Tuesdays With...

visitors (or customers, as Seth calls them)!

international living.  there are so many "hellos" and "goodbyes".  people come and go so frequently.  but one of the sweet gifts Jesus gives is reunion!  this weekend we got to see one of my fellow volunteers from back in 2002!  Stew and I were Volunteers In Action (VIA) in the fall of 2002. 

Stew was here in Uganda on a short-term trip with his church outside the city, but was able to come out for dinner so we could catch up!  such a happy addition to our weekend!  it is neat introducing an old friend to my family.  the boys enjoyed showing "Mr Stew" their toys and DVDs.  and we enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant reminiscing about old times and funny stories.

we would love to introduce you to our lovely home and chat over dinner with you!  when are you coming to visit??  Click HERE to find out how you can volunteer with WGM or bring a team!

the Happy and the Hard

Life here is such the dichotomy between the "haves" and the "have-nots".  And you cannot leave your home without coming face to face with poverty and wealth.  If we have eyes to see, this stark contrast will keep us grateful and prayerful.  But when we focus on the needs around us, or on our own lavish wealth- we feel powerless or guilty- or both.  And so we fix our eyes on the One who will one day make all things right.  And we keep giving Him thanks, especially when it's hard.

listing the happy and the hard, and giving thanks in all things excerpts from # 5580-5623

#5580.  happy: fun plans for adventure today
#5581.  happy: silly faces in traffic
#5582.  happy: a treasure map
#5583.  happy: giddy boys
#5584.  happy: a playground surrounded by a lovely garden, and a tree fort!

#5585.  hard: baby begging. You are El Roi, the God-Who-Sees.
#5586.  hard: children peering in our windows, hands out.  us refusing to feed the cycle.  with breaking hearts every time.
#5587.  hard: every drive into town bringing us face to face with needs that only You can meet.  making us pause and evaluate how You'd have us be Your hands and feet.

#5608.  happy: a little excursion to burn some energy
#5609.  happy: a new mall on our side of the city
#5610.  happy: towering shops and bouncy houses
#5611.  happy: boy laughing and sweaty

#5612.  hard: the sight that catches me off guard
#5613.  hard: poverty just out that door
#5614.  hard: children watching mine frolic and play
#5615.  hard: this growing awareness, this increased sensitivity- it's a good thing- sharing Your burden for the world. crying Your tears.

#5616.  happy: evidence of little boys
#5617.  happy: toy bugs strewn in morning light

#5618.  hard: real bug trapped in our screen. keeping me from getting comfortable.
#5619.  hard: reminders we're not in Jersey anymore. roaches and ants our constant companions.
#5620.  hard: this finding joy right where we're called to be, when it hurts and cries and shocks.
#5621.  hard: You inviting me to enter in to Your story, here and now.  In the pain and the poverty. Won't You come by here?

#5622.  happy: this world is not our home.
#5623.  happy: You are coming again to set all things right! Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus!

#5624.  happy: listening to this song on repeat!

Friday Five

This weekly feature is short and sweet: Five Things... on my mind, on my bookshelf, or promises I'm claiming... whatever i write, there will be five of them :)

This week, Friday Five: Goals for the Weekend.  We have a long weekend off from school and we're gonna enjoy it!

My Goals for the Weekend:
1.  say "yes!"  and  "yes!" again
2.  eat delicious food
3.  stay off the computer and stay present.
4.  create with my kids (paint, cook, imagine, build?)
5.  be His beloved.

Fedex in Uganda?

 
the traffic.  the boda bodas (motorcycles).  the people.  the bikes.  sometimes the cows or goats.  it gets crazy.  and stressful.  we pray a lot when we drive.  and there are days like this  that just make us laugh.  fedex.  not a truck.  a boda boda.  perfect.  this is africa.

now, we don’t recommend sending packages via fedex.  they are crazy expensive.  but if you are interested in sending us packages there is a Care Package Ideas tab at the top of the blog.

We love hearing from you, whether it's e-mail, a postcard, or a package!  Keep an eye on your mailbox as well- if we have your mailing address we're going to write you a card at some point this year!

What cultural things do you want to see on this This Is Africa slot each Thursday?  Pictures?  Stories? Traditions?  Recipes?  Video?  Do you have any questions about life in Uganda?  Leave them in the comments- we'll post the answers next week!

My Brother About to Enter...

So, we're blogging over at the Prayer Room- let me just tell you- things are about to get real...Scott is trying to get into _______________ ... well, he's going to do a survey trip to __________________... ok, just click over to the Prayer Room to find out where my amazing brother is heading this weekend!  And pray!  For real.  Pray for my brother, Scott Rambo and his sweet family as they follow where God leads!

Tuesdays With...

Emily, me and Isabella- Dec 2011

life rushes by.  we long to have impact, to leave a legacy.  people come and go (and they really come and go quickly in university and international settings).  so we have to distill our message to essentials.  if i only have one semester with this person, what do i really want them to know?  what habits do i want to model and pass on?  there is pressure to make our meetings and conversations count.  but the good news is, they can go with God.  He isn't finished with them when they leave my circle of influence- I was simply privileged to be a small part of their story.

On Tuesdays With... we hope to focus on some of the people in our current circle of influence.  And we will have ceaseless resources as people come and go from this place! 

Meet Emily and Isabella- they were both in my small group from KIU last semester.  Emily graduated and moved on.  Isabella is taking on leadership of the group this semester.  Wednesdays at 5pm finds me on the campus of KIU in a dorm room, sharing tea or juice with this sweet group of ladies.  We open the word, we laugh, we pray.  And I get to pass on what God has taught me!  We spent last semester finding out what it means to be a Lady in Waiting, and working on being the right person- not finding Mr Right!  This semester we're going to learn what it means to be Completely Irresistible- not to the opposite sex- but to a lost and dying world! 

There are always people ahead of us on the journey to learn from, always people in our same stage of life to relate with and always people behind us whom we are to teach!  Who is pouring into your life?  Who's life are you pouring into?  Who really gets you, right where you are?  If your life is lacking one of these important roles, will you take steps to change that? 

Tell us about someone in your life who has mentored you, or whom you have mentored.  How did their presence in your life change you? 

Joy!

"Joy's a matter of gratitude. And gratitude is a matter of perspective. What matters then is that He gives us eyes to really see." -Ann Voskamp

When you're really seeing- joy.is.everywhere. 

And when you have adorable kids, it's even easier. 

Excerpts of joy gifts #5436-5519:

#5436.  gift that made me laugh: Seth's contagious giggles
#5440.  gift from Your Word: "not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed." -Joshua 23:14
#5441.  gift from Your Word: "Behold, I am coming again soon!" -Revelation 22:12  Joy!  You are coming soon!
#5445.  monkey birds, laughing birds, song birds- joy sounds!


#5455.  chatting happily while the boys play
#5456.  boys and trucks and water- joy play!
#5457.  a real friend here.  sharing joys and struggles.

#5460.  playground! recess!  school joy!

#5480.  a dude's day at a baseball game.  a baseball game in Uganda!  boy joy!
#5481.  a few hours peace and solitude.  mama joy!

#5516.  Gloria here- helping with the boys
#5519.  simple joy- a ball and a hill

#5482.  one thing from my memory: baby belly laughs. caught on video.  circa January 2009.  pure joy

what's brewing?

photo courtesy of pinterest

new year.  new things brewing.  i'm working on a plan to blog more regularly.  can I get an "amen"?  sorry i've been slack, and only posting on Mondays.  but there are big things coming.  can you smell the coffee?  time to wake this blog up!  think hand in hand five days a week.  i'm excited.

Now to start writing!  Thanks for sticking with us- can't wait to write more frequently and give you a better picture of life here!  So grateful for our champions and readers!  You guys rock!  

get ready to participate and engage in the ministry here in Uganda!

Clinging to the Promises

CONSTANTLY plead the promises with God in prayer. He has thereby bound himself to his people, as with a note under his hand. Go with it therefore to God, firmly depending upon his faithfulness; He will acknowledge his own handwriting, and answer your demands accordingly. Rest yourself therefore upon God, and wait patiently for him, being assured he'll not be unmindful of his promise; but leave it to his infinite wisdom to fulfill it, in that way, and at that time, he sees best. –Samuel Clarke

Want to be encouraged in your faith, strengthened in your prayer life?  Head over to the 24/7 Prayer Room for specific promises to add faith to your prayers this week...blogging over there today!

"Not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed.  Every one has been fulfilled; not one has failed." -Joshua 23:14

You are Invited...

... by the God of the universe to walk with Him, to partner with Him, to know Him... wow. startling grace.

"My heart is glad when you walk close, with your hand in Mine, and we may talk over the plans for each day's journey and activities- work and pleasures- so that it becomes a happy way that we travel in mutual fellowship." Francis J Roberts, Come Away My Beloved

Counting the startling graces of being Yours:

#5397.  I can bring joy to Your heart, just by walking with You.
#5398.  You are happy to spend Your days with me.
#5399.  You want me to share in Your work in the world. 
#5400.  that mutual fellowship is even possible- because of what Jesus did on the cross- He tore the veil so I can enter in.
#5401.  You invite me to join You in blessing the world- who shall we bless today?
#5402.  the love gifts You send- glittering humming bird alighting on banana leaf- flitting away- a quick moment's gift
#5403.  homemade peppermint mocha
#5404.  sweet time in prayer with our team
#5405.  not one good word of Your promises ever fails

I Dare You...

out of focus.  it's blurry around here.  And while we completely enjoyed every second of our lazy Christmas break, we're heading back to the real world that rushes by fast!  And I don't want to miss it.  I want to enter in.  And He is helping me!  I'm accepting His invitation and He is showing up!

And Ann's Joy Dare, came at just the right moment.  I've been counting for years (plural) now, and had fallen in a rut.  This Joy Dare is like a spark to my gift-seeking- like a little kid on a treasure hunt- I'm on a mission!  And it is glorious! And I'm not alone- there are hundreds who have signed up on Ann's blog, and my very own husband has taken the dare (he can't say no to a dare :) ).  Hopefully he will post about that soon!

seeking the Joy-Giver everyday (excerpts from gifts #5336- #5371 ):

-- a lazy Saturday morning
-- glorious fort inspiration
-- tucked into our own fort reading The Magic Faraway Tree together

-- finding a quiet spot in church
-- light reflecting from edge of communion cup- light and life- swallowed down and making me whole
-- "there is no shadow in Your presence"
-- a sudden break in the clouds- light that caught me and warmed me
-- light and dark skin tones... He loves all the children of the world!

-- a new house guest til Monday
-- a true champion of missions!
-- a man wholly available
-- sitting down to breakfast with Matt
-- a gift that is sour: Monday came too quick- goodbyes- sad little boy weeping in my arms

--a gift that is sweet: the last pot of Hazelnut Coffee from Jo Coppedge

-- a gift that's just.right:  sitting on our balcony overlooking the city, tee shirt and flip flops in January. I was made to be a missionary in Africa!

-- Gloria cooking Ugandan food for us.
-- 3 things that are yellow: golden evening sun pouring in the backdoor
-- lemonade on a warm afternoon
-- happy yellow flowering tree on the edge of the hill

Take the Joy Dare- I dare you!   

Today's dare:

something above you, 

something below you,

something beside you

what are you thankful for?

countless gifts...

as He beckons me to enter in, i tip toe gingerly. i haven't even been entering in to my own life.  i've been blazing through it.  and so i slow.  i snap photos.  i remember what gift it is just to count.  it's two days now into the new year, and I've been counting since the clock struck midnight.  i love a clean slate, a fresh start, an empty journal.

counting His wildly sweet gifts in the daily (excerpts from #5254- #5283):

-- city skyline illuminated with dazzling bursts of color and fire
-- circling up for prayer at the start of 2012
-- Your invitation to enter in
--the beautiful garden of Your presence, with a feast prepared for me.
--family nap
-- a glorious "little" testament of answered prayer by Rosalind Goforth (read it here FREE)

-- sheer delight of snowman pancakes
-- licking the last flakes of powdered sugar
-- how easy it is for them to enter in to the moment

-- taking the time to join them in play
-- the warm sun on my back
-- making something lovely with them
-- his fingers still chubby
-- his feet growing before my very eyes

-- a rest from the hard work of play :)
-- brothers. forever.
-- shorts and sunshine in January
-- this glorious calling of ours.
-- Come to The Fire conference.  enter His rest.  watch every session here.