African Muzungu

After I graduated from Moody, I thought I had learned pretty well what the word ‘perseverance’ meant. Don’t get me wrong, it sure did take a lot of perseverance to get through those 4 extremely busy, challenging, painful, and rewarding years. But this year ‘perseverance’ has a fresh meaning for me. Even before I moved to Kamonkoli, and ever since, one crisis or illness after another has reared its head. It’s been only a matter of days or hours between the dimming of one and the start of another. From common colds to Malaria, this year has had a constant stream of different illnesses. I’ve struggled with my health for so much of my life (thankfully nothing life-threatening!), and often thought about why Jesus would allow me to be sick so much of the time. Especially when I’m stuck in the bathroom and need to be teaching a lesson in 10 minutes! :) But I do wonder if part of the reason is to allow me to experience the miraculous power of utter dependency on Jesus. I’ve had days when th...

This is a post I wrote right after coming back to Uganda in November, but was never able to finish publishing it. I thought you still might like to read it :) Many of the situations and feelings are just as true coming back this week after Matthew’s wedding! … Whiplash is the best word I can think of right now to describe this past week. Well, whiplash without quite the level of pain that comes with actual whiplash :) It’s not exactly painful per-say to be tossed back and forth between two very different cultures and lifestyles, but it certainly is a challenge! In the 2 1/2 months of being back in the States, I actively tried to fit myself back into American culture, values, and thought patterns. Some of that required active thought choices, and some of it was a more natural change. But public speaking and connecting with Americans requires me to get out of my African mindset and back into my American value system. But now I find myself back in the thick of African life. My day guard, ...

5 1/2 years of ministry in Uganda have been leading to this point…. When I first moved to Uganda I was doing language and culture study in Mbale, but after my first year there, Jesus made it abundantly clear that I was to join the team out in Kamonkoli for ministry. For a variety of reasons (including the fact that there wasn’t available housing), HUM and I decided that I would continue to live in Mbale and drive out to the village each day. The view from my current porch Jesus has abundantly blessed my time in Mbale! I’ve stayed in a number of different houses, but this latest place was my favorite. I got to be there for 3 whole years (so amazing after moving 5 times in 2 1/2 years!), and had over a dozen people live with me in these years. Callie has been my faithful housemate even from before this house, and such a huge answer to prayer. She’s an ideal housemate, and has been a wonderful teammate as we’ve taught so many newbies coming into our house to live in Uganda how t...

Almost every day I have the joy of introducing various people here to 'Muganda wange,' which translates to 'my sister' in Lugwere and Luganda. The common response is almost always, 'Yes! For sure, you resemble!' (aka, you look alike:) ). The many commentaries that have followed have been priceless! Showing her off to all my friends and acquaintances has been so much fun! This is a joy that I have longed for since the very first time I came to Uganda in 2003.   Over the past 5 years of living overseas, I have found that living in a totally different culture and environment from my friends and family in the States can certainly lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Struggling to describe especially the small things that make my life so different here can be frustrating to the point of not even wanting to try. Things like… making sure the water filter is full all the time so if water runs out, at least we have drinking water… maneuvering the the p...

It happens like clockwork: Every Tuesday night is rough. One thing or another keeps me tossing and turning throughout the night: mosquito bites, upset stomach, random pain, crazy dogs, or the pounding music from the local bar. Or sometimes I'm just unable to fall asleep for hours on end. I usually wake up on Wednesday morning feeling terrible. And even if I make it through the night unscathed, illnesses like malaria, typhoid, or the flu like to make their appearance on Wednesday too. Which is not great, since Wednesdays are my longest, most challenging days. In addition to my regular daily work like teaching Bible for 5 grades at Genesis, I also teach a Bible study for all the teachers at Genesis after school every Wednesday. And I am convinced that is the reason for all the drama the night before. Bible study with the teachers is definitely one of the highlights of my week every week. The opportunity to teach, instruct, mentor, and love these men and women Jesus has so wonderfully...

Everyday I go to school, I say many words, I laugh and smile, and tickle and hug, and exhort and discipline. All of it with one purpose: to make these children know that they are loved. By me, and by Jesus they are so very loved. I know each of their names, and I know their personalities. I know which ones are weak in reading, and which ones are super competitive. I know who is picking on whom, and who has a quick temper. I know them, because I WANT to know them. Because Jesus has given me such a big, uncontainable love for each one of them I am compelled to know them and long to know them better.  However, these children aren’t used to being shown affection. And there are few people that really know them. Many of them have either dead or absent parents. Many of their guardians are more concerned about what to eat for the day than about asking their kids how school went or playing with them. And although I can tell you that “Nkutaka ino” means “I love you very much” in Lugwere...

Photo credit:  Gap Adventures They are the shopkeepers, the hawkers of wares, the sellers of everything imaginable. They call out, shout, demand for attention, thrusting their goods in my face. Demanding that I purchase. But it is money spent for that which is not bread. It is a purchase of that which cannot satisfy.  Photo credit: Atlas But deny them once, and they will pursue every louder. They are desperate for even just a piece of me. I must flee. I must get away. Back to the One who offers wine and bread without cost. I must drink deeply of His waters. I must incline my ear to His voice, running into His presence so that I might live. For He offers what they can only fake. Steadfast love. Change. Purpose. Joy. True peace. He is the only source of life. He is calling: “Come, be filled again.” In the midst of the craziness that is travel and fundraising, Jesus brought me to Isaiah 55:1-3. This precious passage immediately summ...