Ok…Call me “Einstein”, but I came across some scripture this morning that was a great reminder for me…something I had forgotten to apply to myself.
My expectations are typically high for everything…but the expectations I have on myself are the absolute highest. A personality flaw some might say…I allow no margin of error for myself. I can be rather quick to forgive those around me who make mistakes. However, when it comes to my own mistakes, there is never any need for anyone to punish me, as I take care of that myself.
This weekend I was challenged. I made a mistake, reverting to some old ways of thinking and old behaviors. A friend lovingly reminded me that things would be “ok”, and that from time to time we all “glance back” for a moment. I was ashamed and embarrassed at my response to temporarily “glance back”. I couldn’t believe I had made so much progress and then in the blink of an eye…I did it.
For 24 hours I could not “shake” it. I had failed! How many times before had I done this…and how many more times would I return there. Why couldn’t I just “get it right” and “be done” with this area of my life.
In my disappointment, I lost sight of who I was; I lost sight of the amazing grace of God. I lost sight of who I am in Christ...sacred, treasured, loved enough to die for. In loosing sight, I began to focus on the lies I had believed for so long about myself. One bad decision sent me into a cascade of negative thoughts.
The law perfected nothing, but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:19
This verse reminded me that God is not after our “perfection”. He is after our “faith” !
Christ came as the royal priest. He came to perfectly meet our needs…Not recognizing this truth would mean not recognizing what took place on the cross.
This is great comfort for those of us who struggle with feelings of needing to be “perfect”; who feel we can live with no “margin of error”.
My sights are now adjusting, as my aim is no longer “perfection” but rather “faith”.
Through faith, I was able to walk away from the poor choice I was making. Through faith, I was reminded of who I am in Christ. Without faith, we simply walk in our own strength…I don’t know about you, but I desire to tap into strength much stronger than what I possess!
What are you "tapping into"?
Blessings,
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturated! Pause Button Required
10-3-2010:This week I’ve experienced an endless wave of God’s faithfulness…blessing after blessing…so much that I finally had to beg the Lord to withhold any more for the remainder of the week. I found myself at a point of complete saturation.
I haven’t been diligent in sharing details of the land development in Bweya Village, Uganda, probably due to a lack of faith in God’s previsions. Ekissa has been in the process of purchasing 3 acres of land in order to build a “hub of care” for the children. This “hub” is to include a church, orphanage, medical clinic and school.
The land in Uganda is unbelievably expensive due to the percentage of land available for general consumption among “commoners”. The majority of land is owned by the government. I was told 2 weeks ago that another ministry paid $40,000 per acre! The Ugandan man, “Mr. Robert”, which ekissa is purchasing land from, has agreed to permit us to purchase 3 acres for $28,000 per acre…roughly $90,000 for the 3 acre tract.
Upon meeting Mr. Robert and seeing his land, there was no doubt this particular land was the partial of land God desired for ekissa to inhabit. However, I must confess I’ve been a little overwhelmed with the contract of purchase. Mr. Robert has allowed us to pay for one acre at a time, giving us 2 months in between each payment, to raise the following $28,000. This meant ekissa was responsible for roughly $90,000 over a period of 6 months.
God provided the $28,000 for the first acre of land in a matter of 4 weeks through Facebook post and word of mouth. This second acre has been a little more challenging. I was a little fearful of what “Mr. Robert’s” reaction might be if we hadn’t raised the full payment of $28G’s by Sept 22. Weeks before the payment deadline for acre #2 , the Lord led me to a piece of scripture.
“Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” Habakkuk 2:2-3
From the time Christ led me to this scripture, I stood confident that payment #2 would arrive…however, it would NOT arrive at the contractually agreed upon time…Despite the “delay” in payment, I had a tremendous peace concerning Mr. Robert’s acceptance of its delay. However, in an effort to “prepare” him, I attempted to contact Mr. Robert for more than 1 ½ weeks to keep him informed of the status of our funds towards the second payment. Despite my ongoing efforts, I was never able to get through to Uganda. The airways get so congested that it is often extremely difficult to get through.
Well, as I was prepared in advance through scripture, payment day came and went and ekissa was $8,000 short. Upon the encouragement of a board member, I phoned Mr. Robert to inform him of the status of our fundraising efforts. I asked the Lord to honor our efforts and to clear the technology highways such that I could reach Mr. Robert by phone with my first effort…and He did! (Unless you’ve dealt with the frustrations of successfully making a phone call to Uganda, you probably can’t appreciate this to its fullest!)
Not only was Mr. Robert acceptance of our “short fall”, he instructed for me to simply send the funds we had raised…and the blessing doesn’t stop there…
Mr. Robert stated for me to hold on to the final payment in November and that we would renegotiate that payment when we arrive in December!….and, yet again, the blessings continue…
Just a few hours later there was a knock at my door. In stepped an individual who stated 3 weeks prior to this day, they felt called to pay the remaining balance of acre # 2!
There has been much that has flooded my heart this week…but this week I felt God focus in and test not only my willingness to trust Him but also for Mr. Robert to trust in the faithfulness of Christ. Often, we feel if there is a delay, it’s about us. In the end perhaps it’s not…perhaps the delay has absolutely nothing to do with us, and everything to do with another individual. Something I recognize is that Mr. Robert and I both are living a surrendered life…and even in the midst of our business contract of purchasing land, we can not compartmentalize our life.
Imagine how things could have turned out if we both weren’t surrendered to God. Now, I’m not questioning the sovereignty of God, as He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. However, the ease in which this situation was handled was amazing...and then the blessing of the $8,000…that gift will be a blessing to Mr. Robert and it certainly eased some of the bondage I have felt in entering into this land purchase.
Funny thing is, I’ve felt all along this land in Uganda belongs to the Lord…so in His calling for ekissa to purchase it for His Kingdom’s work, why wouldn’t He provide the resources to purchase it?!
Often we want to worship God on Sunday’s and leave Him out of the other 6 days of the week. If we only look for Him one day a week, we’re missing out on daily experiences with the Lord and lots of opportunities to worship Him! Regular, consistent fellowship leads to worship everyday of the week!
“Sing! Sing! Sing unto the Lord, for He is worthy to be praised…”
There are blessings all around us...do you ever find yourself "saturated" with His goodness?
…striving to stay in tuned with what God is doing in, and all around me! I'm challenging you to do the same!
Blessings,
I haven’t been diligent in sharing details of the land development in Bweya Village, Uganda, probably due to a lack of faith in God’s previsions. Ekissa has been in the process of purchasing 3 acres of land in order to build a “hub of care” for the children. This “hub” is to include a church, orphanage, medical clinic and school.
The land in Uganda is unbelievably expensive due to the percentage of land available for general consumption among “commoners”. The majority of land is owned by the government. I was told 2 weeks ago that another ministry paid $40,000 per acre! The Ugandan man, “Mr. Robert”, which ekissa is purchasing land from, has agreed to permit us to purchase 3 acres for $28,000 per acre…roughly $90,000 for the 3 acre tract.
Upon meeting Mr. Robert and seeing his land, there was no doubt this particular land was the partial of land God desired for ekissa to inhabit. However, I must confess I’ve been a little overwhelmed with the contract of purchase. Mr. Robert has allowed us to pay for one acre at a time, giving us 2 months in between each payment, to raise the following $28,000. This meant ekissa was responsible for roughly $90,000 over a period of 6 months.
God provided the $28,000 for the first acre of land in a matter of 4 weeks through Facebook post and word of mouth. This second acre has been a little more challenging. I was a little fearful of what “Mr. Robert’s” reaction might be if we hadn’t raised the full payment of $28G’s by Sept 22. Weeks before the payment deadline for acre #2 , the Lord led me to a piece of scripture.
“Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” Habakkuk 2:2-3
From the time Christ led me to this scripture, I stood confident that payment #2 would arrive…however, it would NOT arrive at the contractually agreed upon time…Despite the “delay” in payment, I had a tremendous peace concerning Mr. Robert’s acceptance of its delay. However, in an effort to “prepare” him, I attempted to contact Mr. Robert for more than 1 ½ weeks to keep him informed of the status of our funds towards the second payment. Despite my ongoing efforts, I was never able to get through to Uganda. The airways get so congested that it is often extremely difficult to get through.
Well, as I was prepared in advance through scripture, payment day came and went and ekissa was $8,000 short. Upon the encouragement of a board member, I phoned Mr. Robert to inform him of the status of our fundraising efforts. I asked the Lord to honor our efforts and to clear the technology highways such that I could reach Mr. Robert by phone with my first effort…and He did! (Unless you’ve dealt with the frustrations of successfully making a phone call to Uganda, you probably can’t appreciate this to its fullest!)
Not only was Mr. Robert acceptance of our “short fall”, he instructed for me to simply send the funds we had raised…and the blessing doesn’t stop there…
Mr. Robert stated for me to hold on to the final payment in November and that we would renegotiate that payment when we arrive in December!….and, yet again, the blessings continue…
Just a few hours later there was a knock at my door. In stepped an individual who stated 3 weeks prior to this day, they felt called to pay the remaining balance of acre # 2!
There has been much that has flooded my heart this week…but this week I felt God focus in and test not only my willingness to trust Him but also for Mr. Robert to trust in the faithfulness of Christ. Often, we feel if there is a delay, it’s about us. In the end perhaps it’s not…perhaps the delay has absolutely nothing to do with us, and everything to do with another individual. Something I recognize is that Mr. Robert and I both are living a surrendered life…and even in the midst of our business contract of purchasing land, we can not compartmentalize our life.
Imagine how things could have turned out if we both weren’t surrendered to God. Now, I’m not questioning the sovereignty of God, as He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants. However, the ease in which this situation was handled was amazing...and then the blessing of the $8,000…that gift will be a blessing to Mr. Robert and it certainly eased some of the bondage I have felt in entering into this land purchase.
Funny thing is, I’ve felt all along this land in Uganda belongs to the Lord…so in His calling for ekissa to purchase it for His Kingdom’s work, why wouldn’t He provide the resources to purchase it?!
Often we want to worship God on Sunday’s and leave Him out of the other 6 days of the week. If we only look for Him one day a week, we’re missing out on daily experiences with the Lord and lots of opportunities to worship Him! Regular, consistent fellowship leads to worship everyday of the week!
“Sing! Sing! Sing unto the Lord, for He is worthy to be praised…”
There are blessings all around us...do you ever find yourself "saturated" with His goodness?
…striving to stay in tuned with what God is doing in, and all around me! I'm challenging you to do the same!
Blessings,
Monday, July 12, 2010
"The blood is not our own"....
I sit tonight with many thoughts streaming through my head…Sometimes I feel like my brain is I-40 at rush hour…tonight I sit in utter awe of the greatness of our God. I sit amazed at the depth of His love for me despite the things I do, the attitudes I sport, my misplaced priorities, etc...
It seems that lately I’ve been focusing on my inadequacies,feelings of “less than”, feelings of inferiority…focusing on “self”. The first line of one of Rick Warren’s books addresses the fact that life is not about “me”!
It amazes me the lengths the enemy will go to weasel his way into the little nooks and crannies of our lives such that we don’t realize it’s happening until, ”BOOM!”…and then there’s no denying the aftermath he’s left behind. I’m so thankful for a God who is able to clean up the messes we create/ or allow to be created. I’m so thankful for the “ekissa” (Lugandan for "mercy") of Christ.
Things are certainly relative. As God has begun to bring into my understanding of how I’ve been trusting in the ability of another individual over His ability to provide for the ministry of ekissa, I’ve had friends who have been in the middle of a more blatant attack of the enemy.
Two American friends who originally went to Uganda in March of this year for a visit, decided to stay and invest themselves in the beginnings of an orphanage.
The very orphanage which called ekissa into creation, was used to keep two 22 year old guys in Uganda in order to demonstrate mercy to 16 orphans between ages 3-11.
While in Uganda, these boys went out yesterday evening to watch the World Cup football (soccer) game on a big screen at a local hangout. As the half time whistle blew their lives were forever changed.
It appears a war of another kind was waged by a sub group of Al Qaeda. This group made the decision to ignite bombs in 2 public places and many people were killed. In the words of one of these friends…
“…..a sound we didn’t expect…
The sound that every person fears, shook the earth. Louder than a thunder crack, an eruption burst our ears. BOOM!
The window my shoulder is on imploded into the room… Billowing smoke... tables and chairs turned over… I can’t focus… why can’t I see? Where is my group? Where are the girls?… Get cover. My adrenaline kicks in as we stumble over debris. Jay and I grab Carrie and push us against the sturdiest wall furthest from the explosion. Where is my chaco? I’m walking barefoot on glass. There is blood everywhere. I can’t hear anything except the loud ringing in my ear. Where is this blood coming from? Is it mine? Not mine. Jay’s ok. My group seems fine. The green glass of the Mountain Dew bottles we had are now shattered across the floor. Two white people are on the ground right in front of us covered in blood. I can’t focus. All I can see what white mangled flesh and blood everywhere. We were slipping in it. People began pushing to the back. Bodies still lay in chairs and all over the ground. Some of the ten people that sat in the back of the room just feet from us now are not moving….Bloody people were being carried out as we began to hear sirens from a distance. Fifteen people confirmed dead. People that were literally sitting feet from us enjoying the game now are gone. A grown man wept knowing he lost his brother.
…The blood that stained our clothes we realized was not our own…
In an instant, life can become a “bloody mess”. In the blink of an eye, lives are changed as well as end…alive one minute and gone the next. I’m quite sure all the people gathered in Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kampala Uganda, watching the World Cup, had not woken up that morning asking themselves, “How should I spend my last day of life on this earth?”.
I found myself wondering about the life of those who died in these explosions. I wondered who they were, what roles they played in the lives of others, did they know Christ, had anyone taken the time to introduce Christ?
I also found myself assessing my own life. Am I living a life holy unto Him?…am I living a life that would be found pleasing to my Lord? If my energies our focused on anything other than the purpose in which my creator created me for, it is not a life that would be found “pleasing” to Him.
Lord, keep our eyes on you; keep our eyes on the eternal and not the temporal.
Help us to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Help us to “bear with each other”.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful…sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:12-17
As I post this, Steven Curtis Chapman's song came on "Yours"...
I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find
And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything
It's all Yours
Blessings!
It seems that lately I’ve been focusing on my inadequacies,feelings of “less than”, feelings of inferiority…focusing on “self”. The first line of one of Rick Warren’s books addresses the fact that life is not about “me”!
It amazes me the lengths the enemy will go to weasel his way into the little nooks and crannies of our lives such that we don’t realize it’s happening until, ”BOOM!”…and then there’s no denying the aftermath he’s left behind. I’m so thankful for a God who is able to clean up the messes we create/ or allow to be created. I’m so thankful for the “ekissa” (Lugandan for "mercy") of Christ.
Things are certainly relative. As God has begun to bring into my understanding of how I’ve been trusting in the ability of another individual over His ability to provide for the ministry of ekissa, I’ve had friends who have been in the middle of a more blatant attack of the enemy.
Two American friends who originally went to Uganda in March of this year for a visit, decided to stay and invest themselves in the beginnings of an orphanage.
The very orphanage which called ekissa into creation, was used to keep two 22 year old guys in Uganda in order to demonstrate mercy to 16 orphans between ages 3-11. While in Uganda, these boys went out yesterday evening to watch the World Cup football (soccer) game on a big screen at a local hangout. As the half time whistle blew their lives were forever changed.
It appears a war of another kind was waged by a sub group of Al Qaeda. This group made the decision to ignite bombs in 2 public places and many people were killed. In the words of one of these friends…
“…..a sound we didn’t expect…
The sound that every person fears, shook the earth. Louder than a thunder crack, an eruption burst our ears. BOOM!
The window my shoulder is on imploded into the room… Billowing smoke... tables and chairs turned over… I can’t focus… why can’t I see? Where is my group? Where are the girls?… Get cover. My adrenaline kicks in as we stumble over debris. Jay and I grab Carrie and push us against the sturdiest wall furthest from the explosion. Where is my chaco? I’m walking barefoot on glass. There is blood everywhere. I can’t hear anything except the loud ringing in my ear. Where is this blood coming from? Is it mine? Not mine. Jay’s ok. My group seems fine. The green glass of the Mountain Dew bottles we had are now shattered across the floor. Two white people are on the ground right in front of us covered in blood. I can’t focus. All I can see what white mangled flesh and blood everywhere. We were slipping in it. People began pushing to the back. Bodies still lay in chairs and all over the ground. Some of the ten people that sat in the back of the room just feet from us now are not moving….Bloody people were being carried out as we began to hear sirens from a distance. Fifteen people confirmed dead. People that were literally sitting feet from us enjoying the game now are gone. A grown man wept knowing he lost his brother.
…The blood that stained our clothes we realized was not our own…
In an instant, life can become a “bloody mess”. In the blink of an eye, lives are changed as well as end…alive one minute and gone the next. I’m quite sure all the people gathered in Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kampala Uganda, watching the World Cup, had not woken up that morning asking themselves, “How should I spend my last day of life on this earth?”.
I found myself wondering about the life of those who died in these explosions. I wondered who they were, what roles they played in the lives of others, did they know Christ, had anyone taken the time to introduce Christ?
I also found myself assessing my own life. Am I living a life holy unto Him?…am I living a life that would be found pleasing to my Lord? If my energies our focused on anything other than the purpose in which my creator created me for, it is not a life that would be found “pleasing” to Him.
Lord, keep our eyes on you; keep our eyes on the eternal and not the temporal.
Help us to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Help us to “bear with each other”. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful…sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:12-17
As I post this, Steven Curtis Chapman's song came on "Yours"...
I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find
And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything
It's all Yours
Blessings!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
"Captivated" part II
As if seeing God move in regards to the church plant in Bweya Village wasn’t enough, God decided to jack up the “shock factor”!---(which shouldn’t shock us at all) In addition to His movement as it concerns the church for Bweya Village, simultaneously He is working to provide a “safe haven” for some of the children to be rescued from the local orphanage.
One of our indigenous partners contacted me proposing he and his wife move forward to establish a children’s home in Bweya! This couple shared with me a year ago that their passion and desire to serve the Lord is through establishing and running a children’s home. Following our initial involvement in Bweya, this family has committed every weekend to go and provide direct care for these mistreated children at the local orphanage. It appears the government has gotten involved in the local orphanage and it’s going to be closing in a few months. God’s timing is always just right on time! I often feel it’s late or He’s “coming in on 2 wheels” (at the last minute)… but His timing is always perfect.
So, it looks like God’s been doing a little OT (overtime) in Bweya and the ministry of ekissa… my cup spills forth!
I was trying to explain my emotions to a friend today. I have all the faith in the world that God can do anything… anything He wants and chooses to do! I see Him moving about and doing the most amazing things in and through the life of so many. However, while I expect Him to work and move in the lives of others, I’m regularly caught off guard when He wants to move and include me in what He’s doing.
I told my friend the only word I can think of to describe my feelings is “captivated”. I am “captivated” by what He’s doing, all He’s doing and captivated at His love for me. I don’t know why He’s chosen to give me this “birds-eye view” but I’m so humbled He has. It’s not anything I deserve and certainly nothing I’ve earned, but I accept it with a humongous sense of gratitude. IF God showed partiality among His children and had a “favorite”… well, I’m feeling like I’m it right now! ---again, not that I deserve it…I suppose it’s that concept of in being a “child of the King”, I’m feeling “chosen”.
I’m cuddled up in His blanket of love. This world can be a rather cold place but when wrapped in His blanket, it’s as if nothing can penetrate the threads of love and acceptance. This is where I am right now… how great it would be to stay like that…never moving from this place! ---soooo… healthy or not… I’m considering myself “His favorite!”
How about you? Are you feeling “chosen”? Are you feeling that “blanket of love” on a chilly evening? Are you feeling like His favorite?
Not that one ever needs a blanket in Uganda, but, it’s those threads of love and acceptance I pray every child in Bweya Village will eventually feel. This will only come through knowing and experiencing the life changing love of a Father… Jesus.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:17-19
One of our indigenous partners contacted me proposing he and his wife move forward to establish a children’s home in Bweya! This couple shared with me a year ago that their passion and desire to serve the Lord is through establishing and running a children’s home. Following our initial involvement in Bweya, this family has committed every weekend to go and provide direct care for these mistreated children at the local orphanage. It appears the government has gotten involved in the local orphanage and it’s going to be closing in a few months. God’s timing is always just right on time! I often feel it’s late or He’s “coming in on 2 wheels” (at the last minute)… but His timing is always perfect.
So, it looks like God’s been doing a little OT (overtime) in Bweya and the ministry of ekissa… my cup spills forth!
I was trying to explain my emotions to a friend today. I have all the faith in the world that God can do anything… anything He wants and chooses to do! I see Him moving about and doing the most amazing things in and through the life of so many. However, while I expect Him to work and move in the lives of others, I’m regularly caught off guard when He wants to move and include me in what He’s doing.
I told my friend the only word I can think of to describe my feelings is “captivated”. I am “captivated” by what He’s doing, all He’s doing and captivated at His love for me. I don’t know why He’s chosen to give me this “birds-eye view” but I’m so humbled He has. It’s not anything I deserve and certainly nothing I’ve earned, but I accept it with a humongous sense of gratitude. IF God showed partiality among His children and had a “favorite”… well, I’m feeling like I’m it right now! ---again, not that I deserve it…I suppose it’s that concept of in being a “child of the King”, I’m feeling “chosen”.
I’m cuddled up in His blanket of love. This world can be a rather cold place but when wrapped in His blanket, it’s as if nothing can penetrate the threads of love and acceptance. This is where I am right now… how great it would be to stay like that…never moving from this place! ---soooo… healthy or not… I’m considering myself “His favorite!”
How about you? Are you feeling “chosen”? Are you feeling that “blanket of love” on a chilly evening? Are you feeling like His favorite?
Not that one ever needs a blanket in Uganda, but, it’s those threads of love and acceptance I pray every child in Bweya Village will eventually feel. This will only come through knowing and experiencing the life changing love of a Father… Jesus.
“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:17-19
Monday, April 26, 2010
"Captivated" part I
You know…we are one strange creation created by Christ Jesus! I often have to sit back and laugh at myself.
ekissa (our nonprofit- www.ekissa.com )has been looking for land as we’ve partnered with Gaba Community Church in Kampala Uganda, to plant a church in Bweya Village; a village just outside of Uganda. Bweya is void of any church and lacks many basic necessities for a “community” to function productively. (Keeping in mind that “productivity” is subjective.) It needs clean water sources, a medical clinic and an orphanage/ children’s home where children can thrive, frolic like children should, and grow in Christ.
I was reminded this afternoon of my first introduction to Bweya village. It was May 26, 2009… less than one year ago. Upon arriving in that village and entering an existing orphanage, my life has been forever changed…changed in such a way I dare not to return. The affects of my seeing and experiencing have had a deep branding in my soul. The lack of care and concern for humanity in a local orphanage was about more than my heart could take.
My first trip to Uganda was called a “Vision” trip… and indeed it did just that… it gave me “vision”…a vision to see the unthinkable really does exist and some children live it every day. Children live through the aches of going days without anything to eat. Children living with the chills from fevers, the sting of skinned knees and the absence of a mother’s warm embrace when the boogie man comes out at night. Young girls endure exploitation and the unthinkable when the sun goes down. At night when they should be having “sweet dreams”, nightmares are all they know. Dancing sugarplums are not in sight; they simply hang on in fright.
I wondered why God had taken a “stay-at-home” mom all the way to East Africa, exposed her to such atrocities, simply to return home with passion as her only resource.
I began to pray… pray for God to move… move in a way like I had never experienced; move in such a way that no one could deny it was God.
I wanted to see him do the impossible, in what seemed to be an impossible situation. My desire was to somehow see the local orphanage closed, the children placed in a loving environment… to see Christ raise up a church in order that the people of this village could know of a hope in their desperate situations.
Well, 11 months later He is doing all of these things. When I think over the last year, I am in awe and humbled at all Christ has done. He has heard the cries of these young children.
Land is in the process of being purchased for a church plant, “Bweya Community Church”. The asking price of this land is $25,000, and within a matter of 3 days, almost $11,000 has been raised. God is calling the North American church to step up and provide the financial resources for a physical church in Bweya! What a beautiful picture. Just as I began to feel weak in my belief (not doubting God’s sovereignty but doubting the response of His people), God “busted a move” to remind me that HE is GOD… and I am not! His people have responded! God is faithful….but stayed tuned… He’s not finished yet!
“The one who calls you is faithful…1 Thessalonians 5:24
ekissa (our nonprofit- www.ekissa.com )has been looking for land as we’ve partnered with Gaba Community Church in Kampala Uganda, to plant a church in Bweya Village; a village just outside of Uganda. Bweya is void of any church and lacks many basic necessities for a “community” to function productively. (Keeping in mind that “productivity” is subjective.) It needs clean water sources, a medical clinic and an orphanage/ children’s home where children can thrive, frolic like children should, and grow in Christ.
I was reminded this afternoon of my first introduction to Bweya village. It was May 26, 2009… less than one year ago. Upon arriving in that village and entering an existing orphanage, my life has been forever changed…changed in such a way I dare not to return. The affects of my seeing and experiencing have had a deep branding in my soul. The lack of care and concern for humanity in a local orphanage was about more than my heart could take.
My first trip to Uganda was called a “Vision” trip… and indeed it did just that… it gave me “vision”…a vision to see the unthinkable really does exist and some children live it every day. Children live through the aches of going days without anything to eat. Children living with the chills from fevers, the sting of skinned knees and the absence of a mother’s warm embrace when the boogie man comes out at night. Young girls endure exploitation and the unthinkable when the sun goes down. At night when they should be having “sweet dreams”, nightmares are all they know. Dancing sugarplums are not in sight; they simply hang on in fright.
I wondered why God had taken a “stay-at-home” mom all the way to East Africa, exposed her to such atrocities, simply to return home with passion as her only resource.
I began to pray… pray for God to move… move in a way like I had never experienced; move in such a way that no one could deny it was God.
I wanted to see him do the impossible, in what seemed to be an impossible situation. My desire was to somehow see the local orphanage closed, the children placed in a loving environment… to see Christ raise up a church in order that the people of this village could know of a hope in their desperate situations.
Well, 11 months later He is doing all of these things. When I think over the last year, I am in awe and humbled at all Christ has done. He has heard the cries of these young children.
Land is in the process of being purchased for a church plant, “Bweya Community Church”. The asking price of this land is $25,000, and within a matter of 3 days, almost $11,000 has been raised. God is calling the North American church to step up and provide the financial resources for a physical church in Bweya! What a beautiful picture. Just as I began to feel weak in my belief (not doubting God’s sovereignty but doubting the response of His people), God “busted a move” to remind me that HE is GOD… and I am not! His people have responded! God is faithful….but stayed tuned… He’s not finished yet!
“The one who calls you is faithful…1 Thessalonians 5:24
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
"Free-flowing?
I read something the other day which I’ve been marinating in…so much that it woke me up in the middle of the night. It’s the idea that we as Christians “imprison” Christ within us…the notion that the Lord is so confined with in us that nothing flows out of us.
It’s been interesting to experience the worship of my Christian brothers and sisters in Uganda. They are so free with their worship as well as their everyday Christian walk/ life. When I return home to North America, it’s such a “let down” to be with the average Christian.
Christ lives on through His followers…and while I know Christ is certainly alive here in the states, we DO imprison Him a great deal! When I was confronted with this concept, my head immediately fell in shame! How often we squelch the Spirit of the living God. How can we say we are His agents if we don't allow Him to freely flow through us?
"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." John 6:63
Oh God…may we all submit to you as a broken alabaster jar, such that your spirit flows like a river through us. May others smell the pure fragrance of your love. May we know you experimentally and may our brokenness be a picture of beauty.
Are you living the full life He has called you to? Or…is He your rainy day fund? How are you imprisoning Christ? Is He "free flowing" in your life?
....Release Him…release the Spirit!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Home Sweet Home!
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ekissa.blogspot.com on March 8, 2010
Home Sweet Home! It’s now Wednesday, March 3 and we are on our final flight to Charlotte North Carolina. It’s been quite a little adventure but I’ve reconciled that Christ simply had something else for us in Uganda. While we had planned to leave Uganda 4 days ago, the Lord sought to keep us there a little longer.
I’ve learned a lot of things during this extended time; more of the character of God, the natural tendencies of man and further details to cover in training a team for mission trips.
I was reminded and comforted over and over with how much God is in control of our lives. He cares about every detail of our lives. Our lives would be much easier if we would simply turn every detail of our life over to Him.
In our deepest hour of need, following the emergency landing of our plane, Christ put before us “Emmanuel”…literally… a young man with a name which means “God with us”. We asked Emmanuel if he knew what his name meant…and he did! I asked him if he was a “Christ follower”, and he was! God didn’t simply surround us with Christ followers, He let us know we were surrounded by Christ followers! Our Lord knew our team needed reassurance of His presence.
We were in a “strange land” with “strange people” but God found favor with this group. The enemy attempted to thwart our efforts but God’s work can never be thwarted.
It’s good to be home! I look forward to how God will show Himself when I return in May.
Emergency landing
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ekissa@blogspot.com on March 8, 2010
Well, it’s Monday, March 1 at 1pm and based on our travel itinerary, we should be arriving to Charlotte NC in about 2 hours. However, the team is currently at the Imperial Hotel in Kampala Uganda. Our being here is a result of our flight being delayed 4 hours with that resulting in an emergency landing.
Minutes following takeoff, it was announced our plane would be returning to the Entebbe airport due to the left engine not working properly. In actuality, the left engine wasn’t working at all. I had noticed (as well as other passengers) as the plane initially took off, it didn’t sound quite right.
The plane returned to Entebbe and made an attempt to land. It seemed we were going a bit fast as we descended. Just as we hit the ground, the plane came in at an angle. As we “landed” all the tires burst. The plane continued barreling down the runway, never slowing down. My heart began to sink as I thought, “this plane is going to run out of runway…”. All of a sudden the pilot aborted the landing and the plane ascended again.
The hum of the plane was extremely worrisome yet the plane obviously couldn’t land safely. The pilot began dumping fuel. After about 5 minutes the pilot started a second descent. I continued praying as I looked around. There was a lot of tension among the passengers and the flight crew. The air was filled with an intense burning smell. The pilot slammed the brakes for what seemed like eternity as we touched down.
There was an announcement that all passengers would be “off loading” the plane with our belongings. The fire brigade as well as buses surrounded the plane. The passengers from the plane were quickly ushered off the plane, onto the buses, and returned to the airport.
After returning to the building, KLM employees were making their rounds to all the huddled passenger groups, explaining what happened and what the protocol would be.
The plane’s left engine failed, the breaks caught fire, a lower cabinet caught fire and the tires had burst. ---It’s a miracle we were alive as the pilot made an emergency landing with multiple issues.
The only flights out of Entebbe to Amsterdam are late in the night. We were told another plane would have to be sent and it would be the following evening before anything would arrive. We were given no details from KLM but they had booked all passengers a room at 2 local hotels. We were assigned to the Imperial Hotel and it is at this Hotel that we would spend the next three days.
Well, it’s Monday, March 1 at 1pm and based on our travel itinerary, we should be arriving to Charlotte NC in about 2 hours. However, the team is currently at the Imperial Hotel in Kampala Uganda. Our being here is a result of our flight being delayed 4 hours with that resulting in an emergency landing.
Minutes following takeoff, it was announced our plane would be returning to the Entebbe airport due to the left engine not working properly. In actuality, the left engine wasn’t working at all. I had noticed (as well as other passengers) as the plane initially took off, it didn’t sound quite right.
The plane returned to Entebbe and made an attempt to land. It seemed we were going a bit fast as we descended. Just as we hit the ground, the plane came in at an angle. As we “landed” all the tires burst. The plane continued barreling down the runway, never slowing down. My heart began to sink as I thought, “this plane is going to run out of runway…”. All of a sudden the pilot aborted the landing and the plane ascended again.
The hum of the plane was extremely worrisome yet the plane obviously couldn’t land safely. The pilot began dumping fuel. After about 5 minutes the pilot started a second descent. I continued praying as I looked around. There was a lot of tension among the passengers and the flight crew. The air was filled with an intense burning smell. The pilot slammed the brakes for what seemed like eternity as we touched down.
There was an announcement that all passengers would be “off loading” the plane with our belongings. The fire brigade as well as buses surrounded the plane. The passengers from the plane were quickly ushered off the plane, onto the buses, and returned to the airport.
After returning to the building, KLM employees were making their rounds to all the huddled passenger groups, explaining what happened and what the protocol would be.
The plane’s left engine failed, the breaks caught fire, a lower cabinet caught fire and the tires had burst. ---It’s a miracle we were alive as the pilot made an emergency landing with multiple issues.
The only flights out of Entebbe to Amsterdam are late in the night. We were told another plane would have to be sent and it would be the following evening before anything would arrive. We were given no details from KLM but they had booked all passengers a room at 2 local hotels. We were assigned to the Imperial Hotel and it is at this Hotel that we would spend the next three days.
Starts with a spark...
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ekissa@blogspot.com on Feb 26, 2010
It only takes a spark of “hope” to ignite a flame of passion. Today our team was blessed with a boat ride across Lake Victoria and then a boda boda ride (motorcycle) up to Bethany Village. Bethany Village is the orphanage started by African Renewal Ministries (ARMS-a ministry of Gaba Community Church).
This part of our trip is always a blessing to me as I’m reminded of what can happen when ministries put their egos and competitive natures aside, partner together, for the greater-good for the life of orphans and the glory of the Lord!
Seeing the smiles of the children running around during a class break, eating their morning poo shoo (porridge), laughing and playing tag,
is such a blessed reminder of what “childhood” should be. It provides a vision of hope and possibilities for the ministry God has for Bweya Village/ Mercy orphanage. After we finished our time at Bethany, we returned to the guest house for lunch and visited Wentz Medical Clinic,
another ministry of ARMS. They provide such an amazing outreach to the community. It is there we delivered 27 mosquito nets for distribution. Dr Martin, the physician at Wentz, as well as an ekissa board member, will provide a net for a child as they present to the medical clinic and receive a diagnosis of Malaria. There was a Canadian nurse volunteering at Wentz for 2 weeks. She mentioned that all she had seen was individuals with Malaria. This nurse shared she has volunteered in several locations in Africa and that Uganda has by far the highest level of Malaria within all of Africa. 320 children die everyday in Uganda with Malaria. This is a serious diagnosis that is avoidable with the right prevention. Thank you to all who generously donated financially so that we could assist with this need. Following our visit to Wentz, ekissa held its’ first Ugandan Board of Director’s meeting.
I was excited about the enthusiasm from the board and am excited to see how God moves. He continues to do things far greater than I could ever hope or imagine. I’m so thankful His ways are not my ways, nor is thoughts, my thoughts because mine are incredibly limited. 
Our team ended our day with attending an all night prayer/ praise service at Gaba Community Church, which began at 11pm. This is the most amazing experience…to see the freedom in which they worship! The North American church is missing something! We need to become more “active” in our worship as “worship” is actually an outward expression of who Christ is as well as an expression of appreciation for all He has done.
We are about to complete our time here in Uganda as we will have some time for shopping and a meeting on Saturday, and then worship on Sunday. Sunday evening following worship we will begin the long trek home. Please pray for continued stamina in health. One of our team members (Michelle) is actually not feeling very well this evening.
Thank you for your participation in ekissa and this mission trip. You have support us through your participation through prayers, finances, etc…, and we humbly appreciate your support.
Blessings!
Sarah
Blackout in Uganda...
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ekissa@blogspot.com on Feb 26, 2010
Greetings Seekers,
Praise God! Our luggage arrived from Nairobi, but not until we had worn the same clothes for four days. And, Kathy's shirt reappeared. It's been a glorious day!
Now for the bad news....as we began to retire for the evening, we came home to luggage, but no electricity. Blackout in Uganda. The power came back on after 2 hours, but then it was time to eat dinner, and seeing as how we had no lunch, Michelle had to eat three plates of food before anyone could move from the table.
After dinner, as we pushed our chairs away from the table, removed Michelle's plate from her death grip, and… THE POWER WENT OUT AGAIN AND WE HADN'T SHOWERED YET!
Would you like to know what it is like to try and bath with a flashlight hanging from your teeth? We were that desperate. The good news in the calamity is that Jack's Mag light is back.
Just kidding...the power came back on after 10 minutes and we were able to bath in comfortable, lighted conditions. We smell grrrreeeeaaaatttttt now!
Now on to some serious stuff...while there may have been a blackout in Uganda, the light of Jesus is shining ever so brightly in his people here in this corner of the world.
Our day began with our first trip to Bweya Village. While driving, we prayed
mightily in the name of Jesus against the enemy that was so present on the last trip. Pastor Peter, the head pastor of Gaba Community Church, gave us on Wednesday a great reminder of the Ugandan history of the spiritual warfare that consist of witchcraft, demon worship and the casting of spells. In fact, Pastor Peter reminded us that before Gaba planted its church in this community, and even after the planting, the head witch doctor in ALL of Africa resided a few feet from where we're staying. Moving on, we arrived in Bweya to find the bridge washed out. We were forced to find an alternate route.
Finally arriving at Mercy orphanage, we found it to be rather sparse with children. There were 3 sick children, one of which appears to be days away from death clearly due to starvation. .JPG)
Much to our surprise, we learned that a Catholic Mission team made a visit and decided to sponsor most of the children for one year of schooling. This is a HUGE praise. However, in talking with the children, we learned that none of them had eaten that day and many of them had not eaten the entire week. After spending some time with the children, the group left to shop at the open market for food.
We bought rice, beans, oil, sugar, salt, onions, cabbage, tomatoes and made rice and beans topped with cabbage, onion, tomato stew that we made and served. 
The truth we now struggle with is, while they ate today, we don’t know when they’ll eat again. Walking away from this situation is very hard and we know that God cares, without a doubt God cares.
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While we were leaving, one of the Mercy boys handed us four pieces of paper. These torn pieces of paper contained the following prayer requests, verbatim:
To be honest and faithful & Christian foundation,
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Orphanage funds
Friends to stand with us,
Medicine,
Enough daily food,
God to open closed doors for us
Please join us in praying for these children.
We love you, we miss you, and may God bless you.
Michelle, Kathy and Sarah
Content?
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ekissa.blogspot.com on Feb 24, 2010
It's not the end of day one but I've got some down time and thought I'd post. We had a slow beginning to our day which has been nice for most as our bodies are trying to adjust to the time change.
At mid-morning we had a roundtable conversation regarding the vision of Bweya Village. Those gathered at the table were Dr. Martin from the Wentz Medical Clinic, Pastor Peter, the Senior Pastor of Gaba Community Church, Les Neely and Scott Beidler with Upward Sports, Michelle Speas and Kathy Brehm of Cornerstone Christian Church, David Sebanna, a "Bridge" student and myself. We had an awesome time of sharing.
One of the main focuses was regarding the purchase of land for the new church plant in Bweya Village. Land has been located and it looks like we need to raise about $35,000 pretty quickly. (All donations humbly accepted!! :-) )
Our meeting ran into the afternoon so our "unannounced" visit to Mercy was put off until tomorrow. We will rise and shine early tomorrow, go purchase food and mosquito nets and then go directly to the orphanage.
If I can be completely honest, I'm a little fearful of what we may find when we arrive. Michelle thinks the place will be empty with the children wandering the village. I anticipate many will be wandering, but I also anticipate a more worse degree of starvation than Sept as well as some in the bed sick...hopefully no deaths. With starvation and malaria the reality here, and with the level of neglect, I pray God will grant me the necessary grace to take in it. This reality is what ekissa is all about...seeking justice for the injustice and sharing the Good News of a Father to the "fatherless".
Following our meeting today, the group took a walking tour of the slums
of Ggaba. Hopefully this helps prepare the group for what they'll encounter tomorrow in Bweya. As we entered the slums we were greeted happily with smiling faces of the children. As expected, they approached us yelling "mzungu! muzungu!" Such big smiles and happy cries to the mzungu! I dare say I would respond like such if I had to endure their way of life. I believe the writer Paul challenges us regarding a state of being "content". Yikes! Were are you measuring???
Well, just wanted to post that all is well. We still have yet to receive any of our luggage! Thank goodness I packed 2 days worth of clothes in my carryon! :-) A word for the May team!!
Chuck, David and Patrick send their greetings! They say they love you and miss you greatly.
Stay tuned and thank you for your prayers! Specifically pray the price of the land can be lowered. The land is key in order for us to move forward with what God has for Bweya. We will see the plot tomorrow. Pray for stamina for the team tomorrow. It will be a busy day as we go to Mercy and see the plot of land, we will also visit Mary Smith at the Primary Boarding school just outside of Bweya. Pray the supplies will arrive with our luggage! At last check, our luggage was in Nairobi!?!??!?!?
We are so blessed as a people. It feels good to be back here!
We love you all!
Sarah (for the gang)
"Packed Flight?"
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT ekissa@blogspot.com on Feb 24, 2010
It’s Monday, 2:10 pm and we’ve just taken off from the Charlotte/ Douglass International airport. Our flight was delayed for about 90 minutes. As we were sitting at the end of the airport, just about to begin the forward throttle down the runway, I looked out to see the airplane which took off just ahead of us. It was a cloudy day, so in an instant as that plane lifted from the runway, it was snuffed out of sight into the clouds.
I sat buckled in my seat, about to take off, thinking…”Isn’t that a picture of life!” As that thought went through my head, I wondered if the plane was a “packed flight” and I wondered about its’ destination.
I looked around the plane I sat in…the seat beside me was empty. The seat to my right and back one isle…3 seats empty. One seat in front of me, empty! I couldn’t believe all the empty seats around me.
My plane took off shortly following. As we ascended, a question passed through my thoughts; “When my life is snuffed out, I wondering how many people I’ll be taking with me?” I wonder if my flight will be a “booked flight” or if there will be empty seats all around me. Those empty seats representing missed opportunities of sharing the gospel. A sense of sadness pricked my heart for a moment.
As we were racing down the runway, with the clouds somewhat blanketing the city of Charlotte, visibility was fairly poor. I could faintly see part of the skyline. As our plane rose into the sky, visibility worsened. However in moments we were above the clouds. There was a bright sunshine accompanying the gigantic fluffy white clouds and crisp blue sky. Wow! What a view…beauty only God could have created.
Sometimes life can present as a dreary, raining day with poor visibility. But upon the wings of Christ we can rise above that and the view is breath-taking.
Life is short like the ascent of that plane into the clouds. One minute it’s there and in a blink it’s gone! What are you doing to ensure others board the plane for “take off”? Just who will you take to heaven to enjoy that view of eternity?
Oh God…my heart overflows with thanksgiving for the ministry of ekissa you’ve birthed and called me to. I feel so inadequate and unworthy to have this “front row seat” to experience what you’re doing in the lives of the people in Uganda. I pray you will take my feeble hands and feet, multiply my efforts, working through me and in spite of me, to bring your people to an understanding and acceptance of who you are…Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen!
Feb 2010 to Uganda
Wow! I can’t believe all that God has done since returning from Uganda in October 2009…only 4 months ago. Now, in less than a year, I’m leaving on my 3rd trip to Uganda having been led of the Lord to begin “ekissa”, (which means “mercy” in the language of Luganda) a nonprofit that serves the orphans solely of Uganda, East Africa. You can get more of the background of this ministry at www.ekissa.com .
This particular trip to Uganda is a pivotal trip in the ministry of ekissa. This is a team of 5 which will travel together for one week. Members of this team are comprised of myself, 2 members of Cornerstone Christian Church and 2 individuals from “Upward”, a Christian sports program that shares the Gospel of Christ to children through the venue of sports. The thought behind “Upwards” involvement is to partner together in order to offer the children of Bweya Village (outside of Kampala Uganda) an opportunity to be introduced the Gospel through establishing an “Upwards” sports program there in the local village of Bweya.
ekissa will be returning in May for the purpose of a church plant in Bweya. Gaba Community Church (GCC), an indigenous church, has agreed to partner with ekissa to begin a holistic approach to ministry in Bweya Village. The new church will be named “Bweya Community Church”. This church plant is paramount to the ministry that God desires for Bweya village.
The new Bweya Community Church will be the hub of all outreach for Bweya. It is ekissa’s desire that Upward’s would partner with us to bring about a sports program to be facilitated through Bweya Community Church.
Please pray for discernment as we travel, that I am able to share with the team, the vision Christ has given me for the village of Bweya. Please pray for safety, stamina and health. Today, two days before travel, I’m dealing with a sinus infection. The enemy wants to divert my attention and he can do that through illness!
“So, put on God’s armor now…you will be able to resist the enemy’s attacks; and…you will still hold your ground.” Ephesians 6:13
My prayer is that God will be fully glorified through everything that takes place regardless of the end results or “partnerships”. My desire is that we can move completely out of the way for all to see Jesus!
Please continue to visit this new blog as we hope to chronicle our trip. Pray for the “world-wide web” or as the Ugandan’s refer to it, “the world-wide wait”, to cooperate. On our last trip we struggled greatly with the use of technology.
Blessings,
Sarah
Friday, January 8, 2010
Mullin it over...
"Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions: " 'Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. YOU are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.'" (Message) Mark 6:7-11
I'm internally struggling with some thoughts and the best way for me to rummage through my thoughts and begin making sense of them is through talking or writing. For now it seems writing is the best method. So, realize as you read this entry I may not come to a true resolution.
As I've been reading the book of Mark as well as "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, I've been interacting with some folks who are "looking for God's will" for their life. I'm beginning to think that God isn't as concerned with that "perfect plan A" that we think we're in pursuit of, as He is the way we pursue HIM.
This "pursuit" requires some proactiveness on our own...possibly more than simply praying. It may require some action/ movement from us. We are not called to be "passive participants". Many times as opportunities are laid before us, I hear, (and have said myself), "I don't really feel the Lord leading me to do_ _ _ _ _."
The thought and question I'm dealing with is, what if the Holy Spirit wants to reveal details for our life in that "opportunity" and we choose not to take advantage of it!? I fear that often we are presented with opportunities which are "no-brainers"; opportunities that relatively cost us nothing, yet could be priceless, opportunities that would reveal to us more of the character of Christ; opportunities that would further enrich our lives all for His glory; opportunities that are "bottom line acts"--meaning, things He requires His followers to do, period!...with no questions asked. Jesus was very specific about a lot of things, especially as it relates to caring for others.
I heard someone say last night there are only 3 things we can do that have eternal value; 1-invest in studying "the Word", 2-invest in humanity, 3-glorify God! That's it in a nutshell! EVERYTHING we do should be centered around those 3 basic things.
Something else I'm in thought over is, IF we are in hot pursuit of Christ, if we think there is any way that our participation in something will reveal more of Him, OR if we see there is any method of caring for humanity and our participation would give glory to God...shouldn't we pursue that???
I think Francis Chan put it well when he discussed the notion that many times we have our life all planned out and we "invite Him to join us on our life journey"..to "follow us where ever we feel we should go rather than following Him as we're commanded". Christ didn't choose to be crucified on a cross to follow us. He died so that we could forsake everything and follow Him!
Our life is just a snap and then we're gone. Living a "radical" life for Him shouldn't seem radical. Doing so should seem extremely logical if our goal is eternity. If our goal is pleasing self and storing up things to enjoy this millisecond-of-a-life on earth, we certainly are being short-sighted. God desires treasures for us in heaven for eternity.
Much like taking trips, keeping our focus on the final destination is key. Instead of focusing on the layovers (this earth), we need to keep our focus on our final destination, doing all we can to please our Maker in bringing glory to Him!
How are YOU bringing Him glory?
I'm internally struggling with some thoughts and the best way for me to rummage through my thoughts and begin making sense of them is through talking or writing. For now it seems writing is the best method. So, realize as you read this entry I may not come to a true resolution.
As I've been reading the book of Mark as well as "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, I've been interacting with some folks who are "looking for God's will" for their life. I'm beginning to think that God isn't as concerned with that "perfect plan A" that we think we're in pursuit of, as He is the way we pursue HIM.
This "pursuit" requires some proactiveness on our own...possibly more than simply praying. It may require some action/ movement from us. We are not called to be "passive participants". Many times as opportunities are laid before us, I hear, (and have said myself), "I don't really feel the Lord leading me to do_ _ _ _ _."
The thought and question I'm dealing with is, what if the Holy Spirit wants to reveal details for our life in that "opportunity" and we choose not to take advantage of it!? I fear that often we are presented with opportunities which are "no-brainers"; opportunities that relatively cost us nothing, yet could be priceless, opportunities that would reveal to us more of the character of Christ; opportunities that would further enrich our lives all for His glory; opportunities that are "bottom line acts"--meaning, things He requires His followers to do, period!...with no questions asked. Jesus was very specific about a lot of things, especially as it relates to caring for others.
I heard someone say last night there are only 3 things we can do that have eternal value; 1-invest in studying "the Word", 2-invest in humanity, 3-glorify God! That's it in a nutshell! EVERYTHING we do should be centered around those 3 basic things.
Something else I'm in thought over is, IF we are in hot pursuit of Christ, if we think there is any way that our participation in something will reveal more of Him, OR if we see there is any method of caring for humanity and our participation would give glory to God...shouldn't we pursue that???
I think Francis Chan put it well when he discussed the notion that many times we have our life all planned out and we "invite Him to join us on our life journey"..to "follow us where ever we feel we should go rather than following Him as we're commanded". Christ didn't choose to be crucified on a cross to follow us. He died so that we could forsake everything and follow Him!
Our life is just a snap and then we're gone. Living a "radical" life for Him shouldn't seem radical. Doing so should seem extremely logical if our goal is eternity. If our goal is pleasing self and storing up things to enjoy this millisecond-of-a-life on earth, we certainly are being short-sighted. God desires treasures for us in heaven for eternity.
Much like taking trips, keeping our focus on the final destination is key. Instead of focusing on the layovers (this earth), we need to keep our focus on our final destination, doing all we can to please our Maker in bringing glory to Him!
How are YOU bringing Him glory?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Love = Sacrifice
For anyone out there who's a runner, you understand that deep need to go for a run. A need so deep that you think, "Man, If I don't get 60 minutes of time to myself to run, I'm simply gonna combust!" Well, that's how I often feel about running and that's how I've been feeling about writing over the holidays.
When I write, I need just the right environment. It has to be in a nice quiet, cozy, warm spot in my house...a place where I can go, close out the world and definitely with NO interruptions! :-) Well, at holiday time, when schools are closed, that ideal environment no longer exist! The Asian-Invaders (my younger 2 girls, who are Chinese) are home and their presence is certainly known! Well, today, school is back in full swing!
Our holiday was nice but to be completely transparent, I woke up the day after Christmas and before my feet it the floor, I breathed a sigh of relief and said out loud to the Lord, " I'm so glad Christmas is over! Now we can get back to worshipping you!" I know! I know exactly what your thinking. But it's true! That's what I was feeling and that's exactly what I said.
Frankly, after going to Uganda...well... I'm just no fun anymore! I hated the Christmas parties, the presents, the excess food, and my goodness--the focus on "things". I'm serious! I absolutely HATE what "Christmas" has become. We work ourselves into a frenzy through the busyness of the season...and for what? We stretch ourselves financially...for what?? ---and why in the world to we eat so much food???? I just don't get it!
Before experiencing the Lord in Uganda, Christmas was like 5:00 rush hour. It WAS what it WAS; I hopped on the freeway and road with the traffic to keep from getting run over, giving the season little to no thought. Ashamedly I confess, and those days for me are gone...they are "no more".
Over the holiday I began reading the book of Mark...it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that it contains the Christmas Story. In addition I started reading a book by Francis Chan, "Crazy Love". If you're in season for a life change, I dare you to read the book of Mark and Crazy Love, simultaneously! It will mess you up for life...in a good way.
The theme God keeps laying before me is how Christ was sent here on earth to demonstrate for us how we are to live our life, through a life of sacrificing. And the more I continue to read, the more I realize how far off course we are! Not the unbelievers; the believers! I expect unbelievers to act like they do...they don't know any better; they don't know the heart of Christ. But man...Christians...WOW!
We have been commanded to "Love the Lord with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others (your neighbor) as well as you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hang from them" (Message Bible/ Matthew 22:37-40)
--I dare say we even know who are neighbors are! The physical neighbors OR the figurative neighbors! These are the 2 greatest commands from Christ. Have we thought about how much "sacrificing" goes in to living each of these out?!?
In reading the book of Mark, the theme of Christ sacrificing is everywhere. Have you considered how many times Christ sacrificed his time to meet the needs of people? I really hadn't. When I've thought about His "sacrificing", it's always been in relation to the cross. However, now my eyes are being opened to His sacrificing prior to the cross. Whether it was Christ sharing intimate times with the disciples, healing the Leper, healing the paraplegic, feasting with the Tax Collector, healing the crippled hand, feeding the crowds, or casting out demons, He demonstrated how we are to "love our neighbor".
In Uganda I encountered starving orphans, starving caregivers, orphans dying from untreated Malaria and a lack of basic medical attention, people drinking contaminated water, children without adequate clothing and adequate housing. I believe God wants His people, His "Church", to be the solution to these vulnerable people. The essence of the second most important command is that we "love others"...equal to the way we love ourselves. Christ took the time to walk this earth to demonstrate how we are to "love"---do we really view ourselves as higher than Christ? ---Our lack of action, our lack of sacrificing for others, seems to suggest we do.
Christ desires us to be radical followers who truly sacrifice. What have you sacrificed lately for your "neighbor"? Have you sacrificed a meal lately?
I know of an American serving in Uganda who sacrifices meals on a regular basis, to ensure that each of the orphans she cares for, gets enough to eat. This American, who has given up her American standard of living to serve orphans in Uganda should NOT be going hungry. She is having to sacrifice MUCH because we remain in America unwilling to sacrifice at all. Many of us should be financially sacrificing here in America and ensuring her ministry to those orphans doesn't require her to further sacrifice her meals. That American understands and demonstrates the level of sacrificial love Christ demonstrated, and expects of His followers. What would this world look like if all believers sacrificed to this level?
While my focus has been on Uganda...many of these same needs exist here in America. I challenge you, to challenge yourself, to a level of sacrifice you've not yet experienced! You might just experience Christ in a whole new way!
Constantly standing in need of His grace!
When I write, I need just the right environment. It has to be in a nice quiet, cozy, warm spot in my house...a place where I can go, close out the world and definitely with NO interruptions! :-) Well, at holiday time, when schools are closed, that ideal environment no longer exist! The Asian-Invaders (my younger 2 girls, who are Chinese) are home and their presence is certainly known! Well, today, school is back in full swing!
Our holiday was nice but to be completely transparent, I woke up the day after Christmas and before my feet it the floor, I breathed a sigh of relief and said out loud to the Lord, " I'm so glad Christmas is over! Now we can get back to worshipping you!" I know! I know exactly what your thinking. But it's true! That's what I was feeling and that's exactly what I said.
Frankly, after going to Uganda...well... I'm just no fun anymore! I hated the Christmas parties, the presents, the excess food, and my goodness--the focus on "things". I'm serious! I absolutely HATE what "Christmas" has become. We work ourselves into a frenzy through the busyness of the season...and for what? We stretch ourselves financially...for what?? ---and why in the world to we eat so much food???? I just don't get it!
Before experiencing the Lord in Uganda, Christmas was like 5:00 rush hour. It WAS what it WAS; I hopped on the freeway and road with the traffic to keep from getting run over, giving the season little to no thought. Ashamedly I confess, and those days for me are gone...they are "no more".
Over the holiday I began reading the book of Mark...it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that it contains the Christmas Story. In addition I started reading a book by Francis Chan, "Crazy Love". If you're in season for a life change, I dare you to read the book of Mark and Crazy Love, simultaneously! It will mess you up for life...in a good way.
The theme God keeps laying before me is how Christ was sent here on earth to demonstrate for us how we are to live our life, through a life of sacrificing. And the more I continue to read, the more I realize how far off course we are! Not the unbelievers; the believers! I expect unbelievers to act like they do...they don't know any better; they don't know the heart of Christ. But man...Christians...WOW!
We have been commanded to "Love the Lord with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others (your neighbor) as well as you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hang from them" (Message Bible/ Matthew 22:37-40)
--I dare say we even know who are neighbors are! The physical neighbors OR the figurative neighbors! These are the 2 greatest commands from Christ. Have we thought about how much "sacrificing" goes in to living each of these out?!?
In reading the book of Mark, the theme of Christ sacrificing is everywhere. Have you considered how many times Christ sacrificed his time to meet the needs of people? I really hadn't. When I've thought about His "sacrificing", it's always been in relation to the cross. However, now my eyes are being opened to His sacrificing prior to the cross. Whether it was Christ sharing intimate times with the disciples, healing the Leper, healing the paraplegic, feasting with the Tax Collector, healing the crippled hand, feeding the crowds, or casting out demons, He demonstrated how we are to "love our neighbor".
In Uganda I encountered starving orphans, starving caregivers, orphans dying from untreated Malaria and a lack of basic medical attention, people drinking contaminated water, children without adequate clothing and adequate housing. I believe God wants His people, His "Church", to be the solution to these vulnerable people. The essence of the second most important command is that we "love others"...equal to the way we love ourselves. Christ took the time to walk this earth to demonstrate how we are to "love"---do we really view ourselves as higher than Christ? ---Our lack of action, our lack of sacrificing for others, seems to suggest we do.
Christ desires us to be radical followers who truly sacrifice. What have you sacrificed lately for your "neighbor"? Have you sacrificed a meal lately?
I know of an American serving in Uganda who sacrifices meals on a regular basis, to ensure that each of the orphans she cares for, gets enough to eat. This American, who has given up her American standard of living to serve orphans in Uganda should NOT be going hungry. She is having to sacrifice MUCH because we remain in America unwilling to sacrifice at all. Many of us should be financially sacrificing here in America and ensuring her ministry to those orphans doesn't require her to further sacrifice her meals. That American understands and demonstrates the level of sacrificial love Christ demonstrated, and expects of His followers. What would this world look like if all believers sacrificed to this level?
While my focus has been on Uganda...many of these same needs exist here in America. I challenge you, to challenge yourself, to a level of sacrifice you've not yet experienced! You might just experience Christ in a whole new way!
Constantly standing in need of His grace!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Beyond the "Beyond" of my wildest dreams!
This blog is about the “Heart and times of Sarah”…and so it is here I desire to put into words the most recent way the Lord has sought to interrupt and invade my life…to “blow my mind”. Since July of 2009 (almost 5 months ago), the Lord has continually placed before me, in the most bizarre ways and locations, a verse from Ephesians. I was familiar with this verse as it is written in the New International version which states: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 I began to feel the Lord calling me to a specific ministry involving Uganda a little differently from the ministry I’ve been serving in with Caroline’s Promise. However, the magnitude of this new “call” was intimidating, risky, potentially 
damaging to some relationships, way beyond what I felt “qualified” to do, as well as outside of what I felt to be my natural abilities. Basically, the “calling” was nothing short of “God-sized”! I ran from this “calling” for 3 ½ months due to all the reasons I just mentioned. In my “running”, the Lord had brought me to a place of feeling “miserable” in what was clearly my “disobedience” to Him. My lack of acceptance, for what I knew to be His will for me in ministry, was wreaking havoc in my soul. It was the morning of Sept 21 that I fell on my face (literally), begging God to affirm for me one last time, this particular“calling” in a new ministry. I pleaded with Him as I had decided that looking like a “fool” in the eyes of man was nothing new for me. I had resolved my fears of intimidation, failure of ability and lack of qualification…what
I had not yet resolved was the probability of damaging and loss of relationships in conceding to this new “call”. After much time on my face in prayer, I opened my devotion book dated that date. The scripture was “Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 9:13 I can’t say the scripture immediately spoke to me. However, the paragraphs that followed hit me smack between the eyes. As I read them, I immediately began to cry over the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus, and my unfaithfulness to Him. Based on my response until that moment, I had been entertaining idols (a couple of friendships and my own insecurities)…an “idol” being anything I place in my life above God. I not only cried but I hung my head in shame from this recognition of doubt and “idols”. Quoting Beth Moore in Believing God Day by Day, she writes, “We could think of many examples where obedience comes from faith. Sometimes, for instance, we have to exercise faith to believe that obedience to God in a difficult situation will ultimately bear fruit, even though it looks as though it might immediately cause hardship. We also have to exercise faith to believe God can handle the consequences of our obedience if someone important to us is not going to approve first”. OK…so many of you are thinking…”I didn’t think Sarah really cared what other people thought!”…well, you’d be wrong! In that moment I knew what I needed to do…if this God I serve is really who He says He is…”all knowing”, “all powerful”, “all sufficient”, “holding my best interest in the palm of His hand”, I had to surrender my idols and accept His “invitation to ministry”/ “His calling”. I once heard it said, "If we believe God is "GOD", we will let Him do His job!"...so, I accepted His invitation. Instead of continuing to focus on my inabilities and the potential consequences I couldn't control, I decided to see the abilities of God, as well as His abilities He chooses to use through me. The outgrowth of accepting His “invitation” is the start of a new ministry, “ekissa”. You can visit www.ekissa.com for specific details but here’s an excerpt from the site. 
ekissa (pronounced etch'-uh-sa) is a Christ-centered, nonprofit ministry engaged in partnering with individuals, churches and organizations to provide care and support to the most needy in the world through short-term mission trips of service. It is through these short-term mission trips that we facilitate long-term relationships with the people in Bweya Village in Uganda. ekissa seeks to serve orphans and widows by demonstrating the love of Christ through practical ways. This is accomplished through building relationships with people in the community as well as the members of the local indigenous church. Activities may include assisting the local indigenous church build a church there in the village as well as a school, medical clinic, assist with agricultural training, mentoring, etc. SOO, while I’ve been serving in Uganda and leading mission teams for orphan care through another venue, God has put a very specific calling in my life to bring together like-minded groups of people to adopt Bweya Village and build a lifetime relationship there with the people of Bweya as well as a local indigenous church, Gaba Community Church through a new venue. I love the way Paul, in the book of Ephesians (3:7-8), simply lays it out there…Paul says, “This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message…When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.”…Paul says in verse 8…”And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ…(verse 12) When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.” (The Message) --- I can relate so closely with Paul’s words. They speak directly to my inner being… …so, I ask you, are you running from anything He’s calling you to? If so, let me encourage you to stop and surrender to whatever it is He’s inviting you to. His way is much more scenic! “I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” (The Message, Ephesians 3:15-19) …and be mindful of when you respond in such fashion, “God can do anything, you know---far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gentle within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!” (The Message, Ephesians 3:20-21)
Blessings as you respond to His leading!
damaging to some relationships, way beyond what I felt “qualified” to do, as well as outside of what I felt to be my natural abilities. Basically, the “calling” was nothing short of “God-sized”! I ran from this “calling” for 3 ½ months due to all the reasons I just mentioned. In my “running”, the Lord had brought me to a place of feeling “miserable” in what was clearly my “disobedience” to Him. My lack of acceptance, for what I knew to be His will for me in ministry, was wreaking havoc in my soul. It was the morning of Sept 21 that I fell on my face (literally), begging God to affirm for me one last time, this particular“calling” in a new ministry. I pleaded with Him as I had decided that looking like a “fool” in the eyes of man was nothing new for me. I had resolved my fears of intimidation, failure of ability and lack of qualification…what
I had not yet resolved was the probability of damaging and loss of relationships in conceding to this new “call”. After much time on my face in prayer, I opened my devotion book dated that date. The scripture was “Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 9:13 I can’t say the scripture immediately spoke to me. However, the paragraphs that followed hit me smack between the eyes. As I read them, I immediately began to cry over the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus, and my unfaithfulness to Him. Based on my response until that moment, I had been entertaining idols (a couple of friendships and my own insecurities)…an “idol” being anything I place in my life above God. I not only cried but I hung my head in shame from this recognition of doubt and “idols”. Quoting Beth Moore in Believing God Day by Day, she writes, “We could think of many examples where obedience comes from faith. Sometimes, for instance, we have to exercise faith to believe that obedience to God in a difficult situation will ultimately bear fruit, even though it looks as though it might immediately cause hardship. We also have to exercise faith to believe God can handle the consequences of our obedience if someone important to us is not going to approve first”. OK…so many of you are thinking…”I didn’t think Sarah really cared what other people thought!”…well, you’d be wrong! In that moment I knew what I needed to do…if this God I serve is really who He says He is…”all knowing”, “all powerful”, “all sufficient”, “holding my best interest in the palm of His hand”, I had to surrender my idols and accept His “invitation to ministry”/ “His calling”. I once heard it said, "If we believe God is "GOD", we will let Him do His job!"...so, I accepted His invitation. Instead of continuing to focus on my inabilities and the potential consequences I couldn't control, I decided to see the abilities of God, as well as His abilities He chooses to use through me. The outgrowth of accepting His “invitation” is the start of a new ministry, “ekissa”. You can visit www.ekissa.com for specific details but here’s an excerpt from the site. 
ekissa (pronounced etch'-uh-sa) is a Christ-centered, nonprofit ministry engaged in partnering with individuals, churches and organizations to provide care and support to the most needy in the world through short-term mission trips of service. It is through these short-term mission trips that we facilitate long-term relationships with the people in Bweya Village in Uganda. ekissa seeks to serve orphans and widows by demonstrating the love of Christ through practical ways. This is accomplished through building relationships with people in the community as well as the members of the local indigenous church. Activities may include assisting the local indigenous church build a church there in the village as well as a school, medical clinic, assist with agricultural training, mentoring, etc. SOO, while I’ve been serving in Uganda and leading mission teams for orphan care through another venue, God has put a very specific calling in my life to bring together like-minded groups of people to adopt Bweya Village and build a lifetime relationship there with the people of Bweya as well as a local indigenous church, Gaba Community Church through a new venue. I love the way Paul, in the book of Ephesians (3:7-8), simply lays it out there…Paul says, “This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message…When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.”…Paul says in verse 8…”And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ…(verse 12) When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.” (The Message) --- I can relate so closely with Paul’s words. They speak directly to my inner being… …so, I ask you, are you running from anything He’s calling you to? If so, let me encourage you to stop and surrender to whatever it is He’s inviting you to. His way is much more scenic! “I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” (The Message, Ephesians 3:15-19) …and be mindful of when you respond in such fashion, “God can do anything, you know---far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gentle within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!” (The Message, Ephesians 3:20-21) Blessings as you respond to His leading!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
It's a"Wrap", Uganda Fall 2009
As I comb through pictures of our trip, there were many more experiences I could share. There were several that I will never forget. One is washing the feet of the children at Mercy Orphanage. 
Our team was given the humble experience of washing their earth stained, callused feet and fitting them with a new pair of shoes. During this process we inspected their feet for jiggers, a micro-organism found in the dirt that plants itself in the flesh of unsuspecting soles. Once there, the parasites begin hosting upon their prey causing anything from painful feet to infections and even paralysis. There were several feet who were hosting such organisms which had to be removed much like removing splinters. Another unforgettable experience for me was witnessing a young boy collapse in the arms of one of our team members, who is a pediatric nurse, and then watching her with tears in her eyes, drudge up a slippery, muddy embankment, carrying a lifeless child in her arms to our van in order to transport this child to a medical clinic. Unbeknownst to us, this child was in the third stages of malaria and most likely in his final 12 hours of life. 
A very “upfront and personal” experience for me was having a young girl at one of the orphanages, whom I had met on my last visit, approach me for help as she revealed the unthinkable things done to her in the darkness of night. My heart broke for the things this young girl had experienced even before her teens, yet anger grew inside of me as my eyes darted around at the older boys and men who were all suspects of these violent acts against her. God’s word says He is a “father to the fatherless” and that He has not forgotten His children. 
Honestly, sometimes it’s hard for those truths to be reconciled between my head and heart. I pray God begins to heal the emotional wounds of this young girl sooner, rather than later. I know she’s living in “survival mode” but I imagine acts of violence leave deep wounds. Lord, pour your mercies upon her wounded heart.
A positive experience was on our last evening in Uganda at the close of one of our team devotions and a debriefing session. One of our team members made a decision to release some strongholds earlier that day and requested to be re-baptized. As the team member stood in a dishpan, bottled water was poured over her. It was an amazing experience to share as this was symbolic of “dying to the old self” and moving forth in “new life”. The past 4 postings have given you a glimpse into our trip to Uganda. It was a trip filled with wonder, beauty, 
questions, joy, amazement of God’s mercies and grace as well as man’s strength to endure. There were times of much disappointment in man’s choices, as well as a tremendous recognition of the mighty spirit of our Lord. There is nothing more hair-raising than standing with arms lifted in an evangelical church in the middle of the continent of Africa, worshipping Christ with fellow brother’s and sisters in another language; singing familiar tunes in English while hearing the song sung in the native tongue. The same God who loves and cares for the His Children in North America is so ever-present in Uganda. Experiencing unabandoned worship and seeing first hand what it means to live in faith and as Paul talks about , “…being content in whatever state I am in…”
makes me shake my head at we Americans. We have so much, yet sitting in this spiritual sphere, I feel we have totally missed the essence of “a relationship with Christ”. How sad it is to see how much we have sold ourselves a “bill of goods”. No wonder most Americans feel so empty and unfulfilled. My trip was wrapped up with a brief interview with an 8 year old, Mark. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He responded, “A pastor!”. I then followed up with the question, “If you could tell American’s anything, what would it be?” Much to my amazement, Mark responded with, “I would want them to know that God is good!”. …Yes Mark! God IS good… So friend, are you interested in experiencing what Christ is doing in and through the beautiful people of Uganda? Are you interested in serving the downcast and vulnerable? “ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:21 Stay tuned for more information and opportunities in Uganda. Blessings!
Our team was given the humble experience of washing their earth stained, callused feet and fitting them with a new pair of shoes. During this process we inspected their feet for jiggers, a micro-organism found in the dirt that plants itself in the flesh of unsuspecting soles. Once there, the parasites begin hosting upon their prey causing anything from painful feet to infections and even paralysis. There were several feet who were hosting such organisms which had to be removed much like removing splinters. Another unforgettable experience for me was witnessing a young boy collapse in the arms of one of our team members, who is a pediatric nurse, and then watching her with tears in her eyes, drudge up a slippery, muddy embankment, carrying a lifeless child in her arms to our van in order to transport this child to a medical clinic. Unbeknownst to us, this child was in the third stages of malaria and most likely in his final 12 hours of life. 
A very “upfront and personal” experience for me was having a young girl at one of the orphanages, whom I had met on my last visit, approach me for help as she revealed the unthinkable things done to her in the darkness of night. My heart broke for the things this young girl had experienced even before her teens, yet anger grew inside of me as my eyes darted around at the older boys and men who were all suspects of these violent acts against her. God’s word says He is a “father to the fatherless” and that He has not forgotten His children. 
Honestly, sometimes it’s hard for those truths to be reconciled between my head and heart. I pray God begins to heal the emotional wounds of this young girl sooner, rather than later. I know she’s living in “survival mode” but I imagine acts of violence leave deep wounds. Lord, pour your mercies upon her wounded heart.
A positive experience was on our last evening in Uganda at the close of one of our team devotions and a debriefing session. One of our team members made a decision to release some strongholds earlier that day and requested to be re-baptized. As the team member stood in a dishpan, bottled water was poured over her. It was an amazing experience to share as this was symbolic of “dying to the old self” and moving forth in “new life”. The past 4 postings have given you a glimpse into our trip to Uganda. It was a trip filled with wonder, beauty, 
questions, joy, amazement of God’s mercies and grace as well as man’s strength to endure. There were times of much disappointment in man’s choices, as well as a tremendous recognition of the mighty spirit of our Lord. There is nothing more hair-raising than standing with arms lifted in an evangelical church in the middle of the continent of Africa, worshipping Christ with fellow brother’s and sisters in another language; singing familiar tunes in English while hearing the song sung in the native tongue. The same God who loves and cares for the His Children in North America is so ever-present in Uganda. Experiencing unabandoned worship and seeing first hand what it means to live in faith and as Paul talks about , “…being content in whatever state I am in…”
makes me shake my head at we Americans. We have so much, yet sitting in this spiritual sphere, I feel we have totally missed the essence of “a relationship with Christ”. How sad it is to see how much we have sold ourselves a “bill of goods”. No wonder most Americans feel so empty and unfulfilled. My trip was wrapped up with a brief interview with an 8 year old, Mark. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He responded, “A pastor!”. I then followed up with the question, “If you could tell American’s anything, what would it be?” Much to my amazement, Mark responded with, “I would want them to know that God is good!”. …Yes Mark! God IS good… So friend, are you interested in experiencing what Christ is doing in and through the beautiful people of Uganda? Are you interested in serving the downcast and vulnerable? “ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:21 Stay tuned for more information and opportunities in Uganda. Blessings!Sunday, October 11, 2009
Uganda, Day 4
From Stephanie
Bottom Line is…
We spent the entire day in a state of worship.
What a beautiful day! Starting with our boat ride across Lake Victoria and the short fun ride on “boda bodas”
which is similar to (dirt bikes/motorcycles) on village paths. We led VBS with songs of worship with the kids and teachers. Chuck and I led the story of Esther and God’s plans for her and her people—God directing her path for a great plan. David led the children in learning the Creation Story.
The bottom line was “God made everything, including you. It is good!” By the end of the lesson the kids were eagerly calling out “The bottom line”. You should have seen the kids worshipping in song. It was worship for us!Our timeframe was to leave Bethany by 1:30—we had plans back at the guest house, but God had other plans! As we were preparing to leave and get in the boat, dark clouds began to roll in. 
We gathered under a meeting shelter by Lake Victoria to wait out the storm. We know God’s plans are certainly better than ours! What started out as a delay, turned into our own personal worship service. Did you know that rocks in an empty water bottle and a bottle of Motrin make great impromptu shakers? This along with an African drum, the rain beating around us with occasional thunder, and our voices and hearts lifted to God, make for quite a worship service-Ugandan style. It was simply our team and a few people from Bethany Village and Africa Renewal Ministries, singing, worshiping, and basking in our Jesus
. As much as I try, it was an indescribable time.
After our worship service, we returned by boat to the guest house to eat pizza. Shortly after eating, Sarah and David left to accompany a local Pastor on a prayer walk for a community. During that same time, the rest of us gathered and held a 2 hour prayer vigil. We have been greatly affected by the things we have seen and felt the last few days, sadness, frustration, joy, love. We specifically started praying for spiritual and physical protection for our two team members using verses God had revealed to us about His vindication for those that carry out evil plans on the innocent. But God also kept bringing to our hearts about his unsurpassed love for us, including the orphans, whether at children’s homes that care for them individually or at an orphanage that doesn’t even meet the basic needs of nourishment.
God knows each child by name, they are His children and he weeps with us at the choices of man has made. We felt His presence speaking to our hearts and we know we walked alongside Sarah and David at the same time. But all those words still can’t describe what those 2 hours were like- an intimate powerful moment.
Do you think we were done? No way! God had more in store to feed our souls. Next door, Ggaba Community Church’s worship team was practicing. That was practice--- it was worship! Lisa and I sat outside to just bask in God’s presence. Wow! What a day!
Our bottom line for the day ”We spent a whole day immersed in worship with our God who adores us.” Thank you my dear Father God, thank you.
Thanks Stephanie.
Blessings!
Bottom Line is…
We spent the entire day in a state of worship.
What a beautiful day! Starting with our boat ride across Lake Victoria and the short fun ride on “boda bodas”
which is similar to (dirt bikes/motorcycles) on village paths. We led VBS with songs of worship with the kids and teachers. Chuck and I led the story of Esther and God’s plans for her and her people—God directing her path for a great plan. David led the children in learning the Creation Story.
The bottom line was “God made everything, including you. It is good!” By the end of the lesson the kids were eagerly calling out “The bottom line”. You should have seen the kids worshipping in song. It was worship for us!Our timeframe was to leave Bethany by 1:30—we had plans back at the guest house, but God had other plans! As we were preparing to leave and get in the boat, dark clouds began to roll in. 
We gathered under a meeting shelter by Lake Victoria to wait out the storm. We know God’s plans are certainly better than ours! What started out as a delay, turned into our own personal worship service. Did you know that rocks in an empty water bottle and a bottle of Motrin make great impromptu shakers? This along with an African drum, the rain beating around us with occasional thunder, and our voices and hearts lifted to God, make for quite a worship service-Ugandan style. It was simply our team and a few people from Bethany Village and Africa Renewal Ministries, singing, worshiping, and basking in our Jesus
. As much as I try, it was an indescribable time.After our worship service, we returned by boat to the guest house to eat pizza. Shortly after eating, Sarah and David left to accompany a local Pastor on a prayer walk for a community. During that same time, the rest of us gathered and held a 2 hour prayer vigil. We have been greatly affected by the things we have seen and felt the last few days, sadness, frustration, joy, love. We specifically started praying for spiritual and physical protection for our two team members using verses God had revealed to us about His vindication for those that carry out evil plans on the innocent. But God also kept bringing to our hearts about his unsurpassed love for us, including the orphans, whether at children’s homes that care for them individually or at an orphanage that doesn’t even meet the basic needs of nourishment.
God knows each child by name, they are His children and he weeps with us at the choices of man has made. We felt His presence speaking to our hearts and we know we walked alongside Sarah and David at the same time. But all those words still can’t describe what those 2 hours were like- an intimate powerful moment. Do you think we were done? No way! God had more in store to feed our souls. Next door, Ggaba Community Church’s worship team was practicing. That was practice--- it was worship! Lisa and I sat outside to just bask in God’s presence. Wow! What a day!
Our bottom line for the day ”We spent a whole day immersed in worship with our God who adores us.” Thank you my dear Father God, thank you.
Thanks Stephanie.
Blessings!
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