Now to take a Breath....

    The Christmas Tree and finals are finally over!!! What a great, crazy, busy semester on reflection. As I am sitting it Starbucks drinking a peppermint tea, I am smiling as I think over the semester, what I just read in Scripture, and the fact I am writing again. God is so good and has blessed me in so many ways. I often wonder if I pay Him His due in thankfulness and gratefulness.
    First of all, I was a chimney sweep in the Living Christmas Tree at school. It was a blast! The first night, I went looking for makeup to use as soot, and wonderfully, the drama director and friend, Mary, had black make up! So Ben, my good friend and dance partner, and I applied the make up and costumes and here is the result...

   We had so much fun and the second photograph is from our opening number. The entire choir, about 45 students, were paired up and the other couples were in the three aisles in the audience. We had a choreographed number to a Christmas medley and Ben and I were one of four couples on the stage. This was my third Christmas tree, but the first time to ever be on the stage, terrifying but a blast. :) The Tree ran from Nov. 29-Dec 3 and we had 9 performances. A lot of work, but worth every bit to bring love and Christmas spirit to others. 

   Now, I am done with finals. Only a year left of school and I scarcely can believe that's true! But I am totally welcoming the break and am looking forward to it! I am heading home tomorrow for break and Christmas and time spent with my family. I'm very excited. :)

  

   Then as I sat down to read my Bible today, the passage was 1 Corinthians 13. I decided it would be wonderful to update my blog and to share this passage with my friends and readers as we enter the holiday season. Have a very Merry Christmas! 

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13

It's the Holiday Season...

   It's that time of year again. The time of the year when we completely skip Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations already cram the shelves at stores. Christmas music is already playing. Christmas lists are already being scribbled down. Plans for the holidays are floating around. You know the time of year it is...
   For me, it's felt like the Christmas season since August 23rd. Why? Well, I am in the Living Christmas Tree at Ozark Christian College this year. August 23rd, we started singing Christmas selections for the Tree. What is the Living Christmas Tree? It's a 32 foot, ten row high metal frame to which greenery, lights, bulbs and ribbon and the like will be adorned. We have eight performances starting November 29-December 3. It's a play intertwined with choral music. A volunteer orchestra comes together during the last week of October to start learning the music. Each year the play and music differ, this year the whole thing is called "Salute to Christmas" based in a little town in Germany during World War II, and has a slight taste of White Christmas in it's makeup. This is my third Christmas tree at Ozark. I am a senior at Ozark and am looking forward to this being my last tree, as I graduate next December, I doubt I'll be in 2013's Tree. However, I will be there in spirit!

   So I am not writing out of exhaustion of Christmas, Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holidays. I am writing out of appreciation. Tonight after dinner with friends, I walked through the park next to campus and while it was cold out and I dislike cold, winter has always been my favorite time for walking. The air is crisp, the lights are sharper, the stars are brighter, and honestly, there is a deeper stillness to the whole night. I look forward to doing the Living Christmas Tree. It's exhausting and time consuming. And because of the extreme stage makeup required, breakouts and a dry face is expected. LOL! But it's honestly all worth it. The orchestra, the acting, the time put into the decorations, the time spent on learning music, everything...is well worth it when the audience's faces light up and smiles are seen from stage at the drama or the choral piece. It brings joy and happiness and makes every bit of the hard work worth it when we, the choir, know we touch someone's heart and warm it with a smile or encouragement. We don't get to hear the stories or the misfortune going on in the individual lives of the audience. But we get to help bring a message of hope at the beginning of the Christmas season and I for one, am so thankful I get the opportunity. Jesus' birth is the beginning of our hope and each year I am so thankful that God sent his Son to be born for humanity. Christmas is a celebration and a holiday that is dear to me. I love Jesus Christ and the message of Him, is the message we get to share through day to day living and interaction with everyone--Christian and non-Christian!

   haha This post developed out of realizing I get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Haha, so I decided to post and share a little of my heart for this season. So next time you start thinking about the upcoming season, remember to spread some "Christmas cheer" but also remember Jesus' love is to be shared all year!

 

An Offering of Thanksgiving?

   God is so good. He is faithful, and his love and mercy is unfailing. Have your ever wondered if God cares about the little things in life? I have a lot actually. I know beyond a shadow of doubt that he cares about everything. IF he knows when a sparrow falls and how many hairs I have on my head, why would he not care about a small, insignificant things? This post, is random...lol...I am thankful, very thankful today. I don't always articulate the best what I'm thinking, but there are a couple things I'm excited about and thankful for. Last night I was reading a book called "Kitchen Table Counseling" and the author quoted the following verse:  

What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me? 

I shall lift up the cup of salvation 

And call upon the name of the Lord. 

I shall pay my vows to the Lord, 

Oh may it be in the presence of all His people. 

Precious in the sight of the Lord 

Is the death of His godly ones. 

O Lord, surely I am Your servant, 

I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, 

You have loosed my bonds. 

To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, 

And call upon the name of the Lord. 

(Ps. 116:12-17)

Hmmm...read it again.

     For all the benefits of God towards me, I will give You a sacrifice of Thanksgiving. Benefits? Yeah, the good deeds or whatever enhances well-being. But you know, sometimes the circumstances we don't ask for, can be enhancing moments too. Thanksgiving, by definition, is: the act of giving thanks, a prayer expressing gratitude and a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness. There are no "buts" in thanksgiving. We don't just thank God for the things that are good and praiseworthy in our lives, we should thank God across the board for what he's done with our lives, through our lives and in our lives.

    God understands our hearts, he understands our hurts, and disappointments, he understands our joys, and our trials and temptations. When we offer thanksgiving to God, we aren't just thanking a spiritual being or someone that gives us everything we want or, haha, sometimes don't want. We are thanking and expressing gratitude to God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. God formed the universe! He carved mountains and valleys, splashed the milkway into existence, showered a cliff with a waterfall, lit the night skies with stars, and warmed the earth with the sun.

 He designed the human body and he intricately made each and every plant and flower. He crafted birds with wings and animals with fur and hair. He made the universe and cares about each and every worry or joy of his children. He hears us and answers us, every single time we talk to him, God hears us and listens. Walk through the Bible this week and look for instances where God interacted with someone's life, Old and New Testament. Make a list...and I can promise you, it will continue to grow and grow, especially if you continue walking up through history, past Bible times and up to the present.

 He cares. He will always care. He will always love and show mercy and justice. He is the Good shepherd, he is the Ransomed of Heaven, he is the suffering servant, He is I AM, He is bigger than any problem and cares about a simple sparrow falling to the ground. There are moments to be angry, joyful, penitential, praising, and etc in talking to God, be thankful today. :)

  Thank God today. Start with praising him for WHO He is, thank Him for Jesus and Jesus in your life. Then thank him for the benefits and for the things you don't understand. Give those things up to Him and let him turn them into enhancing moments too.

May the grace and love of God be with you all.

A Taste of Art

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh 1889. 

Current Location: The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

His Mercies are New Every Morning...

    "Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter, let him be filled with reproach.

    For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men. To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the land, to deprive a man of justice in the presence of the Most High, to defraud a man in his lawsuit—Of these things the Lord does not approve. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?" -Lamentations 3:19-38

Missed but Not Forgotten :)

  It is weird being back in the states and going about the seemingly normal things and activities. I put together a box to send back to Simon, Pam and the kids. As my Mom and I were filling it with ranch dressing packets, m&ms, starburst, and chocolate chips, I told my mom several stories about them and realized how blessed I was to spend a month with this family I met two years ago in the Middle East.

  This is Simon, Pam, Joshua, and Zara. I stayed with them two and a half weeks in Kampala at the beginning of my trip and then the last weekend before heading home. I met this family while in Dubai working at a guest house in 2010. Amazing family. They were there three of the four weeks I worked and we got to be good friends. Pam and I have kept in contact and became close friends over the past two years. She asked me to come out now and then. :) I was talking with her on facebook in November when we started discussing the possibility of me joining them for this summer. By God's direction, I did join them and spent a month with them and then a month with on of their good friends. This is such an amazing family!

   After boxing up the package for Simon and Pam, I addressed a box to Luan's mom with a gift from Luan. I stayed with George and Luan a little over a month and they too are awesome. I got an email from Luan just this past Friday asking how the trip back went, accompanied by the endearing phrase, "sister". Also she asked how my folks were, and if they were glad I was finally home. She then said they missed me much but were managing as always. She is just so much fun. George is wonderful, we watched a movie or tv show every night (when we had power) till he went to bed. It was simple but fun...and I know he is probably missing my "Called it!" remarks as much as I miss him making fun of me. :) Luan and I had good conversations and would make comments to each other...making fun of the other...and many times now while writing, I think of her.

    I am so thankful I had the opportunity to live with these two missionary couples and do ministry alongside them. I pray God blesses them in their diligence and heart for service and that He guides them in all their steps.

            

Palm Oil Fumes, Peroxide Plumes, and Homemade Soap Perfumes- July 17-19, 2012

  So I have enjoyed this week, even though we didn’t have power, therefore, no shower for four days. I went to bed smelling like would smoke and soap three nights as Luan and I were training the women’s group to make soap.

   The days were fun, but long, especially the first two days. Every day we left at 9:30 to drive about 15 minutes to the house we met at across town and out in another village. The first two days, we got back around 4:30 and the last day, we got back at 3:30. It always took longer because of the translating and because we were training. Wednesday, they provided lunch. Luan and I can make a batch of soap in 2-3 hours when not training, so the women were encouraged that it doesn’t take as long as the days did! :)

Shot of the women watching Luan stir soap.

    The first day, we started at 11:00, thank you African time, and we had six women. By 12:45, the group had grown to twenty. We had the same on Wednesday and Thursday we had 12-15. The first day, Luan and I trained them and showed them how to make soap after going over all the directions and precautions with them. And even though…lol…we added only a little bit, we had the peroxide explode again. Beautiful! Haha. Luan had printed handouts with all the information for making soap and buying the products as well as safety precautions and ingredients substitutes. Due to the heat difference between our stove and the open fire, every day, we boiled out more oil, therefore we only made three sixteen inch bars, instead of three and a half. Also palm oil has horrible smoke fumes…as does the wood. It instantly makes eyes water and coughing.

   Olive and Abolee were the two that wanted to make the soap on Wednesday. On Wednesday, the women made soap and we helped them and directed them. These two women were great. And it was fun to see what they learned. They wanted to add dye and perfume, so they added lots of blue and the scent was citra-nilla. It keeps mosquitos away and they all loved the smell…I thought it smelled horrible. Because of the oil in the dye, it made the soap more grainy feeling and the consistency was different from the other soap we had made.

Abolee and Luan mixing the soap.

 

Another shot of the women watching the soap making and fellowshipping.

  The last day, two other women made the soap and we also cut the heat way back. The women are used to rolling boils and lots of heat so it took a lot of reminding not to add wood and to use very little heat because the pot heated quickly and when it gets too hot, the soap separates. The women wanted to add dye, they LOVE color, and perfume again so Luan and I troubleshot the dye. We added it straight into the palm oil and thankfully, it totally came out better! And as we still had a little yellow in the oil after adding the peroxide, upon adding the dye, they got a different shade of blue.

Amooti Roseline is the main leader and translator of the women’s subgroups. She is spreading two of the three bars smooth into the molds. You can see the two shades of blue. The dark blue was the first batch the women made on their own and the other one was the second. Both batches came out well, but the women, including Luan and myself, liked the consistency and feel of the light blue much better. They did a very fine job!

   One of the old grandmas in the group, Abwoli, knew how to make liquid soap and made herbal soaps by buying soap bars, melting them down and then adding her own herbs she collects and then remaking it. She bought a long bar of soap for 2000 shillings and after adding her own scents and herbs, resold it for 5000 shillings because they are herbal/perfumed. She brought the perfumes and medicinal herbs and plants she used for Luan and I to see. They are pictured below...

Perfumes                       Medicinal 

  Perfumes left to right: lemon grass, lemon leaves, night rose, meetch (local), and Rosemary.

  Medicinal left to right: Aloe vera, and the rest...I can't pronounce nor write down. Sorry!

   The women really enjoyed making the soap, it will be interesting to see how many of the women start making soap. But, most soaps are sold 1500 shillings or more, so by making better quality, quantity, colorful, and scented bars the women stand to have good business.

   I really enjoyed the days as I got to know the women more and hear stories. They had given me the Empaka name, Amooti (Ah-mo-tee), a couple weeks ago which means “for the King” or “for royalty”. So it was fun to be teased by “Amooti” and “Emma” and then also they tried teaching me small Ratorro phrases. Just really fun and memorable. One of the ladies, a different Abolee, had her granddaughter one day. Akiiki (Haa-ki-ke) was a beautiful little Muslim girl of eight months and she absolutely loved me! Most times, Ugandan children don’t want to be held by a mzungu. When I gave her back, she started crying so after a bit, I took her from Abolee again and she stopped crying. But when I left…her tears came again. 

Akiiki and I 

Amabere Falls and Hike- July 14, 2012

Amabere Falls

   Luan and I went hiking at Amabere (Ahm-bae-ree) Falls. The waterfall was really gorgeous and to get to it, we had to follow a small path through the jungle. The waterfall is from one of the small rivers from the Rwenzori (Ren-zor-ee) Mountains. The Rwenzori mountains can be seen in the background of some of the pictures.

Also, we could walk behind the waterfall! It was super cool! Never walked behind a waterfall before and as Apollos, our guide, took our picture, Luan and I laughed about always reading about going behind waterfalls and the hidden pathways under waterfalls. It was fun and super slippery. :)

Also with the falls was a hike, the whole thing took between 3-4 hours. The hike took us between three crater lakes, one no longer full of water, but grass instead, and the other two huge and still full. We climbed a big hill, and Apollos was amazed that I didn’t have hills like Africa’s where I live. It was fun and a really great way to see the countryside. Absolutely gorgeous.

One of the crater lakes, we climbed that hill over there...it was high! :)

 This shot is from the top of that big hill. And we walked on the road below. The view was totally worth it and plus, I love hiking more and more as I get to do it. :D It has been fun and good these past two weeks to get to go do something just to exercise and get away. 

Another shot is also from the top of another one of the lakes. 

Decorating Cakes and Selling Most of Them!- July 12, 2012

   Luan and I met with her discipleship women group to teach them how to make buttercream and royal icing. The women had made cakes beforehand and when we got there, we set to teaching them and showing them some designs through the decorating tips. Then we stepped aside and let them practice and then decorate the cakes. When talking with the women, they said that several people asked if they could buy the cakes when they were on the way to the meeting.

    The women told them they would decorate them and then bring them back. So basically they had already sold cakes before the people even saw the finished product! AWESOME!! Our intent in teaching them to bake and decorate cakes is to turn around and sell them to make a little income, plus the cakes that are made are sold for extreme amounts of money, are dry, and taste like dirt. So it’s good that they are starting to make cakes, and hopefully, some of them will continue to do this and create business.

One of the cakes the women decorated is pictured below. This one has a buttercream covering and the pink is buttercream, the flowers are royal icing. I made several flowers, swirls, shells, and other designs with royal frosting a couple days before to show the women how it hardens to a candy consistency. It still tastes gross though! 

Here are some of the women with the cakes they decorated.

          

Bible Study, Color Theory and Cooking Baskets- July 11, 2012

  A couple of the women Luan disciples joined another missionary, Pat, and the women she disciples in a day of Bible lesson, color theory and cooking basket teaching. Pat calls her group “The Tabithas” and her organization is known as “Proverbs 31”. She teaches beading, sewing, health, and so much more. Pat also has a college student staying with her this summer, Katie is from North Carolina and is studying Studio Art. Pat taught a lesson on ‘Justification by Faith” from Genesis 12-15. Katie then taught color theory to the women and her focus was showing them how the color wheel works.

  After lunch, Luan, Lillian, and I showed the women how to make cooking baskets.

   These are made with a sturdy basket (depending on the size of pot you want to use), building plastic, yarn, material, and some sort of packing (banana leaves, grass, etc.) and a pillow—made also from grass and material. The point of this basket is to allow the women to prepare meals ahead of time and to save them money for firewood. Usually, most Ugandans eat around 10pm and all their meals take a long time to prepare. While dried beans usually take 1-2 hours over the fire to be done, with the cooking basket, you heat the beans for 15 minutes and then place in the basket. In 2 hours or more, the beans are done! So instead of paying for firewood for 1-2 hours, they only have to use 15 minutes worth and when the pot is removed from the basket, it has to be done with cooking mits as the pot is too hot to touch.

 Lillian, pictured here, is a school teacher. She was very skeptical of the cooking basket when Luan first introduced it to her. But she now loves it and uses it all the time. She prepares beans, potatoes, rice, matooke, etc in the morning and when she comes home for lunch, she has a hot meal for her and her kids. Often she makes porridge for her kids’ breakfast and so she makes it before going to bed and in the morning, it is still hot. Super cool and handy!

  The heat from the pot is kept inside the basket because it is packed and acts like a thermos. Luan’s discipleship group is collecting their supplies to make their own baskets, and we look forward to hearing how they like them once they begin using them!

Kyaninga Lodge- July 6, 2012

  So Luan told me how to set my pictures for web usage since internet is too slow here to upload a regular picture. So hopefully, I will be able to get pictures up with new posts!

 Luan took me to Kyaninga Lodge last week to go hiking. Kyaninga Lodge was built by an Englishman and

 took him several years to build. He used all local wood to build the buildings. Other than a couple of hiking trails, one above Crater Lake and the other along the lake shore, there are also tennis courts, a French style

 bowling area, volleyball, badmitten, swimming pool, paddle boats, and
swimming in the lake among some of the recreational activities for the guests. For hiking, we could do so for free. Fort Portal is 5000 ft in elevation and some of the hills on the Crater hike, are above that. We hiked for about 2 hours and then met up with a missionary couple that were vacationing at Kyaninga for three days.

 I took some pictures of the different flowers, some were quite different, like this one. Unfortunately, I do not know what kind of flowers these are, but they are pretty. They remind me of sea urchins.

While hiking, some children walked passed us leading a cow and goat. They smiled and as common with most children I’ve met, each had to ask, “How are you?” When we reply, they smile and laugh. Lol…still haven’t figured out why that is.

The fields surrounding and through which we walked were all farming. Gardens of potatoes, maize, beans, ground nuts, and matooke. The farms are usually all strewn together; they do not plant like we do in America with rows of vegetables and separate from other plants. This picture shows farming on the side of the hill.

 When we were hiking, the trail goes along the right hand patches of farming gardens. Where the last square patch of brown is on the right, they were planting potatoes. How the people know where their land is and how much they have is beyond me as there are no fences, markers, houses, or anything.

As we were leaving the Clubhouse, we spotted this male lizard. Fortunately, he liked the spot he was in and didn't skitter away until I got a picture of him. Photogenic eh? He even looked at the camera for me :P

 

At Least it Didn’t Singe my Eyebrows!- July 3, 2012

  Have you ever tried making homemade soap by a hot process? Have you ever combined hot palm oil and cold, 50% hydrogen peroxide? Even the small amount of peroxide used, poured in all at once to the oil, causes a wonderful reaction. J Oh, you want to hear the story? I’m so glad you asked!

Fortunately, Luan and I learned this without losing our eyebrows or catching anything on fire. Luan had been wanting to perfect soap making so she can teach the women in her group and possibly go back to Bwera at some point to teach. Luan’s tried it a couple times, and after all the calls, questions, and research she’s done, hopefully, this time is the charm! J

 The Monday before I left for Fort Portal, I went with Luan to learn how to make soap. This is the same type of bar soap she was taught how to make, but the times she’s tried it, it never comes out right. So we basically learned that trip, this type of soap is never a failure…you just have to experiment until it comes out right. Geez…thank you soap merchant who’s done this your entire life. Luan wants to perfect it though to some sort of recipe so we can teach. We both know how to trouble shoot it now, but in teaching, you need a basic formula to follow, not: “So basically any way you do it will come out right, you just either add water or more caustic soda…” So see the dilemma?

 So we set to work. George lit the fire with sawdust brickettes in a small, outdoor stove that was about 2-3 feet tall. Luan prepared all the ingredients, and I took ladles, a pot, and other stuff outside. Finally we started heating the palm oil…which smells horrible and smokes a lot.  

  Then…the fun part…Sadly, I fear I am a pyro at heart. Haha. George took the oil off the stove and we let it cool for several minutes. Now, palm oil is different shades depending on the quality and if it’s been mixed with something else. Our palm oil was a deep orange and to get the color out, you add peroxide. So after the oil cooled to probably 215 degrees, she dumped the measured peroxide in. Right as she withdrew her hand from over the pot and both of us randomly took a step back, the pot erupted with a loud “Poof!” and a huge cloud of fire (strangely…think atomic bomb picture from the history books and that’s what it looked like only it was fire) billowed up and disappeared. It’s never happened before to Luan while making soap…BUT…she also didn’t pour it in all at once. Luan glanced down and said, “Well, all my parts are still here!” We laughed…kinda still surprised by what happened and George chimed in, “Yeah, well you’re lucky you still have eyebrows!”

 After that, we added the other ingredients and stirred for what seemed like forever, trying to reach the right consistency. We add caustic soda mixed with water…super cool and not safe chemical. It’s cool though because when it has air and is on a surface, it liquefies and looks just like water. But it burns worse than acid. But cool find of Luan’s, vinegar counters the caustic soda! So in case we got any on us, we had a bottle of vinegar. We wore glasses and gloves while making soap as the chemicals were pretty dangerous involved and the fumes aren’t pleasant. Finally after reaching the desired toothpaste consistency or as George called it, “Red Sea Parting consistency”, we slapped into wooden molds. It made 3 full rows and a little more. As of right now, it is already out of the mold and sitting on the counter! It is supposed to harden in 4 hours and be able to use in 8 hours. Mostly, this soap is used for laundry, but it is also used for dishes and bathing. If my internet would load, I’d post the pictures George took. J

  

 Two other fun things today…while we were making soap, we started noticing a lot of white and brown butterflies flitting and flying past the house. They were migrating!! So many little butterflies, about the size of a half dollar, flew into the yard and straight on past. It was very pretty and I’ve never seen so many butterflies at one time or a migration.

 The other thing was I learned how to make homemade tortillas. We had fajitas for dinner and Luan showed me how to make the tortillas while she cooked them. Super easy, but it takes time as you have to roll them super thin and then cut them out, we used a small pot lid, and then cook them. However, they were great.

 This evening, George and I watched the original documentary, Invisible Children. The film contains interviews from children that escaped the LRA and those that were running from home because they were not safe at home. Very sad and very wrong. I have had several conversations with George and Luan about the Invisible Children and the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) as they have lived in Uganda, saw the effects and happenings first hand and say this film is facts based, and have hosted the three men that shot this documentary. The information found here in Uganda about the LRA and Invisible Children is very different from the information I’ve heard in the States. It was an eye-opening movie, and crazy that the Ugandan government allowed it to continue for a little over 2 decades. I am glad I watched the film, even though some of it was graphic for now I know more of the story, not only from the recording but also from people that witnessed the packed bus stages and hospitals sheltering thousands of children every night. Thank goodness this is no longer continuing in Uganda, despite the corrupt government.

 Tomorrow if July 4^th and we are going to a gathering for the Americans. Should be fun, weird though to be in a country that has no clue why America celebrates the 4^th of July. :D 

Baking and Bible Lessons in Bwera- June 27-July 1, 2012

   Luan and I headed out to Bwera on Wednesday to teach cake baking, frostings, and Bible lessons on Friday and Saturday. We took Link bus and it was a bumpy 2.5 hour ride. George, Luan and I headed into Fort Portal at 8:45am on Wednesday as the Link men had said the bus would leave at 10am but we needed to be there at 9am, after asking several times and double checking. The bus wasn’t there yet and so upon inquiring, discovered it wasn’t due for at least an hour. So we decided to go get a coffee and sit down somewhere. As 10 am rolled around, we headed back to the bus park and waited in the car until the bus came…around 11am. Haha…yes this is African time. We hit the road around 11:20, and the only seats open were right above the back wheels, so it was a very fun ride with all the pot holes and speed bumps, but we got there without harm or bus break downs!

 While on the bus, which seat 60 people and standing room if needed, a Link ticket guy tried to get set me up with his other friend on the bus. Kept asking me if I would be his friend’s girlfriend and when Luan finally chimed in that in already having a boyfriend I wasn’t interested but was taken, he finally went back up to the front of the bus. He freaked me out though as I wasn’t really sure how to make him leave and surprised that he started asking. Luan and I laughed about it but for real, the men are super creepy here and always try to talk to us. As a “mzungu” you attract attention and therefore comments and questions—that usually don’t get answered.

  We arrived at Bwera Wednesday afternoon and were greeted by Pastor Joahakim, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Bwera and good friend of Luan’s. We stayed at the nicest hotel in town, which thankfully had a bed, mosquito net, toilet, power, and running water in the sink. The ceiling had stains from leaks, bugs and spiders, filthy, and we heard rats one night on the roof. But it worked and we didn’t have our room broken into. J It made for some interesting memories though, and for sure glad we had candles for the nights when power was out!

 Thursday morning was spent at Pastor’s with his family and counseling a young couple. Then we went around town collecting supplies for baking on Friday and Saturday and going to the church.

 Friday and Saturday we walked to the church at 8:30am and the program started at 10am. We began with music, a drum and clapping and almost all the songs were in the native tongue for the area. We had two interpreters, and so everything took a longer amount of time as some understood English and some did not. After music were formalities and then Luan started with a Bible lesson from Psalm 139 on Friday and Psalm 103 on Saturday. Then we taught the women the basics of cooking with measuring cups and how to read a recipe. We made an Avocado Banana Cake, and we had 6 women come up to mix up two cakes.

    We taught the women how to bake in pots over a fire. We used a big pot with sand in the bottom and then the cakes on top of the sand, covered by an upside down pot. The sand allows heat, but keeps the cake from burning on the bottom. While it was baking we had lunch and by the time lunch was over, the cakes were done! I taught them how to make Butter Icing and Royal Icing, and introduced them to decorating tips and showed them how to use small bags for frosting when they didn’t have tips or afford them. I’d mix up frostings and pass them around so they could try them. It was cool to work with an interpreter but also frustrating because I had to speak slower than Luan as my dialect is different to their ears or they didn’t understand what I meant. So often rephrasing or coming up with other words were necessary before the teaching could continue. Plus, I’m not skilled at talking to large groups. But God is definitely stretching me and it was a good experience, even if I don’t like speaking! Haha.

 After the icings, cake was passed out and the Luan taught another Bible lesson. Friday, she focused on Romans 8:28 and Saturday Hebrews 12:1-4. Her whole focus this weekend was on persevering in hard times and trusting God has a plan for everything. After the Bible lessons, we sang some more and then ended around 4:30pm. Friday there were 104 men and women and on Saturday 70. There were always more women than men as the program was directed towards the women.  And there were Christians, Muslims, Catholics (distinguished from Christians here), and unbelievers in the group. 2 women accepted Christ on Saturday which was really cool! We had a prayer time during the singing where women could come forward and we would pray with them or the pastor would, during this time 2 women came to Lord. :D

 It was a great experience and such a blessing to teach skills to these women that have no idea that baking a cake this way is so simple. To bake a cake, a really nice cake, the people think you have to go to school and have years of practice. Most women couldn’t believe it was so easy! Our intent with teaching them was to give them more skills, to provide something special for their family and friends, and if they so desire, to sell them. A good, moist cake is normally not found in Uganda even at weddings.

 One woman baked two cakes on Sunday the way we had taught. She presented one to her family and the other she sold at church! She paid 4,500 shillings for the supplies for the cake and sold it for 5,000 shillings. Super cool that at least one woman has already tried her hand at it on her own and succeeded!

 It was a wonderful experience, different than any I’ve ever had, but it was a blessing to be in Bwera and spend time with Pastor Joahakim. Uganda is a very dark place, but there is light and God is at work. 

Bush flight, Soap Making, and Plans to Fort Portal

    So second week down...crazy. I went on a bush flight with Simon on Friday into upper Uganda. I rode in the co pilot seat and it was fun wearing the headphones and talking to Simon through the mics. We flew from Kajjunsi to Lira, to Kaabong to Maroto, to Amudat and back to Kajjunsi. On the way back we flew over Sipi Falls, the three waterfalls flowing from the dormant volcano between Kenya and Uganda. They were beautiful, as was upper Uganda. I so enjoyed getting to see some of the places Simon would fly into and also more of the country, outside of the city. It's gorgeous upland. :)

   Yesterday I went downtown to Kampala again with Luan and we went to watch soap be made by a soap merchant. So...the men on the streets and in the shops are super creepy. We were everyone's "friend" and the conversations they try to start are completely ignored. When we were on the taxi, which should hold 12 people but normal hold 20, we had just paid when the man sitting next to me asked how much we paid because he thought we paid too much. He was genuinely asking, and it was a nice change. We saw a botabota taxing a man carrying a calf and on the way home I sat beside a man holding a rooster. It's very interesting with the women here. Those that maintain eye contact seek to make you smile...which in turn makes them smile and say hi. It's really funny but endearing too.
    At the soap merchant's we had an appointment at 9:00am and didn't get started till 10 or 1030...lol. We went through the entire process and left at noon. It was very interesting to watch the soap process as it was heated soap. Luan told me that the previous times she had watched him make it, the directions he gave her and the info she had gained from the phone were all different every time and this time while he was making it, it was a different process as well. Basically...the soap process is infallible unless you have bad palm oil. So Luan and I are going to try to make the soap once we get to Fort Portal and if we can get it perfected, we'll teach the women Luan does ministry with.
 
     Along with the soap, we're going to do some cake decorating with the women who are trying to start selling cakes mainly for birthdays and graduations. So I've been learning and researching SO much cake decorating stuff. haha...I feel like icing is coming out my ears. I am enjoying it though...and have a renewed desire to work at a bakery. Luan and I have been discussing the different ministries she has going on and one of them will be going to Bwera in a few weeks to do some baking, bible study and hopefully soap making with the women. We found out today that the pastor is expecting at least 100 women...which will probably be more! So we'll spend almost a week in Bwera. So I'm excited to learn and work with Luan, but I'm really going to miss Simon, Pam and the kids.

   It's been hard this past week as I'm really missing family and friends and am starting to experience more violence within the supposedly "peaceful and loving culture". God is ever faithful and I am looking to Him for guidance and strength this summer. He knows best and loves these people here. I'm so thankful that I'm here, even though it's been hard seeing some of the stuff I've seen.
   I head to Fort Portal on Thursday at like...6:30am. So I don't know when my next post will be as I don't have really any internet.

A World Discovered

    Wow! My first week in Uganda is already over. It's flown by, I must say. This week has been good, a bit crazy, but I've enjoyed it nonetheless. Kampala is unlike any city I've ever been to.There are several paved roads with massive speed bumps, but all the other roads are washed out, red dirt. Most barely fit a car it seems, but somehow cars seem to pass each other without scraping mirrors. Oh yeah, and everyone drives on sides opposite from America. haha...that's fun remembering to go to what I'm used to as the "driver's side" is actually the "passenger's side" when getting in the car. Most houses have walls surrounding them with loops of barbed wire. haha...reminds me of prisons...and when you see the houses, it develops that thought even more. Every building  that is lived in or business has bars in the windows and doors and is locked with padlocks. The bars however, are on the inside.
    There is poverty everywhere, even in the upscale part of town I visited. Very eye opening and saddening as it is the way of life here. There are shacks on the some of the main roads that are made of tin and boards, and there are people asking for money or food everywhere; especially at roundabouts and intersections.

    I spent a day in downtown Kampala...scary place...but it is where all the markets are and if you need it, it can be found down there, whether it's illegal or not. It's interesting and very different to walk around the town, downtown and down the road at the Embassy Market and the guards or police are shouldering rifles. While in downtown Kampala, Luan and I were in search of soap merchants and yarn merchants. Both inquiries were for ministry and business in Fort Portal. Downtown, the area is focused on the taxi stage, which is where all the taxis go to turn in the money they make to the taxi business owners. All around the taxi stage and "further in" downtown are different sections. You have all the yarn sellers in one area, all the movie stores in one section, all the plumbing material in another area, clothes in another, and etc. It's crazy. One would think they wouldn't have good business if only grouped around the other businesses, but the way it works is if one store doesn't have it, you move on to the next and so forth. It's a spider web of alleys and roads that seem endless.
    I also joined Pam for the Thursday lunch Bible study. They are finishing up a study on Spiritual Warfare. There were about 7 women, it varies week to week with the office ladies, but we sang some songs and then dug into the Scripture. Tomorrow, I'm playing worship for the missionary wives' Bible study and we are beginning a study on the "I Am Sayings". The first one is from John 4:1-26. And I'm interested to learn what these women, European mostly, will discuss. :) Wonderful having older women to listen to and learn with.
     I just finished playing keyboard for tomorrow, interrupted by the power going out, and am listening to the constant noise of the neighborhood. I have been learning so much...about the people, the country, the missionaries, everything. Thank God I like to journal as that is a way to help me process!!! I have loved being back with Pam and her family. They are simply wonderful and such a blessing to me. The kids have grown taller in two years...but it seems like just yesterday we spent a month together! Pam is out tonight and Simon is on an overnight flight, so I put the kids to bed. I read Zara a story and then she practiced her reading. Joshua reads on his own now and I teased him by taking his Panda...long story from 2 years ago that they STILL remember! Apparently Panda and I have preceded me coming as one of the kiddos friends upon meeting me said, "You're Emma! I know you're favorite game to play is Panda!" :)
   
     Anyways, I thank those of you who have been praying for me. I've needed them, and God is good. My prayer has been that He was the one that led me here and as I've had two women teaching and discipling me, it has been wonderful and challenging. But I am thankful God has brought me here and is placing people in my path that I might learn from.
     Until next time, may God grant you peace and rest!

Destination: Uganda

      I am very excited for this weekend. I leave Saturday afternoon to head to St. Louis and board a plane and from there I shall fly to Washington, DC before leaving the country for two months. I am joining two different missionary families, one in Kampala and the other in Fort Portal. Through supporters I raised $1714 for my trip and I am so thankful and blessed! I have never had to raise that much money before, and while it may not seem like a lot, it is a huge blessing and I am thankful. :)



    I met Pam and her family when I was in Dubai, UAE in June 2010. I have gotten to know them well and am thankful that now I am joining them on the field. Pam does multiple ministries in Kampala, the biggest being the Bible studies she plans, writes, and teaches. I'll be with Pam for two weeks before going with Luan to the village where she lives. Luan works with the women teaching them cooking, farming, and sewing skills to provide for their families while teaching them Scripture.
     I am excited to see what God is doing in these families' lives as well as in their ministries!! I also am excited to learn beside fellow brothers and sisters and share the Word of God with them. As I have never been to Uganda or Africa before, I don't know what to expect in many ways. I am excited to learn about this country, people, culture, and make connections with the people. While I know some of what I will be doing in Uganda, I won't know the whole picture until I get there. This summer will be eye opening and I pray that God will change and move in my heart. Yes, I am excited for the destination of my summer!!!!
     I will get back on July 31st and be home for two weeks before going back to school on August 15th.
     My prayer and desire is to be used and open to God's leading and will and to be helpful to the missionaries. Please pray for me as I go this summer. Pray for my family and friends that are worried about me that God might give them peace. Pray for flexibility and willingness as God opens my eyes to the needs of the Ugandan people. Pray for the Simon and Pam and George and Luan's ministries and passion for spreading God's truth while meeting physical needs. Please pray that more people will come to know the true, sovereign Lord.

Next Stop: Destination Unknown

       Spring break is over. I went on choir tour and it was crazy...fun at times but definitely crazy. Every night we stayed with a different host family as we traveled to Arkansas, Lousiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas in a week. We had a free day in Dallas, Texas and the highlight of that day was chilling and then going to see "In the Heights" a musical show.

       Now, finally having time to reflect and think about this past week and events tied into the trip and stuff going on in general I am once again thankful that I serve a God that knows the way the world works, because once again I find it super crazy. The world has so many surprises in life...and most are often what we least want or expect, but the important aspect is to remember to trust God even when we don't understand or feel overwhelmed. God has definitely been taking me on a journey this semester. And a common theme with my life is patience and trust it seems, lol. So...with all this traveling that's been happening lately, I don't know where God is going to take me next. He is teaching me and refining me, and I do trust Him with my life, even though I haven't a clue what next puzzle piece He's going to put on the table. It's exciting!!
So...if I were to pick up a GPS and type in my destination it would read something like this: "Next Stop: Destination Unknown." But...God knows and his way is totally better than mine. So you see...patience...:)

"Exquisite blossoms and intoxicating fragrance"

     My gardenia bloomed!!!! The title of this blog is from the tag of the plant...it made me chuckle. :) Now...this isn't my actual picture but the blossom is the exact same. :) I've never seen this kind of blossom before and apparently it is a Kleim's Hardy Gardenia. It smells AMAZING!!!!! Being my favorite flower, it is a wonderful reminder and I really love it!

Most beautiful flowers of God's creation in my opinion. :D

Reliance

  Today is "Preaching and Teaching Convention" at school...affectionately known as "P&T". Workshops and seminars but no classes!! Nice break for two days. :) Since I don't have to work until 2:30, I decided to work on some school projects. One of them being for Psalms class with Mark Moore. We have an "Artistic Project" to turn in; ranging from writing, to music, to art, to pretty much anything he approves! So...I have decided to write an original psalm. According to "guidelines" for the project, it has to be of the same style/genre as the writers in Scripture. So I have entitled the psalm, "Reliance"...

Reliance

How long will I be kept waiting?

How long will my prayers go upwards

with no response?

I have waited for you and called out for You,

            But still You are silent.

I am alone, O God!

I need Your help for I cannot do this on my own.

My struggles are choking me,

            It is as if my throat has hands about it;

My hands are tied tight behind my back.

How did it come to this, Lord?

I have watched with heart and mind heavy

            As the ground is completely shaken beneath me.

Darkness threatens to close in even as I fight to stay

            In the Light.

Lord, I have looked to You,

            Yet so many times I have turned away once again.

I have learned in recent years that even through

            The confusion and misunderstandings;

You are still there for me.

My soul has cried out and finally,

            I have found rest.

Keep me at peace and strong, and let not storm clouds nor raging waves

            Overwhelm and waver my trust in You.

Seasons may change, winter to spring;

            But God, never do you change!

You are my lifeline, O LORD!

You alone are my source of hope!

When I look to You, I know You are there waiting.

My thoughts are set on You

            And my heart longs to be with You.

Even in this wilderness, Lord,

            You have given me an oasis!

My heart and lips sing praises to You,

            My Lord;

You are my strength and in you,

            Yes, in You O Lord, I find peace and satisfaction!

"Where Can I Go from Your Presence"

So...here I am at 2:49am and I just finished composing a hymn for my Music in Worship Literature class. We had to write at least three stanzas of our own composition to music already written. Mine is written to "What A Friend We have in Jesus" by Joseph Scriven, 1855.  :) The class is great and I have enjoyed the content very much. As my first test in it is on Wednesday, I may not love it so much the following day! ;) We shall see. In the meantime...here is my hymn...

"Where Can I Go from Your Presence"

Where can I go from your presence,

Heavens, seas or farthest lands?

Everywhere I hide you find me,

Even though I try my best.

If I say the darkness hide me,

Darkness tis not dark to Thee!

Though I’ve tried my best and hardest,

Still you find and watch o’er me.

I have faltered in my walk, Lord

Tested, tempted all the way

Now I see my sins and problems

How can I return to Thee?

Have you counted sins against me?

Wash my heart and make it clean.

Open up my eyes to see, Lord,

All that you have planned for me.

Lord, to thee I am returning,

From this world of toils and snares.

Fix’d my gaze on Thee most surely,

Humbled by the load I bear.

Grace? What is this gift you’ve given?

Grace to cover all my sins!

Ever still my constant Savior

Keep me, Lord within your hand!

Yahweh, Lord and great Redeemer,

In you I have found my rest!

You are my only Sustainer,

Never from you shall I turn.

When the wind blows, waves crash over

Sun shines down, and flowers bloom,

Never shall I be forsaken

Closer to Thee shall I cling!

TWINS!!!!

So...I got to witness today an awesome spectacle that I'd never seen before. A girl I know is having twins and I was present for her ultrasound. I have never seen twins in an ultrasound before and it was probably the most amazing picture I've ever gotten to see. Then, as the resolution cleared, I could see a flicker on one side of the womb and another flicker at the top of the womb. These were the heart beats of identical twins!!! Sure, I've seen heart beats of babies before, but never twins. :)
So...anyways...that was just something really special that I got to see today and I am amazed. God's handiwork of the human body is amazing!!!

"Still learning stuff that Exciting?"

 I am  in Psalms this semester and am learning so much! haha...I was talking to two freshmen friends while working and said the following, "My mind is being blown this semester. In...really good ways. I am in Psalms and Hebrews, and it's really fascinating. Really challenging me with what I think and how I've always viewed certain aspects of Scripture". They responded with wide eyes and one sputtered "And what year are you?" I smiled, "a junior." He grinned, "And...so you're classes are harder than your freshman year? Like...you're still learning stuff that exciting?" I laughed and they both joined in and we continued discussing the elements of learning and expanding learning.

 "...still learning stuff that exciting". Hmm...I would have to say yes. Followed with I never tire of learning, I tire of homework. :) But...without the homework there is no immediate application to what you learn. I love learning and hope I continue to love it and learn from those that teach me and eventually that I teach. It's a really cool thought that I'm not sure what to do with completely yet. I look forward to wanting to graduate, but I am continually learning that it is okay to just speculate and ponder and meditate and examine differing thoughts and processes.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings about loving education!!!

Let the homework begin!!!

"16 books..again?! You've got to be kidding me!" I felt like smacking my forehead as I looked at my roommate in class Thursday night. I laughed as she joined in, "I thought I was through with that! Oh well...lots of knowledge to be gained I guess!" Yes indeed, my semester has begun again and right now, I don't really care how many books I have. SUCH a weird feeling! lol.

This semester is off to a wonderful, wonderful start. My RA has a deep passion for Gay Ministry and Sunday night we went to "birthday dinner" and I listened to her share her heart for these people and how God is opening doors in her life for over an hour. I treasure moments people open up and share their passions, dreams, faults, weaknesses, and struggles; when all this is centered around discovering where God wants someone and where He is calling them, I feel like I've been given an insight into God's heart. God has established wonderful and incredible plans in us. Sometimes...those plans come with hardship and pain. Sometimes it's a clear shot to the target where He wants you. And sometimes those plans are like puzzles; we have the whole outline and some of the pieces, but we're not really sure where the other puzzle pieces go. God can use and will use us if we are willing to be shaped, molded, spun about and used. 

Later this week as I went to my classes I grew increasingly excited and increasingly...worried about my homework load. But I am so excited about the homework and classes. All the classes flow so good together. I am back in some music classes, which is so great and enriching. I learned some interesting stuff about hymns that is fascinating. According to the rhythmic meter, certain hymns can be sung to another musical tune. Example, in 8.6.8.6 meter, Joy to the World can be sung to Amazing Grace and vice versa. Cool!!! Three of my classes have a "Creative project" in which I will probably do some expressionist painting/music for and so I am excited about that. And I am in two women only classes! One is Ministering to Women in Crisis and the other is Women in Missions. They are great! So refreshing to get together with several women and study God's heart and direction for women in the past, present and ourselves. The Crisis class is fantastic for what I'm pursuing in life. God has been developing in me a love and passion for women, especially in crisis and I think this class is going to amplify that and equip me so much more. 


But...enough of this! haha...why do I love school so much?! I am excited to see what God has in store for myself and my friends this semester and my prayer is still that He breaks my heart for what breaks His, teach me patience, and to love people like He does. 

Rain, Gardenias, and Jesus...

So what all do these three have in common?? I love all of them!! 
 Rain is the most peaceful sound ever and I like rainy days where I can grab a book or good movie and chill under a blanket. Rain is so refreshing and smells great; probably because it cleans all the dirt and makes everything clean. Two things with rain is walking before it rains, when the wind kicks up and then walking during the rain on a warm spring or summer night is wonderful! haha...I once walked with a friend at school, Maddie, barefoot around our campus when it was like 35 degrees...needless to say, we about froze! One of my favorite lyrical lines "I wanna wake up with the rain falling on a tin roof" is from "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones. My house lets the sound of rain in really well and every time I hear it...I smile and just chill. :) 


 Gardenias are my favorite flower and they smell heavenly! I had a gardenia plant that bloomed twice while I had it and the blossoms smelled wonderful. They are gorgeous flowers and they are dainty and simplistic. Their scent is different from any flower I've ever smelled. It's a light, spicy, flower scent. Almost like jasmine, but not as strong and heady. Now that my plant has long since died, I've yet to find any more plants and so I just burn candles and wear the fragrance. haha you do what you can, right? 


 Then...Jesus. He brings a smile to my face; a huge smile. Not only did he create the rain and the gardenias, but He created every plant, season, person, and element in the world. Now, I realize that God created the heavens and the earth and that Jesus is God's Son, but according to what Jesus says throughout the Gospels, He and His Father are one. So when I say Jesus created everything...it feels and sounds weird to say "well actually God created everything, Jesus' father, but they are one". But there is no mistake in that Jesus, God's Son died on the cross for my sins, and the sins of the world. Jesus' willingness to do and follow God's guidance and direction even to His death, still amazes me. And to think He gave His life for me? That someone could love me so much they would do that? Wow. I've been reflecting on God's grace so much this semester. It is truly amazing the grace that we have been continually offered and we're just asked to trust, believe, and obey and love Him in return. God is truly an amazing and incredible God!!