Thanksgiving Service At UBC

So I know Xmas is just around the corner but I thought I would post some pictures from our Thanksgiving Service at church. Every year at UBC - we have a special service that focuses on giving praise back to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us throughout the year. It is a day where the body shares testimonies,fellowship, worship,drama - and food :) As my time here is almost over (my term ends in May) I am astounded about how great my God is. He has given me such precious friends - that I will never forget. Jesus - thank you for the people here in Mbarara that have made my life worth getting up each and every morning. It is my prayer that I will one day be able to love like them.

Hello Contrite

Isaiah 57:11-18 "Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me? I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. BUT THE MAN WHO MAKES ME HIS REFUGE will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. And it will be said: 'Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.' For this is what the HIGH AND LOFTY One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is CONTRITE AND LOWLY in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man will grow faint before me- the breath of man that I have created. I was enraged by his sinful greed. I punished him , and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful was. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him: I will GUIDE HIM and RESTORE comfort to him."

Oh Jesus - take me there! I want my spirit within to reflect what you want for me in everything. May it be 'all that I am devoted to YOU'

Clearing My Memory Card :)

Friends in High Places

Just a quick story - Monday I went to work in the clinic as usual - around 2 my friend called me and was like lets go swimming. Since the sun was shining I was like I am all for that idea....However, whenever this particular friend and I decide to go swim it rains. And by the time we finished our meal and headed home rain came. Rain came hard. In fact - I barely made it in the door - Ok so I was always told dont be near electrical things during a storm like chatting on the phone, watching a movie - blah blah blah ....me being the storm watcher that I am. Put a kettle of water on the stove - flung open the curtains, craweled onto my bed and connected my net :)Heehee. Nways,the rain wasnt just a light shower or sprinkle - but HARD CORE RAIN ;) While online, I heard a loud boom and I was like what was that noise???? My lights flicked on and off and then went completely off. I turned on my inverter and proceeded checking email. Smart huh??? At this point most people would have shut off all electric appliances and read a good book. Not me.

When the storm passed - I went outside. The loud boom or thud rather that I had heard before was a phone pole that had landed on my neighbors house. I immediately thought...oh geeez my neighbor is not going to be happy when she comes home and has no power and a pole sitting on her house. I investigated the 'scene' throughly - to discover that outside my bedroom window was a snapped wire. Yeah you read that right - a split electric wire just hanging...So I put two and two (the wire and pole) together and realized wow this is not very safe. But what do I do? So heres the thing - usually Whites around here are very demanding - like they think they are the superior race or something. Being a missionary and I all I tend not to think that way ....However, I am so grateful that I have a 'friend in high places' (and this would be where my neighbor comes in) The lady whose house the pole fell on comes from a very affluent family (her Dad owns Bell Liquior Company - One of Uganda's top selling beer products) Nways, She kind of told the electric company that if they didnt come out and fix the pole ASAP - someone was going to be seriously hurt or killed.

The good news is they came! And we had power like the very next day!!! And no one was hurt! Soooo I am totally praising God for this! I am grateful for my neighbor FORSURE and my Jesus for sparing my life yet another day!

Just another day in Africa....

Hey Guys!Some days I wonder what in the world am I doing here in Mbarara Uganda? This thought actually has crossed my mind alot lately has I consider that my time here is almost over. I leave in May. Wow! How mind boggling....So many mixed emotions -How can I leave a people whos hearts have become attached to mine??? Will anyone replace me? What's next??Back to Carolina - more school? Yeah I dont know - but I do know this much - the HERE AND NOW needs to be my focus.

On Wednesday - I read a book to my new students entitled the "Orphan Boy". Though - I didnt really agree with the whole context of the story I was able to tie in Psalms 68:5. If you dont know the verse it states " He is the Father to orphans." As I looked into the faces of my students - I realized that most of the children that attend either have one parent left living or none at all. I can't imagine life without a father. (Fortunately for me God blessed me with two :)Nways, the good news is that these children have hope because he looks down and sees them ALL OF THEM.

I was rather late today for worship - so I slipped in the back. I noticed a small girl in a coral colored dress twirling around in circles as the praise music lingered in the background. I caught her eye and she stared at me out of curiosity (I assume because of my skin color) she finally got up the courage to walk up to me. Her icey cold hands stroked my hand. I grasped her hand with both of mine. The music quickly faded completely and the small girl found her place on my lap. To be honest with you...the child was dirty from head to toe. As she sat with me I swatted the flies buzzing over her head - I saw her take her fingers and begin to pick the earwax from her ear...Immediately distracted from the service - I watched to see just where the girl was going to place that wax from her ear canal. Was the wax going on the floor?? On my dress??? In her mouth??? Should I put the child down??? Um to make a long story less long...the wax went on her coral dress. My friend Anthea approached me about this time and asked me for a bandaid for her finger. I gave it to her -and as I looked back down at the child I saw pus oozing from her ear. OHHH...God - I gagged - the stench of her picking at her ear finally reached my noise - I still choose to not put her down. I began to pray....I clenched her little frame closer to me...I'd like to tell you 'supergirljt' put her previous ENT knowledge into practice and played nurse... But no instead I held her....and when the pastor called for the kids to go to Sunday School I told her to go....

She left my presence and I was left thinking THIS IS MY HERE AND NOW. This is what is on Jena's plate for today. It brings HIM glory when we love on HIS children.

"Moonless Trust"

So I read this in my devotion the other day and wanted to share. Sorry Amie this probably isn't want you wanted ...but here it goes...

"Some of you are perhaps feeling that you are voyaging just now on a moonless sea. Uncertainty surrounds you. There seems to be no signs to follow. Perhaps you feel about to engulfed by loneliness. There is no one to whom you can speak of your need. Amy Carmichael wrote of such a feeling when, as a missionary of twenty- six, she had to leave Japan because of poor health, then travel to China for recuperation, but then realized God was telling her to go to Ceylon. ...I have on my desk her original hanndwritten letter of August 25th, 1894, as she was en route to Colombo. ' All along, let us remember, we are not asked to understand, but simply obey...On July, 28 Saturday I sailed. We had to come on board on Friday night, and just as the tender (small boat) where were the dear friends who had come to say goodbye was moving off, and the chill of loneliness shivered through me, like a warm love-clasp came the long-loved lines - 'And only Heaven is better than to walk WITH CHRIST AT MIDNIGHT, OVER MOON-LESS SEAS.' I couldn't feel frightened then. Priase Him for the moonless seas - all the opportunity for proving Him to be indeed the El Shaddai,' the God who is Enough.' "

Keep a Quiet Heart
By Elizabeth Elliot


Ohhh Jesus show me that you are sufficient for me.

Hidden In You

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, WILL REST in the shawdow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my REFUGE and my FORTRESS, my God, in whom I trust. ' Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and the deadly pestilence. HE WILL COVER YOU WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS YOU WILL FIND REFUGE; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night,nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, a thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is MY REFUGE - then no harm will come near your tent. FOR HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS: THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP IN THEIR HANDS, so that you will not strike your foot against the stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra: you will trample the lion and the serpent.

'Because he loves me, ' says the Lord , 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91

Stormin'

I know storms are a 'brewin' back home right now ...and rainy season has officially started here in Mbarara...In fact to be honest with you God is stirring within me a spirit of broken-ness. The following poem kind of describes how I feel at this time.

"In my eyes, I imagine that my soul is an ocean where I am tossed by the raging storms of life. Emotions run through my being and all of a sudden I am sailing far beyond the existence of anything and everything. The shore is distant in my view and in light of all reality, it seems impossible to reach. As a sailor battles to stay afloat during a storm, I too, fight, not to stay afloat, but to stay focused on solid rock close to the shoreline, in hopes that I may soon walk again on dry ground." BY :BAC

Change Are You Serious???

Quite frankly -every since I was a small child -I've hated the word 'change' ...it meant something had to be different whether it was something small like a piece of furniture being moved to the other side of the room or a wall being knocked down (which happens often in my house purposefully - LOVE U MOM) or something major relating directly to Jena - like for example a failed relationship or something in my character that needed adjusting. But anyway, I was recently accused of having a 'stub - born' ;) streak. Yeah, believe it or not this girl can get feisty...and sometimes unfortunately if I am not careful it sneaks up in me and out of me. YIKES!!! So as I am now 24 years young :) ...you would think that I would have this change thing down pat...at least a little. But no -ugh ! God is reminding me that I am 'a work in progress' I am glad he sees the end - the finished project - because sometimes I wonder if it would be easier if he just toook me out. (took out meaning like with a gun - gosh the brother influence popping up here) Nways, after all my babble Enoch (our new pastor here and my good friend) reminded me today that we are called to change.

Genesis 12:1-9 'Then the Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives and your father's family. Go to the land I will show you. I will make a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous. And you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you. I will place a curse on those who harm you. And all the people on earth will be blessed through you." 'So Abram LEFT Haran as the Lord had told him. And Lot went with him. At this time Abram was 75 YEARS OLD. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and everything they owned. They took all the servants they had gotten in Haran. They set out from Haran, planning to go to the land of Canaan. In time they arrived there. Abram traveled through that land. He went as far as the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time. The Lord appeared to Abram. The Lord said, "I will give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to the Lord,who appeared to him. Then Abram traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel. And he set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the Lord and worshiped him. After this, he traveled on toward southern Canaan.'

Also read Eph. 2:1-10 & Romans 12:1-2

This man Abram LEFT - he was 75 and yet God was telling him to CHANGE DO SOMETHING/BE SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT. Guess if a old man can change a 24 year old girl has no right to shake her finger at God - and say "ARE YOU FOR-REAL??? " ....Plus he can snap my finger in half if he wants....Just a thought

Clinic with Maddie and Mom

Hey All! Sorry to leave you without an update for a very long time. ( I especially want to apologize to Amie Sexton ...who was probably about to get an ulcer from worrying about me here in Uganda...LOVE U MEAN IT!!) Nways, Wanted to share a 'few' pictures from the clinic...since I have yet to do that - and my stepmom was quite a blessing to have around because I always forget to take my camera to the clinic. Thanks Katie! Now that is out of the way...Alot of you have been wondering what it is I do in the Clinic so here it goes. Most clinic days (which are Mon,Tues, Fri) for me start around 9:00 am. The different days are broken into different age catogories...like for example infants come every Tuesday. The patients enter a small room and their patient 'paper' is laid on a table. Each 'paper' contains a pt identification number. One person looks for the pt's chart( like a file folder with a binder) in a filing cabinent and then when located inserts the 'paper' into the chart. Next the patient's name is read aloud and one by one the patient's are weighed and measured. After these vitals are obtained the patients are separated into two groups (or more depending on how many doctors are available to see children) The children then enter a hallway where they wait for their name to be called by the doctor. After seeing the doctor - the patient will hand me their 'paper' which contains the prescription hand-written by the doctor. I take the 'paper' and record every detail about the patient into a record book. I then package and instruct the patient how to take the drug(s). The patient receives general medication from me (ie: multivitamins,septrine, cough syrup...etc) before going down to the pharmacist to receive treatment for HIV.

What I like most about this job...is the interaction I have with these hurting children. To see them run up to me and hug me or just to stroke my arm because white skin is so uncommon to them. I also enjoy establishing relationships with my fellow employees and learning about culture from them. These people have touched my lives in so many ways. I thank Jesus that he has given me the privilege to work with them.

I want to not only thank my Savior but also my family! My step-mom and sister that you see pictured recently came to visit me here in Mbarara. It was a HUGE BLESSING to have them work alongside of me and 'walk in my shoes'. I appreciate the effort they took to travel so far away to a land so unlike their own...just because they love me that much.

Thank you Mom and Maddie! These people will never forget your generosity and I am not one to ever forget your love! YOU GUYS ROCK MY WORLD!!! MMMMMMWAH

For The Warriors

I AM BACK IN AFRICA!! Just wanted to let the faithful prayer warriors know...if you haven't already spoken to my mother via the telly. I am currently in Kenya for a conference but promise to write more when back to Mbarara. LOVE U ALL AND MISS U GUYS ALREADY

Counting the days until.....

love on gavin mac, general & michaela
giggle till I cry with my sister
tease my jordie
ride in the ranger with my marine
eat bella shroom pizza till i'm sick :)
listen to 99.9 genuine country
eat momma's chicken tender salad
worship at MY church
see MY jessie wed
drink 'coffee' and catch up on life with mom & gracie
chat it up with aud
dance with amie and watch 'black' movies
have my back adjusted by the chiropractor
visit MY ENT DOCTOR
drink strawberry fraps from starbucks!!!
bojangles chicken biscuit with cheese pleeeeese (at least times 3)
all nighter at sheetz with MY jago
hug all four parents and not let go for awhile !!!!
arby's mozz. sticks baby!!!
lay in the sunshine on MY bed in MY room and take a nap with the big yellow dog that I am rather partial too ...while listening to country and gazing out MY big window
more pizza with the bartons/grays
visit triangle town center and tarjay
WELCOME TO MOES
be with my nana
nailz with lauren
watch a chick flick with erin marie!! (hey can i also swim in your pool???)
pump my own gas for MY lahonda and drive her around y-town with the sunroof back ;)
wendy's 'date' with katie anna to get a frosty ...so we can totally dip our french fries in them....because it tastes ohhh sooo very yummy!
abuse drew mckneely in sunday school (since i know how bad he misses my presence ...by the way who do you tease now that i am gone????)
take a long hot shower and use up the family water supply - because I know they miss me doing this LOL
hair by angela oooohhhh yeah - I desperately need a body wave!!
watch cory eat
play 'murder' with homegroup!!!