ZANZIBAR!!

For the first time in its history, Heritage International School sponsored the first set of field trips which take place in locations further than a day's journey from the school. Locally, we do a lot of field trips each year. But this year was the first time the school TRIED to offer a trip to Egypt, amongst 2 other field trips (one to Rwanda and southern Uganda and one to a Rhino sanctuary in northern Uganda). However, with political issues in Egypt, a change-up occurred.  Originally, I was asked to help lead that Egypt trip. Only after arriving back in Uganda did I find that there was indeed another trip planned in place of Egypt.

As you can see from the title... ta daaaa!!!!!! We went to Zanzibar in early May! There were so many amazing views, activities and photos, that I decided to try a slide show in order to incorporate more photos than I normally do. However, after 2 days of attempting a much longer slide show, alas, I had to revert to simply loading a very few photos (techie issues). There were more than 700 between 2 of us (meaning myself and Tiya, a HIS senior who is gifted in photography), and since I assume you won't want to see all 700, below you'll get only a tiny taste. For the trip itself, we took 19 students grades 5-12, along with 5 adults. Coming from about 9 countries, we had a wonderful mix of personalities and cultures.

I've simply loaded the pics. They're in no particular order, in other words. But the order of our days was like this: Day 1, fly to Zanzibar via Nairobi. Arrive for dinner then bed. Day 2: tour Stone Town (Old Zanzibar city) and slave museum, House of Wonders (history museum), lunch in town, and see a spice farm, including cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, coconuts, and many others. Day 3: Take dhows (boats) out to swim with dolphins then go snorkeling. Lunch at boat-launch beach (small cafe there). See Red tailed Colobus monkeys and mangroves in the afternoon. Day 4: visit Prison Island (see sea turtles there) and snorkel. Lunch out again. Tourist/curio shopping in town. Day 5: Relax at hotel. Fly out in afternoon, back through Nairobi to Uganda.

Now, day 3 of seeing the dolphins...  well, it was an adventure to say the least. For the 3+ hours boat ride, we had a lot happen. We headed out to sea- about 1/2 mile off shore and probably 1 mile up the coast, which with the waves took about an hour. Sea waves were about 12' high, enough to continually swamp and rock and pitch our two boats so much that about 7 or more people were seasick the entire time, we had no chance of jumping in the dangerous waters (well, Mr. Kris did, but it was pretty rough). We did see around 6-8 bottle nose dolphins, but couldn't really get many photos due to the rocking of the boat and the waves that kept nearly soaking/ruining our cameras.  After about 2.5 hours, we attempted to put the sick back on land, and in doing so, Kris slipped on a rock on the coral reef and landed on a sea urchin, more kids got sick, and so about half unloaded at that attempt. The rest of us wanted to TRY for another area to snorkel, but first our anchors twisted (between the 2 boats), then our boat motor got caught in a huge fishing net, the man had to swim from our boat to the other, get a very dull knife, then come cut us loose, then at one point our boat was so close to the other that a huge wave knocked us into theirs at the point (bow) and literally cracked the wood hull of the other boat. Yep, REALLY rough seas. So we said (for about the 10th time) to the (marijuana smoking) boat pilots that we were done; take us in. FINALLY they heard out pleas, and we all FINALLY went to shore.

And just before we did indeed head to shore, a wave hit so high and hard that it went over the entire boat - probably a wave about 16 feet high?! Thankfully by then I had asked the tour guide, Eddie, to hang my camera bag from the top of the poles over the boat (where a tarp would normally be). Had my camera bag not been hanging piñata style, it would have been completely soaked- with the camera as well. PTL it was okay- just wet on the outside. As I said, it was an adventure. Interesting to speak of now, but NOT the best to live through, but we do praise the Lord that we did live through it!

So on day 4, when we were to go see a place where they build dhows, we changed the plans and went snorkeling at the turtle island. It was most definitely a HIGHLIGHT of the trip, so I'm really glad we changed the schedule. I've never been, and to have been able to do so in the Indian ocean, well, it was amazing! Other really good times included swimming in the hotel "infinity" pool, right next to the ocean. Then swimming in the ocean. Then back in the pool. We also enjoyed playing some Phase 10 and some other group or small group times. And I personally was really pleased to bring home a small Zanzibar trunk (smile).

Above: on the boat to see the turtles, then snorkel!

Above & Below: Zanzibar Dhows

Devotions time together

Colobus monkey (above), my first Baobab tree (below)

Zanzibar has beautiful carved doors and woodwork

70 or more slaves were kept in this chamber before auction

This is the slaves monument in Stone Town, Zanzibar

The First Month Back

Wow time has really rushed by these weeks! I've so far:

• moved back into my home
• worked on organizing my office
• begun attending our Africa Gospel Churches again
• met with current field leadership (John & Beth Muehleisen) to catch up and create a map of the next steps I'm taking in ministry (youth, teaching, helping in the church, etc.)
• begun to set up for the end-of-school YOUTH BASH for the Heritage youth, coming May 28th!
• reconnected with many of the HIS students and families (as time has allowed)
• helped put together 1300 books our field printer had on his schedule (Kenneth & Delight Hopson run the field print shop. The books are for another ministry we work with, teaching community health and educational materials).
• helped lead a 5-day trip to Zanzibar (Tanzania; off the mainland in the Indian Ocean). This was a group of 24 (20 kids grades 5-12) and I'm so thankful for the success of our time, travels, safety, and the opportunity to go!
• met formally with WGM leadership, held meetings with our various VIA (Volunteers In Action) as the VIA Coordinator for the field.
• begun attending our WGM Sunday evening prayer meetings again
• bought a bed from some missionaries leaving Uganda. My old one was 35+/- years old and REALLY uncomfortable- SO thankful for the new one!
• got my Internet finally running at a decent speed (well, arranged for the changes; it isn't like I know how to do the techie stuff).
• made plans/calendars for summer VIA who begin coming in just a few weeks
• went swimming with some of our youth at a local hotel
• am getting connected with HIS leadership as we work on who is teaching what in the upcoming (August) school year
• participated in various meetings, planning and creating ideas for ministries WGM is involved with.
• helped host missionaries visiting from Kenya, who will come as assigned Uganda team members in one year! So thankful for Jeff & Christine!
• already had my first parasite battle, just finishing meds yesterday. All better, PTL!
• helped plan/prepare for 2 new missionary families (Rambos and Hallahans) arriving this coming Tuesday! 

I'm sure there is more to say, but essentially the time has been full! Today, besides (Lord willing) finishing getting my office up and running (I just finished unpacking the last trunk from storage!), I wanted to write on this blog, and later I'm to go help with a "Its Cool in the Furnace" production of more than 150 kids from HIS plus the community. Pictures will be posted later, from this event! :)

Okay, so I've got more to add with lots of pics from the Zanzibar trip. I'll do that in a separate post. Thanks for your prayers and support!

London, April 2011

On my way back to Uganda in April, I had about 13 hours in London. While there, I was blessed to see my dear friend and prayer partner, Keeley. We served together in Uganda at Heritage, and she and her family are now in London. I'm so thankful to have the special time there with her!

Setting a time with Keeley to meet at the underground at Kensington, and I was early FYI, I promptly fell asleep on the tube for at least 6 stops, passing Kensington and headed back towards Heathrow. WEIRD. Yep. Nobody accosted me, PTL, and when I woke up, refreshed, I just switched trains and went back the right direction. I must say I was COMPLETELY out. Subconsciously, I continued to hear music being played by the guy across from me. He was still on the train when I got off (while everyone else was long gone), and I suspect he was either an angel protecting me, or a Tube worker, also protecting me. Either way, thanks mystery guy!
Meeting Keeley and laughing about my long nap, we headed off for lunch and trekking around downtown London. We took many same routes the ROYALS later took for the Kate/Wills wedding, so when I saw pictures later (after their nuptials) I was glad to recognize a lot!

One thing I never noticed about UK (or at least London) was that with their different climate (from the USA), they have the BEST spring! Tulips, daffodils AND lilacs (my favorite!!) were all in bloom at the SAME time! In the USA, lilacs come a month after the others. I'm so glad I was able to see these springtime beauties before hitting Uganda, where they can't grow. :)

There are lots of other photos around London I could add, but I want to move on to other photos and further updates from within Uganda. Here is one last shot of London. FYI, I don't remember why, but Keeley and I never got a photo together! What were we thinking? Oh, well. When I return through there in a few years, I'll be sure to put that on the plan.



Properly licensed!

In 2010, Indiana changed their methods for license renewal. Although I took a class, those credits were not necessary to renew the license. All I had to do was collect and present proofs of seminars I've attended, seminars I've taught, and other professional development activities like serving on committees, etc. The state approved all of the "Professional Growth Points" (PGPs) and gave me the license in a speedy time- I received it at the end of March!
The same day I received the last proof for the PGP materials, I also finished my course (credits come through Indiana Wesleyan Univ., but I did a correspondence course). Because I didn't need the class credits for this license renewal, I'm saving them for the next time I need to renew (in 5 years).
I was surprised that indeed all the PGP points worked for a state, when some did relate to Christian-related/mission-related training. I also was surprised to have all of it come together on the same day. I thought the State approval would take at least 8 weeks (it took 3). And I also thought the class through IWU would take till May for the grading to be done. It also took about 3 weeks, and out of some 900 points in total for all the work, I lost a total of 2 points. Yes, it was an A.
In all, I am so very thankful to have this hurdle overcome, and the materials I studied will be wonderful help in ministry in Heritage International School and other areas of ministry! Praise the Lord for His help in this endeavor! Thanks for your prayers as I worked on this these past few months!

My Prayer for YOU

"When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and ore at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

What a lovely, all encompassing prayer. I've got lots to say about it, reflecting on various parts. It speaks to my soul. So instead of giving my commentary, I'm leaving it to the Holy Spirit to speak to your soul, as well. God bless and keep you.

Why I Knit

Years ago in Bolivia, I learned to quilt. I loved it. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed making various things.

But I can't quilt- easily- in Uganda. It is hard to find some of the supplies, although of course there are fabulous fabrics in Africa. And there are so many bits and pieces to go along with quilting- needles, thread, numerous fabrics, a frame, a sewing machine (usually) and the batting. (note: I think there is a new term for batting, but apparently I'm too old to know it as yet).

Anyway, I HOPE to do some quilting when I go back this time.

So I was thinking of something else I might learn to do with my hands, which would be easier to carry around (vs. all my quilting supplies). I'd like to have something accessible to teach Africans, so they can learn a new skill, and maybe use the craft to make a living.

Well, in January, I went to my town's knitting store and took some lessons. I've made 3 scarves so far (for my sisters and my Mom), and have started 2 more learning different stitches to continue growing my skills. I’m itching to make a baby blanket or even an afghan, but with only 5 weeks left before I leave for Uganda, I will wait. Once I get these skills down, I'll be able to help dear African ladies, Lord willing.

Well, I met a number of neat ladies at my knitting classes, and one called me with some great news! She was helping a neighbor "downsize" some of her crafts items, and had some yarn to donate for me to take to Uganda. I picked it up today, expecting maybe a bag full of yarn. Nope, it was 5 huge lawn/leaf bags full of 287 skeins of yarn! She estimated that it was about $3,000 worth of yarn- I can believe it since I've been learning prices of yarn. WOW- what a blessing!

Yarn is available in Uganda, but not the quality or colors that they gave me today. So to the best we can, I'm trying to get the yarn to Uganda. And this afternoon I was chatting online with my friend Delight (WGM missionary) in Uganda and told her about the yarn.

She got excited and said she has a contact who is shipping a container to Uganda, who can probably take all the yarn for us! And she also volunteered to help me teach ladies how to knit or crochet (she knows how to do that). Fun! Won't this be an exciting outreach? Pray for us to be able to get the yarn to Uganda okay, and to have opportunities to minister to women with this craft. Yep, I still need to go get some extra needles and hooks, but I'm definitely set in the yarn department.

This is a "potato chip scarf" (I'd call it a cork screw scarf) which I made for my sister Abby. We chose the yarn to work with her coat, and I was surprised to find how quickly the yarn colors changed. On my Mom's and sister's scarves, the change from one color to another (their yarns were also multicolored) took longer. So Abby's scarf turned out looking a lot more camouflage than we anticipated, but it ended up being cute. Since it is camouflage, can you see it? Ha. :)

Election Results

Well, according to my friends (missionary and local) in Uganda, and according to the newspapers, the incumbent, Museveni, has won the Presidential election. News will trickle in over the next days, and of course there are already opponents crying foul. Whatever the case and results, I still ask for you to pray for peace and safety, and that no matter who reacts how, that nobody will OVER-react, since so often that can get out of hand quickly.

Do pray for Uganda as a whole. There is a lot of good in this beloved nation, and yet there are many steps to making it grow. It is most definitely still ranked as 3rd world, and disease, starvation, poor edcuation (for the majority), etc., are common. Above all, the people need personal relationships with Jesus Christ. So I'm also praying for open hearts and minds so that the Lord Himself will tranform this country.

Thank you for your prayers and care. I've linked today's election results article from Yahoo, as you will see. There are also other articles available on the two main Ugandan newspapers, (The New Vision, the State-owned paper, and The Daily Monitor, which I believe is privately owned).

Pray for Uganda Elections

February 18 and 19 are the national elections for Uganda. Will you please pray for peaceful, safe, fair elections and results? There are numerous parties seeking nationwide positions, including the presidency.

I am a missionary called to serve there, and I wish to remain neutral so I can be a better minister of the gospel. I only wish to see that justice and calm reign, with people seeking to work together.

I pray that somehow, as the Lord leads, people will come to know Him as Savior. Join me in these prayers and wishes for this nation. Thank you!

Where I Stand

Well, as of today, I need $256/month in pledges, plus about $3,000 cash for one-time expenses. I've had a number of people join my prayer team, but more are always welcome.

I just counted. I have less than 8 weeks before I leave for Uganda. Oh my! That is shocking! The time is coming up quickly; rushing ahead in fact. I'm not worried about the funding coming in; the Lord will provide as He sees fit. He is aware that I need to be back in Uganda helping at Heritage and in the Africa Gospel Church. But do you ever say, "Okay Lord, you can do that thing now so we don't have it hanging overhead!"?

I know, I know. His watch is set differently. And meanwhile, I do have my class to finish, as well as working on the actual license renewal paperwork. I've got some speaking engagements in PA and NJ in late March, and then packing and goodbyes.

When I put the list together like that, it can make me breathless and a bit overwhelmed. But here is where I stand: under the wings of Jesus. My days are ordered by the Lord and He has good plans, even in the rush of time.

Pray with me that all my funding will come in soon, for the class to go well and in a timely manner, that I will be patient and trust the Lord for His provision and for all the things He is currently teaching me. Pray for my continued travels and meetings, and eventual goodbyes. The Lord is so good; he can be trusted to care for all these things and more. So I choose to stand in His grace, mercy and provision. I pray you choose that same place today!

A Visit To Michigan

Here we are in Frankenmuth, Michigan. It has been a wonderful time to see my sister Karen and her family during our overlapping furloughs. Usually our furloughs don't match up, so the time together has been a blessing. This was my last time to see them before I go back to Uganda in April (they return to Cameroon in June), and I'm not sure what year I'll see them again. While in the USA, they base themselves outside of Flint, MI.

The weekend together was special, and I'm so glad we could go. Mom and I traveled up from Indy and got to do several things with the family. On Saturday, we went to Frankenmuth, a Bavarian town about 30 minutes away. There are a lot of tourist shops, outlets, and interesting local things to see. We enjoyed looking in the shops and seeing the ice sculpture displays everywhere, and our German meal at the Bavarian Inn was delicious!

Dave was speaking at their home/sending church on Sunday in both morning and night services, so we got to hear Dave preach and also see their presentation. Meeting some of their kind church friends was neat as well. We also got to have a delicious lunch out with Dave's family at an Italian restaurant. Playing board games with the family also created some more sweet memories.







The town of Frankenmuth is built and decorated in Bavarian themes. Despite it being the middle of winter, there were a lot of people and activities filling the town.



Zac "models" some interesting tea being sold in one of the shops. I don't know the brand, but one flavor was called "Get Lost" and the other flavor was "Get Some Zzzs". Funny marketing.



Above and below: the Bavarian Inn is a huge restaurant, with shops, hotel and pools, etc. A prime destination for many tourists.





Funny sign at the restaurant. Thanks, AJ & Zac, for being good sports and posing for me! :)

A kind person at Dave & Karen's church took this second group photo for us.

The Past Month

I have no photo for this entry. Sorry, but it isn't very exciting to take a picture of my nose in a book. That is what I've been trying to do lately as I seek to earn credit and renew my state teacher's license. It is an interesting course, concerning including students with special needs in the general classroom, but finding motivation is a stretch some days.

There is a ton of reading and I'm easily distracted by - well- you name it. Phone calls, answering emails I need to get to, and doing other necessary ministry activities which sometimes need immdiate attention. I'm still not fully funded (read entry titled "Where I Stand" above) so I've got that as a distraction, as well. I've been (happily) seeing some supporters and/or friends as well. Friends are not distracting, but indeed time away from the books does- well- take me from the books. (my logic is amazing, eh?)

If you think of it, pray for me to have more motivation. I'm about 1/4 done, and am hoping to have it completed by mid-March, Lord willing. Thanks for your prayers!

Winter 2011

I am not sure, but I THINK my neighbor has a Tulip tree. Whatever these are, (I think they are maybe last season's tulip leaf buds?) they were so pretty as they held snow. We got 6 inches that day. It fell on top of 1 inch of ice. Which had fallen on 2 inches of sleet pellets. Which had fallen on the nearly 2 inches of ice from the first storm. My oh my. What a winter! FYI today, about 10 days later, it was 45 and the ice is finally melting off the driveway. I couldn't shovel it all last week, so I had left it to melt whenever we would get warmer weather. Temps have been about 7 degrees F., but by the weekend, they say it will be 60! Yowzah!



My Mom's house in the snow.



Flowers, trees and grasses after the ice and snow storms. I am trying to be a creative and better photographer. Sometimes I hit the mark but many times I'm off. I want "the photographers eye!"... some day maybe. :)







Outside our back door; anyone want to sit on the swings?

Independent or Dependent? (A.K.A. God gets the Glory!!!)

I was miffed and discouraged this morning when I found out that I have yet another unexpected bill to pay in Uganda. The electric company has increased the power going to my house (and others in my neighborhood there) to more than 240v. It has been “blowing up” household fans and smaller appliances. My house has a regulator, meaning something to control these inconsistent bursts of power. But I need a newer and bigger one. It will cost around $1,300. Ugh.

I remember when I first went to Uganda. It took nearly 3 years to get all the “bugs” worked out of the electric in my home, plus putting lightning rods on the roof, getting a generator AND an inverter (a house “battery pack”). It was so costly, and so frustrating. But God provided.

Yesterday I wrote a long prayer journal asking God to help me not be so independent. I know He has given me a “strong” (you can read bossy and opinionated in that– sorry to say) personality. I do not like it. I want to be gentle and quiet and peaceful. But every time I think I’ve got hold of His hand, like a little girl walking beside Him, suddenly something distracts me. Yes, I could own one of those tee shirts that says, “Easily Distrac…” and it would be true of me.

But in a spiritual sense, this is NOT cool. I let go of the Lord’s hand way to easily, running out on my own to inspect something pretty and, well, worldly. Or I get involved in time wasters and brain-killers (A.K.A. TV or movies) that are not horrible, but they distract my focus from Jesus and His glory and power.

The worst, though, is when I think I can stand alone. I can’t. I need the Rock of Jesus Christ under me, His strong arms around me, His Voice in my ear. Without those things going on, my heart can become “dark” and I certainly don’t please or honor Him. I miss out on so much when I’m distracted; when I’m not connected to Him.

So at the end of my prayer asking the Lord to help me not be so independent, I asked Him if he wouldn’t take that quality away, would He at least grow me in this area, so I might draw closer to Him. I asked that I might somehow give Him glory, even through this “weakness” of being strong.

And yet at the first test, meaning the news of even more funds to raise, I failed miserably– but only for an hour this time. My heart sunk and I was upset that yet another thing might inhibit me from a timely return to Uganda.

Yet He reminded me of that prayer yesterday. He reminded me that He indeed is strong. That He has good plans. That this world will never be a safe and smooth ride. He reminded me that He is in control and I only need to hold onto Him.

He also reminded me that there are countless people in this world with nothing. The Haiti one-year anniversary of the earthquake was yesterday. They are struggling so much. My Ugandan day-guard Peter, who cares for his own 8 children and those of his half-brother, plus his wife had breast cancer in 2010, and yet Peter doesn’t complain. God reminded me of so many Americans who have lost their jobs, their homes even. He reminded me of so much war, suffering and injustice in this world. And He reminded me that He has provided exactly what I have needed in funding and prayer support over the years. So what on earth was I so bummed about?!

Once again, my vision got off Jesus and onto the crashing waves of this world. But He was holding me the whole time. And then He reminded me that “And this same God… will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19, NLT.

I memorized this verse as a little girl, from the KJV. Is it as true now as it was then? Absolutely. Are His promises for others, or for me as well? They are for me– they are for you, if you believe.

I choose to believe. I choose to trust. I choose to let him do whatever He wants in and through me. I choose to go according to His timeline and not my own. Mine says I am to return to Uganda on April 11. I’m praying that it is His date, too. But it really is His and not mine to decide. So I choose the words that so many say (when they refer to the Latin), “Deo Volente”, meaning “God willing”.

Just as a brief aside: when I looked online to find the older (KJV) version of the above verse in Philippians, I put in a key word of “provide”. It is in scripture a TON. So is the word “give” (or derivatives), and so forth. They all talk about God giving and providing for us. Yet we still grab and grasp for more. Oh, Lord. Forgive me and help me not be greedy. Help me rest in your arms, content in your provision.

Do you trust the Lord today to provide for you? Can you? I choose to trust Him still. To run to Him for all my needs– whether as a missionary raising support, or as His child in need of direction, refinement, or comfort. I choose to be obedient and humble, allowing Him to speak to me and, Lord willing, through me. Deo Volente; God willing– He will get the glory. After all, it’s all about Him, no matter where He puts me or how or when. And so, Lord Jesus, once again I surrender to your “Volente”; your will.

Think of it this way; maybe He is allowing increases in costs/fund raising just as a set-up, so that in the end He comes of with some awesome miracle which brings Him even more glory? Well- I CAN trust Him. I love those powerful endings in Bible stories, where the things can't be explained except through the Lord's intervention and power. Think of it- the fiery furnace, the parting of the Red Sea, the Resurrection of Christ from the grave! He certainly gets the glory in those and countless other things! So LET HIM have the glory- in my life, and I pray in your life too! May He be glorified and honored this day.

“Soli Deo Gloria”… Glory to God alone. Amen.

Elections in Africa

'Tis the Season... to vote. Both Sudan (right now) and Uganda (February?) have national elections this year. Have you prayed for these nations?

I copied these photos off Ugandan newspapers, (The New Vision and the Daily Monitor). The Sudanese elections are going on all this week. The big vote? Whether north and south Sudan stay as one nation or split to two. Please pray for peace, fairness, and for strength and faithfulness of the Christians there. Pray they may endure and trust Christ despite their country's history and whatever future they may have. Pray more Sudanese will find Christ. I'm staying out of the political side of the vote as much as possible; I'm only asking for prayer for the people and the nation.

As to Uganda, the national elections are supposed to be in February, but there are rumors and questions if it might be pushed back to March. No matter when the elections will be, would you please also pray for peace and fairness there? In the past there have been accusations of vote-rigging, corruption, and even ignoring legal registrations by voters so they then couldn't vote on election days... I don't know what is truth or not, but I do know these dear people crave justice and hope. Pray they, too, will peacefully participate, and that many would trust Christ for their personal - spiritual- future, no matter what their political future might be.

Pray for the leadership and those running the electoral commissions of both nations. Pray for our missionaries and for their safety, and for those of us currently in the USA who are reporting to churches, raising funds, and heading back in the next months.

Thank you!

Christmas time!

Our Fish family Christmas was early-ish this year, as we tried to coordinate everyone's schedules. The whole family came to Indiana (to my Mom's house) on the 21st until the 25th.



My sister Abby has some friends who kindly opened their home to us for use of their home theatre. Their home itself was amazing, and it was fun to be in their 8-seat theatre enjoying a movie and popcorn. They even had a ticket booth at the entry to the theatre! My nephew AJ posed as a ticket master.





Attending a Christmas Eve service with my family was such a blessing. The church always does a candle light service at the end of the worship time.



Our family! This was our first Christmas together in 5 years. I thank the Lord for family and time together!

Also while in Marion

Yeah, well I forgot to add this to my last entry and am now being lazy- not reopening the other entry to add this photo. It is (obviously) WGM HQ in Marion, IN. I THINK this was our first snow this year- that stayed on the ground I mean- and MAN the temps dropped when the weather changed. It was my first snow in a few years, since my last time I was in the USA.

While at HQ for the CHE training...

You'll need to read my next entry to know what CHE is. But I was in Marion, IN, at our World Gospel Mission HQ Nov. 28th to Dec. 5th. I was being trained in a conference during the days, but was also able to visit friends in the area.

Nathan and Stephanie and their children (remember I'm trying now to be safe and go nameless on children) were some of the friends I got to see while in Marion. I've known Nathan from when he was in grade 7 back at the Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center in Bolivia. His parents were my field directors for much of my time in Bolivia. When sweet little Stephanie (also a missionary kid- MK) transferred to our school (I think at grade 11 if I can remember right), oh my- that was the end of singleness for them both. So they've been married I think 12 years now, and it was such a joy to see them and their cute ones!



I stayed in Marion a few extra days after the CHE conference ended, since I was booked to speak at a local church, Lakeview Wesleyan, in Marion. My speaking time was to be Sunday a.m., but I happened to find out that they had a Christmas performance that Saturday night. Since I'm usually overseas for this time of year, I was very pleased to see the performance and once again worship with these dear folks!

CHE and what it is...

Less than 20 seconds after finishing the devotional booklet (see next blog entry) I received a Skype phone call from Dr. Rick Morse. I'm not sure why I answered, considering how I was looking. I had showered and only pinned up my wet hair, then put on some clunky reading glasses for staring at the computer and my Bible.... I'd been like that for a few hours, dressed in some sloppy "only for the house" shirt... and I answered the call. Rick "insisted" I go to video chat. I warned him it was NOT a pretty sight, but I opened up to video chat. He was warned- and scared I'm sure.

Anyway, Rick is an old college (yay Asbury!) friend and is our field medical doctor of sorts, as he and his wife (Teresa) live in Alabama but come to Uganda about twice a year. They are not to be confused with Pastor Rick and Janie, who are our field pastors, and also come to Uganda twice a year. :)

Rick was in Uganda for some meetings. He helped the field begin Community Health Evangelism in Uganda with WGM, and is a huge cheerleader for the ministries it can do. I'll explain more about what CHE is later.

He wanted to know why I wasn't signed up to go to the CHE training at our HQ in November/December. Frankly, I'd been too busy and was interested, but until I could get the devotional booklet completed, I didn't feel I could commit to a week of meetings away from the booklet. But God (don't you love when you find a "But God" in the Bible- and see how He works things out for good all the time?!)... But God had such good plans. He gave grace and wisdom for me to complete the devotional booklet EXACTLY when Rick was getting ready to invite me!

Long story short, I got to go. It was a wonderful experience with lots of teaching so I might use CHE principles in Uganda. Now- what is CHE? According to our WGM Compassionate Ministries director, Dr. Philip Renfroe, it is, "...to identify, equip, and encourage individuals working through their local churches for the goal of Holy Spirit-directed community transformation." (see the WGM Compassionate website here).

Let me give you an example, as each CHE ministry is different. My Mom was encouraged years ago to fill some Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. She has been doing these now for at least 10 years, and many times either my family or her coworkers or other friends have also made up boxes, and my Mom has seen to it that the boxes were dropped at a collection center. She has mobilized others for this unique ministry. That is all CHE is- making a positive ripple effect which impacts another's life.

Of course as Christians we want to impact lives so that those people we are reaching will somehow come to a saving knowledge of Christ, or be encouraged in their existing walk with Christ. Whether it is boxing up items in a shoe box, repairing a neighborhood bridge (a good CHE example for 3rd world situations), or some other thing, I got to be officially CHE-trained to now train others and encourage communities!

Sometimes in "closed countries", meaning places where the gospel is not welcome, CHE cannot be referred to as Community Health Evangelism (for obvious reasons). So in order to reach others in kindness and with the love of Christ, the name might be different but the idea is the same.



A number of WGM missionaries and leaders were able to attend the CHE training. We were delighted to also have non-WGM people attend.





At the end of the CHE training, we received certificates and all the materials so we might duplicate the program in our assigned fields of service. Above, John & Priscilla Kunkle, WGM missionaries to the Texas/Mexico border (and former missionaries to Bolivia) receive their diplomas from Dr. Philip Renfroe, David Hawk (WGM, El Salvador) and Dr. Rick Morse.

The Devotional Booklet is DONE!!!

For nearly a year, I'd been asking for prayer and contributions to create a 90 day devotional booklet for our Africa Gospel Church (AGC) youth. About 90% of all students in Uganda attend boarding school; it is just the cultural way. But so many don't receive encouragement from a local church if they are at boarding school. We thought that if they had a brief reading each day of their (usual) 90-day term, some might be saved, while others might grow or be encouraged in their faith. We also believe these daily entries might be used as brief Bible studies for small groups or even Sunday school classes.

The writing was completed just before Thanksgiving. I even had a wonderful volunteer to edit and re-check my typing (thanks Nancy!). So many dear people emailed entries, from Africa and across the USA! Adapting them to Ugandan culture was my job (so blame me if there are errors!), as well as writing some of the entries. Right now, they're in the printing stage- including layout and re-checking before actual printing is done. They are being printed in Uganda by our very own WGM Uganda missionary, a professional printer, Kenneth Hopson!

SO MANY people have had a hand in this process; Praise the Lord for the ways He uses to unify His body and train us all! May we all bring Him glory! Thank you all who have prayed for and contributed to this process!

Do please pray for the last steps as they are completed. Communicating long-distance with Mugisha (Youth Ministries Coordinator for the AGC) and Kenneth has been good; pray it continues!

Pray for Mugisha as he oversees the sale (at cost or less) of each booklet. It was decided that if a teen couldn't pay for the booklet, there would be a system of Bible verse memory and just a token amount paid in place of paying full-price. That means that yes, you can join in to help pay for publishing these booklets! Cost will be about $3 per booklet (I misunderstood an exchange rate earlier and had said at first they'd be $5 each; sorry!). If you would like to give towards youth ministries and specifically this project, please send your check to WGM and indicate where you would like the gift to go. If you would like to give online, click here.

Now please note, if you are asking, "Well, how many books could/should I pay for?", just remember that over HALF of Ugandans are 15 years old and younger. With just over 30 million Ugnadans, it means that 15+ MILLION teens and children might be able to use these booklets. So I don't think anyone will "outgive God" on this one. I encourage you to join with a Sunday school class, church or a group of friends and make a significant donation! Let the Lord lead you! And thank you for considering supporting this wonderful opportunity!

Lastly, our goal is to eventually have a full year's worth of devotionals, to make a 365 daily book. Our next step is to have another 90-day booklet. If you would like to contribute something God has put on your heart, I'd love to hear from you! Please contact me!