Once again, it's been months...

Months...things change in months. We're in November already. The month of thankfulness. Sounds like a good time to do a things I'm thankful for list, but not just yet.

Let's see...I'm going to India in March with AWAA. I hadn't planned on going anywhere until after our family trip to Argentina next year. God has a way of putting things in your path, though. Last year, our Uganda trip was only 7 people. We weren't sure that we were going to be able to go because AWAA likes to have at least 8 on a team. So, before we found out for sure that we were going, I began to look at other options. India jumped out at me. So, we went to Uganda and came home. While I loved it there, I didn't feel the tug to return and we were planning this trip to Argentina in 2019. So, I continued on my merry way, not looking for a trip to go on. In January or February, our local Christian radio station was raising funds to help people who had been rescued from human trafficking...in India. It kind of piqued my interest, but I didn't dwell on it. Sometime in April or May, One Orphan (AWAA's missions branch) posted on facebook about their India trips for late 2018 to early 2019. The last one jumped off the computer screen at me and I began praying about going. I asked questions of one of the team leaders to get a feel for the trip. In early June, I began to sense that God was telling me to go to India. I asked for confirmation in a way that I couldn't go looking for and that I would know was from him. Well, the following Sunday, our pastor preached a message about a missionary. That missionary had been in India. I, wanting to be absolutely sure before approaching my husband, asked for another confirmation. While this one seems a bit strange, I absolutely believe it is the sign I was looking for. While on vacation, I periodically posted beach pictures to my instagram account. A person from my hometown (that I don't know) liked one of my photos. Now, when someone I don't know likes one of my pictures, I'll go through their account and see if I want to follow them. This guy had been to India. Seriously. I told God yes, I'll go. I filled out the registration form and did everything but "sign" it and pay the fee. I sent a text to my husband telling him that. He wasn't thrilled, but told me that since I can't let it go to go ahead and do it and get started on fundraising. My answer to that was that I tried to let it go and it kept coming back to me. We leave in March and as of 2 weeks ago, I had all my trip money raised. I am in awe of God and how he provided so quickly.

Fun Stuff!

I have been selected to be part of WaterBrook and Multnomah's book launch teams! The fun part is I'm sent books of my choosing that haven't been released yet, read them, and then share reviews and photos with others. I got my first book in the mail on Tuesday. I read it yesterday. All of it. The book is As the Tide Comes In by Cindy Woodsmall.  Once I got the characters sorted out, the storyline just drew me in and held me captive. I love a good overcoming adversity and love story wrapped up in one.

Other fun stuff...I went to Missouri with 2 of my friends last week. It was a loooooong 12 hour drive to get there and back. (We drove at night, which seemed to make it longer.) It was a good trip. We went because another friend (who went to both China and Uganda with me) was getting married. We went a couple days beforehand for different reasons. One reason isn't my story to tell, so it will be left out here. My friend who lead both trips grew up in MO and still has property there. We went out to her farm and did some metal detecting for Civil War relics. There have been some people out there doing this already and she contacted them and said that she wanted to do some as well while she was there. Soooo, we met up with them and used their metal detectors and started searching. The 6 of us found quite a few bullets from the Civil War. I had a ton of fun in the 3 hours we were out there. That, the wedding, and the story not mine to tell were the highlights of the trip. We had a really good time.

This past week was Vacation Bible School. What a week! I co-directed this year as well as supervised the kitchen. It was a really good week. We had 79 children the first day with probably around 90 children who registered and attended. (I haven't counted how many registered yet). We also had several who gave their lives to Christ. That's the most amazing part!

It's June!

How did we get here already? June is always a busy month for us. Preparation for VBS, VBS, family mission trip, youth camp, beginning of vacation. I enjoy the busy-ness. I also enjoy the being able to sleep past 6:30 in the morning. This summer is going to have some changes...the teenager will be able to drive by himself on a restricted license. The fun part is that he'll be able to take himself and his sister to school in August. I'll still have to get up, but I won't have to leave. 

So, it's Friday. Sounds like a good time for another thankful post.

1. Awards days
2. The rain has stopped - for now
3. Sunshine
4. TV shows
5. VBS preparation
6. Choir rehearsals
7. Good books
8. The end of school
9. Sleeping in
10. Road trips - coming up
11. Mug cakes
12. Coffee
13. Water
14. Bacon
15. La Croix - with stevia
16. Dishwasher repair
17. Clean sheets
18. LWB work
19. WaterBrook/Multnomah book launch teams
20. Reclining couch seats
21. Uganda coffee cup - my favorite
22. Napping cat
23. Gift cards
24. Sugar free ice cream
25. New music

I had to make an emergency visit to the orthodontist yesterday. The girl-child's HERBST appliance came loose (she swallowed the screw) so we had to get it fixed. The ortho has 2 offices, one in Hendersonville and one in Columbus. We generally go to the Columbus office because it's about 30 minutes closer to home. Well, of course, the Columbus office was closed yesterday. Not only that, they were having continuing education day so they weren't really even open. Fortunately, they were able to see us and fix it. They also went ahead and did new wires that was supposed to happen Tuesday. Nothing like a spontaneous trip to Hendersonville on a Thursday afternoon.

It's looking like I'm not going to be going to China with my friend unless she doesn't go until July or a miracle occurs. Paperwork is delayed again. I'm disappointed, but my prayer has been that however this works out is the best for my friend and not me - even though I still really want to go. So, provided my June is the norm, then the first week is open, VBS is the second week, Andrew goes to camp the third week, and the family mission trip is the fourth week. Oh, and most likely a road trip for a wedding.

What I'm reading:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly Smith

What I'm watching (on Netflix):
Gilmore Girls (for the 4th time)
The Office

Ugh

Got in the car this morning to take the kids to school only to discover that someone had gone through it. Stuff that was on the floor was in the seat. The glove box was open. Stuff in the center console was in the passenger seat. Andrew's truck had been gone through also. And so had our neighbor's truck. The only things missing were Scentsy room spray and cologne. Weirdness. I'm a bit creeped out now, though. Called dispatch and had a deputy come out to make a report, but since nothing of value was taken and since there's no damage (we forgot to lock doors...) there's not much they can do outside of fingerprinting, which makes a huge mess. If we discover anything missing, we'll call back.

I finally finished reading Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors. Not sure why I waited so long to read it, except that it spoke to me where I am now. My wrestling with hope isn't near Katie's wrestling, but it is still there. It went hand in hand with Unseen by Sara Hagerty, which went great with the Brave  study by Angela Thomas. I love how God joins things together.

What I'm reading:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly Smith
How to be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living by The Babylon Bee LLC

What I'm watching (on Netflix):
Gilmore Girls (for the 4th time)
The Office

Not much going on in my world this week. We're counting down to the end of school...7 full days and 2 half days. I'm patiently waiting to hear about travel approval from a friend who is adopting from China and whether or not I'll be able to accompany her when she goes. Long story short, if approval and family day and consulate appointment all happen relatively soon, I'll get to go. (And by relatively soon, I mean travel approval has to happen THIS WEEK, family day has to be June 4, and consulate appointment the following week). I'm super excited that I was invited to travel with her and will be disappointed if it doesn't work out. BUT, my prayer since April has been that this works out best for my friend and not for me. God has already shown me that he can do what he wants, when he wants. Psalm 115:3 says, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." The impossible is his reality. 

I picked up my flute this week for the first time in a really long time. I decided that I wanted to start playing in church again, so I had it cleaned and a pad replaced a couple weeks ago. I chose a song, rehearsed it with my accompanist and played in church Sunday morning. I think I'm going to look for more music and try to play more regularly. On that note (haha), my girl-child has decided to learn to play clarinet next year. We went to instrument "try-outs" at the high school last week and she got a good sound out of the clarinet (and flute and saxophone). Band, here we come.

What I'm reading:

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly Smith
How to be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living by The Babylon Bee LLC

What I'm watching (on Netflix):
Gilmore Girls (for the 4th time)
The Office

Thankfulness

I'm going through a Bible study right now called "Brave". It's by Angela Thomas. One of the sessions last week suggested that instead of complaining about what I *have* to do, be thankful that I *get* to do it. An example is laundry. Instead of complaining that it's never ending, I should be thankful that I have clothes to wear and the modern conveniences of a washing machine and a dryer to get them clean.

Philippians 4:4-7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, bu prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 4:2 - "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Rejoice always pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Thankfulness is a theme through these scriptures. Prayer is also a theme. Breathe a prayer of thankfulness for what you have, for what God has done.

Things I am thankful for (in no particular order):

1. Prayer
2. Friends
3. My husband
4. My children
5. Bible study
6. Church family
7. Home
8. Parents
9. Vacations
10. The beach
11. Washing machine
12. Dryer
13. Clean water
14. Clothing
15. Going to China
16. Going to Uganda
17. Working cars
18. Music
19. Rain
20. Sunshine
21. Warm weather
22. Snow
23. Books
24. LASIK
25. Health
26. Good food
27. Cats
28. Internet
29. Work experience
30. Being able to stay home (and not have to work)
31. Warm blankets
32. Ceiling fans
33. Central heating and air
34. The hammock
35. Grocery stores
36. Photos
37. Solar power
38. Shoes
39. Healthcare
40. Coffee
41. Kayaking
42. Walking
43. Internet shopping
44. Indoor plumbing
45. Winter Jam - time spent with my oldest
46. Shopping - time spent with my youngest
47. Support for mission trips
48. Being asked to travel with a friend when she adopts - whether I get to go or not
49. The knowledge that God is good no matter my circumstances
50. Naps

What I'm reading:

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Passport through Darkness by Kimberly Smith

I always have such good intentions when I start something. Take this blog, for instance. I started it as a way to amuse myself and it worked...for a time. My last post was a year and a half ago. It's been an interesting year and a half. I have gone to Uganda and had a job in the last year and a half. These are things I never would have thought I would do. Africa? Nothing doing. Never had a desire to go. Until I did. See, I registered to go back to China in 2017 but was hesitant about it even though I knew I felt drawn to go...somewhere. In the course of talking with my team leader (also a close friend), the subject of Uganda came up because China decided not to allow groups like ours to come back. The moment we started talking Uganda, I knew this was where I was being called. I started preparing: support letters went out, yard sale plans were made, pizza buffet fundraiser was scheduled. We covered these events in prayer and God blessed us. Our team of 7 went to Uganda in November. What an experience! Over 30 hours travel time (first flight to arriving in Buziika). Driving from Entebbe to Buziika in the dark. There were a whole lot more vehicles on the road than I was expecting! I think my thank-you/update letter is probably my best summary, so I'll copy and paste here:

It’s orange dirt roads with bricks made of the same. A bolder green. Bananas growing on trees. Piles of red clay bricks. Sweet potato mounds. Roaming dogs and chickens. Tied up goats and cows. Brick, concrete, and wooden structures. Corn stalks and papaya trees. Wide-eyed, brown-skinned children. Some faces full of the joy of Christ, others hard and cold. Beautiful faces. Slabs of hanging meat. Bicycles. Boda bodas (motorcycles). People everywhere. Schools. Signs of encouragement on taxis (“be blessed”). Furniture on the side of the road. The Nile River. Heavily armed police. Traffic circles. Jinja Full Gospel Church. Little naked babies. Teaching Sunday School under a tree. Praising God with the body. He inhabits the praises of his people. Scripture that goes with the covenant study I was doing before the trip. Paved roads. Dirt roads. Clothes drying on trees or the ground. Huge birds. Bridge being protected from terrorists. Thatched roofs. Tin roofs. Roads so narrow you could reach out and touch passing cars. Men sitting on boda bodas. Mud houses. Avocado trees. Rain showers and sunshine.

I’m not even sure where to begin, so I’ll start with thank you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for donations and financial support. Thank you for allowing me to see the body of Christ in a new way. I saw what true faith-based ministry means. The people I encountered truly live by faith that God will provide their every need. I’m thankful that God saw fit to allow our team (and church and others) to provide some of their most pressing needs (underwear, pants for the boys, disposable feminine hygiene products, onesies, formula, bottles, medications, money to buy a mini refrigerator to store medications, and diapers).

We met many people and I will only be able to recall some of them. Eric drove the bus. William rode with him to pick us up. Josephine is in charge of pretty much everything at Canaan Children’s Home. Papa Isaac and Mama Rebecca run Canaan Home. Florence cooked for us and runs Pillars of Hope with her husband, Godfrey. Priscilla helped cook. Miriam works in the clinic (and has an a-maz-ing voice). Jennifer and Sara are dorm moms. Julius walked us to the schools. Henry and Tonny who work at the Canaan Primary School as director and headmaster. Then there were the children: Pauline and Victor who had only been there a couple months. Sophie who did our laundry. Precious who held my hand from the beginning. Peninah who translated and sang and helped everywhere she could. Stella and Jane, Derrick and Eddy. Mary and Martha. Baby Scott and baby Cindy. Eric’s mother, who sells jewelry and paintings in the tourist area of Jinja.

Each day was a different schedule. We taught Sunday School (Jinja Full Gospel Church), read scripture and encouraged the staff, played with the kids, went to the Kindergarten and Primary schools to teach Bible, traveled to two different baby homes (Sangaalo in Jinja and Pillars of Hope in Busia), spoke at church (Buziika Full Gospel Church), and helped plant elephant grass (the cows eat it). We had a celebration feast and a dance party. We worshipped with people whose skin doesn’t look like ours, but we share the same spirit. We watched a man pray and receive Christ as his savior.

We held babies at Pillars of Hope who had never seen white people. Some of them were absolutely terrified of us at first.  We held babies at the Sangaalo Baby Home who are HIV positive. We sang and danced and played games with children at Canaan. We heard stories of how God called the men and women to the work of running these homes. We saw how the babies and children are absolutely loved and cherished and are FAMILY to each other. There is joy and hope in those places. (Incidentally, sangaalo means joy).

A few of us, at various times, struggled with the purpose of this trip. We weren’t coming home to advocate for adoption. Yes, we did go to update sponsorship files, but Uganda’s goal is to reunite families. By Thursday, God spoke to me about the purpose…or at least what he wanted me to learn and see. As believers, we are the body of Christ. Our group did not go to change the way things are done. We didn’t go to provide everything for them or to take over. We went to come alongside them and work with them where they’re working and where God is working. He used us and our words to give encouragement to a group of people who are obviously hard working and tired. He used our actions to help get most of a field planted with needed elephant grass. He used us to show love to children who have suffered trauma…some of it unspeakable. He used us to bring joy to faces. We were told over and over that we blessed them so much. I say that they blessed us so much. We saw the great faith in God that they possess. We saw the unconditional love that flowed freely around us. We saw the amazing freedom to praise God and worship him when the Spirit moved. Yes, we may have blessed them with our coming, but they blessed us as well.

I’m still processing this mission trip. The many facets and activities require it. I’m thankful that God allowed me to go and minister and be ministered to. And I’m thankful that He made it possible through people like you.

And that's that. My friend is leading another team this year for a shorter time period. I am currently not feeling pulled to go, but that could change depending on current circumstances. (A whole other story for another time...)

So, I had a job for 4 months. I believe God called me to it for that period of time. It stretched me in ways I wasn't comfortable with. (Dealing with people will do that.) But, I survived it and grew and am thankful for the people I worked with and am thankful that my time was relatively short.

What I'm reading: Unseen by Sara Hagerty, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Passport through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances by Kimberly Smith

I usually don't read this many books at once. The first book is my before bed one in an attempt to be off my electronic devices for 20-30 minutes before I go to sleep. HP is because my daughter asked me to read the series. The third one is because I started it and found I really like it; I have no idea how long it will take me to read all of it, though. The fourth was recommended and I already had it on my kindle.

This is probably a long-enough entry for today. Here's to aiming to keep up (again) for my non-existent readers.