Oct 22, 2012

Monday - Day off after a super busy week.  We drove into Kampala (capital city) and went to the craft market for souvenirs.  I didn't have much to spend, but I had fun seeing what all they had and I did get a Uganda Cranes jersey.  Adidas brand, only $10 basically.  : )  We stopped at a big mall and went to a restaurant that had internet access for those with phones.  I had a burger that was just a little odd, and a heavenly fresh pineapple juice to go with it!

Back at the compound that night we watched Father of Lights.  I'd seen it when they premiered it at Bethel a few months ago, but watching it here in this setting was just extra powerful.  I was happy to see Bill and Kris when they popped up for their moments on screen.  They are amazing!  It was also cool that our team leader, Chris Overstreet, is actually in the movie.  : )
http://fatheroflights.wpfilm.com/

After the movie, we were just instantly moved to worship, so we plugged in an iPod and went at it for an hour and a half until our quiet time curfew and Chris had to shut us down.  It was an incredible night!  God's amazing goodness is so worth celebrating!!

Oct 21, 2012

Sunday - Today we were split into teams of 3-4 people and spread out to a bunch of little churches in the area.  I went with Lance and Brittany to Pastor Bob's church.  We were met by Sylvia, his wife, and led on a walk that took us out into the middle of nowhere where we found a "church" made up of sticks covered with tarps.

I had a chance to speak briefly here.  I gave them a word of encouragement.  I don't really look forward to public speaking, but of all the times I've done it, I'd say that this one came the easiest.  No worries.  After Lance gave his message, we prayed for people.  This time I didn't have a big team to hide in and I had to step up and be brave.  I had a line up of people asking for prayer and I went for it.  Thankfully a young man stepped in and translated for each of them so I at least knew what they were needing prayer for.  It's a strange thing here, they are so in tune with the spiritual realm that it doesn't seem odd to them when a prayer brings a healing.  There isn't always the same excitement that we would see here.  So when I would pray, the person would just turn and walk away.  I asked the translator and he would say "yes, they're healed." and just move on.  So I don't really know what to think.  Sometimes there is no doubt, when you see a person's face just light up, you really know that they got healed.  I was blown away during this prayer time when most of the children that came to me asked for wisdom or knowledge.  How cool is that?  Kids that really understand the importance of such things.

After we finished, we walked back to the place where we would meet up with the rest of our team, the same building we were at yesterday for the feeding of the kids.  Suddenly, that same little girl was standing next to me.  I guess she goes to that church.  I picked her up and sat down inside while another team finished praying for people at that church.  I was just trying to show her love again, and this time she fell asleep on my lap and drooled all over me.  : )  I'm glad she at least felt the peace.  I felt bad when it was time to leave and I had to wake her up and deposit her on the ground.  I just pray that God will continue to minister to her heart and heal whatever it is that makes her so sad.

In the evening, we went back again to meet with the teenagers of the village.  Jacob shared his testimony with them (with this really funny translator who copied his every move) and then did some healing and taught the kids to pray for each other as well.  Then we fed them each a really yummy bread roll and some tea/milk drink.  We were only planning to feed the teens, but there were so many little ones running around as well, we were glad that we ended up having enough for everyone!  

Oct 20, 2012

This group I am traveling with is so amazing!!  We are about 30 people - very few knew each other prior, and we have come together and had an instant connection!  Everyone here is so Kingdom minded and Holy Spirit led, there are no conflicts, no issues at all among us.  This is a beautiful and unique thing.  I am so blessed to be a part of this amazing team!  I can only imagine what kind of impact this kind of a team could have on a community if given more time.   hmmm...  :)

Today we went to "Say No to Hunger" - Show Mercy's program for feeding needy children.  We got to hang out and play with the kids for awhile, then we brought them inside the building and began handing out bowls of food.  The food came in large quantities, bowls full of rice, cabbage, and meat, piping hot and these little kids were eating it with bare hands.  The toddler sized kids ate so much more food than even I could pack away!  I guess when you don't know when your next meal is, you make it work.  : (

In this place, I met a little girl that really touched my heart.  I don't know her name, she appeared to be about 4 yrs old, she didn't speak, didn't show any kind of emotion whatsoever.  I sat her in my lap and she just stared off into space.  I just held her, trying to love on her with the love of God the best I know how.  I have no idea what she's been through, maybe she has lost her parents, maybe she's been abused.  I just sat with her and prayed over her heart, asking God to bring healing and comfort to whatever is going on inside of her.  I set her down when it was  time to go serve the food, but she followed me, so I ended up just holding her until she got her bowl of food.  So sad.  So many precious little ones with no one to care for them.  The need here is so great.  

If anyone wants to help with this awesome program, you can donate to the Say No to Hunger program over at Show Mercy International.  This is such a great opportunity to partner with this wonderful group of people and make a difference in the life of children.  Right now they can only feed a handful of children, but with more donations, they will be able to expand that program and touch more lives.  

http://www.showmercy.org/donations/cart.php?m=product_list&c=15

In the afternoon, we hosted the teenaged kids from the Hope Children's Home.  During this meeting, we prayed for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to come on these kids and we were treated to a life changing time of Holy Spirit fun!!  He showed up in a big way and these kids were changed forever!  (We got to meet with them the next week and find out how much life had changed!)  After the big event, we set up prophetic booths and were able to give each kid some encouragement and words of identity and purpose.  We had prophetic art and transcribed the words that were given, so each teen got to take home something to remember this day.

Today was a day that I started to see myself doing new things.  I began to discover my place in the team.  I realized that I don't have to do things the way everyone else does, God has created me unique, and has given me my own special way of relating to Him and to others.  I began to feel comfortable doing things in my own way and not having to copy everyone else.  During the prayer time, I am never comfortable just praying for people in the traditional sense.  Today I stepped back and remembered that I am a Worship Warrior, so instead of praying, I began to sing praises over what was happening.  To give glory to God and see how He shows up, that is my gift.  It was awesome and empowering to do what I was created to do!!

Oct 19, 2012

Friday - Today started with a trip to a clinic in Wakiso.  We were told it was an HIV screening clinic, but it turned out to be a dentist. We just started chatting with different people and praying for those who wanted it.    The funniest incident was when this big lady walked up and Ruby approached her.  She was there with a toothache and was planning to have the tooth pulled.  (Without novacaine I might add)  Ruby offered to pray, and the lady kept insisting that it wouldn't work.  But after some time, she let us pray anyway.  When asked if the pain was gone, she was unwilling to answer, she just kept going on and on about whatever.  Finally we heard the answer.... "you're deceiving me, when you go, the pain will come back."  :)  So she was healed!  She was still not going to acknowledge it, so we left her, but it was pretty funny.  Wonder if she went through with the tooth pulling?

Alex picked me up right after that, so I didn't do any more at the clinic.  I got to go back to Masulita and spend the day with my brother and his family.  :)  When we reached Alex's new house, baby Elijah woke up and I held him.  If you know me at all, you know I don't hold babies normally.  Elijah is 4 months old.  For some reason, I was excited to meet him, more than any other baby I can remember.










Violet prepared a wonderful meal for us, traditional, but better than any other I've had there.  :)  And Alex remembered I like Mirinda Fruity, so he had bought one of those for me, and pineapple!!  What a perfect lunch!!








We wandered around Masulita for a bit, seeing all the growth and construction that is happening.  I was sad that I didn't get to see any of the kids that I met last time.  Some had moved away and others were on a field trip to the city.  I got to say hi to Robina, the pastor's wife who I met last time.  She is such a sweetheart.  Then Alex and I took a long walk out to see the land that has been purchased for his soccer team.  It was a beautiful spot, and Alex shared his dreams with me about what he wants to see happen here.

While I was gone, my team went to a mental hospital.  I think I am kind of glad I didn't go there, the things they saw were very disturbing.  I think something I am learning on this trip is that I'm not meant to do everything.  Situationally, God can equip me to do anything as needed, but in general, not all things are my calling.  I have always been drawn more toward ministry within the church instead of outreach / evangelism toward strangers.  I'm more relationship based I think.  Kids are easy, strangers or not, that is part of my heart for sure.  Maybe I just have more growing to do, but for now, that 's where I'm at.  I appreciated that there was no pressure, only opportunity with this group.  I had the chance to step out and sometimes I took it and sometimes I didn't.  No guilt, no condemnation.

October 18, 2012

Today we started actual ministry time.  Our big team is split into 3 small teams, and I am on Jacob and Juho's team. (Team Ja-ho)  We were sent to God's Mercy Primary / Nursery School today.  I love that kind of thing!  As soon as we showed up, we each had about 4 kids hanging off our arms.  The kids are so hungry for love, they fight each other for the right to hang onto the arm of a mzungu (white person).

Show Mercy - the base where we are staying - hosts interns for 3-4 months, and these girls go regularly to the places we visited.  They are doing amazing things, building relationships at schools, clinics, and in the village.  We got to tag along and join them at their ministries.  At this school, we watched as Sarah led the kids in fun action songs.  We had a blast!  The kids are just so excited to see us.  

Later in the day we headed back to the village.  The local leaders had provided us with a list of some elderly people who were especially needy and we went specifically to those on the list and gave them blankets or mosquito nets.  It was so fun to see the smiles light up the faces of these amazing people.  They've worked so hard, and their bodies are bent over permanently now it seems.  It was a blessing to be able to bless them with something as simple as a blanket.  One lady asked us to pray for her leg.  Later in the day we bumped into her again, now walking, and we asked how it felt and she responded "I'm walking!" Yay Jesus!  

As we walked, kids came out of everywhere to join us.  It's so fun to just gather a crowd of cuties like that.  I saw at one point that one of the interns, Sarah, had gathered the kids and was teaching them to pray for each other.  That was so sweet.  It's not just us that can pray for the sick, everyone can do it!  

Oct 14-16 2012

Travel has been long and hard.  I woke up early Sunday to go out with my 2 best friends before I left.  I was nervous waiting to get in the van for the drive to San Fran airport.  I don't know anyone on this trip.

After my friends left, the team gathered and took communion together and loaded up for the drive. On the drive I began chatting with some of the people in the van and we all just hit it off.  Michael, Judith, Juho, Jacob, Richard, and our leaders, Chris and Stefanie Overstreet.  This was the small crew we started the journey with.  At each airport we added more members until we were a team of 23.

At the airport, we had some trouble getting our boarding passes, they'd somehow gotten voided.  Eventually that was straightened out and we headed in.  Met Sarah, Katrina, and Candy at this airport.  I ate one last cheeseburger at the airport and then we sat around and waited for our 11:00 pm flight.

Landed in Washington DC to a beautiful sunrise.  Added Charlie and Lance to the team.  I got to have a couple Auntie Anne's garlic pretzels here, I love those things!  We loaded up for the 13 hr flight to Ethiopia which was just no fun at all.  I couldn't sleep, there were no good movies to watch...  Landed at Addis Ababa to find a really ghetto airport where I laid on the floor and tried to nap, didn't work. When we started heading down to get on the plane, we passed a lady in a wheelchair being pushed by airport staff.  Chris stopped and asked if he could pray for her, and she ended up walking away from the wheelchair totally healed of her back pain!!  It has begun.

 Finally we loaded up and flew out to Entebbe, which meant I got excited and hyper because I was returning "home."  As I recognized the Ugandan landscape beneath me, I totally had that feeling that I was home.  :)

At the airport we met a few more team members and the Show Mercy staff members who took us to the coaster to drive to the HQ.  Driving down the Entebbe - Kampala road I was amazed at how different it is in just 2 years.  This is their 50 yr jubilee, the celebration of their independence from Britain.  They have been doing major cleanup and also I saw a lot of new buildings.  This is a nation on the rise!

Arrived at the Show Mercy base and were amazed at how nice it is!  They have created a beautiful haven for missionary teams to be able to rest up so that they can go out and serve.  They had an awesome team of intern girls here to help us out and show us the ropes.  We are so blessed to be in this place!  After we settled in a little, we walked a little ways down the road and met some local kids.  It was a short outing, but it felt so good to be back with the Ugandan people that I love so much!!

Back to Uganda

I got to see my Ugandan family!!!  This is Violet and Alex Kalema and their new son Elijah!!  I am so grateful that my team leader allowed me to leave with Alex and go visit Masulita for a day.  We had a wonderful time catching up and sharing our visions again for our future in ministry together.  God is doing great things in this area and I can't wait to get back here and be involved.