I'm Going To Prison

Wow! Yesterday was an incredible day.  I was able to speak with the women about submitting to the Ultimate authority in love and then brought connected it with the Fruit Of The Spirit and living lives that portray these characteristics.  They seemed very receptive.

After I spoke I got to spend time encouraging one of the local interpreters from the village and she took me to her home and I met her family.  She has a very sad story and she was very discouraged.  It was such a blessing to be able encourage her just by being with her, listening to her story and allowing her to cry while she held her sick baby.  They have so little but they trust so big!

We are about to venture out into another day of ministry.  While the rest of the team goes to a new village Josh and I are headed to minister to a couple of local prisons and share the gospel.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  Continue to pray for confidence in sharing the gospel as we rely on the Holy Spirit to work through us.  The team is really beginning to gel as we get to know each other.  I mean, when you share a moment such as peeing in the bush with a bunch of pigs how can you not, ha!

Have I mentioned how tempted I have been to bring a dozen black babies little black baby home?

I've Got A Good Idea

Don't you think that every new parent should be given a crash course about children's health?  I would love to have a real first-aid kit that includes a stethoscope, one of those tonsil stick thingies, and a nose and ear light...thing.  See what I mean?  I don't even know what those instruments are called, much less what to look for when they are used!

So, if someone could go ahead and organize that class, make it mandatory or at least offer an incentive to sign-up such as a freebie bag (everybody likes freebies...and bags!) full of these instruments.

How many co-pays would this have saved me over the last 5.5 years?

Got any good ideas?  I'd love to hear them!

We Made It!

We made it!

After a 1.5 hour flight, a 7.5 hour flight, another 7.5 hour flight and a 3-hour drive...we made it.

I got to bed at 2am and slept until about lunchtime yesterday before we headed out to our first village.  Josh sat in with the men in the first village.  I got to share with the ladies.  They are so beautiful!  And the babies...oh my goodness!  I can't begin to explain the way your heart aches and loves for these people that you do not even know!

The rest of the team did some school ministry and worked with the village kids.  GREAT DAY!

After the men and women got back together Josh and I grabbed our interpreter and headed down the path to the huts to go love on the people and share the saving news of Christ.  It was a little bizarre bit distracting having the circumcision party parading around with their statues and machetes and drums while we were sharing the gospel, but we were reminded that it is not us who saves, but the Holy Spirit.  The two women we shared with prayed to receive Christ!  Ameena!

This village is right on the shore of  Lake Victoria and our interpreter was from that village so he took us down to see his boats and the HUGE fish they catch.

I was broken, again, seeing how little these people have and how happy they are with nothing!  A little hut or boarded shack that they call "home".  The little naked babies crawling around the clay path in crap while they look for crumbs to eat is heartbreaking.

We are about to head out to this village to work with the same church in just a minute so I need to go.

Pray for receptive hearts today as we pour into these people.  Pray for team unity.  Pray for boldness for me and the rest of the team!

Lessons From The Classroom - 5 Senses

This past week we dove into our 5 senses.  We had so much fun and the kids were SO excited to do the experiments and activities.  Here's what we did.

Touch:  I hid five objects for each of them under a sheet.  They took turns being blindfolded and "feeling" the objects while tying to guess what they were.  Don't laugh...you know you like Zeke's blindfold;)

 After our little guessing game this led really nicely into our "Glitter Germ" activity.  We talked about how germs are spread and how we can't see them but they are extremely difficult to get off.  They each got to pick a glitter color and pour it on their dry hands.  I then instructed them to rub their hands together and then try to wipe it off.  Then, after trying to get the "germs" off with a dry rag, we tried cold water.  Still, remnants of germs remained so we got the soap out and warmed up the water.  The kids were amazed at how well the germs came off after washing really well with soapy, warm water.  And get this, Zeke came to me after using the bathroom and was SO excited that he washed his germy hands off without being told!  He really was listening:)

 I know you're a little distracted by Zeke's chest muscles,

but try to focus here...

Listen:  When I taught preschool I had this song that was the perfect rainy day, get some energy out type of song and it works perfectly with this unit.  You have to "listen" to the instructions to know how to dance...or "freeze".  It was a hit!  Micaiah would actually yell at me until I'd turn it on again:)  You can click the link and download it for yourself: Wiggy Wiggles Freeze Dance

Sight:  We made birthday cards for Cousin Cana.  I know that's stretching it, but we needed to do it and we were running out of days.  Plus, you can "see" them, right?  Right?

Smell:  I got a sample of different condiments to "smell" and the kids had to guess what they were smelling while blindfolded.

Taste:  Then I picked 8 different things to taste while blindfolded.  I quickly learned that they weren't so crazy about the sesame seeds, salt, pepper or flour.  The granola, chocolate chips, sugar and powdered sugar were a hit!

So, I think it's safe to say that homeschooling is working very well for us so far!  My mom is a certified teacher so she has a TON of fun things planned for school to keep them going while I'm gone:)

If

If I would have never gone through the things I went through (because of my own foolish choices) as a teenager, I would not be able to relate to the teenagers that come to me, I wouldn't have the same kind of compassion for families going through similar circumstances, I would have less of an understanding of what my own children may go through...

If we never would have moved to Charlotte, no matter how difficult that transition was, we would have never been forced to begin our own ministry that we'd been talking about doing for years, we would have continued to coast in the comfort of our familiar life, we would have never been on the path we are on today...

If we would have gotten pregnant that particular time, Josh would have never gone to the store to pick up flowers just to cheer me up and he would have never run into the guy that needed to hear about the saving grace of God outside of that grocery store, he wouldn't have been able to share the hope of the gospel...

If we had a "normal" job and made a consistent income, we wouldn't be forced to rely on Him quite so desperately, we wouldn't be able to fully grasp the Lord's miraculous provision every month like we have the privilege of doing...

If we had allowed finances, family, self-doubt, stress or any other excuses to get in our way, we would never have said "yes" to serving the Ugandan people over the next two weeks, and some of those people quite possibly may have never had the chance to hear the glorious name of Jesus Christ...

Here's someone else's true "If" story:
If the volunteer at Journey had failed to take his job of setting up the church signs on the road seriously, then the passerby that just happened to see the sign would never have made it in the doors of our church and given His life to the Lord...

Sometimes we face pain, regret, hurt, feelings of inadequacy, and times of doubt in our self-worth and purpose bu...

"...we know that in all things God works for the good of

those who love him, who have been called 

according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28 NIV

What is your "If" story?

Not Me Monday

I would never consider keeping an updated blog a priority.  That is just ridiculous!

Especially when there is a mission trip to be getting ready for.

Who in the world would ever even have that on their radar in a time like that?

Not Me!

I mean, I have way more important things to do, like folding my laundry, packing, writing lists for my mom who is keeping our kids because we're GOING TO AFRICA...wait we're going to Africa???

Yes, we're going to Uganda, Africa!  TODAY!


Holy Cow!  I've got a lot to do before we leave...

So, I wouldn't come back to visit my blog AT ALL this week.

No way...NOT YOU!

Because I sure wouldn't have scheduled out some posts just to keep my readers happy in my absence.

Nope, not me!

Running List

Josh and I are in the midst of packing and getting the final preparations complete before we fly out for Uganda tomorrow.  TOMORROW!  My mind is going in over-drive as I keep thinking of little things I need to finish or do.  I really should find something a littler more permanent to write my list on:)

Let's go to Uganda!

Custom Made Grillz

I didn't even know these kinds of places existed.

But in fact, they do.

As a matter of fact,

it's right next to the Raleigh Chuck E Cheese.

Of Course!

I guess that way you can drop your kids off to play

while you go git your grillz did, ha!

This Week Alone

 

Here are a few of his favorite things that

I've caught Micaiah consuming this week alone

_______________________________

 art feathers

chalk

Rainy's mystrery coccoon 

(she wasn't too happy about this one)

a moth 

(also Rainy's and also not too happy about this one)

a stray crayon

macaroni straight from the trash

(at least it was our trash can)

smelly milk from a sippy cup

a sticker (or 3)

And that's just THIS week!