More of Kevin's birthday

Kevin's favorite present is a book. He wants to read it morning and evening. He loves when Geoff reads with him as in the picture. The book is, "His Mighty Warrior" and each entry comprises a letter from God to His warrior, a scripture reference and a prayer for the child to say to His King.

Geoff has spent a number of hours recently in an effort to repair a small machine used to seal the bags from the maize mill. Con-cen-tra-tion

Kevin's favorite birthday activity was a sleep over with his friend Kynan. They wanted to camp out in a tent, but the rainy season is here and all the tents leak. The next best thing?--sleeping in the living room in Kevin's play pup tent, barely big enough to fit the boys (seen here sleeping in the early morning last Saturday.) Kynan stayed from Friday afternoon until Saturday suppertime. Fun Fun

You are viewing--up close--a fine example of an enclosed pea-size brain. It's function is to direct sleeping, eating and a search for constant attention.

In addition

Just thought I would include a couple of good photos from this morning. There is no education to compare to what our kids are getting as we serve here in Uganda. Today Toby was learning to drive the oxen as they plow, Mary was a little nervous with him standing so close to the back of the cows, but they are really timid despite being so big. The funny thing is that we later went to the garden near my school there was a very large cow tied by the gate to the garden. I told toby we needed to pass carefully so as not to scare it. He responded "I will just spank it on the butt and tell it HUP to make it move". That is how they treat our trained ones here at New Hope. I quickly explained that not all cows are trained like ours and don't just "spank it on the butt". Some of our experiences are quite funny...

Ox Plowing

This rainy season has been fantastic!!!! The past few seasons yielded little and subsequently we as New Hope staff experienced a lot of theft from our personal gardens as people in the surrounding community were stealing anything they could to survive. The maize mill has been a tremendous boost to our area by providing the villagers low cost milling nearby (rather than transporting it approx 35 km round trip to Luwero) and by providing them with extra income as we buy their additional maize at a good price. But when the harvests are lean they don't even have enough to mill. The prospects for great harvests this year are looking good so far as the rains have remained fairly steady. There is an environment of hope for the future.

But the rains alone don't bring harvest. There is nothing like good hard work!!! Now is the time to plow while the ground is soft. We utilize ox plowing here at New Hope and our family had the oxen out today preparing the garden that borders our compound. Toby jumped right in to plow while Ronald guided the oxen.

Also today, we celebrated Kevin's 6th birthday with an impromptu birthday party at our morning break time. (literally impromptu--we started decorating at 10 and everyone came at 10:30!) Normally all the missionary kids come here for break snacks and drinks on Tuesday so we just transformed the atmosphere into a birthday party and for 30 minutes ate cupcakes, played limbo and blew noise makers. It was a whirlwind of activity---so much so that I found Kevin in the kitchen overwhelmed with the noise and tears streaming down his face! Fortunately, the party only lasted 30 minutes and then I released him from school for the rest of the day to play with his friend, Kynan. All Kevin really wanted for his birthday was a sleep over with Kynan outside in a tent. Now I see why--all that noise is just not what he enjoys.

Tonight we had his favorite meal: tomato soup and hot dogs and strawberry pudding pie. Yum yum. He opened presents and then watched a Tom and Jerry cartoon and, of all things, "Mathtacular"! Yes, his request for a video was to watch his math curriculum dvd--hooray for Sonlight curriculum---they've got a good thing going!!

Now everyone is tucked safely in bed and snoozing. The rain is falling again and it will be a nice, cool night for a deep sleep . . . ahhhhhh

Finger Painting

Gathering artistic design from the God-given mental stores

Careful execution

Detailed placement of colors . . .

All out mania . . . THAT'S the fun of finger painting!!!!

Anniversary

Today marks the anniversary of God saving us from death. Actually, everyday is a celebration of God’s salvation and abundant life. How sobering that it sometimes requires us through tragedy or dangerous/threatening circumstances to gain fuller perspective of that truth. Many of us have had the “opportunity” to be awakened afresh to the truths of God. How has that played out for you? Have you laid hold of that opportunity? Rather than rushing on to the next sentence, reflect on God’s good provision for you.

For us, today marks one year since the motor vehicle accident with the charcoal truck. Everytime we pass the location of the accident we lift our hands and voices in praise to God. Do you have a place that draws you again into the realization of God’s saving love and perhaps also His literal saving you from physical death?

It’s not news that 2009 was particularly difficult for us as a family. A quick synopsis (If you want more details you are welcome to peruse past blogs): 8 weeks in January/Feb/March of acute hepatitis for Mary which required bed rest; the accident one week after recovery; weeks of pain and sub-par mobility for Kevin and Mary; the death of Mary’s father in early June and her subsequent absence from Geoff and the kids for three weeks while she was in the U.S.; the DAILY stress of overseeing the building of a house at New Hope while ALL of the above was going on! Yes, 2009 was challenging!

However, the questions do not beg WHY, but WHAT. None of us has the answer for WHY, only the answer for WHAT. WHAT are we doing with the stress and challenges we’ve been experiencing? Jesus invites us to cast all our burdens on Him for He cares. Matt 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Are we doing that? Are we resting by letting Him teach us and accepting His ways? Honestly, some days we exhibit proper casting and some days we stir up only more stress as we try to handle things with all those burdens still in our hands. Our hands, however, already being full, can’t grasp firmly the hand of God, so we are foolishly directing our way. I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Are we letting Him direct us?

Now it’s 2010 and we are approaching the time of a much needed furlough. Again, WHAT will we do with it??? Will we find REST that is so needed? God has made all the provision for us to live from a place of rest, it is for us to take hold of His provision by living in it. His rest is not promised as an absence of suffering, His rest is promised in the midst of it. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." In this life we will be presented with conflict, stress, struggle and difficulties, but His promise of rest is made and is available in the midst of such. Remember this verse of the famous Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me IN THE MIDST of my enemies.” His abundance is available while “enemies” are present. If we are always waiting for a time without stress, conflict or battle to let God be God then we will always be playing God for ourselves and therefore exacerbating struggle.

Bottom line is, I’ve taken an indepth look at last year and see that at times I’ve responded in faith and resting in God, but other times I’ve responded in fear. In the past few months it has been mostly in fear (practically that shows up in my extreme tenseness as we travel on the roads and then exhaustion after having driven anywhere.) Today, as I reflected on the past year I realized that we probably didn’t take enough time to process and work through each situation. We went from our lives being turned upside down by illness, straight into an accident, dealing with death and separation and moving, all the while working 24/7 with only short breaks here and there. I pray that this year we are more honoring to God by taking time IN HIM to let Him speak to us each day regardless of what challenges come. I pray that you also see the value in listening to Him each day wherever in the world you are and whatever in the world you are doing.

MUSEVENI IS COMING!

Today was quite an exciting day! We had a visit from the President of Uganda. I am sure just like other places in the world when the president comes everything else takes a back seat. He was coming to speak in Kiwoko and they used our soccer field for a landing site. The funny thing is that as the helicopter was trying to land they abruptly changed to our secondary site and all of a sudden all the security forces began to hustle and race to the alternate landing site. Imagine 500 people beginning to run toward the secondary site, motorcycles, secret police, armored vehicles everyone trying to get across the road, through the barbed wire fence and down the 1/8 mile driveway. It was quite comical though a bit dangerous. When he got off the helicopter he greeted a number of our co-workers and Mary got to see him face to face as he drove by her. He waved hello, to which she responded thank you and he nodded and smiled. Quite exciting for our little project here in the bush of Africa. An item of note, the picture of the kids with the soldier (who, by the way, is named Tobias!) was when the soldier came over to introduce himself to us at our house (we live right next to the field.) Toby quickly made friends with him. By the time the president left I thought Toby might get a chance to go look at the helicopter up close, but such was not allowed. Toby is amazingly friendly to strangers and quickly makes friends wherever we go, kind of makes you wonder what God has in store for his future.

Go Fish!

The house was quiet and I wondered where Kevin had gone, I knew where Toby and Acacia were--usually the kids tell me where they're going, but I never heard Kevin say anything. Until, on the other side of the bathroom door, "MOM? You in there?" "Uh, Huh, thanks for FINDING me." (Who else out there in parent-land has ever gone into the bathroom for some peace and quiet???????) He had brought his friend Silas home and wondered if they could play at our house. They decided on "Go Fish!" "Thomas and Friends" style. I snapped this surprise picture because they were just too cute.

Medical Update

Today is a holiday in Uganda. "Women's Day" which we celebrate here at New Hope as "Mother's Day". Geoff let me sleep in (ahhhhhhh . . . ) and he prepared french toast for breakfast AND washed the dishes!!! This is the first time in our almost 4 years here that we remembered the holiday--usually times like this sneak up on us. But, more and more we're growing accustomed to the rhythm of life here and can actually tell you the names and dates of most of the holidays!!!!! (Ugandan Independence day is October 9--independence was gained in 1962; and Martyrs Day is June 3) Funny story--when we first heard about Ugandan Martyrs Day, the accent tricked our ears and we heard, "Uganda Matters Day". So, we thought "how appropriate, they are teaching the young children to appreciate their country!!!" When in fact, they are remembering those who had become Christians and actively professed their faith; because of that they were killed by the King in power at that time who wanted NO ONE to be King above him. (The Christians, of course, professed Christ to be the King of Kings.)

At this point you may be asking, "Why is this blog titled 'Medical Update' when you've said NOTHING medical and shared history?"

Well, after our lovely breakfast this morning, Geoff got a call that the wife of his new professor had gone to the hospital at 6:30 and they needed money for food, medicine and transport (NOTHING is provided in the hospitals here--you bring all your own bedding, food, clothing and bathing supplies).

After Geoff returned a few hours later, our New Hope Children's Centre Nurse, Roger, came by to get an update from Geoff on her status. Nothing like an official update held out in the middle of the yard!!!!

A lil' somethin' in the kitchen

Acacia and I were busy baking in the kitchen, preparing for dinner guests and I caught her sneaking a lil' somethin' from the bag of chocolate chips! It's fun to make a mess in the kitchen with a 7 year old!!!

A few days ago, Acacia, Kevin and Anya decided to make up their own recipe: Bananas, sugar and GREEN FOOD COLORING!!! What an attractive outcome . . .

The cat couldn't resist a before breakfast reading moment with the boys.