Friends are friends forever...

Two Sundays ago was a special day for us here. We got to visit with some very special friends. The Cash family was driving through on their “American tour” from Uganda. So, they stopped in Medford to see us and visit our church! It was awesome. In Uganda I fell deeply in love with Jeff, Cheryl,
Kinley, Alex, Isaac, and Silas. They are such a great family. Jeff is the most loyal and persevering servant I’ve ever met! He is fearless in his faith. What can I even say about Cheryl? The sweetest, most giving, encouraging, wise, amazing woman!! And throw into the mix four of the sweetest, most unassuming, unselfish, beautiful little creations of God….and you have the Cash family!
I knew, at least I hoped that I’d made friends for life. But, I did not expect to see them again for a LONG time! So when Jeff emailed me I was overjoyed! So they altered their plans to visit Medford, see my family and share with our church what God’s doing in Ft. Portal. It was a real blessing to the folks at W. Main. The teens really enjoyed the morning class. Many of them are still talking about it. Jeff shared his story of how he was called into missions, and he and Cheryl answered some questions!
For morning services it was a busy day at church. So the family patiently sat through a VERY long morning service! Afterwards we all went to eat at Roadhouse grill. I pray it was delicious to them. It was no Mountains of the Moon, but it’ll have to do! :) So we had a long lunch just eating and talking. Jess fell in love with them too. It really meant a lot to meet these folks she’d heard so much about! She has said that Cheryl and her could be the best of friends! After lunch the4y came to our house. The kids all played with power rangers and on the trampoline, and we adults fought off sleep and just visited.
That evening Jeff shared with the whole congregation. I still have not stopped hearing about what a blessing it was and just how much people wished he could’ve just “kept on preaching”.
I praise God to know such amazing people. I pray for them constantly. I pray for their work in a land riddled with dishonesty and darkness. I pray for their patience. I pray for their health and safety. I pray for their precious kids. I pray for their hearts and souls. And I pray a huge thanks they took the time to stop by and say hello.
Friends are amazing, and it truly is a small world in Jesus.

Dream Team

As the months pass by quicker than I can fathom, I find my mind drifting back to Uganda more and more. It is funny how 3 weeks there make one think that they are part African! Any talk of this region of the world and a small swell of pride rises inside me, as if it were MY land. I love the place. It did get in my blood and it shall never leave.

Now, 3 months later. I am surprised how much I am missing Uganda. I miss the slower lifestyle. I miss the spiritual fervor. I miss the beautiful people. I miss the land. I just miss it. In fact, lately, it is all I can think about. I dream of the day I can return.

So, as I have been reflecting on these weeks I want to capture what I learned. I am STILL trying to process it. But, I want to reflect on my time spent there with my team. I got to know 5 amazing friends in Uganda. As I can now look back with a little clarity, I am able to see the ways they touched me. I want to capture these thoughts so they will never leave me. I love these people. I pray to be with them again some day.

Jonathan Thomas is an amazing man of God. I am convicted by his passion and energy. I love his humor. He is so talented. He is an amazing artist in MANY ways. I love his stubborn passion for things important to him. I admire his work ethic. He is a great father and husband. I have met fewer people so open to God’s direct leading of their life. I truly believe he is doing things in his life to change people he comes in contact with. I am so thankful he has played and will play a role in my life.

Jenna Graham knows how soft a Koala bear is. :) I am blown away at the spiritual maturity of someone so young. I love how she can talk to anyone anywhere at any time. She can relate to an old man on a plane and invite a Swiss stranger to church with no hesitation. She exudes a beautiful innocence. She is confident. She constantly seems to be learning. She is happy and makes others around her happy. She has a beautiful smile. And children are drawn to her like she is a magnet. I am grateful to call her friend.

Greg Woods is a literally an icon. I knew his name long before I knew him. He may have the most tender heart I have ever met. Wisdom seeps out of his ears. He LOVES people and wears that love on his sleeve. He has seen everything in his ministry and is a wealth of knowledge and ideas. One of the things that impresses me most is how he gives EVERY person the chance to speak and shine. He makes every kid he comes into contact with feel like the most special kid in the world. What a quality! The impact he has had for God’s kingdom is truly immeasurable. I pray that my legacy can be even HALF of his one day. I thank God for Greg Woods.

Wendy Goodyear is one of a kind. She is really smart. She has seen and done a LOT. She has traveled the world. She loves, I mean LOVES young people. And she too draws them in. She is incredibly giving. She is so creative. She is also very strong of heart. She has a presence that can command attention yet you never feel threatened or silenced. She is worthy of respect. She is a role model for young girls. I love her heart and how she has embraced everything life gives her and uses it to minister to people. I am so glad I know Wendy.

Matt Tibbles is a good man. I admire Matt’s level of spirituality. I love to hear him pray, and wish I could pray like he does. I am blown away by his spiritual discipline and how he can embrace activity or silence. I love his strong will to stand up for what is right. He is not swayed by popular opinion; he is what he is and no fad will change that. He is a great preacher. I don’t think he even knows that! Matt wants the world to be fair and I think he is working hard to do his part. I believe Matt Tibbles will be known in this world as a man of God seeking to make the world better than when he came into it. I love my friend Matt.

I could go on for hours about these amazing people. I truly thank God for letting me watch them and learn from them. I pray that this was not my only chance to work with these guys. I cannot wait to continue watching the impact they have on young people in the NW. I hope I can offer them something for all they have given to me. Many days I wish I was still in Africa with them.

Uganda is just so amazing. It is a living and breathing paradox. It is the most gorgeous and beautiful place on earth but at the same time is can be the ugliest. It is full of the most beautiful souls I have ever met but also full of the darkest evil you’ll ever see. There is optimism everywhere yet hopelessness surrounds you at every corner. There is happiness seeping from cracks of huts but the same huts are clouded by despair. You cannot understand it until you have been there. Even then you cannot put it in words. It is truly amazing.

There is a hunger there that consumed my soul and will not let go. There is a hunger for truth. A hunger for peace. A hunger for love. A hunger for good. A hunger for God.

These lyrics are from a song by Paul Colman. They speak great truth:

I came to change you but instead you changed me

And I confess I came to frame you in a photograph

But you showed me why

And you turned this heart around

And I see your smile how it can be

So much brighter than me

And your silent eyes they scream

Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming

Africa



Africa

We smiled at you from behind the glass

And without reserve and whiter than snow

You smiled back at us

And you showed me who

And you turned this mind around

And I see your hands reach out to God

So much higher than ours

And your silent eyes they scream

Of hunger and meaning and eternal dreaming

Africa



Afrika mimi naku penda



I am hungry to go back. Uganda I love you. Matt, John-O, Wendy, Jenna and Greg- I love you too. Thank you for changing me, touching me and rocking the very core of my soul. “Turn the radio up for that sweet sound. Hold me close never let me go…” 

1-16-08 Goodbye Pearl

Last day in Africa. It is truly bittersweet. I did wake up feeling much better. I was able to drink some water and some of Wendy’s magic serum, and even some dry cornflakes! Although I am seriously dehydrated, God is putting me back together! :)

I was determined to go shopping with my friends and bring home gifts for the family. It was fun. We went to a neat little artisan market. I was able to find a little something for everyone. Here is Jenna testing out one of the many uses of her beautiful new fabric:

Now…..it is going to be a LONG day. We have to waste time until later. We do not fly out until after 10:00 tonight. So, we sat and waited quite a bit. We went to a place called I Love NY Kitchen. It was very close to good ol’ American food. I jealously watched them devour their pizza and calzones while I ate a scrumptious bagel.

After more time wasting, we went to a really nice Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a great place. From there, our private little cab took us to the airport. That was a very hard ride for me. My stomach was lurching and I started to feel very panicky. I got extremely grumpy. Not sure what happened. A mix of tiredness, sadness of leaving, emotions and general American attitude.

This is my ONLY regret from the whole trip. The last few days I have not been myself at all. I let myself and spirits get defeated, and I am sure I came across like a jerk many times. This is NOT who I am, and I just pray that any I may have affected have the heart and grace to forgive me, and will know who I REALLY am.

But….this was it. In 1 hr we will leave this country on a giant Airbus heading west. I simply cannot believe what I just experienced. I cannot wrap my head around it. God took 3 weeks, and through them, he literally crashed into my very soul! And everything I thought I knew and understood so clearly, God has turned upside down. And as cliché as it may sound, I will never be the same again.

God, I truly thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for the way you brought this all together. Thank you fro a supporting church leadership to send me. Thank you for an amazing wife to allow me to leave fro so long. Thank you for dreamers of faith like Jeff and Greg for making this a reality. Thank you for letting your Spirit change me.

I pray I will take all of this, eventually process it, and use it for the rest of my life. Goodbye Africa. Goodbye Uganda. I will always love you.

more from Uganda

I apologize for my sporadic postings on Uganda. I vow to get these finished for the 1 or 2 of you who actually care! 2008 has been a really hard year so far. This last week my family was visited again by death. A dear family member lost a child at 20 weeks. We are all in mourning. Please pray for her, and forgive my lazy posting.

So…here we go:

1-11-08

After Breakfast, Matt and I walked to the Cash house. It was a great morning. We spent some time at their house cleaning up all the equipment from Camp. It was nice and relaxing. I also wrestled with the Cash boys.

Much later, we headed back to the church property at Kagote. We set up the HUGE screen for the Jesus Film that night.. It was a very hot and sunny day.

Next, Matt and I got picked to go do some more door knocking. I was glad to go, but it was HOT! And just like yesterday, it was a blessed experience. One lady had us into her tiny little hut. She was so sweet. She shared her faith story and how excited she was to have a church nearby.

After an hour or two, we hit our last house. It was the 1st home where the people were visibly downtrodden and defeated. “How are you” I asked the folks on the porch. The man of the house answered, with a blank expression, “I am here”. No joy. Only apathy. I asked him how his family was. “Somehow fine” was all he could muster. We soon learned why. After they talked with us, we asked to pray for the family and he said “my daughter very sick. Cancer in her face”. So we called her over to pray over her.

I was not prepared fro what we saw. Her face will forever be burned in my memory. She looked like a normal little beautiful girl, somewhere between 6-9, but the right side of her face was HUGE and disfigured by a gigantic tumor. It was terrible. She sat right next to me and I began to pray. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit, as I am sure He prayed that prayer for me. I’ll never forget her. I wonder today how she is, and what God is doing in that situation.

At 4:00 a very pink Matt and I returned to the church site. We hadn’t eaten since 8:00 am and we were famished. A few locals started to trickle in. They came right into our group like we were best pals. I guess we are!

So anyway…long story short, we plugged in an Ipod to the speakers and started blaring some tunes to draw more in. The heat was a distraction. Many were waiting for more shade to arrive. But, eventually they came. We preached and sang. We taught and played with kids. We set up volleyball net. And, after much fear due to faulty VCR’s, God got the film started.

Once going, Cheryl had sent us some amazing BBQ sandwiches (God bless her!), so we sat under the pavilion up top and ate like pigs in the dark. It was here we could first see the size of the crowd. It was HUGE. Several hundred were there. It was wonderful listening to their reaction to the scenes on the screen.

Afterwards we prayed with anyone who wanted to come forward (that was amazing for me) and we broke things down and headed home.

Just before midnight I settled into my bed at the View. What a day!

Tales from Uganda continued.....

1-5-08
Last night was the big finale! I will not try and describe it to you, because you had to SEE it to understand. Just know it involved Greg in a fire suit, 200 “magic” glow sticks, flaming steel wool and launched grenades in to Lake Saaka.

Wow…like that, FQU ’08 is over! I cannot believe it actually. All the prep work and prayers, all the travel and planning……and this is over. I praise God for allowing me to be here and I pray that HE was glorified these few days.

Breaking down camp was not as bad as you may think. We said goodbye, shook hands and hugged. We took pictures. I wonder if our paths will ever cross again before our reunion in heaven (with Rwebisengo leading worship no doubt!!)?

So, with a little sadness and a little more relief in our hearts, we took off to the Cash home. We watched them open some late arriving Christmas gifts and then we unpacked all the camp gear. As boredom set in, us boys found some arrows and invented a nice little “Spear Toss” game. It was quite fun.


After the game we made it to our new home for the rest of the trip: The Ruwenzori Guest House. It is a beautiful little place run by a character named Morris. He is SO fun to be around, and it turns out quite the subject of local folklore and rumor! Can I say this: HOT SHOWERS!!!!! God bless you solar panels…..I was SOOO dirty! Our room flooded quickly, as apparently the drains don’t work too quickly. And guess what…..it was STILL wonderful! The evening ended with a wonderful dinner and the meeting of new friends Doris and Petra from Switzerland.

Songs, Bombs, and Fire dances

January 3, 2008

Man last night was amazing. The night ended with the kids from the church in Kyenjojo bringing down the house! One girl was singing her heart out! The praises are still ringing in my ears this morning as I awaken. My body feels weak, but my soul is full of joy.

This morning I had 2 “firsts”. One was sitting on the scary, dark, ant covered concrete slab called a toilet (in all actuality, I have seen MUCH worse). And then, I took my 1st real African “shower”. Basically you fill a plastic tub with boiled green lake water and take it into the “shower hut”. Then, you get down to the ol’ birthday suit, squat over your bucket and commence to splashin’! J I am not sure how clean I got, but I felt like a new man……it is amazing what a little shampoo can do!

So, I entered the morning worship feeling like a new, clean man! This morning, the kids just seemed on fire! It was almost TOO much to take in. Matt again had us partner with a stranger and learn about their faith. I was with Tinah form Jinja. Hearing the story of her family and faith was amazing. Her parents are in Kenya, and are both from the two different tribes that at that very second were waging a bloody war in the usually tranquil Kenya! She was worried. Here is my friend Tinah:

Matt then asked the crowd “How do you know God loves you?” One girl said- “All 8 of my siblings have died, or been killed. But, I am still alive. God loves me.”………………….HEAVY!

During the sermon, I sat next to a beautiful young village girl from Rwebisengo. She was tiny. I must have looked like Goliath to her. She would stare at me when she thought I was not looking. She then became fascinated with the bottom of my boot and absent mindedly began playing with it, for several minutes. When she looked up, I was looking at her. She blushed SO big like I had just caught her in something she should not be….then she broke into a HUGE smile I will never forget! I only know her right now as “SHOE GIRL”, but I love her. When it was over, she got my attention, and very shyly waved goodbye. (more stories of “SHOE GIRL” will come later!)

Later in the day, Jeff and Cheryl split the guys and gals up and gave purity classes. This is unheard of in Africa. Things like sex are publicly ignored. You DO NOT talk about such things! Hence, HIV is killing the entire country! It was great though…several young men were touched, and afterwards, they prayed about it at the foot of the cross.


After lunch, I preached my 2nd time. It was ok, but the crowd was hot, full and tired. Still, they were attentive as I talked about the armor of God and even dressed a young man up in a costume. It was fun.

Next, (busy day huh) we had a game. They played a flour bomb war. You ever done that? You take a tissue, fill the center with flour, and then twist and tie it off. You then play capture the flag. To eliminate another player, you must hit them with your thrown bomb. They explode and get all over you……trust me, GREAT fun! Well, guess what……they LOVED it. I mean LOVED it! It was nuts.

They were fast! And when the red team finally won (on some pretty shaky terms I might add) they went crazy! For a brief second, we thought we may have started the Uganda riots! They were yelling, jumping, cheering…it was so cool.

After this, we passed out their camp T-shirts. They were SO excited to get a new shirt. It meant the world to them. It was humbling to see such gratefulness.

So….after dinner, we were excited. We were going to walk into the village of Buhara (known in the not so far off past for its’ witchcraft) to have a worship in the town center around a bonfire. The plan was to let the African kids take control and make it 100% native! So we walked down a DARK road (I am convinced the Ugandans have been blessed with an internal night vision), until we reached the village center. The kids then just let it out! They danced, sang, jumped, celebrated…….man they loved the Lord is what they did! At one point they began this fast manic run around the fire in a huge group. Matt, John and I jumped in to the action…it was GREAT!

Afterwards, we wearily walked back to camp. The BUSY and wonderful day ended with a few of us around the tents laughing our heads off to jokes of the “SMUT and GANDHI SLAP”…trust me, you HAD to be there! J

It was a great day. I feel very full of God tonight…and with that feeling, I shall sleep.

New Year's Eve in Africa

Well………..it is New Year’s Eve in Africa. I did not sleep very well last night. I got to talk to the family again for a few minutes. It was good but also broke my heart! Jude was so cute: “Dad I have some bad news”…pause…”The Broncos lost to the Vikings”…….longer pause… “Just joking Daddy, we won in overtime!” J

Today was a really stinky one. Jenna and I got to feeling quite ill. Poor Jenna was puking all day. I never did, but felt like I would at any moment. In hindsight, it was just serious jetlag and dehydration. But it did stink, as I had to watch the rest of the team take off for camp to set up and have fun, while I lay on a couch. I felt SO guilty!

So it was a LOOOONG day. I lay on the Cash’s couch most of it, listening to music and talking with their beautiful kids. As the day progressed, I felt worse. They need Gatorade in Africa!!!!! I REALLY wanted to talk to my wife….she is my “medicine” when I feel sick. I feel like a let down to the team. It is just rotten all around.

Anyway……I made it obviously. I slept in the back room off the kitchen in a tiny portable mosquito tent.
I never did sleep, as my mind was reeling. I never did call my wife though. I felt like Uriah the Hittite from II Samuel…”How can I call my wife when my brothers are on the battlefield…. J” So, I never did call. Uneventful day…but I set out to chronicle EVRY day, so you get to suffer through this one!

Uganda day 1- leaving the city.....

So.....I just woke up. And the 1st thing I notice is this incredible sound. It became a joke, because I thought it was like Disneyland or something, piping in recorded sounds. I really did...it was just TOO perfect sounding! There was a chorus of birds like I had NEVER heard! The bird songs of Uganda are like no music you have EVER heard! So, once I was done with my private concert, I headed to breakfast, and met JohnO, Matt and Greg outside. It was a gorgeous blue sky...and the birds were still singing their praises. As we listened we prayed to God for the trip.......'twas a great way to set your soul right to start a day, week and trip! The rest of teh gang made their ways out and they brought us out all kinds of fruit (pineapples from heaven!), sausages and Spanish omelettes. The next hour was wonderful as Jeff and the guys gave us a crash course in Ugandan Christian history.

After eating came the task of drivign into Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and it's biggest city. We were to exchange money and eat lunch. So the city is NUTS! I have literally never seen such chaos.....PEOPLE are everywhere, as are cars. Their are NO traffic laws, and it is just crazy. Picture the scariest and worst traffic you have ever seen and multiply that times 1000!!!Here are 2 pictures...though it DOES not capture the madness sufficiently at all:



The scene was whizzing through my head...people everywhere..laying down, walking, sitting, driving. Ladies carrying massive loads on their heads. Shacks and huts in shambles all over the place. Cows being slaughtered right on the road, men carryign AK-47's......I AM IN AFRICA!!!

We exchanged money (my $1000 made me a milionaire in Uganda...literally!) Next, we ate lunch at Sam's.....a nice place. The menu was interesting..complete with warthog, wildabeest, crocodile and monkey steaks. I gladly opted out of the "ebola on a bun" special :) and had Chicken Tikka!

Finally, much later (like I said....eating in Uganda is slow) we took off for Ft. Portal! We saw some interesting signs (one business advertising "Dentistry and Circumcision"....man I hope they change instruments!:) ) Also.....some sad ones like the one below. Men giving little girls gifts for sex is a HUGE problem......check this out:

So we finally got out for what was supposed to be about a "3 hr tour". One hour into the trip however one of our trucks broke down! :) It was a very good welcome to life in Africa. It took FOREVER to fix and find parts (with Derrick running back into the nearest village for "parts")......many locals were fascinated with the group of "buzungu" (white men) on the rofad side, so we soon drew a small crowd. they just sat there and watched. It was cool!


Eventually we arrived MUCH later than planned...about 10:00 at night! We had a late dinner and Cheryl's apple pie (good enough to make you slap your gramdma!)....and we went to our temporary hotel called Tooro Inn. We slept in some great little huts....and fell asleep to the celebratory sounds of a local wedding party!

God bless you Africa!

"It Began, In Africa...." (sung to the Chemical Bros. song of aforementioned title)

So……..the end of 2007 came in a whirlwind! The holidays were chock full of tedious jobs at church, such as parties, programs and projects. They were all nice things…but they piled up the stress. Combine that with the general busyness of the holidays, and visiting family…..oh yeah and the crazy emotional stress of preparing for over 3 weeks in a 3rd world country without your family! So……it was a dizzy blur of activity.

Yet….praise be to God, it all went off without any major hitches. Christmas was great. My parents went ridiculously nuts on the kids, and they were in gift and toy heaven. We exchanged gifts on the Christmas Eve at my sisters…and it was nice. The next day was spent with the family at our house. It was a very nice Christmas…….I can barely remember it, but it was nice :).

That night, after everyone left, it became very hard. The realization that I was leaving hit us liek a truck! My kids were clingy. Jude wouldn’t leave my side. He was begging me to sleep with him in his bed. I finally broke down and had a good cry outside, and then all was better :). So we compromised….the kids slept in our bed, and we stayed up late watching their newly acquired copy of Underdog. It was surreal…I knew that in a few hours, I was going FAR away for a LONG time.

The next day saw me off to Seattle to meet with our team. Matt Tibbles picked me up at the airport. That day and evening were spent with last minute preparations, prayer time and getting to know each other.

Bright and early the next morning….the adventure began. So….all you will really read about today is the LONG airplane ride. Seattle to Amsterdam was the 1st leg…about 8 hrs. I was originally seated next to a huge old guy…who due to his gnarly white beard, gold rimmed glasses, blue pea coat and hat, I kindly dubbed “Cap’n Ahab”. Needless to say he was a HUGE man….and I 'aint the tiniest guy around! :) It was gonna be rough…….but praise the Lord, the row in front of me stayed open so I acted quickly………and had 8 hrs of NO neighbors…….just me, and the movie selection from NWA (Darjeeling limited was excellent!)!

I could barely sleep…..(airplane sleeping is an art I have yet to master, but I am accepting ANY tips!). So surprisingly, upon arrival…I still felt somewhat fresh. We were weary, but were being carried on by sheer adrenaline. I had an amazing chocolate pastry and cappuccino for breakfast…and then read my book and listened to tunes for the 4 hr layover…………

Here we are in the airport in Amsterdam (God bless America for our communist ban on public smoking! :):




So………..my loyal 3 readers----- the journey had begun. Stay tuned for more interesting items….I think you will enjoy it. Tommorow's exciting episode: Arriving in Entebbe………..

Uganda Boy Returns

Hey everyone....................I am BACK! Man.......it was a crazy 3 weeks. Africa blew away all dreams and expectations. It is a place where darkness is real, and Satan is active.......but above that, a place where God is ALIVE! I met some INCREDIBLE people. Heard some amazing stories. Ate some..."interesting" food. Picked up some weird African amoebas :). Had my worldview of who God REALLY is totally shattered. ANd left a brand new man.........................It is my desire to share much of this journey with you.

SO, starting later today or tommorow, I am going to chronicle the adventure on a day by day basis...each day with a new picture and story. I hope you will enjoy this and that maybe, it will bless someoene!

Until then......peace my friends!

Time to Go!

I leave in just a few days, on a life changing adventure for our Lord. I am filled with excitement, fear, joy, anxiety, etc. It will be a new world to me. It is one of: poverty, new smells and sights and sounds; a world of corruption, chaos, war and disease. It is also a world full of people that Jesus died for. I do not know exactly what to expect, but I do know this: I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Our leader on this trip andmy friend, Greg Woods shared these words with us, and I want to share them with you (paraphrased):

“I wish there’s a way to insure total safety for us, but I cannot. The good news is…there is ASSURANCE! God’s hand is on this mission. He wants it to happen and He has called us to this honor. ….I understand our fears…but, BE ASSURED…You’re traveling in the hands of an all-knowing…all-powerful…ever-present God whose love for you and your family is deeper than you’ll ever realize. He has our best interests firmly anchored in His heart. He apparently believes each of us have the gifts necessary to accomplish His desire and intent in Uganda. Perhaps, even as I compose these words, He is clearing the path before us…Snakes are swimming to the other side of the Lake Saka; big trucks, with careless drivers are being steered clear of our paths; and viruses are being contained and eradicated…and all will be smooth sailing. He can do that! But perhaps not. For the life of me, I can’t see Him doing that for us, if He did not see fit to do it for Paul. And perhaps we are being shaped to be like Paul. When you’ve gulped stormy sea water on your way to the safety of the shore; when you’ve wrenched the fangs of a snake out of your skin; when you’ve had to shake the dust off your feet and move on or been left for dead by the brethren; you finally get to where Paul got when he said:
“For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Rom 14:7-8)
The only assurance I can extend is that “we belong to the Lord”…this mission experience “belongs to the Lord”; come what may…IT IS HIS!

Thank you all for helping me be a part of this mission! I love you all and cannot wait to come home and tell you all about it! Merry Christmas-

Uganda Blog Update

This is a blog I am tracking daily from a Dr. on ther ground in the center of the ebola outbreak. It is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. There are REAL heroes today. I pray for them.

here

Ebola Uganda Updates

Well.....the deadly ebola situation in Uganda is gaining steam. It sounds much more serious than previously believed. It is scary for me, all the way over here in safe ol' Oregon. I cannot imagine what the brave saints on the ground in Uganda are going through! I do not know what to think or do about any of this. All I feel is a despearte need for prayer. Please read these blogs from our contacts over there. they are sad, somber and scary. I beg you all (if anyone actually reads this) to PLEASE be praying for these people!


here
and
here

Ebola prayers

Well, I leave for Uganda in exactly 3 weeks. And thsi story is all over the news today.



here



Not sure what to think here. Am I scared? Shoudl I be? Is my faith weak? Is it strong? I am realy confused to tell you the truth. I covet your prayers.