Encouragement for you this day that the Lord has made!
For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.  Isaiah 41:13I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. Â Psalm 121:1-2
Just wanted to update on the children that were brought to me. I got to go to Jinja today and was able to buy them a few clothes, it was very hard not knowing their sizes, only from seeing them once! And shopping here is nothing like home, even going to Goodwill. We went to the largest market in Uganda, and it is rough being a mazungu, everybody is shoving things at us, but I had our driver and friend with me to help. He was a great help to me and he said I did very well in bargaining – I stuck to my guns and paid a little higher than a Ugandan would, but didn’t get totally ripped off! I bought each two outfits praying they would fit. Also soap for bathing, washing powder for their clothes, and the powder to kill jiggers and eggs in and around their home. We are working on getting the jiggers removed from the little ones, and I measured their feet so that I can get them shoes. When they came over, the two youngest cried, and were scared, but our worker helped them get their new clothes on – they all fit! Thank you Lord! The girl tried her dresses on, but then took them off. I’m not sure why, but I don’t think she wanted to get them dirty. Then they went and got their heads shaved, as everyone here in the village pretty much does to prevent lice, and came back looking like new kids. I know it doesn’t fix their circumstances altogether, but when they left there was no more crying, and even smiles on all their faces. I know the cookies didn’t hurt! We will keep checking up on them, and do what we can, but we know there are a lot more people in need, and in even more need than these so we pray God shows us how we can help, who we can help and when we can help.
Be Slow, Steady and Sure!
37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[b]
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord[c] shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.[d]
36 But he passed away,[e] and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
credit for the first picture: jesuslovesusall tumblr
We are getting ready to build a fence around our property, so that will mean closing in one of the water wells the villagers use. We will be drilling another one not far from that one, where the Chairman wants it to go. The man that does this came today to survey the area and see the best place, where there is the most water and where it is the deepest. He had a little machine that looked alot like a car battery, and wires that went out from it from two sides. One man would walk a distance and the man would yell “Stop” and then right down readings from the machine. Then he would yell “Ready” and both men with the wires and the main man would walk further down the road. He would yell “Stop” and take more readings. A crowd started to build, and whenever the man yelled ready and they started walking, the kids would yell “Stop”! It was quite funny!
“Brother”
Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need
Get a little restless from the searching
Get a little worn down in between
Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes
Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the seaBrother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you homeFace down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart
I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were
Now my hands can’t reach that far
I ain’t made for a rivalry I could never take the world alone
I know that in my weakness I am strong, but
It’s your love that brings me homeBrother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you homeAnd when you call and need me near
Sayin’ where’d you go?
Brother I’m right here
And on those days when the sky begins to fall
You’re the blood of my blood
We can get through it allBrother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re feelin’ low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you homeBrother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home
It’s funny how, when we pray for God’s Will for our lives we already have the answer envisioned in our minds, and that is usually not at all how the prayer is answered. I have prayed over the years that I could be a writer, and speaker. You know, the next Beth Moore or Lisa Bevere, helping women to grow in God and travel the world speaking and writing. I have prayed that many times, started many books only to be stalled and sent in other directions.
I have prayed many times, God just use me in any way, wherever you want me I will go and do. And most of the time that God used me and sent me, it was not at all what I had envisioned! I never in a million years would have believed if you told me I would adopt a 2 year old – girl no less – at the age of 48. And then two years later move to Uganda Africa. At 50, I had been fretting that my life was on the downhill slide, but God had other plans for me!
I have prayed day after day since I found out we were moving here, and everyday since we got here for God to show me my place here. Christian has his physical work, and the spiritual I know I am a part of. But what exactly is my place? Keeping the home like I have all these years? Raising and teaching Raelee? I want to be used, in any way God, just show me where my place is.
Well, this is the part about answered prayers not always being what we envision. A few days ago I was brought 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl who is about 12 and she is having to be the mama to the 3 boys who I would say are 6-7 and 4 and a baby around a year. None of them know their ages. These are just 4 of 7 children, 3 had to be given out to other family because  mother died recently after a long illness that the witch doctors could not heal, and dad not in good health. I asked what could I do? Get them some clothes, some soap and cleaning supplies. Then, I was shown the baby’s hands and feet. Jiggers. Let me introduce you to Jiggers:
I am only going to post one picture, it is really hard to look at some of the ones I have seen.
Now, I had read about this before we ever came, and the two illustrations above come from the website I had researched http://www.solehope.org. They are located not so far from us and their whole ministry is taking these out, educating families on how to prevent them. We even have to spray and use a powder called (of all things) Du-Du powder. The best thing is to wear closed shoes, but that is not always reality here. This ministry I mentioned does try to provide shoes for children. Most everyone here knows how to remove them but because of the stigma of it, I’m finding that people don’t want to help because it is those peoples fault for being dirty. Sometimes they get so infested because they bring their animals inside to sleep – their goats and chickens – so they aren’t stolen. So now I am asking God, really? This is it? But if it is, I will gladly learn all I can from the ministries that have been doing this. I am praying that Sole Hope will help me in learning how to remove and then to educate the families. I’m told by Bakali that people he has helped and followed up on have been successful in keeping them away, and no more jiggers in their bodies.
So I ask you to pray with me, that if this is what God has for me to do, He gives me the ability, opportunity to share His Gospel as I do it, and that all the Glory goes to Him. In my own strength, I fear I can’t do it, but the bible says:
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Rained yesterday and the wind was howling, took my umbrella away while I was trying to get this picture. I know the people here think I am about the craziest mazungu they have ever seen.
No, wait, second craziest, to Raelee! 🙂
Next, we will get the pipes used to water the crops with drip irrigation. We are in the process of figuring out what we want to grow next.
We are down to one kitten. One was taken away by someone without our consent, but I have dealt with that anger and am good now!
Anyway, Smoky, who we call our black panther because though he is a scrawny little thing he has a growl that will scare off most other animals. Don’t even touch him when he is eating.
The vet has been here three times giving him shots and medicine, he is not a healthy kitten, but we haven’t given up on him. (And when I say “we” that would be Raelee and I! Daddy would have put him down after the first vet visit!) Yesterday, I was the one who had to hold him down for his shots and he bit into me but good. Then the vet says he will be back tomorrow to give Smoky his rabies shot. Nice. Guess maybe he should give me one too! That is the one shot I did not get before leaving the states!
We have a worker, Bakali, who is our Farm Manager and pretty much since we got here has been Christian’s right hand man. From what we have been told, he was a pretty wild (as in native) boy when Mandate first came here. He was an illegitimate son and was pretty much shunned by many. After he accepted Christ he was shunned even more. But he is a great example of a Christ follower that, even though friends and family may leave you because of your faith, Jesus never will, and He will bless you for it. Not just financial, I believe Bakali is growing into a great and Godly man. His grandfather gave him some land and with the money he has made working for Mandate, he has saved and was able to build a house for himself, wife, and three of their own children, plus kids they take care of. It is a very big deal here, to be able to build a real house, and what we would call a housewarming party is a very official celebration! He still has plans to add on, right now he has a living room, master bedroom and two other bedrooms with plans to finish the bathroom and eventually may put a kitchen inside. (It is more common to cook outside, because if you do not have a stove, and many don’t, then you cook over fires so…)
It started with the very special invitation. Three of us got the very special one – Wes, The Chairman, and Us! Then, there were the meetings. I didn’t attend, but Christian did and said they were quite the deal! The Chairman came, and there were lists- supply lists, everyone had a place to participate in, a job to do at the party. There were prices by everything on the lists, from the food, the tents, make-up (? that was weird), clothing, photographer…it went on and on. A couple million shillings or more, somewhere between 600-800 USD. So everyone present, who we found out were mostly family and friends, was supposed to chip in and pay for something, and if it didn’t all get settled the first meeting, then there was a second, then a third and finally there was enough money!
The very special invitation said the party would start at 12 AM. Yes, that’s midnight – I haven’t partied that late in, uh, lets say many many years! But Christian was told his job was to say opening prayer. Okay. He went, pitch dark, music playing, a few people dancing in front of the only truck with parking lights on. He sat about an hour, asked about Bakali, finally left! Get a call in the morning to be there to say opening prayer at “exactly about 10” (that’s exactly about how it goes with everything!) So we went at 9ish. By 12ish Raelee and I left to go find food. Went back. About 2 I am given notice that I now have a job – photographer, and from what I could gather there were 3 very important pictures I was to take but I had no idea whatsoever what those 3 were to be of. I had been taking pictures and videos all day, there were xylophone competitions and dancers. So at exactly about 3, Bakali and his wife came out of the house. I have never seen this guy so serious. Really, he is always laughing and carrying on, but he did not crack a smile. Everyone mobbed them and then they all danced and sang and went around all the tents with all the people sitting, watching. I took alot of pictures, but I was done about exactly 4 so I went home, yes, abandoning my poor husband. He came home about an hour later and said he had made a little speech and asked if his job was done and when told yes, he scooted. I am pretty sure I missed one of the 3 very important pictures…the cutting of the cake, but I can say I did take a pic of the cake, just didn’t realize I was supposed to take one of them cutting it.
We are very happy that we and also that The Mandate had a part financially, and spiritually in this great event in their life and wish them many happy years in their new home!
Note:
Today, Bakali came by the house and I showed him all the pictures. He loved them so much. I told him “You were so serious Bakali, I am not used to seeing you so serious. You and Fatima looked like adults on that day” He laughed so hard at that, but I think the fact that they are so young – he is 26 – and already able to get a house made it an even bigger deal. He says is was fun, but too much work and he does not think he will ever have another party like that. I told him, you just wait until the daughter grows up! He put his hand over his face and said “Nah!”
As we head into a new week, new hopes and expectations, I thought I would take a minute to ask for prayers.
God has been so good to us thus far, every prayer, every encouragement we have asked for, He has given. This week has been an extremely intense week, but God has been so good to be right there every step of the way, guiding us and sending to us the right people at just the right moments. We know there are those of you back home praying, and I thank you – we can tell!
We believe satan has had rule of this place (Africa in general, this village specifically) and he’s not real happy now that God is kicking him out of a good thing. He’s been sitting back in his la-z-boy and causing a blindness to God in this place. So, we are in the middle of a pretty intense battle but we know Who the victor will be and we know He is Who we serve so we hold fast in the knowledge that although things may be tough, intense and frustrating, God is leading us through and to the other side – Victorious.
Pray that our solar is fixed for good! I lost everything in my fridge this week, again! We haven’t been able to use our fans for a few days and it’s been hot. I know these are minor things compared to what other’s face here, but it is frustrating!
Pray for all the children here, in the orphanage and in the village. It is a rough life they have, what we take for granted at home…education, three meals a day, parents/family…some of them will never have. Pray that they come to know they have a Heavenly Father and that even in their circumstances blessings will come with their faith in Him. Pray for us that as we try to survey this village and figure out ways to help that God will lead us. It is extremely difficult in this culture to just ask questions to try and understand the needs, because just in our talking about say, education, it is construed very quickly that because we even ask, we are going to start sending all their kids to school. It is hard to determine the needs without being thought to be making promises! So we are praying God shows us how to find out the things we need to know in a way that doesnt cause confusion and disappointment.
Pray for our health always. Raelee has been told over and over don’t share things to drink, or put her mouth on things she shouldn’t and yet, yesterday at a big party she and another boy are passing a toy trumpet back and forth blowing on it! So, we do what we can do and pray God looks down on her and wipes her clean everytime, with a smile on His face that she has accepted these children without any reservations. Let us all be that way!
And just pray for our discernment. It’s not easy to discern real needs and just wants because we are white and we’ve probably got much to give. It isn’t an easy thing needing to trust in people, but having very few we can. I believe time will change some of this, but that doesn’t make it easier some days!
Pray for our families back home. We miss them dearly, and know sometimes it’s hard for them to understand what on earth we are doing!
I pray for you, whoever you are that reads this. Thank you for being a part of our lives, and thank you for your prayers.
His Grace For The Journey 