Broken bodies/ happy hearts

Wow, it feels like I've been here forever!  At the bottom are a few quick pictures.    One from Clive college, then the others are quick pictures from the primary school.  

We spent the morning at the Katalemawa hospital doing worship.  This one place broke my heart over and over, mostly with wishes that these children could get better funded medical attention.  However it also strengthened my belief in family.  Here the mothers washed clothes, cooked, and worked gardens to feed their children in the hospital.  Most of them stay outside the hospital and have other families and responsibilities.  Such commitment demonstrates the love of relatives.  

The next project was a Christian Fellowship hall at Clive College.  The student choir sang, and we performed a skit about the ten virgins.  One girl sang a heartfelt, unaccompanied solo.  Such faith and love.  Also on the list today was a primary school.  These children literally mobbed us!  We did praise and worship with the kids, but really all we had to do was sing the first word and they ran away with it.  There is no stopping them!! After a skit of Paul and Silas we asked questions, marking the hands of the students who answered correctly with a pink sharpie.  Well, some got creative and smudged red pen X's on their hands so that afterwards when we gave candy to those with marks, we found the number of kids greater than the number of questions asked.  At the end they streamed onto the street so that the van could hardly move.  We all loved them, and I can't wait until we go back. 

I already know new songs and a bit of Lugandan.  We're working on teaching Jonah, the praise and worship coordinator, ukulele.  He just calls it his "tiny guitar".  Well, tomorrow we head out on Safari!  Charlie, a MST (Missionary Servant Team) seems genuinely frightened at the possibility of a lion attack.  I think we're pretty safe in God's hands!  But prayers for the safari anyway!  

I hope you enjoy the pictures!  

First Day of Ministry

Hallelujah! Praise King Jesus for the wonderful day of ministry! Well, today we "mzungus" traveled to a senior level school.  In the morning session we discussed story writing and English with students preparing for their university entrance exams.  With a new group of higher level students we practiced logic and reasoning skills.  These students soak up everything and diligently analyze everything we said.  We also went through some career counseling: advice on how to choose a career fitting talent and redemptive motives without considering selfish interests.  I was humbled by their complete respect for our opinions.  They were open and smiley.  I found myself engulfed with handshakes and happiness.  Brandy, Harriet, and Polly led a few of us to their dorm rooms while we ate.  They have so little physically, but offered us their beds for chairs and their service, getting us food and washing our dishes.

After a brief fellowship, we discussed Godly relationships with junior high level students.  Their honesty in their questions and their dignity showed us that they respected and valued the advice on how to carry themselves.  No one was flippant or negligent.  Yet they were so full of energy!  Wow!

The day ended with a football game (soccer).  Complete with jerseys, it was the main event.  I don't blame them for laughing at the mzungus.  Some of the boys literally played with their hands tied behind their backs. We ended up winning, but.. ya.  Pure glucose powder as a power up afterwards? I think yes!

Overall the day has been a huge blessing.  Praise the Lord for his work here in Uganda, and for the fields ready for harvest! Amen

Hello Uganda!!

We have arrived!!!!!!!!   I cannot put enough enthusiasm in those words!  The two days of traveling tested my patience, but they brought me here.  Flying into Africa was simply awe inspiring.  Beyond the darkness of the Mediterranean, lights spread out across the shoreline like a map.   A few hours later the sun rose pink over the fluffy clouds.  Best of all, the plane dove through the top layers of cloud and Uganda spread before us:  brilliant green mountains laced with red dirt paths and cloaked in mist.  How splendid are the works of your hands oh Lord!

Quick note: Janna is a blessing indeed.  She kept me laughing throughout the two days of travel.  Suffice to say she's a security guard's nightmare.    Something stopped her all three times we checked through; and something was forgotten and frantically reclaimed all three times.  Visas, oddly enough, went without a hitch. Thank you for all who prayed for safe travels!

We were welcomed at the airport by the beautiful Jayan and a smiling Jonah.  Uganda displayed its vibrant culture for us on our way from Entebbe to Kampala.  Bodas (motorcycles) clog the streets; I can't believe some of the places they'll squeeze into or the loads they carry!  Ladies carry bundles on their heads down the streets; goats graze the roadside; pineapples envelop a bicycle so that even the wheels disappear; children run and wave; everyone and everything is beautiful!  Yes, in a third world country poverty is evident.  This is why we came, to not only provide practical service for the children, but to promote wealth in the Spirit.

The Spirit fills the compound.  This afternoon was spent in devotion and weekly planning.  During the devotion I could just hear the joy pouring from Jonah's finger's on the piano, Emily's guitar strings, and everyone's voices.  I am quite content to spend the next month with all of these people.

Please pray for our week ahead.  Tuesday and Wednesday will be projects in Kampala.  On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we'll already head out on a safari.  Village mission next week.  I am thrilled to go to work tomorrow, but really need some shut-eye (despite tiring ourselves out power-walking around the London terminal, I was unable to sleep more than 2 hours on the plane- hello jet lag!)

God's Blessings
Goodnight!

Home

After living in college for a year then at the homes of friends' and cousins' for the past month, home isn't home.  It's still the place to bake chocolate chip cookies, read cuddled up on the couch, and play with kittens, but I don't feel like I belong anymore.  This isn't my family's fault by any stretch of the imagination; it just is. I've grown close to people and places a college; I blended into life at Janna's house, and now I'm sure I'll leave another piece of my heart in Uganda.  To quote Beauty and the Beast, "Home will be where the heart is."  My heart is in the mission field, and wherever I go within God's plan will be my home for the rest of my life.

And God will meet all of your needs...

Philippians 4:19

Physical needs: Janna and I recently went to Wal-mart for the last big shopping trip.  We loaded our carts with the things on our lists, the things we think necessary.  Sunscreen, bug spray, ibuprofen, toothpaste... needs?  The people we are going to visit might never have used any of these things in their lives, and we have the audacity to call them needs, not just wants for our comfort.  I purchased everything on our list, but I still felt guilty for being born in America, the land of plenty.  On a brighter note, the physical presence of work gloves and a two-person tent makes the trip tangible.  It's gonna happen!  

Monetary needs: On Sunday we served pasta to a multitude of warm-hearted folks who have met all of our needs.  They even graciously listened to our ukulele rendition of "How Great is our God".  Truly we have a great God who put the right people in the right places and at the right times.  He meets all of our needs, and even some of our wants.

Spiritual needs: Vacation Bible School has brought the joy of serving God and praising him with children to the forefront of my mornings.  Nothing could be more wonderful, here or in Africa.   Cool note: the offerings go towards purchasing mosquito nets for children in Mali!  As I'll sleep in one for a month, this just seems more personal and meaningful to me and my group of kids. Also a very cool note: the children of my home church made leather cross necklaces at VBS.  These will travel from their hands half way around the world to grace the necks of Ugandan children.  How awesome!

Musical needs: Yes, I stubbornly admit that I do have musical needs.  Particularly in the ukulele area. (Janna even admitted that she was a bit worried by my initial lack of skill.) Fortunately there has been a breakthrough!!  In the form of Tiny Tim. We were just sitting in the lawn strumming and singing, when the neighbor strolled past commenting on the wonderful live music and wishing for some Tiny Tim.  (Immediately I thought of A Christmas Carol, and Dickens, but apparently the older generation has another face for Tiny Tim.)  As I, of course, had my laptop out on the lawn with me, we googled Tiny Tim.  "Tiptoe through the Tulips" has been stuck firmly in my head for the past week, and even VBS songs can't knock it out.  (People my age- here is where you youtube tiptoe through the tulips.) However, having this song on repeat in my brain is a price I'm willing to pay as I can now, miraculously, play the ukulele! Something in that song just made the strumming and notes click for me.  I probably also owe a big thank you for whichever prayer warrior told God to fix my playing.  (Probably Janna who was embarrassed by the very thought of playing with me and admitting we were related!)   Anyhow, no longer do the people around me cringe when I pick up Leolani (my ukulele).

Less than 2 weeks!!!
God's Blessings,
Tabbi

Project Ukulele

Yes, indeed, both Janna and I purchased ukuleles to take to Uganda, thinking that the children might appreciate some accompaniment to our singing.   After a week of practice, our audience in the downtown park probably thinks differently.  Let us just say I have a new found respect for my mother and others who can finger, strum, and sing all at the same time to different beats.  Also about every two songs the electronic tuner tells me that my strings have gone flat an entire note.   With a miracle of God we will be playing together in tune within the space of three weeks. On second thought, it would be much easier to pray that all of our listeners will be completely tone deaf.

Prelude to Adventure

Praise God I figured out how to start this blog!

Brief Into- My mission in life is to tell others about Christ, to be a living testimony to his saving grace.  To that end, I'm attending college to become a Physician's Assistant and a long-term medical missionary.  That's the big picture.  Nothing matters but getting people to God.

Well, with a summer break from classes, I have the exciting opportunity to travel to Uganda with my cousin Janna for a short term mission.  We will hop the pond to Uganda and meet with the mission group Empower-A-Child in Kampala, Uganda.  This group focuses on areas of Uganda that haven't been "over-missioned" by other organizations.  As we work with a primary schools, the remand home (a juvenile hall), secondary schools, food kitchens, street homes, babies homes, the katalemwa hospital, and the Luwero district (a refugee camp) we will strive to show God through our service, to be His hands and feet. Volunteers journey from America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia to do God's work there.  I feel blessed to have such and opportunity to follow God's call.

About the call: In about second grade, Janna and I planned our lives: we would live on a horse ranch in Africa riding out every day to tell people about Jesus.  Plans change, people grow up, and we realized that God created Africa BIG.  While missions on this continent remain our life plan, we're focusing on separate areas of this ginormous land.  So the dream of joint ministry is up in the air.  Oh, and the horse ranch fell out of the picture.
This summer Janna decided to take a short-term mission trip to get her toes in the water.  I was planning to be responsible this summer, to buckle down, get a job, and earn money for college.  Plans? God laughs at plans.  In the space of five minutes the whole family gathering had discovered a way to get me to Africa this summer.  I had a place to live, intern, and get medical experience for the three weeks of America time.  I had a month of Africa time; and I also had a support base that could only be God-sent.  So we googled African Missions (yes googled!)  and by the end of the day applications were submitted. After talking to people in this ministry, I know that God controlled Google to point us directly to Empower-a Child.

Now childhood dreams and divine plans combine to bring Janna and I to Uganda. Twenty-one days till we hop the pond!  Excitement reigns!

Please also check Janna's: Janna's Uganda Blog

 God Bless!

Note: In a state of giddy confusion over actually starting a blog, I termed this blog Uganda2013 rather than Uganda 2012.  My deepest apologies for any confusion. However, seeing as Uganda2012 was already stolen, I beg you'll forgive me.