Life In Uganda

Every morning when I wake up I think about the same thing, and it doesn’t matter if I’m waking up in my bed in Kampala or in my tent in the village, Zirobwe, I wake up in awe of my God and what He is doing here in Uganda. I’ve been here more than a month now and still have trouble believing that He brought me here, that I have the chance to be a very small part of His great plan for this beautiful country. And I love that each day is new, full of opportunities and moments that declare His greatness and love.

                I could start off by telling you everything that I love about Uganda or about everything that I don’t like, but both lists would be too long. Uganda isn’t hard to love; it’s a gorgeous place where every morning and evening the sky comes to life in a stunning masterpiece, with the rising or setting of the sun. The weather is usually beautiful and sunny with a rainstorm thrown in every couple of days, which keeps everything green and lush. There is the strong contrast between the red dirt roads and the deep green of everything that grows. Car rides (which are often and long) are always a perfect opportunity to take in the lovey scenery and to marvel at God’s creation. It’s a place full of life. Yet it’s also a place that requires hard work and struggle to survive. So amidst all the beauty, pain is evident. Maybe this is why I love it here so much. It’s raw. It’s full of real life and hard truths, but it’s also bursting at the seams with hope. Just living is a challenge for many, but gives the people here a deeper understanding and value of life. I don’t believe that life is meant to be easy or that it’s about the striving for happiness, we weren’t promised either, instead life is about fighting through all the pain and struggles and finding pure joy and love from the growth and relationships that we receive.

                Since I am working with Empower A Child I have the ability to be involved with many different projects and ministries here in Kampala. And while I’m in the city I spend my time going to babies’ homes, orphanages, churches, schools, a children’s hospital, the neighborhood kids, doing programs with the children and often helping with any work that needs to be done. Our programs usually consist of an introduction, praise and worship, a skit and story, questions and sweets, games and playtime. And the work we might help with could be anything from; washing, hanging or inking clothes to washing or painting windows, to washing, changing, or making beds, or even sweeping trash and cleaning mattresses. It all really just depends on what needs to be done. For instance Sanyu’s babies’ home is one of the places where we do the most work, because there is always plenty there.

            

    My favorite part of the week is always going to the village, Zirobwe. There are many reasons why I love this place so much, largely because of all people and children there but it’s more than that. When I’m in Kampala, after a long days’ work I can come home take a shower (possibly hot), read or skype, go to Tuskys (our store here) if I need something, and sleep in my soft warm bed under my mosquito net. It’s really a life full of luxuries. Yet when I’m in the village I don’t have any of that.  My day consists of much harder work; it’s full of manual labor and is mentally exhausting as well. When you are surrounded by so much need and always giving of yourself, loving and serving, I find that the Lord’s strength is all that gets me through that day. At the end of the day you often go to bed sunburnt with blisters, bruises, and bug bites, always sore and thoroughly worn-out but so full of joy and peace. See when I’m in the village I’m living within that community and working and going through life with them, and that makes it so fulfilling. I don’t care that I wear the same clothes every day, that I go to bed filthy, and I even enjoy fighting just to make it through the day because then I know that I’ve gone beyond my strength alone and relied solely on God. It means that I can rest assured that I gave everything that I had and I can sleep peacefully. See I’m never worried about tomorrow because I know each morning I’ll wake with the sun, ready for a new day. 

Familiar Faces

Bonjour tout le monde d’Afrique!

It’s only been eleven days since I returned to Gabon and already I’ve settled back into the rhythm of life here. I wish I could describe how wonderful it is to be back here with the country and people I fell in love with last spring, but it isn’t really something you can describe. It’s more than just feeling whole again because you’ve found that part of you that you’ve lost, it’s almost like your heart can finally be at peace because you are where you are meant to be, if that makes any sense. I am beyond excited to be back in Gabon for six weeks and to have the chance build on old relationships and begin new ones.

Oh, how I’ve missed the Gabonese people! There is just something so special and beautiful about these people. Since I’ve been back there have been a lot of happy moments, and all to do with seeing familiar faces. Going to the OSPAC medical clinic for the first time was one of those. The moment I walked in I was hailed by shouting and smothered in hugs and kisses. I kept hearing how much I had been missed and how happy they were that I had come back again, in English I might add (all of their English classes have really been paying off). We have fun, them trying to work on their English and us interns trying to speak in French. After the language barrier being so difficult last year and I am extremely thankful that already we are able to communicate! However, I still have more than a lot to learn and a lot to practice, so these next weeks I will be working hard on French. I’m hoping to improve a lot while I’m here!

We had the chance to go to Pastor Jacob’s house for dinner this past week and it was amazing! The Gabonese people really know how to entertain and throw a party! Not only were all of the OSPAC group there and all of us interns, but we also got to meet more of Pastor Jacob’s family. After an amazing dinner we danced (always my favorite part of these parties) for a few hours, then we sang and prayed together, and then danced some more. Just imagine about thirty people cramped into a tiny living room dancing African style…it was crazy!

Maybe the thing that I was looking forward to doing most when I got here was visiting Hope House, and on Saturday I was able to go. It was such a beautiful day. I know that I can’t fathom what heaven will look like, but seeing all of them rushing towards me, hearing their laughter and joy, I wonder if I had a glimpse what it will be like. I had told myself not to expect them to remember me, after all they meet so many new people every summer, but I was hoping a few of them might. I was wrong; as soon as I got there the children were shouting my name. I was smothered in hugs, many of the children wouldn’t let go of me for a few minutes. As some of the new children came over I could hear the others telling them who I was, and then I was given even more hugs. As soon as hugs were given the children all started talking to me about Christopher, a boy that captured my heart last time I was at Hope House. It turns out that the he went home for the summer just five days before I arrived in Gabon. This means I won’t have a chance to see him this summer. Hope House is a home for abandoned children and some of them have families that they visit during the summer. Even though it was hard to hear that I wouldn’t be able to see him I was really touched by how concerned the children were, they wanted to make sure I knew that he missed me and that he would be coming back. It wasn’t until after I got back to the center when I realized that I would have had two weeks with him if we had arrived in Gabon on our original flight. This is what is so hard for me to wrap my mind around because for the past year I’ve been praying over this boy and dreaming of the moment when I would see him again. And knowing that I would have had the chance…well, I wish I still had it. I know that we arrived in Gabon exactly when we were supposed to, so that means putting my trust in God with this too. I guess He had other plans for me and even though they are a little different than what I was expecting, I trust Him.

A big thank you, to everyone who brought me jump ropes to bring to the children at Hope House, the children LOVED them!! It was pretty special watching all of the younger children jumping rope outside together!

I was really excited that we made it to Gabon before my roommate from last year left. This past week was amazing! It was hard saying goodbye to, Olivia but I look forward to many Sykpe dates in the future! 

Things are going really well here and it’s been great for the Gabon 8 to have the chance to grow even closer. Last night, the first team arrived so from now on out we will have an even fuller house and be a lot busier! If today was anything like the rest of the summer it’s going to be crazy and a lot of fun.

I love and miss you all!

     Shannon

Prayer Requests:

·         I would find my peace and strength in the Lord, especially on those longer days.

·         That my French would continue to improve and that it might be used it well.

·         For the last bit of my financial needs to be met (I still need $150 in monthly support)

·         Safety for all of the teams and interns coming in and leaving this summer.

He Always Answers

I'm having a hard time keeping time straight here and I never know which day it is. It seems like I've  I've been gone for a very long time and yet I've only arrived. I am already missing so many of you back home, even though it has only been 5 days. But God is good and faithful.

God uses everything to draw us closer to Him, if we let Him. Selfishly, I want that to be the reason behind all of this. Him wanting me to draw closer to Him. But I know that this is about so much more than me. It isn't easy though. I know that my time in Ensenada is a chance for me to fall even deeper into His arms and I know that I will need Him to get through this time as well. After all, He is my Strength, my Comforter, and my Trust. It is Him who I will learn to lean on for each and every day.
It isn't that I doubt where I'm supposed to be. Or that I don't like it here. In fact I do. It's hard to explain but I just can't seem to find peace here. I am restless. I feel like my heart is already in Africa and as much as I try to find it here, I can't. It seems as if here I am only able to access my strength, my love, my joy, instead of His strength, love, and joy. It isn't enough and I know that. I can feel the difference and it hurts because I want to be alive here as well. I want to be present and useful to Him here in Mexico. I want to be doing His work because I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing right now, but I just can't seem to find myself here.

I keep calling out to God, asking for answers. His answer is always the same, "I am here." Which means that He is with me and that I can lean on Him. It also means that I have to trust Him with Africa while He is asking me to wait in Mexico. So, starting tonight, I let go of all that I'm waiting for. I want to see Him here, and if I am looking towards that future I'll miss Him because He is a God who is at work today. Which means that He is at work in Mexico and is waiting for me to ask to be a part of it. That means that I need to start each morning on my knees asking for His heart for Mexico, for today, for these people, for His children, for His mission here, for His never ending love and compassion. I want to feel His burning love here just as I do for the people of Africa. I want to laugh each day as I see His plans unfold and come to serve alongside His missionaries here. I want to end each day in prayer, praying over this country, over those I've worked with, for His kingdom to come here, for His blessings to pour out over these people.

I know that I won't leave Mexico until He calls me to leave and I am content to wait for that call. I don't need to keep asking when it will come. I know when it will come. When His work and mine is done here. So, with His heart for this place, I will rejoice that I am meant to stay here and that I have a chance to share His love with His most beloved children here in Mexico. I am so honored that He has asked and trusted me to serve here and given me a the opportunity to see His kingdom come in Mexico. Tonight, I will go to sleep completely at peace for the first time since I arrived in Mexico, excited for tomorrow to come and not wanting to be anywhere else.

Seeing Jesus

O Jesus- You who suffer, grant that, today and every day,

I may be able to see you in the person of your sick ones and that,

by offering them my care, I may serve you. 

Grant that, even if you are hidden under unattractive disguise of anger, 

crime, or of madness, I may recognize you and say, 

"Jesus, you who suffer, how sweet it is to serve you." 

Give me, Lord, this vision of faith, and my work will never be monotonous, 

I will find joy in harboring whims and desire of all the poor who suffer. 

Dear sick one, you are still more beloved to me because you represent Christ. 

What a privilege I am granted in being able to take care of you! 

O God, since you are Jesus how suffers, 

deign to be for me also a Jesus who is patient, indulgent with my faults,

who looks only at my intentions, which are to love you 

and to serve you in the person of each of these children of yours who suffer. 

Lord, increase my faith. Bless my efforts and my work, now and forever.
Mother Teresa

    It's easy to look around and see that things could be better, but sometimes you

don't realize that things are better for you.  If you can't look at your life and

see all that God has done and it good, then what type of life are you living? 

Often times all we see is; what is going wrong, what should be happening, 

or what we think needs to change. But do we take the time to see what is truly 

happening and going on around us? Do we know the people who we are calling 

the problem or blaming? Can we see the beauty in the darkness? Because without 

seeing things and people as they are, how can we hope to understand what beauty 

looks like. If our primary goal is to fix people instead of knowing them, then we will 

never understand what God's plan is for the world or see what is beautiful.

I am so glad that I don't have to worry about fixing anything, because honestly,

I don't think that I would be any good at it. Life isn't about fixing things though,

it's about discovering who you are and being confident that you are needed here. 

It's about the journey that one goes takes, the trip. It's about the people who you 

walk alongside. It's about forgiving and letting go of the things that don't matter, 

so that you can hold onto and go after the things that do. It's about discovering 

that you are not alone and that you you were never meant to live that way. It's about 

realizing that you can make a difference in someone's life just by supporting them 

and being there for them. It's about understanding that a person longs to be; loved, 

accepted, and to belong, and choosing to love, accept, and give belonging to each 

person you meet. It's not just meeting someone's physical needs but helping them 

meet all their needs. This is why it's so important for each one of us to know who we 

are. We are the ones who are meant to go. We are the ones meant to love. We are the 

ones meant to walk alongside the world. God isn't just calling a few to be His hands

and feet, He has  commanded all of us to go and bring His love to the world. Are you

living out His heart for the nations? Because His plan is bringing justice and 

redemption to the whole earth. Can you hear His heart beating for His people?

Will you answer?

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  ^{Matthew 25:31-40}

Psalms 138, Luke 12:48, Matthew 25:23

Psalms 138

Thanksgiving for the Lord's Favor

¹I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing praises to You before the gods.
² I will bow down toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.
³ On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.

 ⁴ All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
⁵ And they will sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.
⁶ For though the LORD is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar.

 ⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
⁸ The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

         This is one of my favorite scriptures. David knows how greatly he has been blessed, he knows what the Lord is doing and what He will accomplish; he is thankful for those Victories.  I love the Psalms in general; the passion, the honesty, the brokenness, the redemption, the faith, and the relationship between David and His Father. From the depths of his heart David knows the Lord. I cannot help but think that all of our hearts were meant to cry out to the Father in this way. We were created to declare who He is, to proclaim His glory, to shout out to Him with our praises. This is how I want to live my life, from this place.
        As I think back on 2011, I can see the same things occurred; the passion, the honesty, the brokenness, the redemption, the faith, and the relationship between my Father and I. It starts when God gives us a deep burning passion for something greater than ourselves. When we accept it fully it forces us to be honest; honest about ourselves, honest about the world, honest about our fears. When we are being honest it brings us to a place of brokenness, broken and so far from the passion that is weighing on our hearts. In our brokenness we question, we fight, and finally we call out in desperation. And our Father hears us, He redeems us; He redeems our lives and He redeems His plans for us. From His grace we are able to take a step in faith, knowing He redeems. God can do great things with just the smallest amount of faith, and through faith we are brought closer to Him. He has always given us a choice and when we finally chose to trust Him, He blesses us and draws us closer to Him. Our relationship with our Father is strongest when we have given ourselves completely to Him, and it grows stronger when instead of making a choice in faith we willing act in faith out of  love and trust.
       I believe that the Lord loves each and every one of us with an unfathomable love, but I also know that He bless some with favor. It's not something you can earn but something He freely gives when He pursues you, before you even know Him. He gives you a different set of eyes and a small piece of His heart, so that you might know what love is. Yet by knowing what true eternal love is, we have a responsibility. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Luke 12:48)". Whenever I read this passage I cannot help but be completely convicted; I have been given much, much will be required of me. It's a conviction that hold my life, and fills me with joy and hope and eagerness. I am ready to give everything. I know that my life is what is required of me and I could not be happier to give it. “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’(Matthew 25:23)". Someday, I will be entrusted with many, but for today I will try to be faithful with the few I've been given; for they are just as important as the many. I know that great joy comes from being faithful, especially during the hard or unexpected times and it is one of my greatest hopes, to learn what faithfulness truly is and to live by it. I want to just be many things, but for now I struggle; struggle to be faithful, struggle to be obedient, struggle to be selfless, struggle to be generous with everything. This year I know I'll be struggling with all of these even more, but I know that with the Lord's mercy and His never-ending faithfulness I'll learn how to be just a little more; a little more faithful, a little more obedient, a little more selfless, a little more generous with everything. So, I'm okay with the struggle because it's means that this year I'll be relying on God even more, and that is exactly where I want to be.