Too occupied for words

Shortly after the last blog entry, we left for Musana Camps where we spent a very restful week. We returned home via Christmas shopping in Kampala and arrived home to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas day complete with a church service and community meal. Today is the last day of 2014 and we are excited for ALL that 2015 has for us. Enjoy a few pictures from the past two or so weeks. Take a photo journey with us to Musana Camps, Christmas activities, a birthday party, the annual deroaching fest, and our New Year's Eve Family breakfast this morning. What a treat!

First we have a photo from the final few days before we left for Musana Camps. Geoff was heavily involved with the EYO Youth Camp and is seen here complying with photo scavenger hunt requests from Nabukeera & Toby's group.

One of our favorite sites along the road to Musana--the "veranda truck" as we call it. How it got there or why is the great mystery!

A hike to the waterfall was early on in the week. Toby is happy, happy, happy!

Kevin

Sam

Acacia

The best camp dog EVER, Bambino, takes a much needed rest on the beach after following us EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME!

Getting set for one of many canoe rides: Kara Peterson, John (with the Peterson's), Kevin, Sam. The Peterson family, Tim, Kim, Kara, Micah, John and Mwinnie were at the camp the same time we were.

Toby and Acacia

Kara and Acacia's sand castle creation

Some loves for Bambino

Sam, the sand man

Sam in total relaxation mode

Jumping around at the beach

Beautiful Musana sunrise!

Watching the sunrise (Sam slept til after 10 on that day!!!)

This rather long snake came out of the water and jumped completely off the ground before Tim Peterson managed to kill it with one of the canoe oars!

Next up on the agenda was the grand quest for grasshoppers! We all enjoy ensenene as they are called in Luganda, but the kids definitely make it a passion! They spent a couple of hours hunting and then brought back their catch.

The de-legging, de-winging party prior to cooking our yummy snacks!

Acacia displays one of the many she caught. And Sam certainly had a great time getting the grasshoppers ready for frying!!!!!

When they first go in the pan they squirm a little bit! But then they "settle down" and then we EAT THEM! Yum! Yum! Later that evening I prepared goat in the same pan and I'm SURE the Indian sauce tasted better because it had grasshopper parts included! 

Toby and Acacia began the shopping for Christmas at "Shoprite", a South African grocery chain, while I hunted for stocking stuffers next door at "Game" a store chain recently acquired by Walmart. 

And the "totally different than any other year" Christmas shopping experience continued at the absolute nicest and newest mall in Kampala. We never used to "Christmas shop" because it meant traffic jams to a shop that probably didn't have anything you wanted to buy anyway. This year it was actually enjoyable! There was even an attempt by mall owners to add to the shopping fun for the little ones. A few characters milled about while the shoppers cooled down in the air conditioning and this duck character provided us with a laugh! He had no idea he'd put his costume  on backwards!!!!!

The day before Christmas Eve is "Pork Day" in which, way too many to count, pigs are slaughtered and pieced out in Kiwoko. We took part as Geoff and the kids BBQ'd muchomo (roasted meat) on our outdoor BBQ. Bubbly got the bones and fat and had a difficult time containing her excitement when the delivery was made.

On Christmas eve Crystal the cat and Henrietta the chicken sized each other up. Henrietta survived Crystal, but became the main event at the Christmas meal of Nabukeera and Jajja!

Kevin impatiently watches the "pumpkin luwombo" which Geoff cooked outside for about eight hours on Christmas Eve on our "sagiri" (small charcoal stove). 

 One of our girls from David Family helped him wrap the luwombo (whole pumpkin in banana leaves) after he had gutted it and stuffed it with tomatoes, irish potatoes, onions and spices. It was the first time we'd eaten such and we will certainly try it again!

Acacia received this gift for her birthday a few weeks ago, but it doesn't seem to be working!  A couple of days ago I woke up from a short nap to find no less than 5 different visitors in my living room! And more came after that! 

This and the following are more surprise visitors of a different kind! All of these pictures were taken on the SAME DAY on or near our veranda!

Toby, Kevin and Medi, our compound worker, killed this snake that had made a home in our bag of charcoal.

Caterpillars are not cute and cuddly here in Uganda! They sting and burn!

Mating bugs of some sort. These little insects invade for about a month's period and you find them everywhere--always two by two!

Another not so cuddly caterpillar!

Making something a bit more yummy than insects . . . snicker doodles!

And Christmas eve around here isn't complete without a birthday party at either the Muwanguzi or Okoth households! Abraham has a birthday a few days before Christmas and Emma's is on Christmas day. This year the party was at the Okoth's from 4-5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and included Abraham and many other friends!

Christmas morning excitement

Hunting for and handing out the presents

Too much Christmas makes this little kitty a bit tired. Brandy slept like this for about two hours!

Nabukeera and I had too much fun the Saturday after Christmas as we took on the nasty roaches in the kitchen.

We started at 8 a.m. and finished at 6 p.m. and we are SO GLAD it is over for another few months!!!!!

This morning, New Year's Eve morning, we had a special breakfast of Dutch pancakes! Our toppings included Nutella, Peanut Butter, apples, powdered sugar, lemons and whipped cream! The whipped cream was a splurge, but so worth it!

Toby's finished product, stuffed with apples, nutella, lemons and cinnamon, and topped with whipped cream!

You can't have whipped cream ONLY on food! It HAS to be squirted DIRECTLY into the mouth, as lovingly taught to us by Leslie Patterson a few years ago in Texas!!!

Kevin's turn

Acacia's turn

 Sam is currently spending a couple of weeks with Nabukeera and Jajja out in Wakayamba. He left the day after Christmas! We miss him and he misses us, so we visited yesterday and found that all is well. Last night was the first time we spent alone as our five member family since leaving America in October 2013! (Other visitors have been with us since Sam left, and tonight and tomorrow more are set to arrive!) Life just never stops spinning here in Kasana at New Hope!

Now You See Us, Now You Don't

In the past two weeks we have been seen everywhere! 

Last Monday was the graduation ceremony for students of the New Hope Vocational Institute. With the recent announcement regarding the closing of the vocational school, the importance of our gathering together and celebrating the impact of the training institute on the lives of numerous students through the years was paramount. Uncle Sam, the headmaster, as well as Geoff and Uncle Jay spoke at various times through the event. Though all in leadership see the immense value in vocational education, we prayerfully came to the decision to close the school due to, among other factors, a consistently decreasing student population in recent years. We don't believe the closing to be permanent, but hope we can reopen at some point in the future. The students were blessed as we honored them with cake and a huge lunch. (It was at 8 a.m. that same morning that Geoff and I came to the sudden realization that I had promised to make the cake, thus my morning was filled with flour, cocoa powder and icing up to the moment we left for the function.)

On Tuesday, Sam and his classmates at the secondary school continued preparing the gardens and compounds for the 2-month holiday in which the grounds are unattended. Primary school teachers prepared for their closing day by finishing up reports and planning for the arrival of students' family members. I gathered what ingredients I needed for yet another massive cake due for a birthday party on Wednesday. At least I was thinking ahead for this one!

Every December 3rd Sekago turns a year older. Having been one of Toby's classmates and friends for many years, and one that Toby usually invites to his birthday parties, I have been the designated "birthday cake supplier" for Sekago these past five years. Until this year, the cake and the boys have made their own way out to the village where Sekago lives. This year I drove the precious items out myself. What an adventure. My plan was to take Junju (of David Family), Emma (one of our Okoth neighbors), Sam (our Sam), Toby, Kevin and The Cake out at 1:15 for the 1:30 party. I would drop them off and return after 4 p.m. to pick everyone up. So much for things working out like I planned. At 2 p.m. no one but Toby, Kevin and The Cake were available for transport. Turns out that Junju forgot to ask Uncle Mulu beforehand if he could go to the party, so he couldn't go. Emma either forgot or decided to stay home. Sam was still at a Scripture Union function and wanted to stay and finish. So, Toby, Kevin, The Cake and I loaded up and headed down the dusty road. Kevin and I had never been to Sekago's before and Toby had never been there on the newly cut road. We stopped where Toby thought Sekago's house was located and confirmed it by asking about ten young children. They all answered together that we were indeed at the correct house, but Sekago was not there, having left for the town center! We were greeted by THE WHOLE FAMILY and some neighbors and various other onlookers, and ushered into seats of honor in the house far at the back of the compound. There was only one English speaker and between his minimal English and our minimal Luganda we enjoyed a fantastic conversation on Sekago's various relatives and our time in Uganda. Being that most of the family are drunkards, it was a lively conversation. I was seated next to the family muzeye (elder male) who was a brother to Sekago's deceased father. (He looked about 70 but is actually only three years older than me! Years of alcohol abuse surely ages a person!) I had decided that I would not leave my boys there among inebriated people whom I'd never before met, nor could predict the actions thereof! It was a good 45 minutes before Sekago appeared. Knowing I could trust Sekago with looking out for my kids, I announced that I would be leaving with plans to return at 4ish. With imploring eyes and arms laden with platters of food he begged me to stay and eat. Well, well, well, two hours later I had been filled with matooke, g-nut, sweet potatoes, rice, meat sauce, irish potatoes and greens while continuing to creatively visit with friendly drunks. I also became the official cake cutter. This is no small task. In fact, cutting a cake in the buganda culture is a learned skill. First you size up the cake and the makeshift implements you've been given for cutting. Then you size up the crowd. Then you do the math. What follows next is really a butchering of sorts, for the beauty of the cake only goes as far as their first view and an appreciation for the one who made it. There are no pretty plates on which to serve, no attention to decoration once cut and no aesthetic presentation. The hastily cut, various sized pieces are piled onto a huge platter which guests grab as the platter sweeps past them. Thus is the art of serving a birthday cake. After the cake has been eaten the party is officially over. Gifts are usually opened after guests leave. And so we made our way out of the house and toward the car. It was a short walk past other houses in the compound, but required a greeting of each and every person we passed. I kneeled onto a few of the mats as the ladies seated were most definitely older than me (or at least I assumed they were! Again, years of alcohol yields a SO MUCH OLDER appearance!!!)  Upon finally reaching the van there arose a great persuasive argument so as to get me to take a "short cut" out of the village. No can do, said I, as I was sure said short cut would yield only more confusion as to which bush or tree to head toward! As least the newly cut road was a straight shot to the main road. Careening down the dusty road amidst a rehashing of our crazy afternoon was delightful for I was with my boys! That night we spent a couple of hours with David Family kids as we discussed their prayer requests for the upcoming holiday as many of them will be visiting extended family--many of which are not Christians, nor are the environments always the best.

Thursday we headed to Kampala. Our long time friends and fellow New Hope missionaries Steve and Kathryn Brown and their three children live there as Steve heads up New Hope's Investment Year program and the IY house in the city. Steve was directing and Joel and Anya, their two oldest had parts in the Kampala Amateur Dramatic Society's pantomime of "Treasure Island."  After a lunch treat we went Christmas shopping at one of the local craft markets and then on to the theatre. The classic slapstick show ended after 10 p.m., so we visited briefly until a little past 11 and then also briefly in the morning at a 6:30 breakfast before Kathryn and the kids left for school. Geoff and Steve then took the opportunity to grab valuable meeting time discussing their Early Adulthood department, while our kids enjoyed the trampoline. 

We made it back to New Hope around 11 a.m. and drove direct to the secondary school without passing by home. Friday morning was the Secondary 4 banquet in which those who successfully completed S4 were celebrated with song, dance, speeches, cake, awards and a special lunch. One of our dear David Family girls graduated and we were pleased to be a part of honoring her. After the banquet, the lower secondary classes were given their reports. As Geoff was looking ahead to a week of back-to-back meetings and numerous speaking engagements, I went to pick up Sam's report, an activity which, in the past, has taken up to two hours. This time, however, I saw the head teacher right away and had the report in hand in about 15 minutes! Sam did very well and we are quite pleased with his performance. But, as I was leaving I noticed some shenanigans being crafted by another student who was trying to dupe the teacher into believing an age-mate and neighbor had been sent by his family to pick the report. This was a ploy to keep the family from seeing the report which he suspected was riddled with failed marks and a possible directive to repeat. Being that Geoff is the mentor for this one I intercepted the report and received an understanding of the conditions which the young man must meet this holiday if he is to be promoted to the next class. Having his report in hand I invited him to accompany me home to visit with Geoff. However, wanting to keep all things from the appearance of wrong doing I needed other kids to be in the car with us. So, fifteen minutes later I'd found quite a few who welcomed a car ride back to the other side and once piled in, we left that part of our day. Our friend Allison was already at our house waiting for me. She was one of our kids' teachers early on in our time here and was back for another visit (she has returned multiple times over the years.) We thoroughly enjoyed laughing and sharing and she stayed for supper as well. To sit and enjoy the company of a long-time friend was a great ending to a very busy week.  

This week has been just as full being that the EYO group is hosting a youth camp with more than 260 in attendance! Toby, Sam and Geoff have been quite busy with all of the activities which finish tomorrow. Geoff has had back-to-back meetings throughout the week as well as speaking three times for the camp. By early afternoon tomorrow the camp will be history and we'll be on to the next thing which just happens to be an "Introduction" ceremony (a cultural precursor to a wedding happening on Sunday.) Geoff will be in attendance at the Introduction as well as leading the service on Sunday and both of us will travel a few kilometers away Sunday afternoon for the wedding reception. 

Somehow come Monday morning we need to be all packed and ready to go to Musana Camps one last time for 2014! We will disappear into a week of quiet. Peace and quiet. Hmmmmmm. Sounds marvelous after all the doings of these past weeks! There is limited phone and internet reception, so we usually don't even attempt such!  Just thinking of the view of the lake, the breeze, the stillness . . . ahhhhhh. 

But, until then, go...go...go...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in case I don't get another opportunity to post before 2014 has ended!

We're continuing to give Thanksgiving here on the Equator!

We celebrated American Thanksgiving last Thursday among friends and we are truly blessed! (Some pictures are below.) In the best way we continued our Thanksgiving celebration today as we moved directly from the church service down the hill to the cow pond (!) for baptisms.

There were 39 people young to old who were baptized and one of them was Acacia! Two others were girls from David Family whom I currently mentor, and many others were close friends and young people dear to our family, as well as some young men Geoff mentors. Also baptized today was the youngest of the Anderson children. I attended Pepperdine years ago with Tal and Tiffany and I love that we not only serve here together, but also watched our children go down into the waters of baptism today! Tal was able to baptize Tiegan--Tiegan was so ready! He had gotten very sick last night, but first on his mind was being strong enough today to get baptized!

Our current focus as a church family is on discipleship--our key passage being Matthew 28:18-20. A discipleship class was taught before the main service each of the past five Sundays, and Geoff preached last week on baptism. We received calls throughout the week and up until this morning of those expressing their desire to be baptized. As we lined the banks of the valley pond the air was filled with anticipation and joy. Two by two they entered the murky, but warm water. Geoff, Tony, Tim and Kato baptized and we all praised God together for His faithfulness, with thanks in our hearts.

It is fitting that Acacia was baptized this particular Sunday. Yesterday she turned 12 years old and we celebrated her birth and life with a small party. Today she celebrates the work of Christ in her and being born again!

One of the girls I currently mentor. The smile is only a small expression of the deep joy and satisfaction she has found in Christ! I have had the privilege of mentoring this one while her "real" mentor is on furlough. I have to confess I wasn't sure how our relationship would progress, but have seen a sincere and serious faith rise in this one!

Here you see the two girls I mentor passing each other as one goes to Geoff and Tony to be baptized and the other returns to the shore moments after being immersed.

Geoff and Acacia share sweet words before her baptism

And they share sweet smiles afterward!

A new creation and a really happen one, too!! 

Acacia and her friend Stella celebrate!

Father and Son, Anthony was baptized by his Dad, Tony, and Geoff

The view from the bank

Acacia, Geoff and me just after the baptismal service ended.

 And now for last Thursday's Thanksgiving photos . . .

Anivah and Betty. Anivah is the youngest of the Vogt family, one of the two families we celebrated with. Betty grew up here at New Hope and now works at the Childcare and Family Institute kitchen.

Coffee buddies, Keith McFarland and Geoff

Some pre-dinner Thanksgiving singing in praise to God!

And now, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ACACIA!!!

The CHOCOLATE ORANGE cake! Yummy

Opening gifts with all the little eyes upon the birthday girl!

Kevin, in the background, hunted up a piece of jackfruit for Acacia's present. 

And the boys needed to burn off the cake and soda with a great chase

Enjoying a crazy birthday card/letter from Toby!

Three of the seven Okoth kids were in attendance!

And, the whole crew. Acacia decided it would be fun to invite preschoolers or early primary kids amongst a few of her age mates. Watching the little ones giggle, play the games, and blow noise makers turned out to make for a memorable party!!! Then, she and her two closest friends had a sleepover last night. (Hosanna, next to Acacia, and Stella in the brown hat at the back of the photo)

And who can avoid the traditional water splash??? Only this time the "dunkers" also got VERY wet!

Thank you so very much for your interest and support of our family and the work going on here at New Hope Uganda. Your prayers bring results!

Reflection

Geoff and Acacia at Musana Camps (Eastern Uganda)

Reflecting not only on the past two+ months, but also the past two years brings a welling up of the deep joy that resides in our family. A simple trip home for a few months in December 2012, to a cancer journey in 2013, back to Uganda a little over a year ago and now a new December and Christmas are upon us! 2014--full of deepening relationships, painful good-byes, joyous hellos, being an intimate part of a dear friend’s cancer journey, and maneuvering the daily walk amidst our “work.” 

It is fitting that this most beloved holiday season begins with giving thanks. And giving thanks begins with remembering.  Actively and thoughtfully ruminating on the memories of where and what He has brought us from and to; His love and care; provision and gifts; strength and security, healing. With Him we have true and abundant life. Without Him is the death of all things. “In Him we live and move and have our being,” Acts 17.

The Nile at Karuma Falls (Southwestern Uganda)

From Thanksgiving to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, then Christmas and the New Year. That progression speaks volumes. It must begin with remembering reasons to give thanks. But many forget immediately, moving to self-indulgence. Giving Tuesday regains focus offering a chance to give above and beyond to something outside of the self, and finally a gaze to the One, the Christ who gives REAL life, and the opportunity to enter the New Year with heart still fixed on Him. He is the ultimate gift, may we respond in kind.

Sunset at Midigo (Northwestern Uganda)

As you remember, look forward. How can you be more present to Him? How can you respond to Him? How can you express your thanks and love to Him? How can you give?

Give. Not just of your financial resources, your time, your abilities, but from the heart of yourself. To what? To Your creator, the One from who all blessings flow. The blessing of life, love, work and rest all come from Him.

Thanksgiving to Him, our source of abundant life.

Blessings from our home to yours.

In this next week, during the transitions from Thanksgiving to shopping to giving, please remember the work that goes on here at New Hope. There is much to do and many needs. Our website is a good resource of information on opportunities to give to ministry that reflects the heart of God for the widow and orphan. 

www.newhopeuganda.org (The link on the sidebar will take you there.)

Mothers and babies in Yumbe (Northwestern Uganda)

To the Village and Beyond . . .

I have been out in the village a lot lately. Usually I stay busy enough at New Hope that I don’t have time to get out. But, on the way home from Entebbe last weekend we received a call from one of the neighbors of Sam’s Jaaja (grandmother) who reported her to be very sick with a fever. Geoff, Sam and I went out that very day and found her with a serious infection in her foot. She hadn’t eaten all day as she couldn’t make it outside to make the fire for cooking. Since then we’ve been visiting each day for almost a week, taking tea and food, plus cleaning and dressing her wound, and giving her antibiotics.

Whereas I usually go with Sam or Geoff, yesterday I went with Kakande. Kakande’s own grandmother lives at the entrance to the path we take to Jaaja, so when he heard that I was going to Wakayamba (the village name) he jumped in. He greeted each villager in a friendly way as we wound our way through the footpath and patiently waited outside while I tended to Jaaja. Occasionally he muttered or sputtered something about having to wait, but exhibited such self-control that I thought a quick visit to his own Jaaja was warranted on the way back to the van. Unfortunately we found her in bed at 11 a.m., also very sick. He left quite depressed and worried about her, but that only lasted a short time. For when we arrived back at New Hope he was donned in a Santa costume for the Special Needs Christmas card  

Today I went alone. Walking along the path I found myself contemplating the extreme fashion statement I was at that moment. Unkempt hair, nothing special T-shirt, mud boots and dirty skirt (don’t wear anything clean to Grandma’s because whatever you wear will end up dirty anyway.) It has been raining HEAVILY most days this week and mud boots are the only foot covering that get me to Jaaja’s house mostly clean and dry over the roughly quarter mile dirt/mud path from the main road. 

I’m getting to “know” the neighbors, so the friendliness of our greetings have increased with my daily visits. One mud hut houses an older woman of questionable mental wherewithal. She’s been known to “go off” from time to time, so as I approached her house and saw her working outside I ventured the standard greeting, wondering what response I would receive. She decided she needed to extend the greeting by engaging me in face to face conversation about the sad state of her house, her sore knee, and various other less-than-desirable circumstances due to the recent rains. I noticed that she had been “mudding” her house--patching up the broken places with fresh mud. The entire structure is a one story tower of Pisa, so her “shoring up” attempts will be short-lived given the pull of gravity and drenching rains. I felt for her. Reflecting on the love God has for orphans and widows awakened my desire to help her in that moment, but I explained that I was on my way to Jaaja’s who desperately needed me. My departing words of “bless you” rang of “be warmed and filled” and I was suddenly aware of my severe inadequacy to meet all the needs I see each time I go to Wakayamba. But, I continued walking with a resolve to do at least what I could for Sam and Nabukeera’s Jaaja. My ability to help her in such tangible ways propelled me along the path, but not without a pang in my heart for what I had just witnessed, nor a deep scoff at myself for, only moments before, shallowly giving attention to my smashing attire. 

Jaaja is about as stubborn as a monkey is mischievous. If we are not there to make her take her medicine, she won’t take it. If I don’t make her drink water, she won’t. She got fed up with the beans and rice I provided Monday to Friday, so she took matters into her own hands. Despite her compromised state, Geoff found her peeling and preparing her own matooke (like a plantain) when he went after lunch on Friday. At least this showed us that she was on the mend! When he told her to swallow her antibiotic, she explained she would wait until she ate. Not falling for her tricks, and knowing that she wouldn’t be eating for another 2 hours, he gave her the medicine and stood over her until she swallowed. 

Jaaja in her kitchen

Today she related a story of giving money for a purchase of sugar to a young neighbor man, but he “ate the money”. (This is the phrase used around here for wasting.) I was incensed! I know the young man and decided I would confront him on the way out on the footpath. Before I could reach his house (and he wasn’t home anyway) I was stopped by the older woman of the mud hut. As if my heart hadn’t been wrenched enough with our previous encounter she went further. “My knee is paining (hurting) me,” and she lifted her skirt to give me a gander as she herself glanced to my nursing bag of tricks.  All the neighbors know me as “musawo” (doctor) so she figured I might have something to offer her from my satchel. Before I could say anything she continued, “I have no mother or father, no brothers, and now have only one sister, only one. There is no one to help me and I need blocks,” and she pointed in the direction of the nearby tree. I was lost. I tracked with the swollen knee, lack of family members to help her and the dilapidated house, but what were the blocks to which she pointed???  Being reminded within myself that when one points here it is usually not in the actual direction of the thing being referred to I looked around trying to surmise the identity of a “block”. She then lifted her eyes to the house behind us--one made of bricks and standing smartly upright. “Ahhhh, brreeecks, you need breeecks for your house!” Her face lit up acknowledging I was finally catching a clue; she also went one more level while her hands fell open in a begging motion, she uttered forcefully, “Help me! Please! Help me! Please!” My heart jumped. I promised her I would talk to someone at New Hope and she smiled. We said good-bye and I continued lamely back toward the main road. 

What a mess! Physically I was still trodding along the footpath in Wakayamba, but my mind was beyond the village. The ping pong I entertained was wearisome, “How can I help that woman?” 

“You don’t have the time or manpower to help that woman.”

“But, I can do something!” 

“What?”

“I can ask child care extension to do something”

“They have so many to take care of already and our focus is the fatherless child. Why don’t YOU do something?”

“Yes! My builder friends can help.”

“With what money?”

“It can’t take that much, can it? Can’t we spare some?”

“You wouldn’t be able to see the project through, and besides Jaaja’s own house needs repair! You can’t fix someone else’s house before you make the effort to fix Jaaja’s!”

Still in the midst of mental ping pong, I found myself at the corner house of the neighbor who informed us of Jaaja’s ill condition. I sat with him for a few minutes and told him of Jaaja’s improvement and related the incident of the stolen sugar money. Being that the young man sometimes works small jobs with him, he promised to have said young man repay the sum. As I passed the house of Kakande’s Jaaja a small boy greeted me and watched my every move toward the van. His eyes fixed on me as I climbed in, pulled out of the muddy ditch and headed in the direction of home.

I am still drawn this evening to that village path and the pleas of the old woman. What will I say when I walk past her house tomorrow? The truth is she is very much in need. The truth is I live only a few feet from 20 children who also have very real physical, spiritual and emotional needs and much of my time is consumed in caring for them. The truth also is that my neighbor is Aunt Ketty and she has just had her fourth round of chemotherapy and will need extra attention this week. The truth to be added on to all that is the homeschooling responsibilities each day for my own children. But the overarching, ever trumping truth is God loves, cares, saves, provides and guides. I will take all of this to Him. Each and every day I will follow His lead, because it is certain that He promises to lead and He keeps His promises. To be continued . . .

CAN YOU SHOUT HALLELUJAH WITH US????????

Shout!  All the kids next door are, and the staff at secondary, and the staff at primary, and the kids in David Family . . .

Ketty and her husband, Okoth Casmil, are in Kampala as I type. They began this morning with a CT scan, followed by her fourth round of chemotherapy, and then a consultation with her oncologist. She just delivered the news to us that this evening she was declared cancer free!!!!! Both abdominal and chest CTs were clear!

What a journey! What a faithful God we serve! With Him she has beaten the odds!

Praise God with us as we rejoice and celebrate this victory! There are many times in life to jump, shout, dance and sing--this is DEFINITELY one of them!!!!!!!!

The Okoth family is all smiles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This picture was taken at the beginning of the journey, just before Ketty left for Nairobi. Tonight they are rejoicing that their beloved wife and mom is FREE of cancer!

Challenges

Challenges. They are a part of each day we live. Petite, gargantuan or precisely medium; whatever the enormity or lack thereof we must decide our means to victory. And just because I work as a missionary in a foreign culture doesn’t mean my challenges are always of the gargantuan size, nor does it mean that I am immune to them. I don’t have some kind of über strength due to choosing to live thousands of miles from my comfort zone. In fact, I find it to be the challenges of petite proportion that can take me down if not managed effectively! (And often, when stateside, I find the challenges of having to adapt to my home culture equally as daunting.)

But, regardless of where I am in the world or the size of the obstacle, my personal path to becoming the victor is God’s Word, and I choose it for its foundational Truth. Proverbs, Romans, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job and Psalms are my usual favorites. The Biblical yield on wisdom is endless, for God Himself the author of wisdom, is forever and ever omniscient, Amen. 

In recent days I’ve gleaned from II Peter. The exerpt from Peter’s letter to the churches in Turkey is a familiar one to me for I’ve eaten of it over and over in my fifty years of daily challenges. Each of the countless meditations brings fresh insight and strength to help in my time of need--(“Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 ) In His first sentences Peter writes, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”  And this is where I gathered my first step toward sure victory. So many people have asked in history, “Why do bad things happen if God is good?” I’ll return this question with, from where does the world’s corruption come? (And I read “corruption” as decay, disease, death, pain, hurt, despair, danger.) Corruption, and thereby challenges, come from the breaking down of God’s intended perfection--a breakdown caused by human desires, beginning with Eve, then Adam and daily thereafter by all of us who came after!

Peter continues, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.”

“Productive and useful you will be in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Why know what I know if I’m not going to effectively use it for life? Who wants to go through life being unproductive and useless against the challenges that come? If God has given me everything I need for living, then His truth and promises give me what I need to overcome whatever rises against me.

This week brought some out-of-the-ordinary challenges. (Ordinary being of a relational or cultural nature.) The two I showcase here have nothing to do with relating with others or misunderstanding culture!

On Wednesday Geoff was away at an early morning meeting, so I took his place in sharing God’s word with the kids at the breakfast table. After reading and discussing II Peter I asked what kind of day they were going to have. Sam and Junior both answered, “Good.” And I went on to comment that when we decide before the day begins that the day will be GOOD, we are already deciding that no matter what circumstances come, we will still rank our day as good. I then added this strange, random comment, “Even if there is a fire!” I thought to myself, “Why did I say that? Will there be a fire at Sam’s school or Junior’s work?” But, I said no more and we all left the table to start our day. (By the way, Junior is a young man who grew up in David Family and stays with us whenever he is at New Hope.)

I was in the back room preparing to photocopy some things for school when I heard the kids screaming. At first I thought they were playing, but then I heard, “Mom! Turn it off! Turn it off! Turn everything off!” As I quickly made my way down the hallway I flipped switches and unplugged electronics. Rounding the corner to the front of the house I saw huge billows of smoke near the storage room where our solar equipment is kept and I feared the worst--our whole system burned. As I was deciding my course of action I realized the fire was actually only on the government electrical box/service breaker on the outside wall of the storage room. The government power, “Umeme” as we call it, is known for power surges, (and frequent outages) but we are still not sure what caused the box to explode and produce flames and shooting sparks which destroyed the connecting cables. (Fortunately, none of it reached the inside of our store where the solar set up is housed!) As we were dodging the shooting sparks and fighting the fire the neighbor hollered, “Whatever it is you’re doing over there is making my lights flicker!” We immediately called our construction department and reported that the government power to the main site should be turned off. Later that night they came and completely disconnected us so that the rest of New Hope could have power. 

Our fried electrical box. Kinda looks like an angry guy with quite a "fro".

This is the only damage the fire did on the inside of the storage room. 

We were the talk of the day. “Uncle Geoff’s house was on fire!” “Did you see him overspeeding (Ugandan English for speeding) in his car?” (I had called him out of his breakfast meeting to come help.) But, for the most part, the day went on as usual: work, school, house workers helping around the house, meetings, visits, David Family devotions and recalling how blessed we are that the fire was out so quickly with minimal damage. Truthfully, however, even if it had been a bigger disaster our take on the day still would have been “good”, because God is Good and has saved our souls. That is the ultimate, guiding truth. Whether or not I have lots of things, am comfortable, or without much trouble, OR have few things, am uncomfortable and undergoing great opposition, or any combination of the above, God Himself is our quintessential security, regardless of circumstances.

If you will stay with me here and back up one calendar day previous to the fire I will share with you another of the “challenges” we experienced this week on our little piece of sod here at New Hope. After lunch Geoff was walking back to the office with Toby on the stretch of path between our house and the clinic. Geoff stepped over something that caught his eye. On turning around he saw a 2 1/2 foot long cobra standing up in the strike position. He kept his eye on it and began to shout while locating big sticks. Uncle Francis heard him from his house and came to help and then Uncle Patrick also followed. Between all their strikes the snake was conquered. A good adrenalin flow is part of the making of a “good” day, don’t you think? 

Toby and Geoff investigate their kill.

The ladies had to come and make sure it was REALLY dead!

Our cobra in its natural habitat.

The flattened head. Geoff said the entire length of yellow
 was what the snake fanned out in striking position.

Yep, it was a good day for said snake to die!

One thing I carry with me through these particular, “out of my control” potential obstacles to my peace is that God asks me to be thankful in all circumstances. This is where my knowledge of His word needs to be put to use. If I KNOW His word tells me to be thankful and yet I choose to complain, I will be shortsighted and blind, unproductive and useless. God’s directives to be thankful are found throughout His word and also tell me to NOT complain to others, but to talk with Him rather than flapping my jaw in another’s hearing. II Thessalonians 5 instructs, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” In Psalm 73, the writer Asaph says, “I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. But if I had really spoken this way to others I would have been a traitor to your people. . . then I went into your sanctuary God, and I understood. . .” In Isaiah 43 God encourages talking with Him, “Let us review the situation together and you can state your case to prove your innocence.” I repeat here the reference from Hebrews four I mentioned earlier, but with the previous verse also, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but Jesus Christ was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God where we receive His mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” Christ was tempted to complain, to be unthankful, among other things, but instead chose to always approach Father God for help. Let me also do this everyday with every challenge, but even more so when out of the ordinary stressors come.

And to leave you with a humorous gem, I share something from our homeschool time together. (By the way, that is why you haven’t heard from me in awhile!!!! Since beginning to teach the kids again, I have not had time to write a blog. Today is Ugandan Independence Day and a holiday, so I’ve enjoyed time to write!) In checking the kids' work, I ran across the following and laughed out loud as I was reviewing Toby’s answers to his vocabulary questions. “Which of the following might be considered an exploit?” He had four answers to consider and chose the following, “(a)A climb up Mount Everest, (b)a daring rescue attempt, and (c)a trip into the city.”  Given where we live and the traffic and crazy drivers we encounter I accepted his choice of (c).