Saturday, December 13, 2014

A Flyover in Photos

Happy holidays from Uganda! The holiday season has been a busy time for both me and Daniel. Although we may not be rushing to the next Christmas social or caroling outing, the holiday season is bustling whether we are in America, Nigeria, or Uganda. Rather than giving you a play-by-play, I figured a flyover in photos may be even better. I provide you with a caption or so for each photo, but feel free to follow up with any questions! 

In November, Good Shepherd's Fold officially sent out our first letters for our Class 2 Class Program, a program designed to connect classes from around the world with our classrooms here at the GSF Nursery & Primary School. 420ish letters later, all GSF students from K3 through P6 had written their first letters to their new sponsor class in the USA.


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Daniel and I celebrated Thanksgiving with all of the GSF missionaries + a few others! We even ate sweet potatoes, one of my Thanksgiving favorites =) I brought mashed potatoes and carrots. The mashed potatoes were an extra challenge given my kitchen limitations, but (believe it or not), I eventually got them boiled and mashed!


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The GSF staff organized a Day of Thanks. The service lasted from 9am - 3pm and included hours of singing, dancing, testimonies, speakers, etc. It was a special time reflecting on God's faithfulness over the past year.

Some of the GSF staff leading worship
Daniel with one of the GSF toddlers, Joseph. 
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It's the end of the 2014 school year here in Uganda! The school year here runs from January to November. The end of the school year = graduations! The GSF K5 class is one of the major graduations here at GSF. K5 is the final class before Primary School, and it was an entertaining day of dancing and presentations. There are 8 children who live at the GSF children's home who graduated along with the other children. I loved seeing both Mark and Paul, the two boys that stayed with me and Daniel for a few days last school holiday, graduate from K5


Mark is the one smiling in the center

Paul =)

Esther Namaganda, one of the GSF special needs children, also graduated. She is a great dancer and singer! She led several songs. 
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Light of the World completed a building project - they redid the walls! Our new walls are made of bamboo and have a great way of allowing the breeze to pass through the church while protecting the congregation from any Sunday rains. 


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Did I mention that it's the end of the school year? No school = an abundance of free time for the kids. I was nominated to do a game time with our GSF kids (ages 10+ in the morning for 2 hours, ages 5-10 in the afternoon for 2 hours). Although I wasn't sure how to keep that many kids occupied for that many hours, it ended up being a lot of fun! We did the parachute, relays, more relays, and then ended with soccer. 

Parachute time! It went better with the older kids than the younger ones.

Relays!

At one point, I was out of ideas and just had all the kids run laps around the field to kill some energy. Ha. 

Soccer!  Daniel would call this "Bumble Bee Soccer"
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The end of the school year also means it's time for our GSF to visit their relatives in the village (for those who have known relatives). Some of the kids go for over a month, others for a few weeks, and others just for a day. Of course, there are other kids that don't go at all; it all depends on the child's situation. I had the opportunity to accompany one of our GSF girls during her visit with her aunt. It was such a sweet time together!


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The house project is making steady progress! The walls and ceilings are plastered. Daniel's been busy juggling the plumber, electrician, roofer, carpenter, welder, tiler, framer, painter, and masons. It's as crazy as it sounds!


Plaster is finished!
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Thank you for praying for us!  

Here are a few ways that you can be praying for us over the holiday season:

1. Pray for the GSF children that are visiting relatives over the holidays. Pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual protection.

2. Pray for Daniel as he continues to manage the building project. The job can be taxing, especially as the Christmas break somewhat complicates things with the sub-contractors. 

3. Pray for Daniel and I as we spend Christmas and New Years away from our families! Living far away is never easy, and the holidays seem to make the distance seem extra long. 

4. Pray for Nigeria as Daniel's hometown, Jos, experienced two bomb attacks on Friday. We praise God that his family is ok, but the bombings are a sad reminder of the deep, ongoing conflict in Nigeria. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Constant Need

Recently, one of my casual workers (day laborers) was caught on the GSF campus at night, stealing cabbages from the farm. He was apprehended by a couple askaris (security guards) and eventually subdued. As per usual procedure, he was then detained at the on-campus staff housing until the following morning. 

The next day, the GSF Director - Mark Gwartney, three askaris, the perpetrator's mother and uncle, my foreman Joseph, and I met to discuss what would be done about the situation. I was not angry; in fact, no one gathered there was angry. Instead, the overwhelming sense seemed to be one of disappointment. This was a good worker that had been there from the beginning. He was being paid a fair wage, and if he had needed extra money for something he could have gotten a loan from one of the other workers - that kind of thing happens all the time.

It was decided that the worker caught stealing would not be sent to the police. He was, however, made to write and sign an apology letter. The discussion ended, and the young man got up to gather his things that had been confiscated. Up until this point I had not noticed his pile of things on the ground nearby. I watched as he picked up a jacket that had been modified with homemade adjustments to be able to carry a lot of cabbages. The cabbages were there on ground as well, and I counted up to 7 of them. 

As he was handed one cabbage and sent on his way, I suddenly felt a deep sadness. Not because I pitied this young man, but because I could see in him the same sinful nature that was in myself. How many times do I disobey God for some petty, temporary reward? 

So very often.

It was a reminder of my sin and constant need for the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. And because I have been forgiven much, I need to extend forgiveness to others.

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In other news, here are some pictures showing the progress on the house:








Praise God for sustaining the project so far! Also, praise God for continuing to raise up men with a desire to follow Him. Below is a picture of my foreman, Joseph, and one of my masons, Ronald, helping to lead worship at our weekly GSF staff devotions.



My crew is incredibly skilled at working with their hands. I have been impressed and challenged by the work ethic, resourcefulness, and ability of these men.




I will leave you with a picture of these little rascals.

Peter, Elijah, Richard, Joseph, and Moses hanging out


Prayer Requests:
1. Please continue to pray for us as we work out visas and immigration for both the US and Uganda. The next step in the application for Daniel's US immigration is happening this week. Please pray that the information would be processed and accepted without delays.
2. Pray for the continued discipleship, protection, and care of the GSF kids.
3. Pray for the discipleship of the workers and sub-contractors involved with the project.
4. Continue to pray for the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform the people of Uganda.

Monday, October 20, 2014

The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Last week, I was in town Jinja meeting contractors for the house construction. I stopped at a bank - a branch of an international institution - to get bills changed to smaller denominations for paying my workers. I pulled into a spot in the parking lot and parked the vehicle I was driving. I could see 2 or 3 guards standing and sitting next to their shack about 20ft away from where I was parked. I left my backpack where it was sitting on the passenger seat, thinking the area was pretty secure. Before leaving the vehicle, I collected a piece of paper from my backpack and then locked the door. At the main entrance to the bank I emptied my pockets of all metallic objects, cleared the detector, retrieved my things, and went inside. The piece of paper I brought had a list of quantities that I needed, and based on that I had the teller give me change. I did not have a lot of money to change, so the whole interaction took about 5 minutes. Once I had the denominations I needed, I made my way out and back to the car. I unlocked the driver’s side door and began entering the vehicle when I noticed something was wrong. My backpack was gone.

At first I did not believe it. I looked at the passenger seat and then looked again and again, as if it would magically reappear. No such luck. I checked frantically around the rest of the inside of the car. Nothing. I then got out and quickly looked around the vehicle. Nothing. Running up to the guards who were sitting nearby, I and asked them urgently if they had seen anybody around the vehicle. They said they hadn't seen anyone and advised I check inside to see if they had gotten anything on camera. I ran inside and requested to see the manager. The only person around was the operations manager, and he was in the back. I asked that they go get him, and then I called Corinne, told her what happened, and asked her to pray. Then I went back outside. 

The backpack contained some valuable things including a MacBook Pro and an iPad. If there was any chance at all that it could be retrieved, it needed to happen quickly. As I thought more about it, it seemed that the guards had to be involved in some way. So I began to interrogate them about what happened. I even searched their guard shack, looking behind old furniture and in latrine stalls for the backpack. But it was all to no avail. I began asking them directly if they took my bag. They denied it up and down, of course, and claimed they had been watching the car the whole time. I could feel my anger building up, knowing – just knowing – that it was impossible that they did not see anything. I began trying different tactics; At one point, I even told them I'd be willing to buy the bag back from them. But they stuck to their story.

Frustrated and beginning to lose hope, I went back inside the bank and met the operations manager. He listened as I described what had happened. When I was finished, he informed me (much to my chagrin) that there were no cameras on the outside of the building. He also proceeded to tell me that there was no evidence that my backpack had been on the premises and that he thought I probably lost it before coming to the bank. That made me even more frustrated, and I told him I was 100% sure my bag was stolen at the bank and that an institution with their name ought to have cameras outside. I also told him I planned on getting the police involved. The operations manager said that there was nothing he could do and that I should go to the police. I went back outside and searched the guard shack one more time. I even searched the surrounding area of the compound, but did not come up with anything. I questioned the guards again, still thinking they know something, anything about what happened. But they were even less cooperative with their answers. So I got into the vehicle and rode to the Central Police Station, Jinja. 

At the police station, I was able to speak with the SOCO - or Scenes of Crime Officer. I gave him a brief explanation of what happened, and he asked to see the vehicle. After a short inspection, he pointed to the keyhole on the passenger side and said, “That’s how they got in.” I immediately saw that it had been tampered with. “They must have had a master key," the SOCO continued. "Thefts like this have happened before in different parts of town, even in public places. They are always are very quick and use a master key to get in the vehicle.” I thanked the officer for his help, received a case number from the front desk, and was told to return the following day to give my statement. 

On the drive back to GSF, questions just kept running through my mind. When, where, how, and why was I targeted for this? Should I have been more vigilant? Should I have taken my backpack inside with me? Did I miss anything in my search of the guard shack and compound? How could this have happened at a bank - at that kind of bank with security guards watching - anyway? Thinking about everything only made me more discouraged and angry. 

That evening was missionary devotions at GSF. During that time of fellowship, I shared what had happened and was prayed for by the other GSF missionaries. Their words and prayer were encouraging, and I began to let of of some of the anger and feel a deepening sense of peace. Talking with Corinne about it gave me some perspective as well. Sure, we lost some valuable things and documents in that backpack. But in the end, they were just possessions, and possessions can be replaced. It could have been much worse, too. I had obviously been targeted, but at least I was not mugged and remained unhurt. I was not carrying any project funds in the backpack at the time, either.

I still get angry and bitter about what happened sometimes when I think about it. I’ve also lost a few hours of sleep over it. I am not sure what the Lord’s purpose is in all of this… but I am sure He has a plan, and I trust Him.

Theft is becoming more and more of a common thing in Uganda. From taxi buses to offices to the streets to the parking lot of a bank - stealing is a rampant part of this society. The weeks leading up to Christmas are especially bad, as these types of theft become more and more frequent. The thieves are getting slicker, too – especially in the cities. 

Much of Uganda is at least nominally Christian. I've heard someone say recently that the evidence that the gospel has truly reached Uganda will be when the majority of people stop various forms of stealing (among other things). I am inclined to agree, and this leads me to prayer requests.

1. Please pray that, despite the hardship of life here, God would raise up Ugandan men and women of integrity - especially when it comes to money and possessions. Pray that the gospel would not only reach the ears of the people here, but that it would penetrate the hearts, values, and lifestyles of those we serve and minister to. 
2. As the theft of my backpack has set us back in many ways, please pray for Corinne and me as we process and recover. Pray that we continue to live life with an open hand and learn, as Tozer says, the "blessedness of possessing nothing."
3. Praise God for our continued health and safety, even through events like these.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

A GSF Sponsorship Video


My primary role at GSF is the Sponsorship Coordinator. I love watching how God uses the sponsorship program to bless both our GSF kids and the sponsors. What a great way for people from all over the world to impact a life of a child here in the little village of Buundo, Uganda through a relationship, prayer, and finances. Watch this short clip to see some of the sweet faces benefiting from the sponsorship program!

Click HERE to become a GSF child sponsor!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

A Nyenga Holiday

Excitement filled their eyes. What should they pack? Who carries the bag? Paul and Mark stuffed handfuls of little toys into their backpack as the aunties laughed saying, “You’re going to be coming back! You don’t have to take everything!” Mark and Paul skipped to their aunties to give them a quick hug before throwing the overflowing bag onto Paul’s back.  They were going for holiday. It didn’t even matter that they weren’t going with family; they were going! The boys jumped into the GSF staff van. They were wide-eyed, trying to take in every passing motorcycle and scene. We arrived in Nyenga, and by this time Mark had a million questions. “Where does Daniel sleep? Where do you keep your clothes?” I explained to them that Daniel and I are married, so we stay in the same house and keep our clothes on the same shelf. Paul stood quietly, but wonder bubbled out of his eyes. Paul loves to help, so I asked him to help me wash some dishes. “Where is the faucet?” I just laughed and explained that in the village, we don’t have running water.

Paul helping me wash some of the jerrycans

Every school holiday, Good Shepherd’s Fold sends as many children as possible to be with their relatives. We focus on reunification of children with their families, and school breaks provide a great opportunity to step in this direction. But as you can imagine, these kids are at GSF for a reason and each family situation varies; some families are stable and others jeopardize the safety of our GSF kids. As a result, some children go to their relatives’ house for weeks at a time, others for a day with supervision, and others not at all. Then of course there are situations where there are no known relatives because the child was completely abandoned. As you can probably tell by now, each child’s situation is very unique.

Now think of yourself as a GSF child. I know it’s probably tough to think like that, especially if you’ve never even been to GSF or an orphanage. But just try =) It’s school break, you typically live in a house with 8 other kids, and 7 out of 8 of those kids are gone for the holidays to be with their relatives. They come back with elaborate stories of riding in vans, eating different foods, and playing with new kids. And this happens 3x a year. Imagine the thoughts. “Why don’t I get to go? I’m still not wanted? Am I not good enough?” Or even, “I want a chance to ride in a van, too!”

This school break, several of the GSF staff stepped up to take in kids over the holiday. Some took a child for several days, others for a weekend, and others for a day. It meant so much for our GSF kids. They got to go! Some of these kids had never gone for holiday. Their joy and excitement was just amazing.

Daniel and I were blessed to take Mark and Paul, two 7-year-old boys, for a few days. It was awesome. God blessed us with great conversations. We talked about everything from how electricity works to what will happen when we die. One of my favorite conversations was about marriage. After telling the boys several times stuff like, “Daniel and I stay in the same house because we are married.”  “Daniel sleeps in the same bed with me because we got married.” Paul finally asked me, “So where is Mary?” Then Mark said, “The married. Where is he?” Wow. I had the privilege to talk to the boys all about what it means to be married and what the Bible says about husbands and wives. That was one of the highlights for me.

As for the boys, a highlight for them was riding on the motorcycle with Daniel. For a 7 year old, I can only imagine that there are few things more exciting than sitting on the back of a shiny, blue motorcycle =)

Mark and Paul singing and drumming with some of my old tins. 
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Here are a few ways that you can pray for us in the coming weeks:

1. Daniel is preaching at the church of one of his workers this week. Pray for him as he prepares to preach!
2. There’s conflict in the baby house among some of the house moms. Pray for wisdom for mediating and for reconciliation.
3. There was a terrorist attack that somehow got found out over the weekend. The government along with supporting agencies dismantled the plans and recovered the explosives and made some arrests. Sounds like it’s a branch of Al-Shabaab in Uganda. Anyway, it all happened in Kampala, the capital city (which is over 2 hours away from where we stay - not very near). Nothing happened, but please pray for peace and protection over Uganda. It can also be a little unnerving for everyone, ex-pats and Ugandans alike. 
4. Please continue praying for our children at GSF, to feel and experience the love of Jesus Christ.

Mark and Paul with some of the neighbor boys at the end of our time together

Paul (left) and Mark (blue shirt) with the three neighbor boys, Joel, Sam and Hassan.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Firm Foundation

Over the last few months, I have learned that in construction, the largest percentage of the labor, materials, expertise, and finances (some would venture to say up to 35%) goes into building the foundation. Quality is very important at this stage of the project. If you do not get the foundation right, mistakes are compounded and you run into issues in the future (e.g. if the building is slightly not squared at the foundation level, it will be considerably off when it comes time to put the trusses into place). Much time, effort, and investment is required in this crucial phase.


Making sure the right concrete cover is achieved on each column

Looking on...

Digging through marrum is hard work, but having makeshift hats definitely helps

Stepped footings

The importance of a good foundation applies to discipleship as well. It has affected my approach to discipling the 21 men on the job site that I interact with on a daily basis. I have the opportunity to begin the work day with a time of devotion and prayer. Because some workers are casual labor and may not be working with me for long, I make sure to share the gospel each morning. My foreman, Joseph and a couple other guys have stepped up to lead this time as well. The workers and I also join the GSF staff for a one-hour chapel every Tuesday morning where, praise God, the gospel has been shared every time. This is the firmest foundation, the starting point of everything: Jesus Christ and the message of his life, death, and resurrection as it concerns fallen man.  As we start with this beautiful truth, the Holy Spirit can work in the hearts of the workers and the foundation for further discipleship is laid. 


Enjoying a breakfast cup of porridge together after morning devotions

Having a good time while working

Corinne and I had a wonderful time spending a weekend with the Mongomery's. Besides Corinne's parents, the Montgomery's have been our only visitors. This is completely understandable; Uganda is quite a trek from both the US and Nigeria. But it made it all the more special for part of our CEFC body to come and actually see both GSF and EMI in action. What a blessing it was to host them for dinner at our home in Nyenga, introduce them to our friends at GSF, and share what God has been doing both in Uganda and at CEFC. Friends are the best taste of home, and we were so encouraged by their visit.


Blessed to have Cliff, Julie, Naomi, and Sam visit GSF

Below are a few pics showing construction progress so far:


Footing dug and poured

Masonry plinth walls being constructed

Hardcore being added and crushed with sledgehammers

Slab poured and curing

Daniel and I had the opportunity to go to Murchison Falls several weeks ago!


Prayer Requests/Praises:
1) Praise God that Phase 1 of the project is now complete.
2) Pray for continued wisdom and grace through the remainder of the project.
3) Pray for the salvation and growth of each of the men working on the project.
4) Corinne has recently accepted the position as co-director of the baby house. Please pray for her as she begins that new role.
5) We are still struggling with the water situation in Nyenga (public water does not reach our community due to a lack of water pressure). Pray with us as we determine what may be beneficial steps towards a solution that offers a sustainable future for our community.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Our Nigerian Reception in Pictures

On July 12th, Daniel and I enjoyed a wonderful wedding reception in Jos, Nigeria at the Hill Station Hotel.

Daniel wearing the modern Nigerian groom wear. 

Dressed like the modern Nigerian bride! 
Daniel and I with his mum, Dr. Clara Iya

Both mum and dad!

The table decor 

Head table
The beautiful cake! All of the catering was done by Daniel's aunt.

Daniel and I making our entrance into the reception, escorted by a band of ladies who helped us dance our way down the red carpet aisle. 



Phil Andrew opened the reception in prayer

We sang some songs




Cutting the cake was a big part of the celebration. First there was a speech by Daniel's great aunt followed by a time of prayer. Then we were joined by Daniel's parents before there was a countdown for the cutting! At the end of the countdown, a big sparkler went off in front of the cake. I was not expecting it and it really surprised me!

We fed each other cake.

So did the parents of the groom =)

We also shared juice.

Then there was a time of dancing! All of the ladies in the room were asked to join me and Daniel on the dance floor.

They instructed me on a few dance moves.

Then the men joined the dance floor and a Nigerian tradition referred to as "spraying" commenced. It's when people come and spray us with money. 

Then we enjoyed some great food.



All of the beautiful decorations! My favorite color is orange and Daniel's favorite color is blue.

Then we had a time of speeches.
Words from the wise who had been married for over 50 years!

Daniel gave a word of thanks.

Daniel's dad also had a chance to speak.

Daniel and me with some close family and friends.

The wedding planner who did an amazing job! She is also a close family friend.
Daniel and I felt so honored by the awesome celebration. The whole event was a great taste (for me) of the rich Nigerian culture. We enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate with our family and friends in Nigeria!