Provision

Sometimes God’s provision simply amazes me.  It probably shouldn’t, but it does.  A couple of weeks ago I was burdened with how in the world I would get all of the medical needs at Oasis met.  I thought about how I would get all of the kids to a clinic, which clinic would I trust, how much money it would cost.  Then God provided in a huge way.  A medical mission team from the US was staying at Herb and Ellen’s house and offered to come by and check out the kids.  WOW!  Then we realized that the orphanages are only about 10 minutes away from each.  Even more amazing!  So we scheduled their visit for Thursday afternoon.  I had all of the kids skip school to make sure they would be around for the team.  I went out a bit early and got things set up outside for the clinic.  The orphanage is seriously short on space, but I decided that we could split up the group of boys and girls and have the medical team in the main courtyard and the waiting children could play inside the house.  I took my time setting up the chairs, just so, to give adequate space for the doctor/nurse, child, and translator.  Then Billy and I went to meet up with the team and lead them over to Oasis.  When we got to the other orphanage they were running behind.  No big surprise there… this is Africa (TIA).  Finally after about an hour or so we left for Oasis.  I wondered how in the world we were going to have time to get nearly 70 children examined and get everyone home at a decent time.  Then to complicate things more, as soon as we arrived at Oasis and the children were ending their welcome songs… the skies opened up.  It was POURING!  We quickly moved the tables and supplies inside.  Our only choice was to set up in the main room of the girls’ house.  It was VERY crowded and very dark.  So much for my careful planning!  Every inch of the room was utilized and people were crawling over each other.  I really started to think that there was no way this was going to work.  I figured that maybe half of the exams would get done.   We weighed and measured each child.  Then they met with a nurse for a first evaluation.  Then she would decide if they needed to be seen by one of the doctor.  My favorite part was seeing the doctors and nurses pray for each child individually before finishing their exam.  It was beautiful to watch.  And, by an act of God, all of the children were seen in less than three hours.  I couldn’t believe it, especially since the majority of kids needed medication and/or follow up.  It was a miracle.

Dr. Cindy's one phrase in Luganda... "Open please."



Can you see how crowded it was??



Praying to the Divine Healer

In the end there was a huge list of medications for the children.  I again worried how in the world this was going to get done.  Who could we trust to get each child the correct medication and dosage?  Then I realized that God had again provided.  A young lady was there that day to help out.  I am told that she is a regular volunteer at Oasis.  She’s in nursing school and is a very sharp young lady.  She agreed to come every morning and evening this next week to help ensure that the children get their medicines.  This was a huge relief for me.  There is no way that I could do that job myself.  I love to see Him provide over and over.

This is Gift, isn't he a doll?  Loving the hat!

Then on Friday, I got to deliver another blessing.  One of the children at Oasis, Rachel, is handicapped.  She’s never been able to walk.  She’s had a wheelchair before, but it’s been broken for some time.  She spent all of her time lying in bed and getting ignored.  And without a wheelchair she could not go to school or interact much with the other children.  When I met her, I immediately thought of a friend of Aunt Trudy’s that passes out free wheelchairs in Uganda.  Friday, Trudy and I, along with my friends, Debbie and Caleb, go to deliver the wheelchair to Rachel.  She was so excited and her face instantly lit up.  We wheeled her outside and she practiced pushing herself back and forth.  And the best part was when the older girls came home from school, one of them immediately rushed up to Rachel, gave her a hug, and told her how excited she was about her chair.  The smile on Rachel’s face as she got to participate with everyone else was priceless.



Thrilled for her new ride





Rachel and Annah



Some of the Big Boys showing off their new uniforms and shoes



The little ones welcoming Trudy, Debbie, and Caleb on Friday

God provided for me as well.  He sent me Aunt Trudy,  Debbie and Caleb for the weekend.  They were such a blessing and a joy to be around.  They were all serving on this year’s “Libraries of Love” team.  Debbie and Caleb were representing our church.  They decided to skip the team’s safari to hang out with me and Mercy.  It was so nice to be around some familiar faces and people who really know me and my family.  And I loved watching Mercy build relationships with people that I know she’ll spend lots of time with in the future.  It was also a bonus that I had a million and one things to do, things that are not easy to do with a busy toddler, and God provided some wonderful helpers.   Each of them jumped right in and entertained Mercy as much as possible.  And Mercy loved them.  Even my driver, Brian, commented that he’d never seen Mercy so comfortable with new people.  We laughed and caught up on life and I had fun showing them a few of my favorite things around my neighborhood.  God knew just what we needed this weekend.



First Boda Ride for Debbie, off to get pizza

I think Caleb liked it.



Mercy LOVES him.  He may be our new babysitter!



Mercy showing them how to play in the dirt.

We are also asking for God’s provision this week in our case.  Please pray for positive movement and for decisions to be made.

Why Every Man Should Be A Woman

A Cody post.
I’m not talking about the long term, but in the short term. I believe that it would be most beneficial for every married man to live for a short period of time as a single parent. You will never view your wife the same.

Now I know that my experience is not universally true. Some men are far more in tune with their wives than I was back in August of 2010. They don’t need to learn this lesson. So I give those six men permission to skip what follows. I have not been a distant husband. I have always been keenly aware of my wife’s hard work, or so I thought.

When we moved to Kansas five years ago we made the decision for Melissa to stay at home. It was difficult for her at first. She is a busy woman, and if she is not busy she finds a way to be busy. For Melissa busy = rest. For me rest = rest. It was an adjustment for her, but she soon discovered/created plenty of work to be done. She was busy with the girls, busy with their schools, busy with church stuff, busy with house stuff, busy, busy, busy.

I was also busy at work, or so I thought. Pastoral ministry has its own pace, its busy seasons, its hectic days. It also has slow times to read, study, pray, converse. However, regardless of the speed of my day I always came home feeling that I had worked hard. So I admit that there were days in the past that I would find the house a bit dirty, or the floor needing sweeping, and think to myself, “Why hasn’t this been done? What was she doing all day that she couldn’t do these simple things? How hard is it to remember to buy milk?” Then I would sink into my recliner, and wait for these things to be done while a nap crept over me.

Then she left on a plane for Uganda.

My perspective has changed.

The laundry never ends. The dishes never cease. The floors are dirty five minutes after they’re cleaned. The children must be febreezed daily. Hair must be fixed every morning. Groceries must always be bought. The girls need new clothes for every new season. The showers aren’t cleaned automatically by my soapy runoff. If you don’t clean toilets regularly, the house smells like it! If you don’t empty the trash regularly, the house smells like it! If you don’t bathe your wife’s stupid dog, the house smells like it! If you forget to take your load of towels out of the washer and put them in the dryer, the house smells like it! And you cannot light enough Scentsys to cover the odor! Your place will just smell like pomegranate barf.

And let me tell you a little secret…I haven’t done all this on my own! Three nights a week I have wonderful amazing friends who bring us dinner! So the truth is I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK LIKE MY WIFE!!!

Do any of you men wonder why your wife collapses on the couch every night after the kids are finally in bed? You’re ready for alone time, but she’s having coma time. It’s because she has worked like a rented mule the whole day! And we have no concept of how much work our wives have done. If you want your wife to stay awake a bit later, for some “business time,” I give you this tip. Help her. Do her work. Sweep it, wash it, sort it, scrub it, fry it, bake it, fold it, vacuum it. And then, when the kids are finally in bed, you’re all alone, and it’s “business time,”…you’ll find that both of you are asleep on the couch unable to move from all the work you’ve done. 

So I’ve learned a few lessons.

1. I can’t wait for Melissa to return, not because I want to hand off the work, but so I can share in the work.
2. When left to myself I quickly revert to my college days. Rather than hanging up my clean clothes right away I live out of piles.
3. Sitting down to pee is not about anatomy, but recovery.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Shoe Frenzy

Today was an exciting day for the kids of Oasis of Life.  New shoes for everyone!  I headed to Owino, which is the craziest market in the country.  It’s sort of like a flea market, but more crammed, crowded, and claustrophobic than you can imagine.  I took the group of college students from OBU with me and my friend, Billy.  Thankfully, Harriet and Ellen decided I better leave Mercy at home with them. (Bless them both, especially since they ended up with her all day!  Love them!)  Last night I divided the tracings of all of the kids’ and caretakers’ feet into groups.  Then I divided up the money and got everyone a roll of tape and a pen to label the shoes as we went.  I’m so glad I thought to do that ahead of time.  We bought each child a pair of school shoes (they must wear sturdy black dress shoes to school) and then a pair of plastic sandals or croc-type shoes to wear when not at school or church.  We also bought each caretaker a pair of sandals and a pair of rubber work boots.  It ended up being more than 150 pairs of shoes.  We also bought socks and some of the school supplies they’ve needed desperately.



Picture I found online of Owino.  I'm not brave enough to take out my camera and take pics.  This is the outside of the market, and then you walk in deeper and deeper.  It goes on forever.

After the market, we headed to the orphanage to drop off our purchases.  The children who were at home were so excited to see the shoes.  The rest of the team had to head back, so Billy and I stayed to sort out the shoes.  We had to match up the school shoes, sandals, and socks for each child.  The children who were at home tried them on.  Overall we did very well on the fit.  One of the caretakers promised to have all of the other children try their shoes on when they returned from school and make sure they fit.  I can’t wait to see all of the kids in their new shoes.



The boys' shoes



The girls' stash



I was hard at work sorting socks.

Today was long, exhausting, and a bit overwhelming.  We sat in traffic, waded through people, and spent lots of money.  But it’s all worth it when I see children going from this….   



To this.  



One little boy, Elisha, was so excited about his new school shoes that he came up and bowed down in thanks three times and then gave me the biggest hug.  That is what this is all about.  

Sweet Elisha



Happy Father's Day!

There are so many things I could write about my sweet husband this Father’s Day. I have been truly blessed to have an amazing best friend and partner in parenting. He really is a partner. Part of why we are able to make this time apart work is because Cody has always been a hands-on father. He’s always jumped in and helped with every aspect of the children’s lives. He’s changed diapers, given baths, made meals, and taken kids to the doctor. He’s never considered it “babysitting” to watch his own children. He’s always been invested in their lives.

Two years ago tomorrow I met a baby girl in a clinic in a remote village. I held her in my arms and knew she was to be our daughter. I wondered how Cody would react to the news. I should have known. I emailed him about Mercy and he replied right away and said, “Let’s do it.” No hesitation. He’s always had a heart for adoption. He knew that I was serious when I told him God had directed this.

In this past year I’ve seen him grow closer to all three of his daughters. He’s the master of the ponytail. He’s packed too many lunches to count. He’s taken trips to the park, the movies, and even the nail salon. He’s now bought clothes for every season. He’s sent me numerous care packages looking all over the house and town for just the right things to send me and Mercy. He stays up late every night so he can say “Good morning” to me and Mercy. When he’s visited here he’s done everything possible to give me a break and to bond with Mercy. And I can say that all three of his daughters love him dearly.

One of the first questions I get whenever I tell anyone our story is, “How in the world is your husband doing?” I can say he’s doing well. It’s not easy. I know he gets frustrated and his schedule gets crazy. But he knows there is a purpose in all of this. His love for Mercy has never wavered. His obedience remains steady. His love for the Father shines through him. He’s willing to sacrifice for the love of our children. Few men would be willing to live that life that Cody has the past 10 months. Few children get to have the love and bond with a father like my girls. And I am forever grateful.

Happy Father’s Day my Love.  I can't wait until I can see you with all three of your girls at once!

Oh my!  Father's Day 2010

I love this.

A Work in Progress

Mercy and I had a very busy week working on things for Oasis of Life. It’s never easy to get things done here. You are always fighting traffic, rain, and lots of waiting. But there are good distractions too… singing and dancing with children, prayer times, warm hellos and goodbyes with friends.

As I told you in my last post, we had a mission team come and paint the girls house on Tuesday. The fresh coat of paint makes a huge difference on the inside and really brightens things up. On Wednesday I met with the director and tried to prioritize needs and get a handle on the budget. On Thursday the mission team from OBU came to paint the boys’ house. This was no easy feat with limited supplies and no running water at the house. They were real troopers and did a great job. They got most of it done and might be able to finish up this next week. It’s been such a blessing to have these two mission teams just fall in my lap and be open and willing to help! I love to see how God provides. And it sure makes these kids feel special to have so many visitors to love on them.

The boys using extra paint to do the outside walls

 

Fresh paint on the inside!

 

Sometimes you just have to play in it too!

On Friday, I got to go pay some bills! Thank you so much for being patient and willing to move your donations from PayPal to “The Hope Venture”. I am glad to say that most of you took the time to do that and I really appreciate it. Friday some of that money was wired to me. So I got to go pay for school fees and uniforms for the children. I also paid off the water and electric bills, which were a few months overdue. I can’t tell you how excited and grateful Pastor Robert was to have this weight off of his shoulders. He was literally bouncing around with excitement. The children should receive their uniforms in the next week or so. Pastor Robert traced the bottoms of all of the kids’ feet. So this next week we’ll go to the giant flea market to buy school shoes and sandals for all of the children. We’ll also pick up school supplies for them too. We’ve put in a request with the utility companies to get water and electricity hooked up at the boys’ house. I think this will make a huge difference for them. Can you imagine trying to keep a house of thirty boys clean and their laundry washed with no running water?

Mercy and our new friend, Kristen, hiding in the laundry lines

I am also excited to tell you that the kids are going to get medical exams! This week God placed an amazing mission team here at the house with us. The team includes some doctors and nurses that are going to be doing medical checks on children at a nearby orphanage (I’ll write more about it later!). When they heard about Oasis they decided they needed to check out these kids too. It really is remarkable how God is putting all of these pieces of this together. I was just thinking the other day that it would be great to get all of the children checked over, but a logistical nightmare to try to get them all to a clinic, especially one with qualified doctors. The next day, this mission team offered. Love it!

Hanging out on the bunk outside while the house is painted!

 

We hope these new nets help fight off malaria



Mercy and I took this sweet boy to the clinic the other day for the worst ear infection I've ever seen. 

I really can’t thank you enough. Your money is in action here and making an immediate difference in the lives of these children.

Too Good...

You all just blessed us too much with the Oasis of Life Project, so much so that it shut down my PayPal account. Ha! But seriously, I do not have access to the donations. Apparently they thought it was fishy to have nearly $20,000 come in within 48 hours. I thought it was pretty crazy myself! I am glad that they look out for these types of things, but it has caused a problem for us. So, I have to refund all of the money donated through PayPal. I am now asking you to give your donations through the non-profit “The Hope Venture” which is partnering with our Oasis of Life project. If you made a donation through PayPal you’ll receive a refund notice and an email telling you how to give through The Hope Venture. I am so sorry for the confusion and extra hassle. I also fear that this may lower our donation total. I am asking you to please take the extra few minutes to continue with your donation on the other website. The sooner we can get access to your donation dollars, the sooner I can bless these children with the food, clothes, and education they desperately need.
In other Oasis news… It was another big day for the kids. Remember a while back I told you about the amazing woman who writes on the blog “A Place Called Simplicity”. Her husband is here leading a mission team. When I met his team for dinner last week he mentioned that their plans for today fell through. I told him about Oasis and he said they’d love to help. So the whole team came today and blessed the children in so many ways. Some of the team washed and scrubbed all of the walls and then put up a fresh coat of paint on the inside of the girls’ house. It looks amazing and it makes such a difference to the rooms! The rest of the team spent time singing and playing with the kids. Some of them worked to make paper beads, others had their hair braided, and others just rocked and loved on the little ones. They even treated everyone to a soda with their lunch. The kids were pumped up about it. It was truly a blessing and it always amazes me how much work can get done with a large group of eager and willing volunteers! The team was able to prep the boys’ house for paint, but they didn’t get a chance to actually paint it. But guess what?? This afternoon I met with a team of college students from my Alma Mater ( OBU, Go Bison!) and they are looking for things to do in the Kampala area. They agreed to come paint the boys’ house on Thursday. I love it!!

On a side note, I love how small the world really is. Today I met a woman on the mission team who lives about 5 minutes from my house and we know lots of the same people. Then I met with the OBU team, and although they make me feel ancient, we still knew people in common. And this won’t mean anything to most of you, but two of the guys are members of the “Daad Club” at OBU. I can’t believe the legend of my husband and his crazy friends is still alive and well on Bison Hill.

I didn’t have time to copy and of the pictures from today, but I promise to post some soon. And thanks to my awesome friend Stephanie for taking lots of awesome pictures when I am running around not thinking about it.

To make a donation through “The Hope Venture” go to their donation page, click on “general donation” and then write “Oasis of Life” in the comments section. And look for an “Oasis” donation option very soon, maybe by the end of this week!

Unbelievable

I cannot tell you how blown away I have been the past few days over your love and support for the children of Oasis. I still continue to get donations and right now the total stands at over $19,000. Can you believe it? I know God is in this and has big plans. I want to make sure that every penny is spent in the right way. Please pray for me and my friends as we try to figure out the best way to meet the current needs, as well as helping to establish some long-term goals and funds to sustain the home. I am totally and completely humbled that God is allowing me to play a small part in this work. Thank you so much for your generosity and look for more updates through out this week.  It looks like I'll get to do a lot of shopping... one of my favorite things to do.