Randomocity

A few random tidbits for you…

I finally got a picture of a refrigerator on the back of a boda boda. Not the best quality of photo, but you can get the idea.


Taken through a dirty windshield... so sorry for the quality

Other recent boda sitings… a full size windshield, a gigantic plate of glass, a boda on the back of a boda, and a twin size wooden bed frame strapped down vertically.

Another funny moment… When you enter a major shopping center here the car must be searched by security. They usually put a mirror underneath it, open the glove box and the trunk. The other day, the guard opened the trunk of the car in front of me (a Mercedes Sedan) and a goat popped out. Seriously, a live goat! The funny thing was no one seemed to think it was strange but me. The guard just shoved its head back down and closed it up. Unfortunately, I did not get my camera out in time.

And it’s only taken 8 months, but Mercy finally got up enough courage today to play on the ride-on toys in front of one of our favorite ice cream places. She’s always been interested in them, but would not go near them or touch them. A couple of weeks ago I got her to touch one of them and sit very briefly. Today, she sat inside both of them and played around, laughing the whole time. Maybe someday she’ll be brave enough for me to put the money in and actually have it move. Baby steps!

And last week, the house girls told me that I should get Mercy’s hair “hot combed” or blow-dried. So I took her to the salon to get it done. This was her first time in a real salon, as usually, the lady who braids it comes to our house. We went with the blow dry, and let’s just say that Mercy did not like it. I held her and tried to talk her through it. I was trying to distract her with her reflection in the mirror and I told her that she looked very pretty, but she ignored me… very loudly. I offered her a sucker, but she refused it. When it was over, and thank goodness it didn’t take too long, I paid the bill ($2). As we walked out, Mercy turned into the mirror, patted her now very fluffy hair, and said “I pretty” while grabbing the sucker from my hand and popping into her mouth. Oh my! Here’s a picture of the hair post-blow dry. But this poofy hair did not last long. Within 24 hours it was kinked back up and I think the blow drying broke it off some, as she has new fuzzy pieces. I don’t think we’ll do that again anytime soon.

And please continue to pray for us.  I've made a bit of progress in recent days and we hope that it will continue and that this could be a sign of an end in sight.

Easter

Well, I never in a million years would have thought I would be spending Easter in Uganda. And I’ll be honest, I was not too happy about it at the start of the week. Thankfully, I came around as the week went on.
I love that here both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. So it gives everyone lots of time to travel and celebrate. On Friday, we attended a Good Friday service at Watoto Church. They always have amazing music and they had a very moving reading of the Crucifixion, communion, and a long time of prayer. It was just what I needed. The only tricky part was keeping an energetic toddler entertained and quiet for the two hours. I won’t tell you how many suckers she consumed, but they seemed to work. Sometimes it’s all about survival.

On Sunday we went to church with Lawrence. I bought Mercy a new dress for the occasion. I thought about wearing my new Ugandan dress, but my wardrobe choices are a bit limited when taking a boda boda (motorcycle) to church. Not sure if I should admit this or not, but I think this was the first time in my life to not wear a new outfit on Easter morning. And guess what… life went on and there was still church. Who knew?

Mercy was not too happy about getting her picture taken. She wanted to twirl instead.

It totally reminded me of Avery’s Easter photos when she just turned 2. This was the best I could get. Seriously, Avery and Mercy are a lot alike. It makes me laugh and I’m grateful to know that there is a light at the end of this strong-willed toddler tunnel.

Church was very good. I loved when the pastor said, “Let’s make sure to keep the resurrection a reality and not just a memory.” Good stuff. Then we went to lunch with my friend, Cheryl, and her daughter that she is adopting. They have a long and precious story of how they met and the journey they’ve been on to bring her home. I met Cheryl while sitting in court hearings last fall. I make friends in the craziest places here. I was very glad to be able to spend the holiday with her. We had a great meal and then let the kids run around and play for a bit. And if you think of it pray for them tomorrow. They have a very important meeting.

Sunday evening, Mercy and I hung out with Simon, Kelly, and Heather and her kiddos. I feel so blessed that God has given me great friends to be with while I am here. It makes the tough days so much easier to handle. He keeps taking care of me every step of the way.

Cody, Emma, and Avery had a wonderful Easter. Poor Cody went non-stop last week. He had multiple services to handle, other pastoral duties, and then took care of all of the Easter things at home. He did fabulous. The girls had lots of fun and looked beautiful. Cody said the services all went well and they had many people make decisions for Christ, which is the true meaning of Easter. They had a great lunch with some wonderful friends from church… and then they crashed and enjoyed some much needed rest.
 

Avery, friend Mady, and Emma



Egg Hunt Fun!

 While I hope that this is our last big holiday apart, I know that we are all grateful for the ways God provided for us this past week. He continues to bless us, so we continue to persevere.

Mercy for Mamas

I feel awful that I have not updated you all on my Mama Kit Project in so long. Things are happening and it is very exciting… so here are a bunch of updates and sweet stories in no particular order.

By the way, I’ve decided to call the ministry, “Mercy for Mamas”.

First off… all of the kits that have been purchased have been delivered and/or are spoken for. Last month, I got to make a delivery of kits to the Youth For Christ Crisis Pregnancy Center in Kampala. This Center helps countless young girls and houses about 20 of them at a time while they are pregnant. They were very grateful for the donations. A donation like this is a huge blessing to them. It eases the burden of the cost for these girls and it also helps free up other money in the ministry to be used for other pressing needs. They have enough kits now to last them at least 9 months.


Me, Kelly, and Mercy with the YFC Girls

I also recently discovered another Crisis Pregnancy Center in the area that can use kits. Another adoptive mom told me about them and introduced me to the director. I hope to get their kits to them in the next week. Sometimes the networking of the adoption world can be so fabulous.
Unfortunately, the price of the Mama Kits has gone up by about $1.50. There is a shortage of cotton in the country, which means the price for the cotton wool has gone way up and that is one of the most expensive parts of the kit. I’m hoping this will go back down soon so that our money can go further and help more people.

I also recently gave a box of kits to my friend, Kathryn, who serves in Arua. She’s been passing them out to women she comes in contact with. It’s been a great way for her to minister to these women. She says the women are delighted to get this gift. Here are a few of the stories she has about passing out the kits (you can also check out her blog, she always has great stories of their lives here in Africa) :

By Kathryn- "I gave one to Janie, and she had tears in her eyes as she thanked me.

I gave one to Lillian, and she told me that just the day before, she had gone to the clinic to get checked and they had suggested she buy her things to prepare, but she didn’t have the 10,000 shillings and didn’t know how she would get it. She was so blessed by this Mama Kit arriving perfectly in God’s timing.

Kat and Helen, another sweet Mama that loved her gift

This next woman, Annette, is a relative to Alice (Kathryn’s house help). She arrived at my house at 8:45 in the morning. She had left her home in the village at 6am, walking to meet me. She reached Alice’s, they “took tea” and then came to my house. I’m guessing she got to Alice’s around 8am. That means this pregnant woman walked 2 HOURS to get this kit that costs approximately $5!! She sat, I gave her some water and a snack, and I said as many things to her in Lugbara as I could, which wasn’t much. I couldn’t get over the journey she had made that morning. How blessed we are. This was life changing for her."

Kat and Annette

Harriett tells me that most all of them women in the nearby slum area that received kits in November and December have now given birth. She says they all still thank her when she sees them and they were so glad to be able to go to the hospital for delivery. Harriett says there are also many more pregnant women that we need to help there. Sometimes the need can be so overwhelming.

Next weekend, my friends with the “Be a Blessing” ministry will be leading a crusade in a nearby village. They also plan to give away 100 Mama Kits during a special women’s bible study. I hope to be there to see the kits get passed out. But they promised to take photos and give me a full report if I am not. I am so glad to be a small part of the blessing that this group will be to this village

Some other amazing moments…

A woman in Alabama contacted me about the kits. Somehow, she heard about my blog through a mutual friend. God has been talking to her lately about doing a mission project. God laid Mama Kits on her heart. She and the women’s ministry at her church are raising money by making a cookbook. They hope to raise enough funds to be able to buy more than 300 kits. I’ll get you info on the cookbook and where to buy them as soon as I get it.

A friend of mine wanted her daughter to learn more about helping others. She told her little girl about Mama Kits and they decided to have a bake sale to raise some money. They called it "Cupcakes for Kits".  Sweet little Claire raised more than $160. Oh, how I love this.

Mercy shirts representing!!



How could you not buy a cupcake from this sweet face?

Another dear friend recently had a baby. (By the way, it kills me for my friends to be delivering when I am not there. Don’t they know how much I love to snuggle newborns?!) My friend had several showers, so she asked at one of them for people to donate to Mama Kits instead of buying a gift. Such an honor! Last year for Mother’s Day, this same friend and her sister were some of the first ones to donate to this project and they did it in honor of their mom. So sweet!

Our small groups at church just recently went through the book “Radical”, which by the way, I’ve mentioned on here before and I highly recommend. One of the teenage girls contacted me, and said after reading the book she felt convicted to do something. She sold some of her clothes, video games, and other “stuff” and donated about $100 for Mama Kits. I love to see young people with such a heart to help others.

And I must give a plug for another group… I stumbled today upon this website. This organization, "Because Every Mother Matters" very much has the same heart as mine to help women have safe deliveries. They have beautiful Mother’s Day Cards for sale. Each card is $10 and all money goes towards their ministry to help the women of E. Africa. Funny thing, greeting cards are on my dream list for the future of my Mama Kit ministry, but until I have my own cards done, you’ll have to buy one from them.

If you’d like to make a donation in honor of your wife, mother, or grandmother this Mother’s Day, you can click on the PayPal Donation link on this page for "Mercy for Mamas". All money will be used to purchase Mama Kits. I can’t imagine what mom wouldn’t like to know that their gift went to help another mama in Africa. The world does not need more orphans. Children like Mercy are not orphans because their mothers did not love them or want them. She is an orphan because her mother did not have access to proper medical care. I am not okay with that, and I hope you are not either.

Prayers for Progress

I just wanted to let you all know to keep praying for progress for us.  I spoke to the person I needed to yesterday and he said he'd be working on things sometime in the next few days.  With the holiday weekend, we are hoping it will get done before Friday. This may be wishful thinking, but we can pray for it! 

Keep 'em Coming!

I am glad to tell you that I made a bit of progress today.  Your prayers are working, so keep 'em coming.  It's funny... my progress today was not huge, but after weeks of nothing, anything seems big, so I am rejoicing in it.  I am praying for this week to be a week of progress and action.

Another update for you... remember the child prison that I visited which is part of the work of SixtyFeet.  SixtyFeet sponsored their "National Cupcake Sale" this weekend to raise money for their organization.  Many of you after learning about this group decided to round up your kids and have a bake sale.  It was so fun to read on Facebook and blogs about all of the cupcakes being made and sold.  Check out the Cupcake Kids website for the grand total of money raised... the last time I looked it was more than $30,000!  Amazing!

Another great quote from "Jesus Calling"...
"I have designed you to need Me moment by moment. As your awareness of your neediness increases, so does your realization of My abundant sufficiency. I can meet every one of your needs without draining My resources at all. Approach my throne of grace with bold confidence, receiving My peace with a thankful heart."


I am thankful that I serve a God with a never-ending supply of grace, love, and peace for Me.

Mercy Monday

Many of you continue to pray for us on each "Mercy Monday", which for those in the US actually starts on Sunday night.  For those who do pray, I wanted to ask for a bit of special prayer for us this week.  It's been several weeks since we've really made any progress.  I really would love to see something happen... anything.  Tomorrow I hope to meet with someone about our case.  Pray for that meeting to take place and for this person to feel compassion for us.  And with Easter this coming week, pray for my family.  It is very hard to be apart, and it's always more difficult during a holiday.  I'm having a hard time being away for this, so please help me to get through this week with the right attitude and for my mind to be focused on the reason we celebrate, and not my own troubles.

An interesting passage of scripture I heard this morning at church:
2 Corinithians 1:8b-11 "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.  But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us.  On him we have set out hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.  Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Now, I am not saying that we are literally "despaired even of life" or that we feel the "sentence of death", but I do feel under great pressure, a bit of despair, and "sentenced".  But as the verses say, I don't want to rely on myself... I can't really.  Your prayers ARE helping.  And I can't wait for our day of deliverance to see how many will give thanks with us for our answered prayers. 

Prayer Mountain

Yesterday, my friend, Heather and I went to a place called “Prayer Mountain”. We’d heard it was a great place to go to getaway to pray. So we left our kids with Kelly (no one under age of 7 is allowed at the mountain) and took off. The place is a bit outside of Kampala. The whole area is set up to be a spiritual retreat for people. They have an open air meeting area for conferences. They also have a campground, a small snack bar and an office. You pay 1000 shillings (about 40 cents) to enter and you can stay for several days if you’d like. We just stayed for a few hours, but it was a great experience. You get this amazing view of Lake Victoria. Then there are places under the trees and all around to sit and pray. Several people just walked around praying, either silently or out loud. Heather and I sat down and talked for a while and then we got off by ourselves. Then we got back together and prayed with each other. I am so glad to have amazing sisters in Christ here to talk with, cry with, and lean on.


I had a great time of praying, reading scripture, and just taking a deep breath with God. I could see all of His amazing creation around me. I could hear the fervent and earnest prayers of other believers. For a while I could hear nothing but the chirping and the wind in the trees. It was glorious. For me it was a great time to relax, focus on God, and pray for many specific situations. It’s interesting to see how God has changed many of my prayers over the last months. It’s tricky to balance praying for what I know God can do and what I want vs. praying for God’s will to be done, for Him to be glorified, and for me to be ok with His plan. Does that make sense? I’ve cried out to Him many times telling Him how hard this is, telling Him my fears, telling Him my worries . These are all things He already knows, but I feel better telling Him myself. But then He always reminds me that I must trust in Him, trust in His timing, and trust that His ways and plans are better than mine… even when it’s hard and it hurts. Oh how I long to have my family all together. How I long for Mercy to be in our home in the US. How I long for Emma and Avery and to be a part of their day to day routines. But I must trust Him in all circumstances. This is what He kept reminding me of while I prayed. And I found some more peace, which I greatly needed.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met people in recent months and they’ve said, “I don’t know how you do it. I would be a complete mess if I was in your shoes. I couldn’t do it.” A year ago, I would have said the same thing. I’ve had a few days of complete freak out and crying. I’ve been angry at God, myself, and others. I’ve had my share of “Mommy Guilt”. But when I ask Him for help and when I let Him in, I find peace. I find peace through your prayers for me and my family. I find joy in the wonderful friends God has placed in my life in Uganda and in the US. I find joy in Mercy’s smiles and antics. I find purpose in the ministry God gives me to do here.  I see God’s provision for my family on a daily basis. I see Emma and Avery doing well and keeping such great attitudes through all of this and it blesses my soul. I see the blessing in the wonderful husband God gave me. He amazes me each day with all he is doing at home and at church. God gives you what you need, when you need it, if you let Him. That’s what I’ve learned. When I try to keep control and hold on to all of my fears and anxiety, I lose it. When I grasp at my plans and desires, I fall. When I give in and tell God I need His help, I get through the day. Geez, I hope this is a lesson that I will remember for the rest of my life and not just days when I am on Prayer Mountain.