Miracles & The Pearl of Africa Part 1

It's hard to believe! We got to go to Uganda!!! 

As we headed to the airport 24 hours after Logan was released from the hospital, my heart and mind were swirling with emotions, thoughts, and fears! Am I CRAZY?! Seriously, what will people think of you!?! Will the children be okay? And on and on the list goes...! We arrived at the airport in good time. I felt naked without having the children along to get through security, being asked the same question a million times, or making sure we were all present. Once the plane began take-off, it was all I could do to sit and rest in whatever lay ahead! I whispered in Conrad's ear, " I guess the only way I'm bailing out now is if I made a scene!" (Now I'm glad I didn't surrender to the temptation :)!) 

After a 9 hour flight to Instanbul, Turkey  (a one hour layover), a 5 hour flight to Kigali, Rwanda

( a 1&1/2 hour layover in which we weren't allowed out of our seats), and then a 45 minute flight to Entebbe: we finally arrived in Uganda around 4:45 a.m. local time. We had no clue who we were looking for other than a man by the name of Edward. Thankfully, as we exited there stood a man in a sea of other taxi hawkers, holding a sign with our names on as well as the guest house where we were staying. The guest house was an hour away from the airport. With Edward were two other men. Zed, was the driver and a delightful older gentlemen by the name of Bishop Steven. We asked a thousand questions on our way to the house! It was dark but our minds were still zinging with the sights and smells of a new country. Bishop Steven with his hearty laugh and zeal for life was an excellent introduction to Uganda despite his age of 72!

We got to the guest house in Kampala around 6 where we proceeded to crash for a few hours before journeying another 4 hours south. We were ready to go again at noon where once again we were picked up by Zed and Edward. We swung into this and that place to pick up a local doctor and a passenger. Stopping at the Equator, we got a demonstration of how the water runs clockwise north of the equator, counter-clockwise south of the equator, and straight down on the equator all within 10 feet of each other! What an amazing Creator we have!

Edward, Conrad, Zed, Dr. Ronald

What an incredible privilege to experience it with my soul-mate!

The kids loved the mzungu!!!

We met the rest of the team at a motel that evening. Our bed was crawling with ants that night. After saying something to management they came and fogged the room never changing the bedding, etc. This was good preparation for what lay ahead for the next day at the refuge camp!

  It was rainy that morning. The dirt was liquid rusty red. Hearing the coaster come, people started coming out of their huts to see what we were doing. There was a couple thousand children at this camp. They were hungry, dirty, and hopeful. We started out in the church. The church was in much worse shape than most of our garden sheds here! But that little church throbbed with the worship of lovers of Jesus! They were overflowing with joy as they worshiped Him who is worthy! When they were there, they forgot their pain, the circumstances and the dire needs that they had! In the front of the church, were at least 60 children crowded together on the rough dirt floor.
My eyes clouded with tears as I saw my own dissatisfaction with plenty and their delight even in the little. I realized how powerfully they in their culture, condition, and Christianity; they delight the heart of God! There were many more people outside of the church that were unable to get in because it was full. Evangelist Nelson gave a rousing call to repentance in which quite a few chose to surrender to the lordship of Jesus!
After the service, we went out to play with the kids and get set up for distribution. The children were covered in dirt! But their hungry eyes said so much more! They giggled over the bubbles. Even greater was the thrill when they were allowed to blow them themselves!
Fellow team members Linda, Julia, and myself were soon called away to join Doctor Ronald and Nurse Richard. We once again found ourselves surrounded with many children who wanted to touch and stare at the mzungus (white people). A lady came up to me with a tiny baby who was coughing and wheezing in her arms. I tried to communicate with her to wait for Doctor. Later I noticed she had walked back to her hut never seeing the doctor. My heart felt heavy! For I knew without medical intervention her child would die while mine who had a similar condition was hospitalized in the U.S.A. for three days gets to live life well!

Child Wearing

 The children wanted to crowd around the medical "station" so Julia and I began to play "Drop the Cabbage Leaf (hankie)" with them. They were thrilled with this! The white people were for real! This brought about gales of laughter. When a child came up with their sibling on their backs and wanted to play, we would hold the babies for them if the little ones didn't scream in terror at "the ghosts". It was common to see quite little children holding a younger sibling. The youngest I saw was probably a 4 year old with a 6 month old baby on the back. This was my first introduction to infant care in Uganda where there are no pampers or cloth diapers only a soiled, smelly towel or rags for body fluids.

Those Eyes!

The eyes have seen things little people should NEVER have to see! A lot of them had come from places of civil war and have seen and experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Do you hear the cry of the children? Will YOU?!

These Eyes

Despite their little, the children were still kids! They knew how to be mischievous. They had fun. They knew how to live!

The children crowded around me! I often had five or six kids to each hand! I had gotten blood drawn which left me with a huge bruise on my arm before we had come. Their little eyes got as large as saucers when they would see it! Someone suggested that maybe they thought I was turning color...

There was one little one towards the end of our time there that clung to me! I had to wonder what his story is! Was one of his parents one that committed suicide in the nearby lake so they wouldn't have to watch their child starve? Had he known love? Did he sense that I cared?  The whites of his eyes were yellow and his shirt was full of holes. There was something different about him...was it the sheer desperation to which he held onto me? My heart aches for him...Who will love him? 

David Platt said it well when he said, "Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names, before you see their faces, before you hold them in your arms~once you do, EVERYTHING changes!"

Refugee Camp Dwelling

Growing Pain

We babysat the last weekend in February growing our family from 6 to 14! We made a splash when we went to Cabela's with our crew. There were lots of paper airplanes made, games played, hikes, and bath bombs done.

April and I got to go on a mommy/daughter date to Timeless Cafe. It was a lot of fun filling out questionnaires and then talking about our answers. She is at the stage where she is a lot of fun to take places and chat!

The first weekend in March found Logan battling high fevers sustained at 103* even when giving Tylenol and Ibruprofen every 3 hours. He puked on Monday and again on Tuesday and had basically stopped eating and drinking. I decided to call the doctor on Tuesday since we were planning on leaving Wednesday at midnight for Africa.  They checked him out and discovered he had low oxygen levels. This coupled with his know food/liquid intake caused him to be admitted to the hospital yet that afternoon. We were hoping he would still be released yet that we could go with the team.

It is one thing to see an adult in a hospital bed. It is totally different to see your baby there, hooked up to oxygen and IV!!! This was very difficult! We found out Wednesday afternoon that they were not going to release Logan. Now what? We cried for our baby. We cried for the hopes and dreams that were wrapped up in the luggage and the Uganda trip.
We discussed the options of Conrad going without me etc. but circumstances just weren't what we would have liked and Conrad had spent time praying and felt that he should stay home. We wrestled with "Why?"

Feeling better. 

It was soo good to see him perking up.   

He didn't like getting all the tape pulled off and IV removed.

Logan was finally released two days later! Two days after the team had gone. Two days of more bills...

Waiting to go home! It was a relief to see the light in his eyes again!  

Together Again!!!

After we were home, Conrad began to pray and seek God's face again as far as what He desired of us. We were strongly urged to still consider joining the team. Golden Rule Travel had talked to Turkish Air to find out that they would honor the ticket price even though they were non-refundable and non-transferable. I'd told Conrad I'd support whatever he decided and went to take a nap although I was quite sure that we were staying. When I woke, he says excitedly, "We are going!" I do think God must have been grinning when I had to bite my tongue :)  So we arranged to fly out of JFK 24 hours later...

Rocky Roads

 

    Today was one of those tough days that leave your heart aching and your mind spinning with questions. We found that Conrad's boss has swindled him out of almost $20,000. This has left us reeling, angry, questioning. It bothers me when I'm cheated out of $5 let alone 4,000 times that! What does one do when all of sudden money that was planned on never comes in? What is God trying to teach us? How can a professing Christian defraud another like that? Where will the money come from for the expected expenses ahead? Where is God in all of this? How does one forgive and not get bitter? Are we blessed? Absolutely! But the lack of the planned on funds, has me wrestling with trust once more that God is big enough to handle even this!
    We are still in need of another nanny. God, please come through for us for You care for our kids as much as You care for us! Please continue to pray with us that this need is filled!
     Our clothes dryer also up and died this week. With last 3&1/2 days of rain, the clean laundry must have a place to get dried! Conrad has spent quite a number of hours trying to fix it.
     A fourth bump in the road is my health. Not sure what is up. I've got a blood test appointment for this coming Tuesday in hopes of getting it done before we leave for Uganda on Wednesday.
     While these things have stirred many things within us, there have been blessings as well. Tonight we had a chiropractor treatment and 15 minute massage afterward. As I was getting a massage, the therapist began telling me about his daughter and how difficult it was the first few months of her life being gifted with "Charge Syndrome". As he was talking, I had the distinct impression that I was right where God wanted me in a massage chair. The therapist then said this "We learned to praise Him in the storm and when you learn to do that, You come out stronger on the other side." I knew that God wanted me to get that message~"Praise ME in this storm"! I cried when I left for the simple fact of how God met me in my questions.
     After we got home, we had supper and then had devotions with the children. We purposely sang a few songs. You know, there something extra special when your four precious kids sing with such joy, passion, and innocence. The amazing thing is that God ask me to become just like them and praise Him while the storm rages.

Weekend to Remember

This weekend we were at "Weekend to Remember". It was enjoyable to come away as a couple. Our first session was on what causes marriages to fail and addressed the threats of difficult adjustments, our culture's pattern, inevitable difficulties, selfishness, and or affairs. Isolation happens when we fail to make the needed adjustments.How we respond makes the difference of whether we are driven together or driven apart. Some of the big things that stuck out to me in this session were how difficulties doesn't mean that there is something wrong and should challenge our resourcefulness, not our relationship. Did you know that extramarital affairs are more than sex with someone other than your partner? It's also materialism, kids, careers, and activities. It's when a legitimate need is filled in an illegitimate way.  

This guy was amazing! He had 10 kids and
was pastor of a cross-cultural church.

Solo time with a mango smoothie

      The next session was on how we communicate. Some of the tips were to listen with acceptance and understanding, focused attention, ask questions using "I" statements rather than "you" statements, focus on what is being said rather than how it is being said, not everything you think needs to be expressed, and think before you speak. It is vital that we speak words of encouragement and blessing instead of curses for truly "life and death are in the power of the tongue"!

      "Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage" called us to realize that marriage is NOT about us! It's about God! It's a earthly representation of God's character and heart. When we as a couple mirror God's image, we experience what it means to be one. Failing to be one not only destroys the marriage but it also destroys the home, the schools, the church, and the nations. We have a low view of marriage because we have a low view of God. Satan always challenges God and His purposes for marriage. There is glory in a Godly marriage! Satan is out to destroy glory and thus he is after our marriages to destroy its glory. We see this in shame, guilt, fear, blame shifting, and control. 

          I am God's gift to Conrad! :) :) :) We are imperfect and yet God pursues a love relationship with me. We either live by default or we live by design, I get to choose!

            Marriage is about God. It takes Christ in us to be able to experience oneness in marriage. Sin causes oneness to be destroyed. The definition for sin is anything that we seek more than God! Ouch! That comes pretty close to home! Yet, Jesus exchanged MY sins for His righteousness! He paid MY penalty 100% so I could go free! This journey requires putting our trust and confidence in God! It's letting Jesus have unhindered access to every area of my life. It's not about us, it's about Him!

         Unmet expectations, unfulfilled desires, being hurt, and when our rights have been violated leads to quarreling and fighting. One of the big things in this session for me was the encouragement to examine the offense before confronting. Not every issue needs to be confronted as Proverbs 19:11 says that "it is his glory to overlook an offense". My spouse is NOT the enemy. I must start with me! How did I contribute conflict? If one wins, you both lose. To resolve conflict we must forgive. This is costly! The offender needs to seek forgiveness while the offended spouse must grant forgiveness. This obedience to God is the first step toward rebuilding trust. Actively choosing to bless the other spouse minimizes conflict. 

         "Marriage after Dark" was about sexual intimacy. We shouldn't be afraid to address this topic since God freely talks about it in His Word. Your sex life is affected by your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. A healthy sexual relationship is built on the foundation of companionship, commitment, passion, and spiritual intimacy.

           Sunday morning found us in split sessions man to man, woman to woman. This stirred a lot in me. If I am wise, I will embrace God's plans and purposes for my home. It's yielding to God's design rather than outside influences. First, I need to intentionally pursue living water. He wants me to know Him. I put my husband first realizing that submission is beautiful. It doesn't mean that I don't share my opinion and become a door mat but that I am his helper. It means to respect him by how I look at him, the words I say, to accept him. That we are interdependent. My home is where I get to change the world!!! I dare not parent through fear! Seek God for He promises that when we lack wisdom, He will give it when we ask. It is vital to know the "3 F's" of our children-their friends, fears, and favorite things. I teach what I know but will reproduce who I am. I get the incredible privilege of showing my children who God is by who I am for more is caught than taught! I help my children understand their physical, emotional, and spiritual identity. Together we prepare our children for lives of purpose.

         Marriage is costly. We reflect the love of God. This is a choice and not a feeling. Bitterness is the result of failing to forgive. "Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast"-Marlene Dietrich. We must enthusiastically encourage our spouse through refraining from critical words, embracing a positive attitude even through difficult times and openly affirming our spouses! Remember it is ALWAYS too soon to give up!

     Leaving a legacy requires us to be intentional. Our relationships reflect our legacy. Our willingness to follow Jesus must be at the core of our legacy. Put Jesus at the center! Instead of just trying for something, we must train ourselves! 

At the very end, we repeated our vows to one another. I think we both had tears in our eyes till we were done. Then we could kiss :) They sent this marriage covenant home with us and encouraged us that if we have children old enough that they should be the ones to sign as witnesses.

The children were very glad to see us when we picked them up. The two youngest ones especially seemed delighted that we were back again. Logan seems to have some type of infection though. There were tears of tiredness and relief that once again we were together as a complete family unit! There was also a classic joke~ "Why did the tomato blush?" 

A-"Because it saw the salad dressing"

Confirmations & Closed Doors

Our favorite study positions are that of a coffee cup, our books, and pens, highlighters. Many hours are spent this way. 

  Trust has been a huge part of this journey and continues to be so! The Lord continues to send confirmations of that we are to be in preparation this spring. We got our acceptance at MTC. Since then Conrad had to contact school about the 6 week absence. Previously, school has been very reluctant to give leave of absence, this time though we got a very clear yes and as long as we work with the teachers there isn't a problem. Thank You, God! 

    That same day the Lord gave me this verse~"In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."

         On the other hand there has been some "nos" from potential nannies. This has brought up the trust issue for me in big ways. One of the nannies we had asked was always at the forefront of our minds when we thought and prayed about who should be our nanny when we go to NYC. With a "no", it's back to square one and I wrestle with "Did we simply not hear God right? Didn't we pray enough?" I lay awake and pray and worry and ask God to provide for us as we leave in less than 8 weeks and we will be gone for over 2 of those weeks before we leave. I keep coming back to that the Lord has opened doors for us to go. He will also provide for our children as well! I would like this issue answered, "NOW"! So you can continue to pray for answers to that specific prayer! 

"To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark-that is faith" ~C.H.Spurgeon

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." ~Psalms 37:5

We had another snow storm. The children had such great fun building personal snowmen. Daddy & April share the snowman's nose. Jordan's is a baseball playing snowman.

Why?

       Why? Why would anyone sell all that they have to follow Jesus? Why would one leave home? Family? Friends? Job? Prestige? Yes, you read that right! We living in America live the American dream are prestigious no matter how you slice it whether you earn 30 k a year or 130 k a year. We are blessed beyond measure. Consider these statistics-

1 in 3 children do not have adequate shelter

1 in 4 will go to bed hungry tonight

1 in 5 live without access to safe drinking water

50% of the world's population lives on less than $2.50 a day

     Do you know who Jesus is? There is 3,133 unreached and unengaged people groups with a population of over 10 billion who have never even heard the Name of Jesus! These statistics are staggering. They are easily written off but once they have a face it makes a difference! What if it were me? What if it were you who never heard? 

     One must have passion! Passion is joy-filled abandon of a heart set free to pursue the glory of God. Our hearts need to be focused on Jesus, worshiping Him for who He is. John Piper said it well when he said: "Mission exists because worship doesn't". This statement seems harsh at first but consider this that missions are temporary and worship is for eternity. Worship is for the passion of His glory. One must cherish God to worship Him and this propels one to be a missionary whether at home or abroad. We won't call people to something we don't personally cherish. Sincerely exalting the beauty and majesty of God will cause the light of the Gospel to shine to the darkest places in the world. This is exciting! 

And thus, we reach for the fruit that is white and ready for harvest! With hands lifted, offering ourselves to wherever He calls.

We don't know details and so we faithfully seek for the fruit He desires in our lives. We renounce self-reliance to wait for Him. 

All of history is moving toward the triumphant goal of peoples from all nations around the throne worshiping God. God is committed that we rejoice and be glad in Him for His Name's sake. Hence we are called to "Declare His glory among the nations". He is thrilled when we are satisfied in Him repenting for seeking our joy in other things than in Him. 

  Unless God move's nothing moves! We MUST pray! Our strategy isn't what saves people, it is God! Amazingly different from other gods who need carried, we know God for He carries us! We delight in God and therefore we are called to "GO"

One Word 2106

     Hello world! Hello 2016! It's hard to believe the month of January has already come and gone. January held a very special New Year's Eve party! New Year's day found us sitting at the table as a family, looking back on special memories of 2015 and ahead to 2016.

    We had the two oldest and ourselves fill out a questionnaire. Favorite colors this past year was from lime green to red. Favorite foods were anything from donuts and coffee to Ramen noodles and hot dogs. Best memories included our beach trip to Wildwood, New Jersey, picking apples in Grandpa's orchard, girl's camp, and our trip to Guatemala. Wishes for 2016 including anything from Icelandic adventures to growing deeper in Christ.

                                    

We also chose one word for the New Year 2016. My one word was-HOPE. Hope, there's so much wrapped up in that one word security, confidence, desire, and expectation. Hope in all the hopes and dreams of what the year holds for us as a family. Hope in God's faithfulness. Hope because God has called us to live lives that are bold statements of His HOPE in us. Hope because the deep and growing darkness is overcome with the relentless courage that we don't know how soon God will break through with the ultimate victory.

To be overwhelmingly filled with the immense glory of Christ is to embrace that whether big or little, all things will be for God's global glory. This is hope!

 And because of the cross, Hope does not put us to shame. (Romans 5:5)

This next year holds a lot of dreams and challenges but leaning into Christian hope-Jesus is ENOUGH!!!

 January held record snowfalls for our area. Recorded amount was 28" in this blizzard which was 3" more than previous snows. The two oldest children had a blast in it. The two youngest were swallowed up in it except for the trails that Daddy kindly blew open for them. Logan especially didn't care for the cold.

 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"

Romans 12:!2