Alive at 25!

Just another "quick" update on my life instead of just my thoughts:

God has really been challenging my flexibility! I have always been a flexible person, but that is always challenged in East Africa. Here it is better not to plan some things – at least have a general idea, but nothing dependent upon time. This last week I experienced many of my “plans” squashed.

However, the Lord has also given me peace in the storms. A friend from Kenya came to visit last week and it was so good for my soul. She really was an encouragement; just being around her again and sharing my life with her was a huge blessing. At times, my American “plans” took over too much and created stress when things changed, but God really used those times to make me think about what was MORE important.

I was “planning” to travel back to Kenya with my friend, but things happened. I cannot say much, but we have had a lot of problems with my passport and things. Because of that, I wasn’t able to travel to visit my beloved friends in Nairobi or Kisumu, and my heart was a little discouraged. Making a decision to at least travel to the boarder, my friend and I started the journey to meet my team leader in Jinja. In transit, my phone was stolen or dropped and then stolen. Thankfully, it was a simple phone and not worth much, but it did hold all of the contacts I have gathered in the last 4 months. God provided me with a run-in with my team leader (she didn’t know we were meeting her there because I obviously could not call her), and my friend and I were able to resume our trip. It was my miracle for the day – only the Lord could have orchestrated that. He took care of me well, and I am so thankful that nothing major happened. I am still here without a scratch. Mukama yebazibwe! Praise God!

Yes, I didn’t get to go to Kenya. Yes, my phone was stolen. Yes, some plans were shot down. But God really allowed me to feel His peace despite all of the unknown. God always has a reason for changes in plans or interruptions in life. It is our job to be attentive to His voice as things happen.

So I escorted those traveling to Kenya (my team leader and friend) up to the small, rural town of Tororo, Uganda. There I stayed with two AIM nurses and got to see their ministry with Smile Africa (provides housing, education, and health services to street children). There I learned a little about the ministry and life in Tororo – there are many tribes and they mostly speak Swahili (my brain was confused)! It was so nice to be away from the city and in a setting I am more comfortable with.

My 25^th birthday was also spent there. The girls we stayed with were SO wonderful and really made me feel special. It was a day full of lovely, yummy comfort food, holding babies, playing with kiddos, talking with the older girls at Smile, and watching Sound of Music. How can that not be a great birthday? My heart was full.

When I visit the Sunday school at church, they always have the children give testimonies on what God has done in their lives over the past week. Almost every child will say, “I thank God for the gift of life.” I hear many adults give the same testimony as well. At first, it made me giggle and I thought it seemed a bit shallow. However, I was reminded one day that so many human beings never make it passed a young age – even those in the womb are cut short from being born. Not many can say they lived to be 25 years old. Who am I that I am different? On that note, I thank the Lord for the gift of life He has given me. It is never to be taken lightly.

Prayer:

See previous post.

Luganda:

Neyanziza – the way people in the Baganda tribe say “thank you”.

Culture:

My dear Ugandan friend gave me the Ugandan birthday gift last night – pouring water over my head. It is not a traditional way Ugandans celebrate birthdays, but it has become the norm over the last 15 ish years. She was sweet about it – talking softly, washing away all of my old years so that I could face this new one with new eyes and praying that God will grant me more blessings. However, if you spend a birthday in Uganda, make sure you bring a change of clothes. I am dodging people from church for a couple more days hoping they forget to dump the bucket of water over me….

Photos:

I’ll post some as soon as I get a chance to put them in my computer and edit.