A little help from my friends...

The time here in Uganda has been one that has greatly encouraged me and given me the space I needed to be with the Lord. There have been so many sweet moments where the Lord has met me and challenged me.
He usually gives me a word for the year as the calendar rolls over in January. Last year's word was "gratitude" and BOY! did he challenge that one for me. I truly struggled to be grateful most of the year. As I have been here I have gotten to do a lot of reading. Mostly fun fiction books and the Bible but a few days ago I started the book, "Invitation to a Journey, a Road Map for Spiritual Formation." It's been a good source of encouragement, challenge and direction giving as I prepare to end my time here in Uganda. The reason I bring this book up is because there is a section that showed me how I could be grateful in the midst of the most difficult year I had last year. It is as follows:
"God often disrupts our psychological state. Thus the community of faith becomes vital in our growth toward wholeness in Christ for others. The often disturbing, upsetting intrusions of others enable them to become great agents of God's troubling grace in our pilgrimage. Our sisters and brothers in the faith also become God's agents of comfort, encouragement and support as we wrestle with the call to come out of the security of our incompleteness into the wholeness God has for us in Christ. It is in the community of faith that we find the support structures of the classical and personal spiritual disciplines, through which God conforms us to the wholeness of Christ for others."
My community, you reading this blog, have been of GREAT value to me this past year. The Lord used you to spur me on, to pray for me, to love me. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to ME!

Now, God has given me a new word for 2012. I keep hearing it over and over ... when I read scripture, when people are speaking, when I am praying... it is Peace, Shalom. I pray that this start to the year in Uganda will deeply root in me God's peace NO MATTER what the year holds, where He takes me, what comes my way. (supposedly God's peace passes all understanding ;) I will pray the same for you!

I can't believe I only have 3 more full days in Gulu. I am excited to share with you stories and pictures from the past month. Thanks for being on this journey with me. I am MOST grateful for you!!

Porridge, Frogs, and Free Range Chicken

The last few days have been fun. The first daycare ever started in Lajwatek on Tuesday so I have been out there for a few days to help Millie, the only teacher with 70+ children. Below is one of the little girls after their breakfast of Porridge. I like to call this a Porridge Mustache!

Since it is the first time the kids have gone to "school" they are a little clueless with some things. All the songs are new, how to sit in one place is new, how to keep your hands to yourself, etc.

One little boy yesterday had to go to the bathroom so Millie sent him and his sister out to go. She assumed that he would head for the latrine. Well, I walked out to check and he had dropped his pants right there bin front of the building and was beginning to squat. Just one of the many lessons of daycare in the "bush"... kids may not know to go to a latrine. It was hilarious. I lead both of them over to the latrine and showed them the propper place. Gotta love it!

Have you ever showered with frogs? Lastnight I went into the "bath house" around dusk. As I turned to lock the door I felt the side of my foot against something reptile like, I gasped, looked down and frog had come really close to losing his life under my foot! I opened the door for him to exit, he did, and I proceeded with bathing. A little later I saw something out of the corner of my eye and there was another (or maybe the same) frog getting in on the bathing action!

Needless to say, I am getting my fill of startling situations with little critters! If I were a "screamer" the people here would probably get many more laughs from me!

Lastly, I have been staying at the Kyazze house. (It's quite nice.) They have puppies in a kennel and 4-5 chickens roaming free in the yard. Two days ago they told me that we would have chicken the next night. I quickly deduced that one of the free range chickens here in the yard would be our dinner. When I came in from the day yesterday Grace, the chef of this particular meal, was almost down plucking all the feathers. I was a little uncomfortable but then she told me the next step would be gutting it and the roasting. I quickly exited! About one hour later she served chicken and rice. Believe it not, I tried it (considering I am 95% vegetarian) and it was good! I still can't believe I saw the process literally from start to finish... LIFE ON A FARM! :)

Lillian

This is Lillian. She is the youngest of 5. She was born in an "Internally Displaced People" Camp during the war. Her mom is HIV+ and so is she. She looks to be between 1-2 years old but is actually 4 years old. The disease has stunted her growth and effected her development (she doesn't walk or talk). Little Lillian is a joy to be with and I cherish the minutes with her. My heart definitely breaks for her short life expectancy.

Her mom, Florence, works on the Koro Farm as a cook. She loves Jesus and is doing her best to provide for her family. Pray for this sweet family that the JOY of the Lord would continue to sustain them is such difficult circumstances!