New Opportunites!

Once again I've let time slip away from me and it's been a few weeks since I've updated. Well I did indeed hang out with my friend Nick and it was refreshing to be able to talk face to face with someone I was with last year. Since that weekend I've been working and reconnecting with my church family. I'm still getting over this nasty sinus infection that I've had for two weeks. That's kinda been weighing me down and I've been trying to rest so that I can heal from it without going to the doctor.
I'm really excited for this weekend... I'll be heading down towards southern Illinois to visit with the Hopson family for the weekend!! They are a missionary family with WGM that were in Uganda while I was there. They are home on furlough, raising support and their home just happens to be close enough to my home to visit them. Their son, Austin was in my class this past year at Heritage. He's so fun!
Anyways, this past weekend I was asked to speak in my home church about my time in Uganda. I'd known about speaking for almost a month, but still didn't have anything formal prepared. So I decided that since I never have anything formal prepared in anything I do, why start now? :) Yes, that sounds irresponsible, but honestly I work so much better that way. I have no problems speaking to large crowds, especially when the topic is something I'm so passionate about. I played a slide show of my pictures and spoke for about 50 minutes straight. I really just asked the Lord to speak through me and to help the congregation have a better understanding of more of His creation. Of course God is faithful and everything went well. It was nice to finally get to stand up and talk, uninterrupted about my time in UG. It helped me process through some stuff better too. The Lord is faithful in getting His message across... it was cool. There were things that I knew I wanted people to hear... things the Lord taught me last year and there were things I knew I had to tell them about my ministries. I feel like God allowed me to successfully communicate everything. It felt like I was preaching a sermon part of the time and it was great! I'm really hoping to have more opportunities to speak in other churches.
My best friend and her husband and sister came out. My mom came too. I know it's hard for her to hear my heart about going back, but I think this helped give her a better idea of why I'm so passionate about it.
Oh! Something I'm excited about... I went to a pool party over the weekend and got to see some dear friends and supporters, Ben and Joy Thomas. Joy asked if I would come to a small group that meets at their and I of course agreed, but because of my schedule I won't be bale to go for a couple of weeks. BUT I got a message from her yesterday about us leading a group together at my old church! I'm so pumped about this because I love Joy, I love WSC, and I would love to partner with her in ministry there. Please be in prayer about my involvement at Wheatland Salem UMC and at Plano UMC.
Other cool stuff to look forward to... My other BFF is coming in from Seattle in a couple weeks and I'm pumped to see her! I'm going to a Cubs game with some very dear friends in a couple of weeks. AND I'm hoping to travel to Alabama to visit with Jade and Shelah while they are home for a month from Uganda! :)
As per my return to Uganda... it's in the works. Nothing has been decided at all and I have no time frame yet. At this point I'm excited about some new ministry opportunities there and I'm praying and asking the Lord to open those up to me if that's what He wants me to do next. I'm also praying about the different programs that World Gospel Mission offers and I'm very seriously thinking and praying about the MD program (http://www.wgm.org/Page.aspx?pid=1917). I'm also thinking about going back as a VIA (Volunteer in Action) again. Would you partner with me in prayer about these important decisions? Your prayer and support is necessary to my ministry. Thank you for being faithful and serving the Lord with me!
Here are some links to some albums I have on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051135&id=161500306&l=8cc1952faa

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2052041&id=161500306&l=a795e75648

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053265&id=161500306&l=7e0e0cf4c5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054212&id=161500306&l=85ec51869b

New baby, old friends, and Jesus

I got home from Florida a week ago, but the next morning I left for Indy. Being in Florida was great and just what I needed. I finally got to meet my bff, Stacy's baby, Owen. I love my nieces to death, but it's real cool to have a nephew to spoil now too! We had a good week hanging out, playing with the baby, spending some time at the beach, and having good conversations. I always enjoy the time I have with Stacy and Jeff and I can't wait til we get to hang out again.
After getting home from Florida, I went to Indianapolis for a while to visit with Trent. Going to visit Trent is always a good time. We just hung out and caught up. I finally got to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, which I thoroughly enjoyed of course. Also one of my favorite things we did was hang out with Drew! Drew is our friend from college, but before that he was one of Trent's youth kids. Neither of us had seen or really been in much contact with Drew in about 3 years because he moved to Arkansas in 2006. It was real cool to get back in contact with him and spend Sunday afternoon hanging out. I'm hoping that I'll get to see him a few more times while he's in Indiana for the summer.
I left Indy early evening on Sunday so it was a nice drive home, not TOO much traffic, and the perfect weather... no air conditioning needed. By the time I was in the home stretch, I was tired of driving, tired of sitting, and just plain tired. The nice part about a drive like that is the time to just hang out with the Lord, no interruptions. So I spent some time in prayer, presenting my needs/wants/desires before the Lord, lifting others up, and praising Him for being my Father. As I prayed and talk with God a peace fell over me and all I could do was smile, knowing that God was taking care of every part of my life. Most of you know that I want nothing more than to be back in Uganda right now and as you can imagine, God knows more than anyone how badly I want it! Since I've been home there have been a few things holding me back from really looking into going back, but as I sat before the Lord and reflected on the month home, and the year away I knew that I need not worry anymore. I'm so excited to feel free from the things that have been holding me back.
Anyways the whole point of this story is this... I decided to take a different way home to avoid monotony and as the road turned westward instead of north I got to see the most beautiful sunset I've seen since being in Uganda. The sunset drew my attention, but a cloud held it. I'm not one of those people that can see shapes in clouds real easily. Like if I'm looking at the clouds with someone and they say, "aw, cool... see that heart?" I can never see the heart, but I say I can see it. :) So as I'm driving, captured by the presence of the Lord and looking at the sunset, one of the only clouds around was clearly in the shape of a cross. Not only was it a cross, but it was a cross in use. It was Jesus on the cross and it was God reminding me of all of the things He can handle and I cannot. I watched the cloud for a half hour as it took other shapes, but eventually right before it completely dissipated it became the shape of an angel. I knew without a doubt that it was an angel and seeing as though I normally can't even see a simple shape like a heart, I knew that God was allowing me to see it. The whole time I was gazing silently at the cloud beautiful songs of worship were playing over the radio. It was such a sweet time with Jesus.
So, now I'm home and I'm back to work. I'm actually looking for another job because I have too many bills to try and pay off. Maybe I'll work two jobs. Who knows, but I know I want to get back to Uganda ASAP and I know that I have school loans looming over me every second.
I get to hang out with Nick Strong this weekend, which is really exciting. He was in Uganda during the same time that I was. It'll be nice to chat with someone who personally knows all the stuff I'm talking about with Africa. :)
Would you be in prayer with me about my finances and my future? Please continue praying for my friends and family here and across the globe. Many people are having rough times right now trying to deal with life and all that comes with it.
Also please continue to remember Lino and family in your prayers as he will be traveling (Sudan). Pray for his safety and PLEASE pray for his health. Tomorrow is his birthday and I'm really sad to not be celebrating with him... in general I'm missing everything about Uganda. Prayer for that would be great.
Love you all!

Hotness!

This is dedicated to my dear friend Meki. She's like the coolest person ever! I miss you, Meki!! Told you I would have a blog devoted just to you! You're beautiful and I'm praying for you!! :)

Reasons I miss Africa

I got this list from another missionary on facebook, but most of these make me smile as I imagine being back in Uganda. :) Enjoy... this'll give you an idea of what "home" was for me last year.

You know you're from Africa when...
...it doesn't seem right to pay the asking price on anything in a store. If you can't barter for it, it's not worth having.
...you're appalled that American grocery stores only sell one or two different types of bananas.
...your parents yell at you for forgetting to use silverware in public.
...you're going to visit your friends and take you passport ~ just in case you have to evacuate.
...you find all the non-white people in town so you can be a minority again.
...you can lead a 20 minute conversation starting with "Jambo!!" and keep it going by replying "ehh" in numerous different tone-levels for the next half an hour! (...and have the other person exactly understand what you are saying!!)
...you fear for you life while riding in a Matatu....anywhere!
...you'd rather be barefoot.
...every toothpaste is colgate.
...every softdrink is coca cola or fanta.
...you have uncles and aunts who are younger than you.
...black outs are nothing new to you.
...no running water for a day is just another ordinary thing
...40 degrees is freezing!
...four cars are driving parallel to each other on a one-lane road.
...The smell of freshly rained on mud paths/tarmac is comforting.
...being an hour late equals being "on time"
...you get car sick cuz the roads just can't have enough potholes!
... you pass by someones house and you know what they gonna have for dinner cuz u can pretty much see and/or smell what's cooking
...you can bribe a cop and get away with it!
...you have an overwhelming urge to wash all your salad in bleach water
...You know that the police isn't always the safest place to go when you're in trouble.
...Cramming 7 passangers in a 4 passenger taxi is really not a big deal.
...you know never to question what you're eating (even if it does taste good), cuz sometimes you just don't want to know.
...you invite people for a get together at 7 and they all come at 9.
...football is played with some sort of ROUND ball and WITHOUT hands.
...everyone in your country plays soccer.
...you make friends with the local shepard and know the goats by name.
...carry purell like it's your life supply.
...you spent countless hours shining your shoes when u know very well that by the time you get to the taxi stop, they'll be covered in unbeleivable dirt!
...you keep converting the value of things in your home currency when u see the dollar value.
...a plane flies by and you just cant help but look up!
... you have another name in your home language.
... you hate American corn, because it's never hard enough.
...you remember being so confused about how you could pay for something with a visa.
... you have put Vaseline in your hair to be like your African friends..and your Mom has to take it out with OMO and Kerosene!
...you expect people to tell you they're fine before you ask them
...you used to shower under the rain.
...someone is riding their bike down the road with corrugated iron strapped width wise across the back of the bike and its taking up more than half of the road.
...you miss rain on a corrugated iron roof; it's so loud you have to shout to be heard.
...you've been proposed to while walking down the street (if you're a girl, that is)
...you know what true hospitality and generosity is...when those who have almost nothing still welcome you in with open arms and are willing to share everything they have with you - even though they barely know you!
...someone asks you how much your sister costs.
...your brother tries to sell you to his college roommate for 36 cows or goats...
...You unwrap all your gifts carefully, so that you can reuse the wrapper.
...more than 90% of the music CD's and cassettes in your home are illegal copies.
...you have almost always carry overweight baggage when traveling by plane.
...Nobody in your family informs you that they are coming over for a visit.
...You only make telephone calls at a cheaper rate at night
...You never have less than 20 people to meet you at the airport or see you off even if it is a local flight.
...you learn the native words for "white person" everywhere you go, because you hear it shouted everywhere you go.
...something that would normally take half an hour in the Western world takes a few days or weeks...and if it didn't it just wouldn't be fun.
...you find it completely natural to have burglar-bars outside your windows
...you bought your cellphone through your car window
...chicken is a luxury
...you wonder why there aren't any herds of cows and goats walking down the street in North America
...you can smell the rain before it comes
...you can look up at the sky and see every star clearly
...the sunset is something to look forward to
...the only thing you throw away is avacado stones, and even then you wonder if you should save them and plant a tree
...every white thing you own has permently turned a curious shade of orange
...everywhere you walk children run up to you shouting, 'how are you! how are you, how are you?' mzungu! mzungu!
...You spend as little time as possible in the toilet, and can hold your breath for amazing lengths of time.
...you always drink your drink straight away in front of the shop, and give them the bottle back.
...you spray 'Doom' in your tent before going to bed.
you´re NOT in Africa and you miss everything everybody else mentioned so much it hurts.
...you dream about Africa - a lot.
....you think of giving up trying to convince people of what it´s really like - even though they really do try, they often just don't understand.
... you expect to be able to buy roast corn, fried meat or fish, boiled yams or cassava etc whilst you are travelling on public transport.
...having mud-orange feet is normal.
...instead of being greeted with "good morning", you're greeted with "Are you awake?"
...the rain back "home" feels cold.
...you go away on holiday and come back, and the people ask you: "Are you back?"
...you get the songs from the celltel and pepsi adverts stuck in your head
...you learn quickly that pedestrians DO NOT have the right-of-way
...you realize that after leaving africa you can never have another piece of fruit that will ever taste as good as it does there
...you can buy anything you like at traffic lights, from fruit to hangers to kitchen knifes.
...your 'guard dogs' were the most lovable pets ever
...you prefer music that's slightly out of tune
...b.o. is a comforting smell
...you reuse plastic throwaways
...$2 is too much for a t-shirt
...the smell of an old, smoky diesel engine makes you smile and long for 'home'
...pop comes in glass bottles
...you aren't surprised when you have to stop the car to let three giraffes finish crossing the highway in front of you
...you buy your milk in a triangular carboard container from a hut on the side of the road
...you know the profound and tangible silence of dawn on the Masai Mara
...you know that an umbrella is useless during the rainy season and simply accept the fact that you'll be wet for 3 months... and really don't mind either.
...you've seen a sky so blue you could cry, with thick, perfect white clouds you can almost taste
...people bump into the car in front, check out the damage, hand over some money (maybe!) and then drive off!
...you think nothing of driving down a road that has potholes bigger than anything!
...you get culture shock in a grocery store, when you see the shelves completely stocked with 15 different kinds of whatever!
...you're an expert at packing bags and people into cars . . . and making everything fit!!!
...When there's no electricity, you're in bed by dark and up at sunrise.
...you buy a movie on the street, get home and watch it, and realize that you can hear the person chomping on their popcorn in the theatre...
...you're sure your going to die 9 times in a 5 minute minibus trip
...You remeber the smell of the first rain signaling the end of the dry season
...you hand in your glass bottle of fizzy soft drink back to the shop keeper for recycling just to get your deposit back
...you just can't explain the concept of snow.
...your bed back in north america doesn't seem right without a mosquito net
...when you try to convince your friends and family that it actually is a lot more logical and easier to transport things on your head
...Milo is your favorite drink
...everyone is family
...you wonder where all the elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and other animals are while your driving down the high way
...pop a squat has a whole new meaning
...when a baboon has taken your food right out of your hand.
...you dreaming of a red/orange/green Christmas instead of a white one...you know what TIA means.


...tears well up in your eyes as you read this list, either wishing that you were back in Africa or glad that you are still there...

Act of Kindness... and my shock

Time is kind of crawling for me right now. I've been home for about 3 weeks, but it seems like much longer than that. Maybe it's because I miss everyone so much or maybe it's because I've been waiting to go see Stacy, Jeff, and baby Owen. Whatever the reason... I'm actually glad time is moving slow. I'm struggling to figure out where I fit in here, but then I think about the fact that I've only been home a few weeks and I feel better.
Moving on to the point of this blog... my brother moved out about a week and a half ago. We rented a truck and I helped him moved all his stuff . You should have seen the struggle we went through trying to get some of his furniture out of the basement! If you came to my house last year you know how giant that green couch and chair are... I don't know how it made it into the basement, but me helping my brother get it out was a joke. Not to say that I'm weak or anything. ;) Anyways, it was just me and him loading and unloading the truck and it was NOT easy. So a few days later I was helping him get the rest of the little junk out of his old room (my new room). We were carrying some clothes from his Jeep to his place and one to his nice suits slid off the box I was carrying. His hands were full, my hands were full, and his nice suit was laying on the ground getting dirty. We kind of looked at each other and then looked at the suit and then back at each other. I think in our heads we were trying to figure out the best way to get his clothes off the ground without having to put the rest of the clothes down, or dropping even more stuff. As we're just standing there, some guy came up from out of no where and picked it up and put it back on the box that I was carrying. He was a young guy, probably on his way out to meet friends or something, but the thing is that he took time to stop and help. Now, I know you're thinking, "so??", but the point is... I was shocked. Obviously we thanked the guy and moved on, but for a while after that I couldn't help, but think about this random act of kindness. I was saddened by the fact that I was so shocked. It shouldn't be shocking for someone to stop and help someone else especially with something so simple, but it was. Does that mean that I wouldn't have done the same thing or does that mean it doesn't happen enough and I have a cynical view of humans? I think maybe a bit of both. I didn't like being so shocked because that's what Christ would have done. It's so easy for me to see someone and judge them by their outer appearance instead of seeing them as Christ does. It was an exciting moment to realize that there are still people who want to be helpful and want to be good, but also a very convicting moment for me. Man, I need to love EVERY single person I encounter just as Christ would. Thank you Lord for reminding me of that through something so seemingly small.
So other than that the only thing that's new with me is that I finally have my bedroom set up for the most part. It's nice to have my own space and a place to get away to when I need it. Also, I bought a goldfish... maybe because I miss Lino and it reminds me of him. :)
Anyways, I have some friends and family that have been an encouragement to me lately. Since the day I arrived I have been worrying about what's next... thinking that I had to make a decision right away. It would be great to know exactly when I'm going to have the chance to go back to Uganda, but until I know I need to be here. I need to focus on what's before me and the opportunities that God is presenting me with daily.
I leave my Skype signed on all night because I don't want to miss an opportunity to talk to anyone from Africa... with the time zone being so different I'm willing to sacrafice sleep in order to stay in touch with people. So this morning at around 5:40am I rolled over because I heard someone calling me on Skype. I saw who it was and decided I would just call them later. I ignored the call and then couldn't go back to sleep because I was too excited at the prospect of talking to my friend. I quickly learned that it was Lino who was calling me on Francis' Skype name because he was at the school with Wasswa for Wasswa's piano lesson. Lino decided he was going to call me! I was so excited to finally talk to that kid! Francis' computer has a built in webcam so I got to see not only Lino, but Francis and Wasswa too! It was so cool. Wasswa is going into second grade this year at Heritage. He was in my roommate's class last year and he was no doubt the cutest first grader! I got to know him and his new adoptive mom, Roxanne pretty well. Anyways, I love those guys so much and it was so sweet to talk to them even if it was 5:40 in the morning. I was thankful that my old school Mac doesn't have a webcam at that moment... I would have scared them all from calling me ever again!
It was a huge encouragement to hear from them and was the perfect way to start my day. I went to bed pretty late last night because I was on another encouraging phone call, but even still I loved my early morning call!
Something I need to apologize for is not being good about answering my phone. I've not been in the chatting mood, but I'm working on it. Feel free to call me!
I'm heading down to Florida tomorrow to meet baby Owen and visit with Stacy and Jeff. I'm so excited! I'm also excited for some warm weather... it's been so cold up here these days! For real, 65 degrees might be "nice" to some people, but it's COLD to me. I lived on the equator for a year. Also, the air conditioning everywhere is killing me! I'm always freezing these days so I sometimes wear a scarf just to keep my neck warm and people keep making fun of me. Even in Africa I wore a scarf or sweater to school every morning until it got too hot.
When I get back from Florida Trent is coming to hang for a bit and then I think I'll get to see some friends I met in Uganda. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks!
Please continue to pray for me, my family, and my friends. Pray for the nation of Uganda and the whole continent of Africa. Pray for clarity, for discernment, and for decisions. Pray for rest. Pray for Lino and the adoption process and his overall health. Much love!
ps don't forget to check out the video below of Lino getting his presents. It's funny!

Lino's Presents

Christina NOT in Uganda

Well I've been home for just over a week now and it's so weird! After about a year of being gone I'm back in the U.S. and I'm already working and getting into a routine. I'm actually kinda sad about working and stuff so fast because it seems like it erases everything I've done for the last year. I don't want to move on yet (now or ever actually). I'm just not ready to be done with Africa... at all. I'm missing it so bad already. I know... it's only been a week, but I just want to be a part of life there. I never wanted to be one of those people that come and go, but that's me. I'm praying that the Lord gives me some clarity on what is next and I'm hoping that it has something to do with Uganda.
I'm really trying to not sit around and be sad all the time, but some days it's hard. I've already gotten to see lots of people and I have plenty more to see still. It's so great to see everyone, but it really does seem like I never left. It'll probably hit me how long I've been gone when I head down to Florida in a couple weeks to spend time with Stacy, Jeff, and baby Owen. I can't wait to meet my new nephew (stacy is my BFF)! It's been so sweet to be able to spend time with my family. Kayla (4) and Alexandria (2) are hilarious! Alexandria remembered me!! I did NOT think she would at all, but the morning after I got in I went downstairs and just sat on the bottom stair and waited for her to notice me, so I wouldn't scare her. She looked up and immediately her eyes got huge and she yelled, "TT!! Nana, my TT here!!" And she ran to me and gave me a big hug and kiss. It was so special! :)
So saying goodbye... not fun... not something I'm good at. Given the fact that I'm pretty non-emotional, my last day was SUPER emotional. Without going into to too much detail, saying goodbye to Francis, Lino and the Ackers were both really difficult for me. Of course it was hard to say bye to other people, but I really invested a lot into these guys. The Ackers made me feel like a part of their family... I spent Christmas day with them and my birthday... they are awesome. Of course, all the time spent with the Ackers was much because of their soon-to-be-son, Lino. Being a part of this kids life is something I thank God for everyday. He's like my little brother... seriously, I love the kid. And then there's Francis. I couldn't ask for a cooler guy and a better friend. He made me comfortable and we had fun. The Lord is using his ministry in the lives of lots of people.
Anyways, I met Lino and family for lunch, then we went back to their house. They had stuff to do, so Lino and I watched a movie and I gave him his presents. I made him a scrapbook of the last year and bought him a couple of goldfish (which I realize sounds weird... but you have to know the kid). Then Lino went to play some basketball while I went to say bye to Francis. I hung with him for a bit and then told him bye, and then had like 30 minutes to compose myself before having dinner with Lino and the Ackers and saying goodbye to them. So I spent the evening with them, finished watching my movie with Lino and then told them bye and went home. I was all packed, so I got to go right to bed and sleep away my sadness. Getting on the plane was so hard for me. Yikes. Enough of that.
So now that I'm home I'm working at my parent's store. I'm doing marketing and public relations for them. So far I've sent out an email blast and set all that up for them. I've created a presentation for them. I've created an advertisement for the newspaper and got in contact with someone about getting them a booth at the county fair to take orders for the store. All in all, it's not too bad and it's something that I'm fairly good at. I don't like that I'm not in "full time ministry" as in, I don't like that I'm not working at a church right now. I met with Pastor Christina for lunch (pastor at the UM church I worked at) and we got to talk about Africa a lot which was nice. She's been to Kenya so it was nice to be able to talk about some things and she knew exactly what I was talking about.
I don't know what's next for me... that the big question that everyone is asking. I'm waiting on the Lord and trusting that I'll have an idea of what's next soon. God is a good God and I'm excited about whatever lies ahead.
My family is throwing me a welcome home party this weekend, so I'm excited to see more peeps. That's about it for me. Bare with me as I adjust to life back here. Pray with me. Pray for Uganda. Pray for my friends and family there. Pray for my friends and family here. Pray for Lino. Pray for patience and discernment.
Much love home slices!