Where have we been?

I realized the other day that I have only posted once in March and the month has almost passed. Since moving to Nashville in 2009, it has become one of our busier months. Here are a few highlights of what we've been up to lately.

Thom traveled on a week-long mission trip with the Baptist ministry group from Vanderbilt. This group was a special mixture of students who have been apart of the ministry since Thom first started in 2009 and students who are freshmen. They enjoyed a great week of ministry opportunities in New Orleans and even were able to take in a few Vanderbilt basketball games during the tournament.

SPOTS 2012 Mission Team

BCM Seniors

While Thom was away, Katie had the regional Destination Imagination (DI) tournament. Thom coached the team again this year and I helped out while he was away. The team placed again this year (2nd place) in their category/age group. They are preparing now to go to state competition in mid-April.

DI Team Challenge

David has been busy with Cub Scouts and baseball.  He and Thom joined his local group (pack/troop) on an overnight camping trip a few weekends ago. They braved the rain and David was able to do one of his favorite activities: fishing!

A favorite past time!

David also started baseball practice a few weeks ago and had his first games this week. 

Baseball ready!

We also travelled to SC to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday, relax, and enjoy time together!

My "little brother" Robbie

Katie and her cousin Jonathan after playing "Happy Birthday"

One of the highlights for me, personally, was going to the Created for Care retreat outside Atlanta last weekend. I will write more later, but this was an incredible time of worship, learning, and rest with 450 other adoptive moms. I was able to travel and stay with 2 good friends from church and meet a few other women from around the country who are adopting in the Democratic Republic of Congo!

Adoption Updates:
Though it has been a "fairly quiet" month on the adoption front, we have received several pieces of good news. First, we have been accepted by 1 Seed for a fundraising event at the Puffy Muffin in October. We have been to 2 adoption fundraisers with 1 Seed families and are excited about the opportunity to fund raise with them.

Finally, we have been accepted by Lifesong for Orphans for a matching adoption grant!! Through our church, we will receive up to $2000 in a matching grant. The maximum we will receive is $4000. However, we now have an account for additional tax deductible donations, which will be sent by Lifesong to our agency for upcoming fees. We will share more about how to partner with us soon in a separate post!

We continue to wait for a referral, but know the timing is in God's hands. The international director from our agency is traveling this week and next to visit with our lawyer and partnering orphanages. Pray for clarity and discernment as they continue to build relationships with the local pastors and organizations and seek to partner with more orphanages.

Unforgetable Cliches

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Hillsong,  "Hosanna"

In the months and days leading up to the Uganda mission trip, I frequently prayed the words of this song. When my feet walked the red dirt and I came face to face with the beautiful people of Africa, I wanted to do so with a pure heart, ready with open eyes, to learn to love the way the Father sees and loves, to serve with a broken heart, all for His glory.  

These were somewhat easy words to pray in time zones removed from life that is the heartbreaking reality for most of the world. Because I had prayed the words, I travelled with the expectation that these cliches would become real in life changing ways. 

The experience I did not pray for was "gut-wrenching." In fact, this cliche never crossed my mind. It's not a phrase that exactly fits into our Sunday morning worship songs. 

However, on day 3, when we drove into the gates of M3, to the sound of cheering 2-10 year olds, this cliche became a part of my experience.  

We visited M3 with Moses as a part of the ministry of Sixty Feet. We had visited two government "remand" centers and my heart was already broken for the conditions and plight of over 200 children and youth at M1 and M2. We were warned that M3 would be even more difficult. Most of the 200 children at M3 had either been abandoned, sent to the capital city to beg, or lost in the streets. Many were very sick in a place with less than 8 caregivers. I am not sure anything could have prepared us.  

As we waited to sign in with the staff, my eyes fell on a very young boy, around the age of 3. He was sitting in the hot sun on a concrete wall. He stared into nothing, his eyes empty and shell shocked. My numb heart told me that he probably didn't want to be bothered. The Spirit whispered to me to go sit down beside him. I glanced down at him, still unsure of if, or how, I should reach out to him. 

Without looking at him, I silently reached out my hands toward him. He quickly grabbed them and scrambled onto my lap. As we settled in together and he fell asleep on my chest, I realized he was soiled in every way possible and that his sweet, half-dressed body was racked with fever. 

As I held and rocked him, I noticed my stomach was really tight. For a moment, I feared I might be getting sick. However, when I checked in with my emotions, I realized I felt as if my heart had been twisted and pulled into my gut in a way I had never experienced. 

Realizing this little boy was so sick without a mama to hold him was gut-wrenching. Knowing that he probably had malaria or TB, or was possible HIV positive, without adequate comfort or treatment, ripped my heart. As he slept, I cried and prayed for him. 

When he woke, I fed him cookies and juice. I sang "Jesus Loves Me" into his ear and told him how much he is loved. I took him to the nurses who work with Sixty Feet and inquired about his health. They checked with the staff of M3 and assured me he had already received medication for his fever.  A staff member took him to be cooled and cleaned. 

Selfishly, I was thankful when they took him inside. I was not sure how I would manage to walk away onto the van and leave without him. Just before we left, however, I felt a cool, small hand touch mine. Once again he was in my arms and I spoke words of love to him. My tears again flowed as I prayed over him before leaving. The hardest thing I have ever done, only through the grace of Christ.

Opened eyes. 

Learning to love the way God loves. 

A heart broken for what breaks His. 

Everything I am for His kingdom's cause. 

Gut-wrenching. 

Months later, many time zones away, these cliches still echo in my heart, with new meanings. The questions they bring out number the answers. I am still processing as we discern how God is leading us to respond to the things He has shown me. Praying for wisdom and grace as we seek to follow the Lord. 

Life goes on...for some

A sweet Ugandan team member and I occasionally talk on the phone for accountability as we process and try to listen for the "what now." Separated by many states, our hearts are connected by the our experiences in Uganda. We share how God is challenging us and leading us from this experience.

During our last phone conversation, we talked about blogs we read. We discussed recognizing many faces in the pictures from more recent mission teams. We are sobered to think about all the things we have done since returning from Uganda on August 3 and to know many of the children are still in the same place. 

We also talked about the good things that are happening through Sixty Feet in the prisons. Because of what God is doing through Moses and Sixty Feet, 200 Bibles have been purchased in their languages, 7 more children are receiving education this week through sponsorship and a few are being reunited with families.

One of the things we know to do is to share our stories. We pray that God will lead others to ask what they can do. Prayer, sponsorship, or a financial donation will make a difference. Going on a mission trip will definitely change your life.  While we cannot do everything for everyone, we can make a difference for some. 

Traffic jams and love/hate relationships

My mind and heart have been in a bit of a "traffic jam" lately. Processing the mission trip to Uganda is more difficult than I expected. Prone to unrealistic hopeful expectations and impatience, I envisioned being able to sharing stories easier and knowing "what does this mean for my life" sooner. I am grateful to have had conversations with other team members and realize this is normal!

Prior to going to Uganda, I read both mission trip and adoption blogs. Many quote the following verse:

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

I must confess I have a love/hate relationship with this verse. First, though I have searched, I cannot find this verse in this exact translation/wording. However, I cannot deny that it accurately represents the truth of the verse and here is where the real conflict enters. 

The experience in Uganda was beyond eye-opening. We came into contact with many heartbreaking situations, the kind that makes you "want-to-sell-everything-and-move-to-Africa." We held beautiful babies and children, who, though loved and cared for, live without a mommy and daddy and care we consider to be standard. The kind that makes you want to "bring-one-home-to-a-forever-family-now."  We saw injustices that were impossible to comprehend, the kind that makes you want to "sign-up-for-another-mission-trip-as-soon-as-possible." 

We return with eyes opened and hearts broken, more aware of the things that breaks the heart of God. The difficult part is knowing what to do discerning how God wants me to respond. As a wife and mom, a very important part of this journey is partnering with Thom to seek how God is leading our family. We are praying and seeking God to lead and guide us on this journey.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I am satisfied...

In the midst of the hard things of Uganda  we saw again and again... JOY CONTENTMENT THANKFULNESS After our first full day at Canaan's Children's Home, David and I sat together. As we talked, the sun began to set and I wondered aloud when the children would eat dinner. He did not answer and we continued to talk. He asked me to tell a story and leaned close against me as I shared a story from the Bible.   Some children began to move toward a nearby building and I asked him again if he needed to eat dinner. He pulled slightly away and turned his face towards mine. With a look and smile of contentment, he replied with words I will not forget: "I am satisfied."  As we resumed storytelling, this mama's heart struggled to find a place in her brain for his comment. Yes, through God's provisions and sponsorship, he had the things he needed and more than most. However, by a "first world" (and simply worldly) standard, this sweet boy had much to want. However, at Canaan's he is being taught and given the thing he needs most:  God's love for him. As much as this 10 year old can, he seems to understand David, the psalmist's words: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,  in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My souls will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Psalm 63:1-5

M1: When I was in prison...

M1 Remand Center

Before leaving for Uganda, I tried to prepare by reading about Sixty Feet and a man named Moses. This Christian organization and man seeks to minister to the imprisoned children in Uganda. Several government "remand" and "processing" centers are set up to house children and teenagers. Some are guilty of stealing food, being on the streets after being sent out to beg, and not going to school. Others have been simply dropped off or accused of stealing from relatives who no longer want them.   

I had read about M1 (code name) and knew in my head kids are routinely placed in solitary confinement to "break them down." However, my heart was not ready to walk the dank corridor and to see this: 

As we approached,  he dropped his arms through the bars. Weeping, I grasped his arms and silently prayed for God's comfort and protection. We later learned he had been in solitary for a few days with little (if any) food or water. We also learned that he is 10 years old. As best as we understand, his  offense at the remand center was dumping out trash. Through the intervention of Moses, he was brought out, clothed,  allowed to play outdoors with our team, and did not have to return to solitary.

After we saw this cell for children/teens who are allowed outside during the day

we were led to the space where 40-50 boys were being held for "processing" and not allowed outside:

Most of these boys had been in this room for more than a month, again with little food and water. Their pieces of foam for sleeping (in the back corner) had no bed frame and the room was empty. Some things the heart just cannot understand! 

After a brief introduction of our group, the boys spread out across the room. I silently prayed for God to lead me to speak with some of them. These three teens caught my eye and I made my way to them.

We became acquainted as they posed and asked me to take pictures of them. Our conversations slowly turned to their frustrations. The 17 year old (in the middle) spoke with passion and angst about clean clothing, food, and his desire to return home to "dig" (farm) for his mother. 

After sharing and being heard, they allowed me to share scripture and my heart with them. Before going to worship, they asked me to lay hands on them and to pray for them. What an humbling experience! 

The rest of our day consisted of worship and prayer...

(Did I mention how joyful and grateful many of them were?)

teaching by Moses...

handing out clean clothing and shoes donated by many back home...

and playing with those allowed outside.

We are all grateful for the ministry presence Moses has in 6 of the remand centers in Uganda. God is using him to share God's word and love with hundreds of children/teens, to help provide medical care, advocate for those who are not justly placed, and to seek housing & schooling solutions for those who have no family to which they may return.  In addition to his wife Betty and two children, his household currently includes 5 girls (previously in prison) who have no place to go. 

Choosing Gratitude

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Psalm 28:7



Worshipping with the children and teens at M1 with Moses and Sixty Feet



As a therapist, I know that gratitude is a healthy and healing way of balancing painful experiences and emotions. This is true whether trauma is personally experienced, observed, or verbally shared by another person. And gratitude is often a choice to made.

However, I have to remind myself of this choice as my heart wrestles with all of the sweet people I met in Uganda. I have been home for almost 2 days and struggle to wrap my Western mind (and heart) around some of the devastating life circumstances we came face to face with: AIDS, malaria, TB, unjust imprisonment, hundreds of babies and children lost from or abandoned by their families, and (by "first world" standards) unsanitary conditions that seem to perpetuate disease.

One of the most beautiful things we encountered, however, was the JOY we encountered in each location we served. As I continue to process, I hope to share stories of the people I met and light of the Lord that shined through them. Until then I will give a few "shout outs" of gratitude:

1) For Thom.  Without a doubt, one of the hardest things about the trip was leaving my family. I had complete faith in him; however, it is hard to single parent for any amount of time. I missed them and they missed me, but he did a wonderful job of keeping them busy and having fun with together! Not that I was surprised, but I came home to a clean house, happy children, stocked refrigerator, and dinner. With a calling and desire to go and serve, I am  blessed to be supported! Love you!!

2) The leaders and servants we met at each ministry location. As our hearts were broken, we were encouraged by the selfless leaders and staff we met: Pastor Samuel at Return Ministries, Rebecca at Royal Hope Academy, Moses at Sixty Feet, Katie Davis, Patrick, and Pastor Raoul at Amazima, the nannies at Amani Baby Cottage, and Pastor Isaac and "Mama Rebecca" at Canaans Childrens' Home...just a few of the many who share the truth and hope of Christ and "serve the least of these" on a daily basis

3) The many people who supported me with prayer and financial means to go. I will never be able to adequately express my appreciation!

4) The Lord's love, joy, and peace. He doesn't need me, but I am grateful that He allowed me to be a part of what He is doing in Uganda. I am thankful that He was there before us and that He is still there working "all things together for good among those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). I am thankful that He "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
 

Our time in Uganda has been unbelievable! It is hard to believe that we only have a few days left. Our days have been packed and our hearts have been broken over and over again. The pervasive sickness and lack of basic resources are overwhelming. I am still not sure I have adequate words to describe all we have seen. I anticipate it will take a while to fully process all I have experienced here.

We have been in Jinja since Wednesday night to stay at Canaan’s Children’s Home. Currently, approximately 120 children (ages 3-18) live here. Many hours of our day is spent with the children when they are not in school. These two 11 year olds “claimed” me the minute I stepped off the bus on Wednesday night. At least one, if not both, are by my side every chance they get. It has been a joy to share Bible stories with them, play games, and just sit with them.



Claire and David...my constant companions. Goodbyes on Tuesday will be hard!

Our residence at Canaan's (with a clinic on the ground floor)

 On Thursday we visited the school where the children (and many others from the village) attend. In the afternoon, we went to Amani Baby Cottage and held and played with babies and young children. Many of them have been abandoned and are sick, some with HIV. It was hard to put my little guy down when we had to leave!



On Friday, we worked with a church based ministry called Home Again. This ministry focuses on widows and children from the Karamajong tribe. They are truly the “very least of these” in this culture. Many of the women are widowed due to AIDS and suffer from AIDS.



We split into four groups and visited with them in an extremely impoverished area. I had the privilege of sharing scripture and speaking with over 50 of them and leading them in sharing testimonies and prayer requests. God is at work in many of their lives! Afterwards, we purchased Ugandan beads they had handcrafted. Again, my mind and heart has not had time to completely process the struggle and physical destitution they live with on a daily basis.

Today (Saturday) we walked to Amazima. This ministry (through a sponsorship program) educates hundreds of children each week, helps provide medical care, and has a Bible study and feeding program on Saturday. We arrived at 10 and played with the children and helped prepare lunch for over 300 children. I worked in the cooking area with two women who work with Katie Davis. We chopped onions, stirred rice, and “cleaned” and cooked chicken. What an experience and blessing to spend time with these young women and to hear their stories! I was also able to talk with Katie for a short time. God is really using this ministry to share the gospel with the children!

Tomorrow our team will split between two churches. My group will travel into Jinja and teach the children and teens. I am excited to support a young woman, Lydia, who will teach the lessson. It was fun to see her eyes light up when I asked if she would like to teach them! I know she will do great!  In the afternoon, the children will sing for us and we will present the leaders with all of our gifts for Canaans.

Each day is very long but full in a good way. The Lord has provided everything we have needed for each situation. However, to be completely honest, it is very difficult not to be overloaded by the conditions most in this area live in. We are all very tired, but praying to finish strong with the children and ministries we are working with.

Pray for us as we continue to try to share the love and message of Christ, that God will protect our health (only one has had to go to the clinic), and that He will guide us in all that we do!









Day 2

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

 

I haven't had a lot of time to process all of the things I am experiencing in Uganda. Everything around me is different from the surroundings I am used to. However, one thing is the same: the human need for love and hope and the joy that can result when those are experienced.. Today we went to Return Ministries for worship and ministry. It could have been easy for me to be emotionally consumed with the conditions in which the children live in the area, the things they do not have, and the shear number of children who live in extreme poverty in this village.

However, it was evident that Return Ministries is reaching out to their village with the love and hope of Christ. It was a privilege to serve alongside the staff and Pastor Samuel today, playing with the children, doing activities with them, playing sports, and helping serve them rice and beans. Seeing the smiles of the children, seeing them sing and dance, and  being able to love on them was a true joy! So thankful for this opportunity to serve there today.

Tomorrow we will be in a very different setting. We will be with close to 200 children and teenagers who are in a prison. Although they are wrongfully placed there, the are being ministered to and we will have the opportunity to play with them and serve them as the Lord leads. I had the privilege of briefly speaking tonight with the counselor who is working with some of them. I expect this will be a very difficult day for the team and I appreciate prayers as we spend the day with them. 

Ready for takeoff!

Our team all arrived safely and we have boarded the plane. There are many different teams on the flight going to several different countries. It is so exciting hearing the conversations about the work everyone will be involved. It is a wonderful reminder of the body of Christ and that we are all part of a bigger story- His story. Can't wait to share with you our part!

Tears, Luggage, and Anticipation

"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6



I am thankful to have read the above verses when I opened my Jesus Calling devotional book this morning. I have experienced a lot of different emotions today as I said good-bye to my children and husband. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be to walk through airport security and to my gate without them. I am to thankful to know God hears our prayers and cares about the concerns of our hearts. I know I can trust Him to be with each of us as we are apart! 

I am happy to say that the luggage passed the weight limit (50 lbs. each) at the airport! Thom did a great job of helping me pack the luggage and Katie had fun helping. We rearranged bags until the weight was distributed between the 2 large duffel bags. The backpack with my belongings is 22 lbs and I managed to cram it under the seat in front of me on the flight to DC.

Tonight I am at a hotel in DC with most of my teammates. I had dinner with a group going from Birmingham, AL, and spent some time talking with our team leaders. It was fun to finally meet others on the team and start getting to know each other. Tomorrow we head to the airport by 9:00. Our plane leaves at 12:00 (EST), which will be 7:00 pm Uganda time. Our flight will be 12 hours to Ethiopia and another 2 hours to Uganda. I am hoping for some good sleep!

I look forward to finally being in Uganda after so many months of preparations. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has prepared for us to do and learn. I am praying that throughout this experience that the Lord will  help me stay focused on Him and to place my trust in Him.



"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

(This verse was also in my devotional today. Always thankful for God's Word and His promises!)

100 lbs of Blessings

Three weeks from Thursday, I will fly from Nashville to DC for the mission trip to Uganda. It is my hope to check 2 pieces of luggage with 100 lbs of donations for the children and ministries in Uganda. My family will be purchasing some of the items requested, but would love to have others help us fill the bags. Here are some of the items the ministries have requested. Let me know if you would like to send something! Anything is appreciated!

Clothing (infant-teens; shirts, shorts, dresses, pants, underwear)

Modest dresses/skirts for women

Flip Flops/Croc-like shoes

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

bandages/gauze

ointment/Neosporin

sunglasses

puzzles

jump ropes

colored pencils/sharpeners

drawing paper

Baby bottles/nipples

Formula

“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.’" Matt. 25:40 

28 Days

 "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

In 28 days I will be in Uganda. The journey to this point has been encouraging and has increased my faith. God has provided more than I could have asked or imagined. While this reference does include financial and material needs, it more importantly refers to the ways He is working to prepare me spiritually. It also refers to the changes in our itinerary and the curiosity it brings to my heart and mind. 


I initially signed up last December to go to Ethiopia, but felt God was leading me to Uganda and switched teams in January. I wondered why God was leading me this way and how He might use me on the team.  My training and experience is in education and counseling, and in my human mind I could not imagine (from the mission trip description) how God might use these.

A few months ago, a relatively new ministry was added to our itinerary. A Christian organization, 60 Feet (from the US), is working alongside Ugandans to minister to children and teens who are imprisoned, often for very minor incidents or none at all. Many have been "swept off the street." I learned more last night about the 3 children's prisons we will visit while in Uganda. M" is for children/teens (approximately 120, but fluxuates); "M3" is a "holding place" for children before they are "sentenced" and transferred to "M". "M4" is "protective services" for children under the age of ten, several whom have special needs. The fact is that each are prisons and the conditions are extremely poor in each setting. 


A few nights ago, I read this and learned that a counselor joined the staff working with "M" last month and is now working one-on-one with some of the children. Earlier this month, a mission team member (also a counselor) joined him for sessions. Also, I have heard about potential counseling opportunities at Canaan's with children and teens who have suffered loss. 


I do not know the Lord's plans for me in Uganda, but I am excited about the possibilities and am praying that He will continue to prepare me. I am praying for discernment as I "think outside the box" and brainstorm regarding donations to take. I am also praying that God will help me trust Him to lead and guide me according to His plans! 

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Proverbs 19:21

Switching Gears

Our children have been out of school since May 24th and my last day at work until August was the 31st of May. Though our pace has not slowed, I am thankful for a mental shift from work, more emotional energy to focus on other things, and more time to spend with the kids.

So far we have spent very few days at home and many on the road. Helena (our van) has been outfitted with new parts for her air conditioner, new shoes (tires), and a new fuse for cruise control. She has faithfully carried us to Knoxville and Ohio and we are thankful for more time with her!

Thom and I enjoyed time with Katie and 6 other 5th grade students at Destination Imagination Globals in Knoxville at the end of May. Our four days were packed with activities and competition. The kids finished 19th in their age/category and competed against teams from the States, Turkey, Mexico, and China. They had a blast!

A few days later we travelled to Cleveland to visit Thom's mom, sister, and brother-in-law. We had a great time with them and enjoyed an Indians baseball game. David had a blast! 

After a few days home, Katie, David and I headed over to SC to see my parents while Thom has travelled to Arizona for a meeting. We have enjoyed spending time with them swimming and having wonderful, lazy days!

I went out for breakfast one morning with my dad and mom and I got to do one of our favorite things-shop! Yesterday our focus was pants for my trip to Uganda. We ventured to Goodwill and I was thankful to find the type I was looking for-convertible with nylon material that will air dry well. God is so faithful in His provisions! I was so thankful to find just the kind I need in my size (and on the $1 rack!!)

I am looking forward to Monday when Katie and I will go with our church to Centri-Kid camp in KY. Though my role as chaperone will be busy, I am praying that God will use this time to continue to prepare me for Uganda. I cannot believe we will be there in 40 days!! After reading the travel blogs and Facebook posts of others on mission to Uganda in the past week, God has reminded me of the need to prepare my heart with Scripture. I fully anticipate this mission trip being more difficult than I can imagine and know in the hard times my greatest comfort and strength will be His Word hidden in my heart!

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the salvation. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted." Isaiah 12:2-4

(from Jesus' Calling devotion for today)



Blessed and Amazed

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

James 1:17

If I keep waiting until my thoughts are clear and I have nothing more pressing to do, I will let another month pass without writing and drop the blog altogether. Since this is one of my creative outlets, I will pick up as if it I never missed a day!

We have had many wonderful things happen over the past month. I will start off by offering praise to God for the amazing way He is providing for the Uganda mission trip in July!!!  Though I have faith, I would not be real and transparent if I did not admit that I was tempted to second guess myself in early March.

As of today, however, God has provided through more than 20 friends and family members---$2675!!! Even as I type the numbers, I am still in awe and slight disbelief. My plane ticket will be purchased on May 22 and I will know the balance due at that time (approximately $525). The Lord is so faithful and good!

With the trip cost almost "checked off," I am excited about being able to shift focus to my favorite part of the trip--supplies and necessities for the orphanages!!!  My first conference call with the mission team is tomorrow night. While I am looking forward to "meeting" the others during the call, I hope to learn more about what we can bring to the orphans and their caregivers. My hope is that my checked bags will bring 100 lbs of formula, medicine, diapers, clothes, etc. I will post as soon as I find out!!!

Other exiting (if not old) news is the advancement of Katie's Destination Imagination team from state to DI Globals! Thankfully, for us, Globals is held in Knoxville, TN. Thom and I (beginning in March) are the coaches for the team. We will travel with Katie and the 6 other team members at the end of May. They will compete against other teams from across the US and around the world. We are proud of them and look forward to guiding them through this experience!

David is enjoying baseball once again this Spring. Tonight at church he was asked to list his gifts. He named art, running, and baseball. It is a blessing to see him express confidence in the gifts God has given him!

Spending time with family when the days get a little crazy is of most importance. One Sunday afternoon we took time to fly kites together as a family. What a relaxing day!

On Easter weekend, we traveled to SC to spend time with Mimi & Papa and my brother's family. The weekend went fast, but we really enjoyed spending time with them and celebrating the resurrection of Christ!

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9