think, "If those kids hadn't come talked to me that day, I would never be a Christian today." So, I've been trying to mentally prepare for how to do door-to-door ministry... how to start the conversation, how to answer questions, etc... I'm sure it will still be hard, but it will be a good experience.
One of the things I've been really challenged with here is the fact that I grew up in such a politically correct culture. It's as if religion starts so many arguments in America that you can't even talk about it unless you're in a church. And so I grew up feeling like it was each person's own responsibility to find their religion... like I personally have no responsibility to help people know about Christ unless they actually ask me. Maybe once or twice I've invited people to come to church with me, but that's as far as I've gone. In my mind, I found Christ and I'm working on living my life His way, and everyone else is responsible to do the same. But the thing is, when you read the New Testament, that is very much not what Jesus says. I mean, what about the Great Commission, for crying out loud? Go and make disciples of all nations! How can you make disciples if you never talk about Jesus? And look at the life of Jesus and his disciples.... what did they do? They traveled and taught, and spoke, and preached. Jesus didn't train his disciples and then tell them to just live a right life, and everyone would come to Christ because of their example. No, he sent them out to travel through cities and teach people about the Kingdom. Now, I do not believe he was sending them out to yell and shout on street corners or to condemn people for disagreeing with them...no... but I do think he was sending them out to approach people and talk to them. To have personal conversations, in people's homes, about life and religion; to ask if they had question; to preach sermons in the churches; and to discuss religion with people they served or helped. I am really finding out that part of a Christian's responsibility is to share the Gospel....not just to know Christ yourself and live rightly. It's very hard for me, because I am kind of shy and quiet, and I don't like conflict...so I don't like conversations that I think might make someone uncomfortable... and that is why this outreach phase is going to bring so much growth for me. I expect to come back much more able to talk about what I believe and why, openly and boldly.
Anyway... pray for us, that we will be safe and we won't get too tired of each other. Since we won't really have electricity, we won't really have internet. If we find an internet cafe or something in the town, maybe you'll see me post on Facebook once or twice during the two months, but for the most part I won't be able to communicate. I have a local phone that I can send texts with, but it costs money for each message, so not many people have my number. Just pray and trust that in January you will hear from me again :)
Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with me and praying for me. I can tell that I have grown so much over this experience already. My relationship with God is so much deeper than it could have been without DTS. I know Him better, I hear Him more clearly, and I have learned a lot about following His direction and letting him guide me. I have learned that we all make mistakes, but God's grace is so sufficient. I have met some of the most amazing people here in Uganda, and I have praised God an endless number of times for how incredible He is to have created such people.
I'm still not sure what I'll be doing after DTS. As of right now, I don't feel ready to come home yet...two months of outreach may change that, but we'll see. I have a flight scheduled to come home in January, but of course that can change if God leads me somewhere else. I have to extend my visa this week, and the office says that if I might stay later I should just buy a one-year extension, so I'm doing that just in case. One of my classmates who lives about five minutes from the base said that I am welcome to stay with her if I ever want to. And there are a lot of volunteer opportunities here at the base. So I really don't know what God is doing....what He is planning... I'm trying my best to just let Him work it out and then tell me what to do later. I'm praying that He'll show me what's next either while I'm on outreach or maybe during our debrief week once we get back, so that I have some time to plan... but I have learned that sometimes God waits until the last minute, to test your faith. In one of the books we read about how YWAM got started, there are many stories of God waiting. One in particular comes to mind, about Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM, waiting at the airport with a student. The student was supposed to go somewhere, he was so sure that he had heard God call him, but he didn't have the money to go. But in faith they packed his bags and went to the airport to get a plane ticket. They waited and prayed, as the time for the flight got closer and closer. Boarding time came around, and still nothing had happened. Loren started to wonder if this was really what God had said. And then maybe twenty minutes until the flight was supposed to leave, someone came and gave them money... exactly enough for the plane ticket. So they bought the ticket and the student went to where he was going! I am really really hoping that God doesn't re-enact this for me...I would really prefer to know what I'm doing BEFORE the day I pack my bags... but really, it's all up to God. He already knows where I'm going and He'll make sure I get there. I just need to trust that, and rest in it.
Okay, so, I think that's about all... this weekend we are all trying to prepare for outreach a little bit. I need to buy a sleeping bag, and make a packing list... and catch up on my bible readings... we've been so busy with dance practice and skit practice and outreach meetings that I've fallen behind! Next week we have some classes on Monday and Tuesday, but we have Wednesday through Friday relatively free so that we can finish preparing to leave. Maybe I'll write again before we leave, but if not, thank you so much to everyone who helped make this journey possible! I could not have done it without your support, and I am eternally grateful!
Friday, November 7, 2014
Pictures
Hello! I was able to borrow someone's laptop, which makes it much easier to post some pictures. I also borrowed pictures from other people, because I haven't taken very many... so here are some more photos of what life has been like for the past three months!
A group photo from when our class and staff did the Challenge Course at Discovery Center.
The first part of the Challenge Course. It's a fun course! Lots of ropes and tires and balance beams.
Our classroom
The "dining hall"
The office, also known as "the Wifi"
The preparation area of the kitchen
The cooking area of the kitchen
Our dishwashers :) Sometimes there is even soap!
The preschool on the base
Discovery Center
Discovery Center
A few weeks ago our class hosted a "Cultural Fun Night." Everyone was welcome to present something, and it was a blast!
The beginning, waiting for the acts to start.
Some of us performed the Electric Slide
Me and two classmates. Rebecca, on the left, is wearing a traditional dress from Uganda. Ezekiel, on the right, is from Tanzania and just loves to look sharp!
Some of my classmates held a fashion show
Last weekend we were invited to an overnight prayer and intercession at a church about 40 minutes away, in a town called Lugazi. Our teachers for the week that we studied Holy Spirit are pastors of this church, and they always invite the DTS class. So our whole class and many of the staff went for the overnight.
Singing worship songs. The way that Africans worship is so incredible! Notice someone holding up a chair, in the background...
My class performed two dances and two skits. This is from the beginning of the skit that I was in.
The overnight was quite an experience. We arrived there around 10 or 10:30. We were special guests, so we were seated to the right of the stage. There was a lot of intercession and prayer throughout the night, as well as guest pastors giving short sermons, our class performing, a few other performances, and the worship team performances. I think everyone managed to stay awake the whole night...it ended around 4:45am. It's hard to sleep when some of the African pastors are preaching...it's just like you might imagine it, with so much passion that most of the sermon is yelled rather than spoken. I'm getting more and more used to this style of preaching, but it's still not necessarily my favorite. Sometimes the person is screaming so much into the microphone that I can't even understand what they are saying...and if they're speaking in Lugandan first and being translated, they often don't wait for the translator to finish their English sentence before they start their next sentence, so I get lost very easily. But in times like that, I just sit back and think about how incredible it is that I get to be in that place. Even after three months here, I'm still often struck by a sense of awe when I think about all the things I've gotten to see and experience that so many Americans will never get to experience. I still find the African style of worship pretty amazing...they really sing with their whole heart, and they move around and dance like no one is watching. Because in this culture, no one IS watching, because everyone is dancing! (: There is one song in particular that they sang at the overnight, and has also been sung in the church I go to here, where everyone starts carrying things around, like bibles and chairs. Our class formed a line and danced around the church. It was great!
The other thing about African church that has struck all of us Westerners is the spiritual warfare. There is much more emphasis on spiritual warfare here in Africa. And to a Westerner, it's quite an eye opener. The West doesn't really talk about the demonic forces at work in the world...we believe in Satan and that he and his demons are working, of course. But we don't often attribute them to much...and we certainly don't have sessions of casting them out. But things are different here. There is so much witchcraft and other things that happen, and the people are much more aware of the spiritual world. It's hard for me to write about, because to people who have never experienced demons, it sounds unreal and silly... I myself used to think it was such. But now I have seen things, and once you see them it's very difficult to deny their reality. Sometimes even here at the base during prayer or worship sessions, people will faint or shake or scream. At the overnight they had a session of anointing, where everyone was standing in prayer and the pastors and a few others were walking around, praying for everyone. There were several instances of people falling on the ground and rolling around, and there was screaming and convulsing and other things. I'm telling you, once you see these things with your own eyes, you can't deny them. People are doing things that they would never do in their own right mind. And when you go back over the Gospels and read what it looked like when Jesus cast out demons, it sounds very similar... demons calling Jesus by name, throwing people on the ground, and coming out with screaming... it's almost eery to read these scriptures and now have a real life experience that is so similar.
Now, the Africans know that the West is extremely physical and that Africa is extremely spiritual. We've talked many times about how each culture needs to balance better. The West barely even believes in the spiritual, yet Africa is overly spiritual. Some of the Africans on the base even joke with me, "Everything is a demon. A frog hops into the church and we cast it out as a demon!" So awareness about the physical world is growing here, but I don't think awareness about the spiritual world is growing in the West...it's a tough thing, because you really need to see it to believe it.
Anyway, I have learned a lot! I am so grateful that the Lord gave me this opportunity to experience Ugandan culture. Life has been good :)
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Update - halfway done with lecture!
Hello!
We're already halfway through our lecture phase. It doesn't feel like I've been here for 6 weeks...it feels more like 3 or 4. Time flies when you're having fun! :)
The whole class, with our speaker from week one and two
This week was an amazing week for me. Our topic was Prayer and Intercession. I learned a lot about what prayer should be, what kinds of things we should be praying for, and how important it is to our walk with Christ. I really needed these teachings...prayer for me hasn't been a priority in my daily life. Now I have a better mindset about how incredibly important it is. It's our way of getting to know God better, and communicating with Him.
As for Intercession, it's a new topic for me. I used to wonder whether praying for really large issues like war, governments, and nations really had much effect. How do you pray for such a big topic? But now I know that yes, it does matter. God acts on earth in response to prayers, and if no one prays, then the enemy gets to have his way. We studied several examples from the Bible when God looked for an intercessor and found none, so He didn't rescue the people. We also looked at a few examples of when one person was able to stand in the gap and intercede for a whole people group. So, I'm thankful for the teaching this week. Intercession is a major value of YWAM, and now I'm starting to understand how to do it better.
We found out that we'll be going to western Uganda for our outreach phase. It should be about a ten hour bus ride. So far all I know is that on outreach we're often given the chance to preach at a church or perform a skit or lead worship...so we're practicing for those things. It's kind of terrifying to think of preaching to a church full of people I don't know, using a translator. But I know I can do it!
A classmate and I had an interesting experience last Sunday. We had gone to the nearest village, Kakira, and were on our way back. Two boys were following us, carrying their food for the week. After about ten minutes I looked back at them and the older boy said "help me?" So I took one of his grocery bags. It was full of cabbages and onions. My classmate took a sack of powder (posho mix) from the smaller boy, and the boys still shared the weight of another sack of powder between them. The older boy knew English, so we talked with him. He's 14 and lives with his mom, brother, and five sisters. He used to go to school but now they can't afford for school fees, so he's about to look for a job. His brother is 12, but he was significantly shorter. Maybe the height of a normal 7 year old...I think maybe he suffered from malnutrition or a disease when he was young. Anyway, we ended up walking all the way to their home with them. It was about a 30 minute walk past the base. But we saw their house, met their family, and then their sisters walked us back. It was neat to see another village, and nice to get out of the bubble that the base is...things are so easy and well taken care of here, it can be easy to forget the problems that exist right outside.
A classmate and I had an interesting experience last Sunday. We had gone to the nearest village, Kakira, and were on our way back. Two boys were following us, carrying their food for the week. After about ten minutes I looked back at them and the older boy said "help me?" So I took one of his grocery bags. It was full of cabbages and onions. My classmate took a sack of powder (posho mix) from the smaller boy, and the boys still shared the weight of another sack of powder between them. The older boy knew English, so we talked with him. He's 14 and lives with his mom, brother, and five sisters. He used to go to school but now they can't afford for school fees, so he's about to look for a job. His brother is 12, but he was significantly shorter. Maybe the height of a normal 7 year old...I think maybe he suffered from malnutrition or a disease when he was young. Anyway, we ended up walking all the way to their home with them. It was about a 30 minute walk past the base. But we saw their house, met their family, and then their sisters walked us back. It was neat to see another village, and nice to get out of the bubble that the base is...things are so easy and well taken care of here, it can be easy to forget the problems that exist right outside.
The sisters, and two small friends who came along for fun
Not much else to report. Everything is still beautiful here. I'm still amazed by the African people...they have such a wonderful disposition, and they're so beautiful. So far I'm pretty sure I would love to stay here longer...I'm trying to find a balance between seeking God for direction for the future and asking Him to help me with what I desire. I feel like I can't just wait on God to write everything in my book...I should be creating WITH Him, not just asking Him to do all the work. So that's what my personal prayers have been lately.
Lastly, I got some pictures with the base puppies today! The base leader's female dog had them about seven weeks ago. They remind me of home!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Just an update
Hello everyone! I have some free time tonight so I thought I'd write a little update.
Things are going well. Class has been wonderful. Last week our topics were Hearing God's Voice and Bible Meditation, and this week our topic is Spiritual Warfare. Our speaker has the most amazing life stories!
We are all settling into our routine here. This week we started doing community work duties. Several days during the week, every person who is living here comes together to do work duty. My first day I helped pull weeds by some of the houses. My second day I helped spread chicken manure around a corn field....with my bare hands...gloves are a luxury here, people!
We are learning to wash our clothes in small amounts, whenever we have time, since we have to hand wash everything.
We also started being put on the cooking rotary, as they call it here. Every day a few people who are taking classes here must help the kitchen leaders with lunch and dinner prep. A few others will do the cleaning. It's a great way to make sure everyone is involved in helping the community run smoothly. Tonight I peeled a bunch of very green bananas, which were boiled and mashed to make a Ugandan dish called Motoke. It was pretty good! Us white girls were pretty slow at peeling the bananas, with a dull knife..the Africans are much better at it. We were humbled.
Other than that...the water still runs out almost every day. I have new bug bites every day, as well. But I'm very much enjoying my time here!
The Lord has blessed me because the base has two German shepherds that live on the property, and they remind me of home. One of them loves to play fetch with rocks :)
As we go into the weekend and the start of next week, I request prayers for my fellow classmates that are still fundraising. We have faith that God will provide for everyone to stay with us when school fees are due on Monday!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
More pictures
Photos are difficult to post on here...the wifi isn't very strong, so it takes awhile to get them loaded on here. But I will keep trying!
Here are some picture of Jinja town, and the market where we go to get fruits and veggies.
Here are some picture of Jinja town, and the market where we go to get fruits and veggies.
Photos!
I finally got photos to work on here! I will upload the few photos I have so far, for those of you who don't have access to my Facebook.
Me and some of my classmates, having a wifi party. The older gentleman in the back is our teacher for this week and next week.
Me and some of my classmates, having a wifi party. The older gentleman in the back is our teacher for this week and next week.
All the pathways around the base are beautiful.
The Discovery Center, which has a basketball court, soccer field, challenge course, and other areas. This is another department of YWAM that usually is geared towards youth ministry.
Looking towards the dorms and the grass roof hut where we each our meals
The view from where we come to use the wifi
The girls dorm room. We're pretty full! We have 12 girls living together here.
A group of us went to go swimming at a resort nearby, to celebrate two birthdays!
The birthday girls :)
Monday, August 25, 2014
Class starts
Hello everyone!
Sorry that I couldn't write for awhile. There was a storm yesterday that knocked out the power for about 24 hours. When the power goes out, we also lose the pump that make the water run..so it's been interesting. But now we are back up and running!
Today was the first day of class. Mostly we got to know each other, went over some guidelines, and were shown around the base.
There are such amazing people here for DTS. Maybe about 8 westerners, and 14-15 Africans. Countries represented include US, Canada, UK, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Some of these folks have incredible stories. Some of them have suffered much hardship. I am humbled to be with them.
Class will be very busy. I won't be able to write too often. Our schedule is from 6am-5:30pm Monday through Friday. And we are to read ten chapters of scripture per night. Oh my! But I will do my best to update you on the weekends, maybe.
It is wonderful here, with so many nationalities. The westerners must learn to speak slowly, because some of our African friends have only spoken English for a few months or years. But we also have to ask them to repeat themselves often, because their African accent is strong. So it is a little odd on both ends, right now, until we get used to it.
Yesterday I went with some new friends to a place called Kingfisher. It's a resort where you can pay to use the pool. We celebrated the birthday of two girls. It was fun! But now the real work begins :)
I will try soon to figure out how to post photos on here..right now I'm not sure. But I'll try!
Sorry that I couldn't write for awhile. There was a storm yesterday that knocked out the power for about 24 hours. When the power goes out, we also lose the pump that make the water run..so it's been interesting. But now we are back up and running!
Today was the first day of class. Mostly we got to know each other, went over some guidelines, and were shown around the base.
There are such amazing people here for DTS. Maybe about 8 westerners, and 14-15 Africans. Countries represented include US, Canada, UK, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Some of these folks have incredible stories. Some of them have suffered much hardship. I am humbled to be with them.
Class will be very busy. I won't be able to write too often. Our schedule is from 6am-5:30pm Monday through Friday. And we are to read ten chapters of scripture per night. Oh my! But I will do my best to update you on the weekends, maybe.
It is wonderful here, with so many nationalities. The westerners must learn to speak slowly, because some of our African friends have only spoken English for a few months or years. But we also have to ask them to repeat themselves often, because their African accent is strong. So it is a little odd on both ends, right now, until we get used to it.
Yesterday I went with some new friends to a place called Kingfisher. It's a resort where you can pay to use the pool. We celebrated the birthday of two girls. It was fun! But now the real work begins :)
I will try soon to figure out how to post photos on here..right now I'm not sure. But I'll try!
Friday, August 22, 2014
First update
Here is a copy of an email I sent to my church...now that the internet is working again I should be able to post more later..or tomorrow..
I made it safely and easily to my school in Uganda. Our internet has been down for a few days but is back up now. Everyone here is very friendly! Everyone speaks Lugandan, except to us Mzungus (white folk). Almost everyone knows at least some English. The folks on the base are very good at English, but the taxi drivers and others I've met aren't quite as fluent. I wish I knew some Lugandan, but so far I haven't picked up anything.
Things are simple here. Our water pump that gives us running water was broken for a few days, but now is back...so we can wash our hands and flush the toilets and take cold showers. They have treated water for drinking.
The dorms are simple too...bunk beds, mosquito nets, and a few bathroom and shower stalls.
The base is beautiful..it is very lush. There are many people here for a worship conference that ends tonight, so it's been busy. It's wonderful to be surrounded by Africans! But it's difficult to get used to their accent.
I went to town today with some staff members. They taught me how to catch a Boda (motorcycle taxi). It's quite fun, but very dangerous by US standards. Hardly anyone wears a helmet, and the traffic laws here are minimal. A bus taxi is sometimes cheaper, but only goes to and from town, and stops a lot. Bodas are much more fun :)
So, things are going well! We don't start class until Monday, so I'm kind of just waiting out the time.
The poverty here is just like every picture I've seen. There are places where folks are doing okay, but there are many places where things are difficult. Small houses, sometimes only one or two rooms, made with cheap materials. I've seen people bathing and washing laundry in filthy streams. Children carrying water jugs. On the way here from the airport some street children begged from me in the open car window. In poorer areas, the children love to see white people, and it is true that they run up to me and want to hold my hand. They sure are adorable though! Despite their lack of goods, people seem generally in good spirits. The children play and the adults linger and chat like family.
The worship is amazing. The people are very spirited in their worship! It's amazing to hear and see and be a part of.
Thanks for all the prayers! The enemy is definitely trying to make me afraid to be here. Last night I spent more time praying that sleeping. I have never felt so attacked before. But luckily God is also very present here, and He helped me overcome! :)
Well, I must go now or I will miss dinner. Three meals a day are served for us, under a big grass roof. I have heard that we get meat about once a week...other than that, plenty of rice, beans, posho (which looks and slightly tastes like mashed potatoes, but is just corn meal)...I have heard we get watermelon sometimes, and we had pumpkin with lunch today...not sure what else we might get throughout our time here...and breakfast is simply toast and tea every day. So I will need to learn how to haggle in the market for some fruit to supplement my diet, I think!
Miss everyone!
Shelley
I made it safely and easily to my school in Uganda. Our internet has been down for a few days but is back up now. Everyone here is very friendly! Everyone speaks Lugandan, except to us Mzungus (white folk). Almost everyone knows at least some English. The folks on the base are very good at English, but the taxi drivers and others I've met aren't quite as fluent. I wish I knew some Lugandan, but so far I haven't picked up anything.
Things are simple here. Our water pump that gives us running water was broken for a few days, but now is back...so we can wash our hands and flush the toilets and take cold showers. They have treated water for drinking.
The dorms are simple too...bunk beds, mosquito nets, and a few bathroom and shower stalls.
The base is beautiful..it is very lush. There are many people here for a worship conference that ends tonight, so it's been busy. It's wonderful to be surrounded by Africans! But it's difficult to get used to their accent.
I went to town today with some staff members. They taught me how to catch a Boda (motorcycle taxi). It's quite fun, but very dangerous by US standards. Hardly anyone wears a helmet, and the traffic laws here are minimal. A bus taxi is sometimes cheaper, but only goes to and from town, and stops a lot. Bodas are much more fun :)
So, things are going well! We don't start class until Monday, so I'm kind of just waiting out the time.
The poverty here is just like every picture I've seen. There are places where folks are doing okay, but there are many places where things are difficult. Small houses, sometimes only one or two rooms, made with cheap materials. I've seen people bathing and washing laundry in filthy streams. Children carrying water jugs. On the way here from the airport some street children begged from me in the open car window. In poorer areas, the children love to see white people, and it is true that they run up to me and want to hold my hand. They sure are adorable though! Despite their lack of goods, people seem generally in good spirits. The children play and the adults linger and chat like family.
The worship is amazing. The people are very spirited in their worship! It's amazing to hear and see and be a part of.
Thanks for all the prayers! The enemy is definitely trying to make me afraid to be here. Last night I spent more time praying that sleeping. I have never felt so attacked before. But luckily God is also very present here, and He helped me overcome! :)
Well, I must go now or I will miss dinner. Three meals a day are served for us, under a big grass roof. I have heard that we get meat about once a week...other than that, plenty of rice, beans, posho (which looks and slightly tastes like mashed potatoes, but is just corn meal)...I have heard we get watermelon sometimes, and we had pumpkin with lunch today...not sure what else we might get throughout our time here...and breakfast is simply toast and tea every day. So I will need to learn how to haggle in the market for some fruit to supplement my diet, I think!
Miss everyone!
Shelley
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Here we go!
I'm currently sitting in the airport in Tucson. About 35 hours from now I'll be in Uganda!
I'm so excited! It kind of doesn't seem real...I think I just don't really understand what to expect. As much as I've read about and seen pictures of the problems in Africa, they are so far removed from American life that I can't even really process what it will be like. So for now I am just very excited for the adventure ahead of me :)
I'm so excited! It kind of doesn't seem real...I think I just don't really understand what to expect. As much as I've read about and seen pictures of the problems in Africa, they are so far removed from American life that I can't even really process what it will be like. So for now I am just very excited for the adventure ahead of me :)
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Fundraising!
Update: 7/25/14
Hello friends,
My fundraising has been completely finished! The bake sale that I held at my church was wonderful, and everyone was very generous. My entire trip is funded! Praise the Lord :)
Just a few more weeks to go!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I just wanted to share how blessed I feel tonight as I calculate my fundraising thus far. Wow! God sure has been faithful in this. I'm already more than 3/4 of the way to my goal of $4,350!
Thank you to all of the friends and family members that have donated to me. Not only does it help me offset the cost of this trip, it also makes me feel loved and encouraged.
I have a bake sale at my church coming up in two weeks, and I have no doubt that God will continue to show me blessings that day. It truly is amazing how He has opened doors and set everything into place for this trip.
Hello friends,
My fundraising has been completely finished! The bake sale that I held at my church was wonderful, and everyone was very generous. My entire trip is funded! Praise the Lord :)
Just a few more weeks to go!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I just wanted to share how blessed I feel tonight as I calculate my fundraising thus far. Wow! God sure has been faithful in this. I'm already more than 3/4 of the way to my goal of $4,350!
Thank you to all of the friends and family members that have donated to me. Not only does it help me offset the cost of this trip, it also makes me feel loved and encouraged.
I have a bake sale at my church coming up in two weeks, and I have no doubt that God will continue to show me blessings that day. It truly is amazing how He has opened doors and set everything into place for this trip.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Be his hands and feet
We often hear the phrase "be His hands and feet." This phrase popped
into my head this morning. Normally I just take it to mean we should
do good works, take care of others, donate to charities, etc. Simple.
Do what Jesus would be doing if he was here.
But this morning, for whatever reason, I thought about the phrase in a more literal way. And everything changed.
What do we know of Jesus' hands and feet, literally? He was a carpenter, so his hands must have been very rough, and worn. Toughened and used. And Jesus did a lot of traveling on foot, so his feet must have also been well-worn and rugged. These weren't pampered hands and feet. They weren't lavished with fancy oils and propped up on footrests; these hands and feet worked hard. They saw long hours and dirty conditions. They touched sick people. Contagious people. And in doing so, they performed miracles. And then, in the end, these hands and feet were treated badly. They were pierced with nails. They were abused, and they bled, and they hurt. But in doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice!
So what does it mean, to be Jesus' hands and feet? It sure doesn't seem to mean sitting around, spending time on idle things, or caring only about yourself. To me personally it speaks of following God to the hard places. To the places where conditions are less than ideal, where work is hard, days are long, and where you inevitably hurt, physically or emotionally.
I'm not sayin' everyone is called to leave their homes and go abroad to help others. There is an endless number of ways to serve others, anywhere you are. The important thing is that you're doing it.
The Lord has really opened my eyes to this lately...this idea of doing. It really is easy to sit back and enjoy the blessings God gives us around here, and not worry about anyone else. It's too easy! And I have realized that I want to do more.
To whom much is given, much will be demanded.
Much will be asked of those who have been blessed.
Much should be done by those who have everything.
But this morning, for whatever reason, I thought about the phrase in a more literal way. And everything changed.
What do we know of Jesus' hands and feet, literally? He was a carpenter, so his hands must have been very rough, and worn. Toughened and used. And Jesus did a lot of traveling on foot, so his feet must have also been well-worn and rugged. These weren't pampered hands and feet. They weren't lavished with fancy oils and propped up on footrests; these hands and feet worked hard. They saw long hours and dirty conditions. They touched sick people. Contagious people. And in doing so, they performed miracles. And then, in the end, these hands and feet were treated badly. They were pierced with nails. They were abused, and they bled, and they hurt. But in doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice!
So what does it mean, to be Jesus' hands and feet? It sure doesn't seem to mean sitting around, spending time on idle things, or caring only about yourself. To me personally it speaks of following God to the hard places. To the places where conditions are less than ideal, where work is hard, days are long, and where you inevitably hurt, physically or emotionally.
I'm not sayin' everyone is called to leave their homes and go abroad to help others. There is an endless number of ways to serve others, anywhere you are. The important thing is that you're doing it.
The Lord has really opened my eyes to this lately...this idea of doing. It really is easy to sit back and enjoy the blessings God gives us around here, and not worry about anyone else. It's too easy! And I have realized that I want to do more.
To whom much is given, much will be demanded.
Much will be asked of those who have been blessed.
Much should be done by those who have everything.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Recent scriptures
There are some scriptures that I've come across in the past couple months that have really made an impact on me and my decision to go to Uganda, and I wanted to share them!
The biggest is Hebrews 11:24-26:
"It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share in the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward."
This really speaks to my heart. Moses had everything, as he was living in the palace as a son of Pharaoh. He was rich! Even richer than me! :) And yet when he grew and matured, he realized the suffering of God's people, the Israelites. And he found it more worthy to suffer oppression with them in order to help them than to keep living in comfort in the palace.
In modern times, maybe this could be a person living with everything they needed here in America, who decides that it is more worthy to go to the poorest country in the world and live with less in order to help others? :)
Another scripture that helped me decide was Proverbs 24:12:
"Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
Pretty self explanatory. Once we have felt guidance, we can't pretend that we don't know what to do. There was simply no way I could just turn away from this idea and pretend I had never been led to it.
The other two that have impacted me lately are a little harsh, but all too true for many people in the world. In trying to surround myself with positive influences, I haven't personally met very many "bad eggs," but when you think about all the horrible problems of the world, like human trafficking, terrorism, sex slavery, theft, murder, etc., etc....it's easy to forget, but the existence of those things are dependent on individual human beings to actually do them. People who live and breathe and think and walk this earth choose to do those things, and so they exist. Anyway, these scriptures are harsh but they remind me that life with Christ is meant to be completely different than life without Him. While this obviously doesn't mean that I've only recently decided not to murder or steal, it does mean that I've decided to put Him first, and especially to spend more time learning about Him and less time absorbed in things of this world.
Ephesians 4:17-24:
"With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasures and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy."
Isaiah 8:11-15:
"The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does [instructed me that I should not walk in the ways of these people]. He said, 'Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heavens Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah [those that reject Him], He will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem, He will be a trap and a snare. Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured."
Two more very simple ones:
Matthew 10:8:
"Freely you have received, freely give!"
Ephesians 4:1:
"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."
And some from my little diary I was keeping while I tried to figure out what to do:
Hebrews 12:1-2:
"...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus."
My diary says: Let us cast aside the self-pleasing junk of this world! How many hours can we spend watching TV, playing games, saving up for the latest gadget that we'll only enjoy for a few months? No more! Keep our eyes on Jesus!
Isaiah 3:15:
" 'How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?' demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies."
The biggest is Hebrews 11:24-26:
"It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share in the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward."
This really speaks to my heart. Moses had everything, as he was living in the palace as a son of Pharaoh. He was rich! Even richer than me! :) And yet when he grew and matured, he realized the suffering of God's people, the Israelites. And he found it more worthy to suffer oppression with them in order to help them than to keep living in comfort in the palace.
In modern times, maybe this could be a person living with everything they needed here in America, who decides that it is more worthy to go to the poorest country in the world and live with less in order to help others? :)
Another scripture that helped me decide was Proverbs 24:12:
"Once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
Pretty self explanatory. Once we have felt guidance, we can't pretend that we don't know what to do. There was simply no way I could just turn away from this idea and pretend I had never been led to it.
The other two that have impacted me lately are a little harsh, but all too true for many people in the world. In trying to surround myself with positive influences, I haven't personally met very many "bad eggs," but when you think about all the horrible problems of the world, like human trafficking, terrorism, sex slavery, theft, murder, etc., etc....it's easy to forget, but the existence of those things are dependent on individual human beings to actually do them. People who live and breathe and think and walk this earth choose to do those things, and so they exist. Anyway, these scriptures are harsh but they remind me that life with Christ is meant to be completely different than life without Him. While this obviously doesn't mean that I've only recently decided not to murder or steal, it does mean that I've decided to put Him first, and especially to spend more time learning about Him and less time absorbed in things of this world.
Ephesians 4:17-24:
"With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasures and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn't what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy."
Isaiah 8:11-15:
"The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does [instructed me that I should not walk in the ways of these people]. He said, 'Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heavens Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah [those that reject Him], He will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem, He will be a trap and a snare. Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured."
Two more very simple ones:
Matthew 10:8:
"Freely you have received, freely give!"
Ephesians 4:1:
"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."
And some from my little diary I was keeping while I tried to figure out what to do:
Hebrews 12:1-2:
"...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus."
My diary says: Let us cast aside the self-pleasing junk of this world! How many hours can we spend watching TV, playing games, saving up for the latest gadget that we'll only enjoy for a few months? No more! Keep our eyes on Jesus!
Isaiah 3:15:
" 'How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?' demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies."
YWAM & DTS
How does Youth With A Mission work?
YWAM has locations all over the world (literally!). You can do your training anywhere, including the USA. I could have chosen to attend a school for three months somewhere in the US, and then do two months of outreach in Africa. But I didn't feel led to do that, and I also think it would detract from experiencing living in Africa.
The core value of YWAM is "To know God and make Him known." In other words, to help Christians develop their personal relationship with God, and learn to know Him and His Word, and then to help them show God's love to others through outreach.
What is Discipleship Training School? What will I actually be doing in Uganda?
HopeLand's page says, "The goal of a Discipleship Training School (DTS) is to encourage committed Christians into a deeper personal relationship with the Lord, thus equipping them to serve Him in whatever capacity he calls them to." "The training students receive and the relationships that they build here promote inner healing and challenge students to model a Christ-like lifestyle and attitude. Students receive training for ministry, but they also receive healing, restoration, and perspective in their personal lives."
The DTS is broken into two phases, a lecture phase and an outreach phase. The lecture phase is about three months long, and covers a different topic each week. We meet as a class, take lessons, and have group discussions. The topics are various aspects of Christianity, such as the nature of God, missions and evangelism, sin and repentance, hearing from God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, prayer, praise and worship, etc. The outreach phase is about two months long, where you go away from your school to put your training to work - you go out and help others, in an "intense cross-cultural experience." Every school has different places that they go. As far as I can tell, this particular school has outreach to the local villages as well as to neighboring countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania. The outreach phase is described as very difficult, and you are often staying with host families. For outreach to the poorest African villages, this can easily mean we will be staying with families who live in huts with no electricity or running water. Sleeping on the ground with them. Eating what they would eat. Bathing (hopefully) as they do. Currently I do not know where our outreach is to be for the coming school term, so it could be different. But others that I have read about have had tough outreaches. Anyway, aside from living with a host family, you are offering yourself in any way helpful. Maybe you'll be volunteering at an orphanage, playing with children or changing diapers or helping clean, cook, and wash laundry. You could help at a church, teaching bible school to children or leading bible studies for adults. Just about anyone from America, regardless of teaching experience, can teach basic English at a kindergarten or primary school. Or maybe they need you to assist at some sort of support center, talking and praying with HIV patients or mothers who have lost children. Whatever your talents may be, there is something you can do for others in such a place.
During the lecture phase, Monday through Friday are class days, and weekends are free. I read a blog of a girl who did her DTS several years ago, and this was her daily weekday schedule:
6AM wake up for personal prayer time
7:30 AM breakfast
8AM classes
1PM Lunch
2:30PM Small groups
3:30-5:30 Chores
6:30 Dinner
The DTS is located on a "base," which is kind of like a small campus. It has dorm rooms, a dining room, places for classes, a primary school, and other buildings, as well as beautiful landscaping. As far as Africa goes, it seems very upscale!
YWAM has locations all over the world (literally!). You can do your training anywhere, including the USA. I could have chosen to attend a school for three months somewhere in the US, and then do two months of outreach in Africa. But I didn't feel led to do that, and I also think it would detract from experiencing living in Africa.
The core value of YWAM is "To know God and make Him known." In other words, to help Christians develop their personal relationship with God, and learn to know Him and His Word, and then to help them show God's love to others through outreach.
What is Discipleship Training School? What will I actually be doing in Uganda?
HopeLand's page says, "The goal of a Discipleship Training School (DTS) is to encourage committed Christians into a deeper personal relationship with the Lord, thus equipping them to serve Him in whatever capacity he calls them to." "The training students receive and the relationships that they build here promote inner healing and challenge students to model a Christ-like lifestyle and attitude. Students receive training for ministry, but they also receive healing, restoration, and perspective in their personal lives."
The DTS is broken into two phases, a lecture phase and an outreach phase. The lecture phase is about three months long, and covers a different topic each week. We meet as a class, take lessons, and have group discussions. The topics are various aspects of Christianity, such as the nature of God, missions and evangelism, sin and repentance, hearing from God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, prayer, praise and worship, etc. The outreach phase is about two months long, where you go away from your school to put your training to work - you go out and help others, in an "intense cross-cultural experience." Every school has different places that they go. As far as I can tell, this particular school has outreach to the local villages as well as to neighboring countries, such as Kenya and Tanzania. The outreach phase is described as very difficult, and you are often staying with host families. For outreach to the poorest African villages, this can easily mean we will be staying with families who live in huts with no electricity or running water. Sleeping on the ground with them. Eating what they would eat. Bathing (hopefully) as they do. Currently I do not know where our outreach is to be for the coming school term, so it could be different. But others that I have read about have had tough outreaches. Anyway, aside from living with a host family, you are offering yourself in any way helpful. Maybe you'll be volunteering at an orphanage, playing with children or changing diapers or helping clean, cook, and wash laundry. You could help at a church, teaching bible school to children or leading bible studies for adults. Just about anyone from America, regardless of teaching experience, can teach basic English at a kindergarten or primary school. Or maybe they need you to assist at some sort of support center, talking and praying with HIV patients or mothers who have lost children. Whatever your talents may be, there is something you can do for others in such a place.
During the lecture phase, Monday through Friday are class days, and weekends are free. I read a blog of a girl who did her DTS several years ago, and this was her daily weekday schedule:
6AM wake up for personal prayer time
7:30 AM breakfast
8AM classes
1PM Lunch
2:30PM Small groups
3:30-5:30 Chores
6:30 Dinner
The DTS is located on a "base," which is kind of like a small campus. It has dorm rooms, a dining room, places for classes, a primary school, and other buildings, as well as beautiful landscaping. As far as Africa goes, it seems very upscale!
It is located in the city of Jinja. From what I've read so far, Jinja is a little town, but has amentities, such as a marketplace or grocery store and other shops, and several hospitals. It is near Lake Victoria and the Nile River.
I'm excited to be there...it looks beautiful. I love the outdoors, and warm weather, so hopefully that will make it easier for me to adjust!
Why am I going to Uganda?
Welcome to my blog! :)
I bet a lot of people's first reaction to my idea of going to Uganda was, "What? Why? I thought you were working on an animal training job......?" I can't blame you! I myself have wondered the same thing more than once. So I thought I would tell you a "short" version of why I'm going to Uganda.
Early February. My world was turned upside down when my relationship (and engagement) came to an end. I had no idea what I'd be doing next with my life. My first thought was, "Well okay, now I can move to Florida, live by the beach, chase my dream of working with dolphins, and everything will be perfect." But I didn't actually feel like doing that. I was praying for guidance and patience and peace. And boy was there peace! A peace like no other, which was surprising considering the circumstances.
And then one day I thought, "Maybe I will do something for the Lord instead of for me. Maybe I will do a mission trip! And then when I get back I will decide what to do with my life." The Lord had drawn me so close the past year, and I desired to give back a little of the awesome blessings He had bestowed upon me. The only place I was interested in going was Africa. Who knows why, but apparently that is the only place that God has put on my heart. My first search was to see if Compassion International had an upcoming trip to Ghana, where my sponsor child is. Unfortunately, no :( I kept searching other websites. I was open to anywhere in Africa, but I was also thinking about how wonderful it might be to go to Uganda and see where Katie Davis, the author of Kisses From Katie, has her ministry. I had fallen in love with that book, and I thought it would be so cool to actually see the area she wrote about. Most of the short trips to Africa (2 weeks to several months) were unbelievably expensive, averaging a little more than $4,000. So I kind of stopped looking. I didn't stop wanting to go, I just stopped looking. I believed that if God wanted me to go, He would show me where He wanted me.
A few weeks later, my good friend Miss Amy emailed me a list of organizations she knew of. Youth With A Mission was on the top of the list. I had never heard of it, but it sounded neat, so I looked it up. They specialize in offering something called Discipleship Training School (DTS), which is three months of school-type Christian education, followed by two months of outreach trips. How perfect! I LOVE school! So I searched for Africa. I searched for Uganda. Lo and behold, there were several schools in Uganda! How wonderful! I looked up the first one. Not much of a website...not much information...didn't feel it. Same for the next one. And then I clicked on the website for Hopeland, located in Jinja, the same city that Katie Davis has written so much about. The website opened up and was beautiful! Much more information, dates, costs, etc. My heart beat fast. I wanted to be there. I looked up the date...late August. Perfect! I could enjoy the Flagstaff summer and then go. I looked up the cost...$1,600. I could definitely swing that.
In short, everything about this place seemed like exactly what I was desiring. Right place, right time, right cost, going back to "school," and doing outreach. Amazing how the Lord can bring you exactly what you wanted if you let Him.
So, to put it simply.. I am going to Uganda to learn about the Lord, to increase my faith and my dependence on God, and to find out how I can help others in need. I am going in order to see for myself the injustice of this world, to see the people we always hear are "starving and dying in Africa" but do not care about because we have not seen. I am going in order to be changed for the better, and to serve the Lord in any way that He might ask me to.
I bet a lot of people's first reaction to my idea of going to Uganda was, "What? Why? I thought you were working on an animal training job......?" I can't blame you! I myself have wondered the same thing more than once. So I thought I would tell you a "short" version of why I'm going to Uganda.
Early February. My world was turned upside down when my relationship (and engagement) came to an end. I had no idea what I'd be doing next with my life. My first thought was, "Well okay, now I can move to Florida, live by the beach, chase my dream of working with dolphins, and everything will be perfect." But I didn't actually feel like doing that. I was praying for guidance and patience and peace. And boy was there peace! A peace like no other, which was surprising considering the circumstances.
And then one day I thought, "Maybe I will do something for the Lord instead of for me. Maybe I will do a mission trip! And then when I get back I will decide what to do with my life." The Lord had drawn me so close the past year, and I desired to give back a little of the awesome blessings He had bestowed upon me. The only place I was interested in going was Africa. Who knows why, but apparently that is the only place that God has put on my heart. My first search was to see if Compassion International had an upcoming trip to Ghana, where my sponsor child is. Unfortunately, no :( I kept searching other websites. I was open to anywhere in Africa, but I was also thinking about how wonderful it might be to go to Uganda and see where Katie Davis, the author of Kisses From Katie, has her ministry. I had fallen in love with that book, and I thought it would be so cool to actually see the area she wrote about. Most of the short trips to Africa (2 weeks to several months) were unbelievably expensive, averaging a little more than $4,000. So I kind of stopped looking. I didn't stop wanting to go, I just stopped looking. I believed that if God wanted me to go, He would show me where He wanted me.
A few weeks later, my good friend Miss Amy emailed me a list of organizations she knew of. Youth With A Mission was on the top of the list. I had never heard of it, but it sounded neat, so I looked it up. They specialize in offering something called Discipleship Training School (DTS), which is three months of school-type Christian education, followed by two months of outreach trips. How perfect! I LOVE school! So I searched for Africa. I searched for Uganda. Lo and behold, there were several schools in Uganda! How wonderful! I looked up the first one. Not much of a website...not much information...didn't feel it. Same for the next one. And then I clicked on the website for Hopeland, located in Jinja, the same city that Katie Davis has written so much about. The website opened up and was beautiful! Much more information, dates, costs, etc. My heart beat fast. I wanted to be there. I looked up the date...late August. Perfect! I could enjoy the Flagstaff summer and then go. I looked up the cost...$1,600. I could definitely swing that.
In short, everything about this place seemed like exactly what I was desiring. Right place, right time, right cost, going back to "school," and doing outreach. Amazing how the Lord can bring you exactly what you wanted if you let Him.
So, to put it simply.. I am going to Uganda to learn about the Lord, to increase my faith and my dependence on God, and to find out how I can help others in need. I am going in order to see for myself the injustice of this world, to see the people we always hear are "starving and dying in Africa" but do not care about because we have not seen. I am going in order to be changed for the better, and to serve the Lord in any way that He might ask me to.
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