2012 reflections

     In the year of our Lord 2012, God has changed me in many ways. At the beginning of 2012, we had a sense that God was calling us to something new, but we were unsure what, where and when. It felt a little like God's call to Abraham in Genesis 12:1. Not quite as clear as a voice from the Lord, but pretty clear to us. It can be very unsettling for a person who likes to plan and even control things to follow God not knowing the plan and definitely not being the One in control. But the good news is that my gracious Lord, who loved me so much that He would give his only Son to redeem me, is a loving God who is in control of all things and He is working for my good. Even the good of helping me to grow in trusting Him and conforming me more to the image of His Son.
     Early in the year we began following God's lead and looking at the possibility of going to Uganda to work at an orphanage teaching the children of the missionaries there. As God confirmed that this was the direction we should continue to go, we prepared to take a trip. Traveling to Uganda and spending 10 days at Good Shepherd's Fold changed my life forever. After holding those orphaned children, talking with the older kids there, and hearing a Ugandan man preach on being willing to give up everything to follow Jesus, I could not say no. My heart is there.
     It is interesting how life in America feels so different now. I view purchases in terms of how many people in Uganda that could feed or how many children's school fees could be paid. Recently a baby who was going to be brought to GSF died of malnurishment before they could take the child. How can it be that we have so much and children are dying of starvation an preventable and treatable diseases simply because they do not have the resources? It is hard to know how to live with that knowledge. I look at my life and see so much excess. Why do I have so many things? In Luke 3:11, John the Baptist says, "whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do likewise." Most of us have more like 20 tunics (outfits). After returning from Uganda our family all went through our drawers and closets and limited ourselves to 10 of any item. We gave away the rest. It is amazing and almost embarrassing how many bags of clothes we gave away. But still I have so much more than I could ever truly need.

One of the children in the nutritional program

     Food has been an even bigger issue for me. When I returned from Uganda I felt guilty every time I felt full. Then as I began realizing that we will be moving to Uganda, I have wanted food to be comfort to me. I want to it it while I can since many of my "comfort foods" will not be available there. Obviously, both extremes are unhealthy. I ought instead to find comfort in God's love for me and trust Him to provide our "daily bread." I should be focusing on the provider than on the provisions, but I am still struggling with this.
     One area that God is growing me is in trusting Him with the future. I am learning that it is okay that I don't know where we will live, what we will eat, or how we will get around. In living with so much plenty, I have not had to trust God with my basic needs, because I knew how those things were provided. I am now learning to trust the Who rather than the how.

David and me at The Keep, a cafe in Jinja

     I have also been learning to be thankful. It is so easy to see all the things I want God to do and forget to thank God for all the blessings. I read a book by Linda Dillow several years back entitled Calm My Anxious Heart. One chapter was about how we can view any situation from two different perspectives. I can think of all the things I wish were different, or I can see all the blessings and be thankful. I have shared many of the challenges and ways I am learning to trust God, but I want to spend more time thanking God for the blessings of this new calling. I have so many things for which to be thankful. First, I am thankful that we have such a gracious and compassionate Lord who cares for the plight of orphans and calls his people to join him in caring for them. It is such a privilege to be able to join a ministry that has the heart of God for children on need. It is also a blessing to feel certain that this is what God has been preparing for us to do. (Eph.2:10) I am also thankful for the way that God has been working in both David's and my heart simultaneously. Another blessing is that this work of teaching missionary kids is something that we are equipped to do together. We really enjoyed the year that we were both teaching at WCA, but now we will be able to teach our own children while also helping the missionary families at GSF by teaching their children too. I am so glad to be called to serve at a place where our children can participate in ministry by simply loving their neighbors, the 90 children without families who live at GSF. God has given our children a heart for orphans and mission work too. It is amazing how gracious our Lord has been in calling us to a place where we are all excited to minister.

This is the view of the Nile from the Black Lantern veranda.

     There are also several blessings about moving to Uganda that are little bonuses from our generous Heavenly Father. Moving to a new country is an exciting adventure! We will be living in a beautiful place near Lake Victoria and the source of the Nile River. We will be able to learn about all kinds of new plants and animals. We even hope to be able to go on safari sometime. The climate is amazing year-round with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s. And because the soil is so rich and the rainfall plentiful, all kinds of things can grow there. Pineapple picked straight from the garden is delicious, and those little sweet bananas are scrumptious! We look forward to gardening in such a lush place. Since we will be living near Jinja, we will have the opportunity to learn a new town. There are even some cool restaurants and Internet cafes. The beautiful Black Lantern restaurant overlooks the Nile with monkeys in the trees surrounding the veranda and savory matoke chips. Sounds like a vacation doesn't it!
     As I look forward to moving to Uganda in 2013 and look back on 2012, I have so much for which to be thankful. I am thankful for the way God is growing my heart of compassion to be more like His. I am thankful that He is teaching me to trust Him in all circumstances. I am thankful that He is calling u to a ministry we are all excited about. I am thankful that He I giving me a heart of thankfulness and excitement about the adventures ahead. But most of all, I am thankful for the truth of Ephesians 2:4-10:

"God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Jacobsen's video

This video is about the missionaries who work with the children as they are resettled out of GSF when then turn 18. Many people have asked about how children are transitioned out of GSF, and this video explains some of their ministry.

Our humble loving Savior

The kids after their Christmas program at church.

This Christmas we have spent much time reflecting on the love and humility of Jesus to leave the rich perfection of heaven to come to earth and be born in a stable. He did this because He loves us enough to be willing to live on this sinful, broken earth among us, sinful, broken people. Jesus leaving heaven for us, sheds new light on Him calling us to leave our comfortable home and move to Uganda. Our "sacrifice" seems so little in light of His.
The Christmas carols that I have loved for so many years are now meaningful in a new way. As I think of the "tidings of comfort and joy," I am reminded that comfort and joy comes from remembering that "Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray." That is true comfort and joy! The short term comforts and joys of consistent electricity, of the conveniences of America and even of being near to family and friends, cannot bring the lasting comfort and joy that we can have in Jesus.
For many years we have sung, "Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor, all for love's sake becamest poor." Now we are planning to move from one of the wealthiest countries in the world to one of the poorer countries, by human standards. While there will be some material sacrifices involved, it will be nothing in comparison the the sacrifice Jesus made, leaving the riches of heaven to come to earth as a man and die for us. Phillipians 2:5-11 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
It is my hope that this Christmas we all will remember the amazing love we have received through Jesus and will humbly serve others and follow wherever our Lord leads us in joy!
Merry Christmas!

Good times with the Gwartneys

One of the families from Good Shepherd's Fold is on furlough right now. The Gwartney family was passing through Georgia, and we were so thankful to be able to spend Friday evening and Saturday morning together. David and I had the opportunity to get to know them when we were in Uganda last March/April, but our children had not yet met them. Our kids really enjoyed their company, and now they know friends who will be in Uganda when we move! Elijah, Ezra and Titus particularly enjoyed discussing the speed of cheetahs and peregrine falcons. With Ezra demonstrating, of course. I am so thankful for a wonderfully encouraging time together. We are so blessed to be joining their family this summer!

Home Improvement Serendipity

Since it is our plan to rent our Georgia home while we are in Uganda, we are fixing some things around the house. We are currently working on the kids' bathroom. We hope that by spacing these projects out over the next 6 months, we will avoid all the stress and financial strain of doing it all last minute. Anyway, while we were in Lowe's Home Improvement Store, a woman who I had never met before walked up up to me. She told me that she has been reading our blog and praying for our family. I nearly began crying in the hardware department. It was so encouraging to know that a sister in Christ who doesn't even know me is lifting our family in prayer. What a blessing! I am so thankful that our gracious Lord brought us together yesterday! And just for fun, here is a picture of our bathroom in progress. I really like the new tile.

Security and Hope

Since we have been clearing out and giving away many things we don't use, each of our children have a been processing this a little differently. Elijah (age 8) can understand the logic for downsizing. He will say things like, "I only wear these 5 shirts anyway." Esther(age 6) loves to give things to other people. If she can think of someone who would like it, she wants to give it. Zeke(age 2) is probably too young to notice. But Ezra (age 4) has been a bit concerned. When we were giving away a bag of clothes he said, "But what if I run out of clothes." My first response is to think about how absurd that is since we have so many. But I also realized that we all often find security in "things." We started talking with Ezra about trusting in God's provision for us rather than trusting in our extra stuff. We talked about how God has provided for us in the past. It was good for me also to remember to trust in God's provision. A passage that I often read is Matthew 6. Here are some verses that have been good for me to remember and to help Ezra remember too:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:19-21, 24-33 ESV)
I have also had this hymn in my mind since my conversation with Ezra, so I will share a few of the words here. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

Thanksgiving thoughts- a little late

During the holidays this year, I have had several thoughts about our family preparing for our move to Uganda. Thanksgiving has a new meaning after having experienced life in Uganda, even though we were only there for 10 days. As we thought of the many things we have for which to be thankful, it was interesting to think about the many things that we just expect, which we might not have next Thanksgiving. I have never thought to be thankful that we have electricity because, other than during a few tropical storms or snowstorms, I have not had to go without it much. I have not been thankful for clean water because I never experienced the challenges of living without it. But I also began to think of the things that I have which cannot ever be taken away. I am thankful that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom.8:39   My loving Lord will be caring for my family wherever we are. On a silly side note, I was wondering if we would be able to eat turkey for thanksgiving in Uganda and I found this crazy photo. I think the preparation of the meal will be a bit different than what I am used to! (This picture is from Claudia Arrango. She is has been serving at Good Shepherd's Fold for 14 years.)