Riding in God's Palm

Stewing on Sunday

2012-02-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday is supposed to be a Sabbath day... a day of rest, but my mind is stewing and unsettled. I just came home from a very honest but difficult meeting. A few days ago I was contacted by one of the former church leaders that I mentored in the Sunday school program. He is very hurt that I am not coming back to lead those specific children any more. He's upset that I am not funding his program for reaching out to hundreds of children. And he says the church is hurt that I don't go there anymore. I thought this was already worked through... when I left Soroti in 2009 I said good-bye to the children at Zion church and moved back to Canada. I had no idea really that I was even coming back to Soroti. This church leader would often call me in Canada and tell me how much the Sunday school class was growing and how the children were reaching out to their neighbours in some cool ways. Well, apparently this leader had a vision from God that I was one of five mzungus who was going to help lead this children's program and in his mind, that meant forever. I had to clearly tell this young man and his brother that even though I still love those children dearly I feel the Lord is leading me on to different ministries now... ministries that fit my team's job description, purposes that fit my passions and abilities now, and roles where I feel God is clearly opening doors. I was on the verge of tears during portions of this meeting as I was not being heard and clearly misunderstood. Thankfully the brother was able to catch on to my new calling in Soroti town, and my desire to see other children's programs rise up around the city. When the meeting was finished I think we all understood each others point of view and we closed in prayer.
The meeting was tense enough for me, but it started off on the wrong foot, because yet again a time was set for meeting and it was delayed by 45 minutes. I was told to meet them at 2 and I called them at 2:30 to ask if they were coming and they were just leaving home now. Sometimes I don't understand African time and other times I use it to my advantage. I can say... "I'll see you on Tuesday" and people love it... whenever I can squeeze in time, I visit. But when someone sets an appointment with a specific time, I still expect that to be fulfilled. I have always hated being late for meetings, work, etc so when someone says 2 - I show up at 2. If I had known I had 45 more minutes I could have done so much more with my time, or at least had tea with other friends instead of sitting in a restaurant lobby alone... for no good reason. It also makes me feel like they are more important than me... that my time and program means nothing, or has less value. I don't know why it's bothering me so much today, but it is.
Anyways, I did go to Zion for church this morning, and it was good to see all of my old friends again, but I really want to find a new church - in Soroti town, where I can start fresh, make new friends, and hopefully be fed (big request!).
My car was in the garage all day yesterday... it was seriously overheating and now it needs tire boots. (I don't even know what those are.) To top off the list, as I was biking in the hot sun, my pedal come completely off the bike, which meant my left sandal went flying. I had to stop the bike, with only one foot really controlling it... get off and hop over hot sand to retrieve my sandal and then find the pedal. When I tried to put it back on, I noticed that all threads were bare... the mechanics had reverse screwed my pedal onto the bike and now it will no longer hold. Thankfully my team-mates came to pick me and my sad bike up and drive me home. Tomorrow I will try out the Subaru as I take my dear bicycle back to town for new parts. O the life!
Tonight I am at least looking forward to worship and communion with my team.

Rating TP

2012-02-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

Toilet paper is mostly bought one roll at a time, and I used to go by price, but I've got to let go of my frugal attitude sometimes. There are some interesting brands that have cool logos. Just this week, my room-mate Beckie and I decided to have a little poll set up, to see which brands we like the best. We are rating them on tear-ability (as some are super stretchy), absorbancy, softness, and price... along with motto if they have one. Just for fun, I want to share the names of brands with you:

Golden Camel
Clean Facial Tissues (even though it's TP) - "Enjoy the best tendance"
Liangrou - also - ``Enjoy the best tendance``
Xiyangyang Toilet Paper
Green Feather
YaCai
Needz - ``I need, I enjoy``
Soft & Clean - ``100% toilet tissue``
Luyada - "source of a healthy life"

I know - strange post - I just wanted to share what humours me around here. :)

A Price Tag Event

2012-02-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

After scribbling down the number of the corner lot house with a "For Rent" sign, I wasn't even sure what to do. I know that God is more and more calling me to live in down town Soroti and so I'm keeping my eyes and ears open to available spaces. Having the contact number in my phone was at least a start to seeing if this house was available.
Yesterday afternoon some people came over to play music at my house. We spent the afternoon jammin' together and as the gathering was coming to a close I mentioned if I should contact that landlord, or if it was better coming from a Ugandan, especially in determining a price.
Well, the guys decided to help me out and called the number. At first the landlord was hesitant to give any information because he only wants to rent out the house to an NGO (Non-Government Organization), but then he told us to come "now, now" so we could see the place. Three of us went straight to the house and got there just as the landlord was pulling in. His cousin, the gardener, was struggling to open the gate and the landlord was getting impatient, so he just said, "Go ahead, look at the house, and when you are finished, we can discuss the price." All I want is a rough price in the first place... is the house going to be 500,000 UGX or 1,500,000 UGX because one I can afford, the other I cannot... so then I don't even want to discuss the issue.
As the landlord pulled away, my Ugandan friends said that we should look at the house and begin the discussions over time... as bargaining is an event in this culture. I don't want an event. I just want an estimate. If the estimate is even close to my budget, then we can discuss the price tag. Ah, now my patience runs thin.
I didn't have a good impression as the landlord walked away, and when we finally entered the yard, I realized how big the house was. It's actually 2 houses stuck together, with two bedrooms each. I'm not even sure I can move into that property, the house is much bigger than I thought. After looking at the house though, the landlord called to see what I thought. I just kept asking for a budget, and he went on about how he wasn't sure he wanted to rent it out as a residence, and he still needs to fix the electrical wiring, and paint a few rooms.
Aarg, it's now been four phonecalls, discussing who knows what... except that he's still not willing to give me a rent price, but he doesn't want me to walk away either.
Apparently he didn't want to hire the house out as a residence, knowing that NGO's bring in big money, but now he is reconsidering because mzungus potentially pay a little more, and they take very good care of the property... so he's re-working his figures... he'll let me know after some time since he just arrived in Kampala.
I'll keep you updated.

Praying the Perimeter

2012-02-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

Tugging on a long-sleeved shirt, I headed out the door to meet up with a few others for a prayer walk around the perimeter of downtown Soroti. I couldn't believe I was actually dressed for cool weather, but the wind was blowing and the sun was barely awake. I was the second of four vehicles in a line-up of mzungus who joined together to meditate on what God is doing and hopefully will do in Soroti.
We got out of our vehicles and stood beside an open sports field where children meet for primary school and some Indian shop keepers play cricket on Sunday. After praying together, six of us adults, and 5 MK's (missionary kids) began to stroll.
Sipi Falls on your left is a great place to get fast local food - brown beans, rice, fried plantain, liver, pork, and African tea.
Crossing the main street you notice a major intersection of businesses, the Teso bus park, and open grounds where many concerts, speakers, and crusades are held. Again, to your left you will notice OM Supermarket and a purple movie theatre. I've never been in the theatre - I think they show Nigerian films.
On your right is a Paradise Villa guest house and restaurant, surrounded by tiny shops and yet another bus park. Before turning right you will notice a huge outdoor clothing market... the vendors have not yet brought their burlap sacks filled with second hand clothing from Good Will or Value Village. I'm sure by 9 am the clothing will be displayed for sale.
On the corner is Christ Embassy, a prosperity gospel church that meets on the second floor. Further up the road on the right is the police barracks. Officers tend to stay together in some square tin hut type buildings (which I think would be hot to live in). Rubbish litters the streets and the gutters wreak. Scattered all around that area are grinding mills, bars (with men already drinking or still finishing up from last night) and cheap video halls.
Coming to another intersection, we head into industry ally - where we notice Edward's carpentry shop (he builds most of our custom designed furniture) and the Coke and Pepsi plants. Metal workers are already welding painted bars - for beds or protection over your windows. It is here we take time to greet some of the street boys that Bobby (my team-mate) works with. In one hand they are carrying torn-up bags with tiny pieces of scrap metal they are collecting for some small money, and in the other hand they are holding glue bottles or water bottles filled with aviation fuel - for sniffing. I wonder what realities these boys are trying to escape from.
We skirt around the outside of the main market and go down "rubber road", where you can purchase local bikes and rubber ropes, which are used to tie packages to the back of your bike. Going down the opposite side of town now - we notice hundreds of students beginning to gather. Adorning blue and white school uniforms, they stand outside of Soroti Secondary School - waiting for the gate to open and classes to begin. Across from the high school is a corner where discos and bars fill the buildings - party central. Close by is Moon Digital, where I can now get digital photos printed. As we approach the corner, turning back on to main street, the team notices a "For Rent" sign. There is a house on Main Street!! Steve gets goosebumps. I write down the number to call the landlord, and I quickly talk to a gardener who is working inside the yard to find that the house is vacant. Silent prayers are offered... Lord, is this where you want me to live?
The journey is almost finished. The kids have been collecting pop bottle caps to keep themselves active while we chat and pray about the assets and needs of this town that has caught our hearts. The final street hosts a mosque, a few more bars and billiard joints. On one front porch, Scrabble players meet every afternoon to try out new words compete in a friendly manner. Next door to there we bought a bag of mandazi (African donuts) to carry us the last block back to the cars. A one hour trek!
Father God... pour your Spirit into this town. May the people come to truly know you and desire to live lives that are pleasing to Your Most Holy Name. Use me Lord! Open the eyes of my heart! Let truth, love, honesty, peace, and grace reign.
(I wanted to take pictures, but didn't want to feel like a tourist group... hopefully I can show you some snaps soon.)

Chatting with CAAF

2012-02-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

CAAF - Children Affected by Armed Forces
Here I spent some time with former LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) child soldiers, and the interesting topic of discussion was purity. I can't imagine what these young men have been through, but I pray God's Spirit rests upon their lives and gives them strength and peace.

Power OUT!

2012-02-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

Today is the third or fourth time this week that I have wanted to do some computer work during the day and the power has gone out. I am trying to write an Evangelism Explosion course for a village church in Kaberamaido... they are requesting I come for 4 days, starting February 27 to lead them in a week long training and encouragement session - on evangelism and children's ministry. I am excited about this great opportunity - to follow up on the Naked Evangelist post a while back, but I just wish that my computer could last longer than 25 minutes when the power goes out.
There is a local shop in town, called Marisa's Documents, that is trying to get me a new battery, but the people on the sending end have been lazy at putting it on the "transport" to Soroti. One battery did arrive, but it is the wrong size. Now days, I can't even turn my computer on without an alert saying that my battery power is very minimal and that I should replace the battery. Ya, I know, I'm working on it... but TIA (This Is Africa) and things just naturally happen slower.
This morning I biked over to NACHU, a local orphanage, to greet the kids, but to also meet with one of the "parents" at the home. I am trying to help my team - Team Beyond - gain NGO status in Uganda, and so we are requesting other agencies to show us their work/action plans and budgets. It is really helpful to see how others were able to become a Community-Based Organization (CBO) or a Non-Government Organization (NGO). If we (Team Beyond) have an NGO status here in Uganda, then it is easier for me to gain a work visa. So much paper work, time, and travel is needed right now for me to stay in Uganda as a volunteer / tourist and we are praying for open doors!
Thank you readers for continuing to follow my life here in Uganda... each day is a new adventure... sometimes they are low-key and I have to spend the day doing research and reports, other days I can spend the whole day just visiting people, some days are spent in town - going to market, paying bills, and exploring shops, and yet other days are delightfully spent in doing project ministry - encouraging former child soldiers, training pastors in Evangelism, preaching in the village, or speaking at schools. God is good and I look forward to getting my feet more firmly planted in the soil of Soroti.

Soroti Town

2012-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

I know this map will mean nothing to many of you, but recently Team Beyond split into two smaller focus groups and I'm on the Soroti Town team. There is a village team and a town team and I am excited about being on the town team - even though I still love and pray for the villages. I wanted to send you a glimpse of the "town" I live in. I can't get google to give me a snap shot with actual buildings, but it's there. :)
Anyways, my team will be focusing on doing ministry within a six block radius... to the right of the two buses on the map. The needs are great: alcoholism, different religions, witch-craft, homeless and street kids, people with mental disabilities who are seen as outsiders, beggars, widows, crowded girl hostels, business training, prostitution and so much more. I have been praying for a new focus in Uganda - and at the moment I have a beautiful home, but I'm feeling called to find a place in the downtown area and hopefully I can find a Christ-centred church in that district as well.
Even though town will be my main focus, I'm glad to know I can still minister in some side projects. Currently, I am trying to write a 5 day training on Evangelism Explosion and children's ministry. I say trying because every time I sit down to write, my computer crashes, the power goes out, or someone comes to the gate.
I ask for your prayers as my team reshifts its focus and in many ways, builds up on the ministries already begun.

An Uphill Battle

2012-01-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that the battle belongs to the Lord. Every day is a new adventure here in Teso Land, and some days the going is easy and others it's draining and hard work. For the past few weeks I have had an internal struggle with trying to figure out what God really wants for my life. How can I use my gifts, passions, and skills here in Soroti? How can I teach others to work with purpose - with their time and hands, when so much of my time is spent building and encouraging relationships? When will I really start working on the projects I know God has sent me to Uganda to do? I wish I could audibly hear God's voice saying "Wait"... "Go"... "Do"... "Be".

The other night I joined a few friends and team-mates in climbing Ochiloi Rock. This lonely rock is about a twenty minute drive from Soroti and a great place to exercise, relax, and watch the sun set. Thankfully I know I am not alone in this city. I have wonderful Ugandan friends, trustworthy and adored team-mates, and many great ministry projects on the horizon. I am slowly beginning to learn that because I have come as a long-term missionary, I want to be certain that the mountain I am climbing for Jesus is the right one. I want to spend my time, money, and energy on the right people!

Today I spent over 8 hours with my team, discussing strategy and breaking up into small groups where we can really reach out to energize, encourage, equip and engage the local church to build transforming lives in the surrounding communities. It was an intense afternoon as I chatted with a few other wing men to assess the needs and assets of Soroti town. The needs are great - widows, street kids, beggars, mentally disabled and mentally ill, corrupt businesses, different religions, and poverty. The assets are few, but at least there are some!!! In town, at least, there is some money (compared to the villages) and there are a few churches (although how holistically Biblical is yet to be determined). I am excited about feeling called to the downtown area of Soroti... so much so that I want to move into town and find a church in town... instead I have a place in "suburbia". Not really suburbia, but definitely not the heart of the city. :)

But don't worry my friends, many days I have mountain top experiences. I know that God is teaching and using me here everyday. I know that Christ's name is being proclaimed and that already I can see some people's values changing. I praise God for each new day and I delight in seeing how He chooses to fill those hours.

Now another day has past. The sun has just set over flat Teso land and the power has gone out. Even as I sit alone in the dark, I know that my mind is full of ideas and possibilities. The many children in the region are still calling out to my heart and I pray for the former child soldiers. Use me Lord, use even me.

Hopefully though I will sleep well tonight, instead of being on guard like this owl... I need my rest. It's HOT season right now - almost 115 degrees the past few days... and every task consumes energy.

Put on Pause

2012-01-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to send out a really creative blog tonight, but
1. The power went out yet again.
2. The battery on my laptop only lasts about 35 minutes.
3. The pictures I was trying to upload was coming across with funky lines and blue/green colours.
4. My cell phone keeps ringing... what else should people do in the dark but call a few friends.

I could tell you a few fun facts though:
1. My team-mates at least have a generator and are giving me some time to post this blog.
2. There are new vegetables in town. I totally scored today at OM Supermarket. Just this week a lady has begun to sell produce from Kenya. Twice a week a bunch of us mzungus race to the store when we hear the truck has arrived... head lettuce, okra, eggplant, coconuts, green beans, leeks, green onions, spinach, broccoli, and more!!
3. My dog chases the rooster all around the yard like a Tom and Jerry episode. The cock is getting very smart at darting into bushes and under cars just to buy a few seconds of time. Too bad the rooster is going to be Monday's lunch. Don't worry, I still have two cocks and seven hens to go.
4. Yesturday I hit a bump on the road and the rear frame on my bike just fell apart. Thankfully I was a hundred yards from a roadside bike mechanic. I parked my bike under the mango tree, explained the problem to the repair man who had a tool box beside a shrub brush, and walked home with my fresh watermelon. An hour later I walked back to pick up my "Hero" and the whole bill was about 35 cents. :)
5. Hope you are having a great day! Good night world.

Dancing with the Sand

2012-01-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Another adventure into the unknown.
Traveling with Pius (the man who dreamed about naked evangelists) and my neighbour, Betty.
Destination: Kaberimaido
Purpose: to meet with 7 pastors to discuss an Evangelism Explosion course / training.
What does this have to do with dancing and sand?
Well, turning off of a nicely tarmacked road, I went south on a very sandy road.
Dust storms circled the car.
The Subaru would occasionally fish tail in the thicker trails, especially if I was passing a motorcycle or trying to overtake another big vehicle.
I actually enjoyed it... the ride was smooth, and I felt like I was driving in snow.
My passengers thought it was like driving on the beach.
After a one hour journey, we pulled into the church compound and sat down for a well-organized meeting. The pastors were very excited to have an Evangelism training and also were asking guidance on how to do children's ministry. They want me to plan for a four or five day course and I'm super excited about it. I even plan on staying in that village throughout the workshop time.
After one hour of discussion, the three of us hopped back in the car, popped in a worship CD and danced our way home in the sand.

Not According to Plan

2012-01-22T00:24:00.000-08:00

My friends, Sam and Esther asked me to come to the village of Serere to meet with some church leaders there who were really hoping for some Biblical training and encouragement. I was really nervous about the day because there didn’t seem to be a plan. Sam told me not to worry, we were just going to meet with a few leaders to see what kind of training they would like and that the Holy Spirit would guide us.

Driving on back roads and sandy paths, after one hour we arrived at this small church made out of bricks and papyrus leaves. The floor of the church was made of freshly smeared (but now hard and dry) cow dung, with designs drawn in to the dung to add beauty and design. At first I saw 4 or 5 people and I thought – hey, this can work... let’s talk to the leaders and we’ll be home by 2 (we arrived at 10 am). Sitting on one of the three chairs in the church, I smiled at the many children who were so excited that a visitor had come to their village.

It didn’t take long for me to learn that I needed to wait, since many more locals were coming... they didn’t truly believe a mzungu was coming to their church, so they worked in the gardens until they heard word of my arrival. So, it was close to 11 am when the “service” began... During worship, Sam leaned over and asked if I could preach or teach to the crowd – “just something small”. Woah – now I’m way out of my comfort zone. Worship was energetic and entertaining. Then the introductions began (this is one cultural tradition that always stretches my patience – why do I have to be introduced to every person in the church... after 3 or 4 people I forget their names anyways... and it takes up almost an hour of time during the service)and I patiently sat through all of the greetings. Some were excited that a white person came – they have never seen or shaken hands with a white person before.

Being in Serere is so different from being in Soroti... in Soroti, the children don’t stare as much or show fear in their eyes. I broke the ice though with smiles and dance moves during worship – so the kids then felt comfortable staying super near to me all day.
Just when I thought the service was underway, I was told that Sam, Esther, (their daughter Grace) and I needed to take a break. The 40 or so people who were in the church were cleared out and a table was brought in to us, with sweet black tea and some plain white boiled sweet potatoes. We took about 10 minutes to eat our snack before all the people (which I found out were from 3 churches) were called back in. Yikes, this day was never going to end. More worship, prayers, and then I was asked to come and speak. Thankfully I had some sermon notes tucked in my Bible. Sam was right – I was going under the wing of the Holy Spirit!! I spent about 25 minutes talking about being a servant leader. They never imagined that a person could be both a servant and a leader at the same time, until they saw the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet through new eyes.

It’s now 2 pm... and I thought the service was going to end. No – more worship, and introductions for those who came late. The church had been filling up throughout the day. Sam asked me to speak once again. People have never tasted food like the Words I brought them, and it wasn’t fair for me to just wet their appetite. Yikes – me? Lord, really? Okay – back to the Bible and so grateful for some points again written in my Bible. I spoke on 1 Corinthians 13:5 – Love “is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” I was grateful for Sam – who helped with all of the translating. I knew that people were grasping the message when one man stood up and said “I never knew that people in the west also fight or hold bitterness. I have now realized that I must forgive and try to love better.” This same man went on to say that he felt convicted to stop placing curses upon other people’s lives and to love and bless them instead. He asked for prayers to make this possible.

Well, after having mixed emotions about being there all day, I was glad to see that God had used me once again in spite of my stubbornness and impatience. I’ve been challenged, stretched, and God’s name has been glorified. The day finished at 4 when Sam started to see that I was worn out. He told the leaders to close the program. The hosts brought atap (local mushy bread made out of cassava and sorghum), rice, and the chewiest chicken ever for us to eat before we began our journey home again.
You should have seen the children chasing the car as I left Serere. Too precious.

A Bible for Sam

2012-01-19T00:09:00.000-08:00

Sam is a university student studying botany and agriculture. He is a hard-working young man who also happens to be the brother of my next door neighbour. I have shared meals with my neighbours under the shade of their big mango trees while power was out and there's nothing to do but sit around and talk. I cherish those times of really getting to know the people who live on the other side of my fence.
One day, Sam and I were talking about church and school. He said he likes going to church, but he can rarely go because his studies become all consuming. He mentioned that the best thing that would help him would be a Bible. Well, I took that to heart and prayed about it. I really felt like I was supposed to give Sam a copy of God's Word.
A few days ago, there were rumours that the neighbours were going to move because of a rental increase from their landlords. They were even speaking of shifting the next day, so I was again prompted to follow up on that gift of a Bible. I went to my room, grabbed a Bible, wrote a few notes of encouragement in the front cover and then delivered it to Sam. With shock and joy in his eyes, he took this precious gift. He said, "I'm not sure how to really say thank you!" I told him the only way to really say thanks is to read the Book!
Sam just finished telling me that he reads the Bible every night and that it makes him feel good. He feels closer to God. It is my prayer that he also understands the salvation message of Christ and will follow God's instructions for holy living. I'm just glad I gave him the Word I take for granted far too often.

Exhausted...

2012-01-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

It’s 9:41 am and I can’t seem to get out of bed. Mustard the cat is tucked in beside me, and she occasionally stretches out her paws to greet me and remind me that it’s okay to relax. I don’t know what Mustard thinks about though while she purrs softly upon the 3 inch foam mattress. My mind is racing non-stop with all the topics that have come across my path in the past few days.

Church was a new experience for me this past Sunday. I went with a friend to a health, wealth, and prosperity gospel type of church and I should have walked out. If you just speak the name of Jesus Christ you should be able to master sicknesses like HIV and malaria. If you continue to get sick, then your faith is still weak. (Trust me – I believe in a God of miracles, and that He is the Healer of the Sick – but sickness still happens.) The energetic pastor said that this was soul-winning week and the church was going to double in size by next week. The congregation was so full of nicely dressed Ugandans that it felt unwelcoming to those who didn’t have even a little bit of money to buy the devotional they were all following. It just broke my heart to think that the only way they feel blessed by the Lord is to be rich and healthy. And I can’t shake the feeling that the smiles and handshakes I received on Sunday felt so fake, but it might have been my attitude that day. I wish I could find a church here to call home. On the other hand, I am grateful for a team that I can worship and pray with... but I want to have that same bond with the Ugandans I live with and love.

The next topic is marriage. I think a lot of Ugandans like to talk about marriage and weddings with me for a variety of reasons. 1. I am still single and they would love nothing more than seeing me marry a Ugandan man. 2. They want me to be at their weddings... to have bragging rights that a mzungu ( a foreigner) has attended their wedding. 3. Most people want to see me put on a gomas – a local tribal dress – because they think I will look exceptionally smart, especially because I am overweight. They clearly tell me I will look so good because I’m fat. And honestly, the gomas is the one outfit that I find myself wishing I never have to put on. The pointed sleeves are the most annoying part to me and then a 5 inch belt. 4. My friends know that I won’t have children until I get married, so I should get married soon and start producing... my life won’t be fulfilled unless I have children to pass my land and memories on to.

The conversations continued when I went over to another friend’s house to pick up some follow-up papers. Traditional men are super excited to see how far and long their brides can carry a full jerry can of water on their heads. Honestly, the women here are ocassionally treated more as slaves – bought with a bride price - to lug water, cook all day, and work in the garden and culturally... it’s okay for the men to be lazy. The women kneel when greeting other adults and get down on one knee when bringing the rinse basin to pour water over people’s hands to wash up before eating. I was once again shocked to hear from a man who I thought was a trustworthy pastor, to say that it is okay for a man to beat his wife if she goes to town for a few hours without telling him what she is doing. Out of jealousy, he has the right to beat her. The 5 women around the table were silent as this pastor spoke, so I piped up loud and clear. Two of the women I was eating with had difficulty looking each other in the eye because they share the same man. Now let’s talk about jealousy. My heart breaks.

The hot water heater has warmed the tank, so I think I’ll go take a no-pressure shower and get on with my day. Just feeling a little overwhelmed.

I'm not Lost

2012-01-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

It is not unusual to hear a Ugandan friend say "You are lost!" if that person hasn't seen you in a while... sometimes even a matter of a few days means the world to them. So yes, I guess I have disappeared for a while, but I am not lost. :) I have lots to talk about, but hopefully I can sum it up quickly for you.

A) Last Saturday I traveled down country (it took 7 hours) to Entebbe where I joined my whole team for an intense time of strategy (vision and mission) discussions, amazing worship, team dynamics and healthy conflict, and studied our personality ProScans. It was really helpful to see how we need to related and understand eachother - whether facts or feelers, introverts or extroverts, etc. Apparently I am an extrovert :) who often communicates in a "seller/persuasive" style. I need to feel appreciated and don't like being left out, or it can be a demotivator. Trust me, there is more depth to my personality than that, but it was a glimpse.

Sleeping at Garuga

Playful Monkeys

Team Beyond - with our UK and USA directors

The place we stayed at was called Garuga Beach Resort, and it was right on Lake Victoria. I slept in a tent, along with my room-mates, Beckie and Jennifer. The three of us had our own tent under a tree that had huge bird nests and small monkeys playing. I fell asleep to the sound of the Lake crashing against the sandy shore. So beautiful. During breaks we could swim in a clean pool and two nights we built a fire down by the water. The time away was a good combination of business and retreat.

B) Wednesday morning, I found myself loading back into the Tiesenga's van. There was some tension in the air because we had heard rumours of riots in Kampala, but after a call to the Canadian Embassy, we decided to still go into Kampala to buy some much needed supplies - propane, bacon, pots, cheese, hotdogs, marshmellows, and cereal. I wish I had bought molasses, cookie and muffin tins, wall tacks, and a spare tire. It was a safe journey home, arriving at 8:30 pm.

This one is for you DAD!

Naked Evangelists

2012-01-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I biked over to NACHU, a home to 22 orphans, run by my friends James and Norah. The children were all excited when I biked in the gate, bringing two pumpkins with me for them to have for dinner. (At the moment we've been collecting pumpkins and chickens from many of the friends who have returned to Soroti after spending the holidays in the village.) I had been invited by Norah to join them for lunch - a simple meal of brown beans and rice, but I was grateful for the offer and company.

While the meal was being prepared, I took the time to have a long chat with Pius. He is a young man who has such a heart for sharing God's Word and caring for God's people. He also spends a lot of time caring for the many children that stay at Nachu.

Already, a few weeks ago, Pius and I chatted about training children's leaders in a village where he has a lot of contacts. He wants me to seriously consider going with him to the village to train the leaders and to do the Evangelism Explosion curriculum with the children. Then a few days ago, Pius called to tell me that he'd had a dream and he wanted to share it with me.

He shared that in his dream he saw many children sitting outside the church, with nothing to do, no hope in their eyes. The church leaders were all asleep on the benches inside the church, and there were a few evangelists standing at the front of the church with nothing on. The naked evangelists were calling out for help, hoping that someone would come and help them put clothes on.

That was the dream. Pius said he spent much time praying about that dream, and he really feels that the children need to be a part of the church community. He believes that the evangelists are willing, they just don't know how to clothe themselves with the full armour of God. Pius said, "Karen, I know you are trained in evangelism. Would you be willing to come and help train these leaders so the children can come to know Jesus?"

Wow, an open door for ministry. I will definitely need help, because the language is Kumom, and I haven't studied even the greetings for that language, but I feel like this is one area where God is leading me. We hope to begin in just a few weeks.

Real Salvation

2012-01-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share one other glimpse into my conversation with Winnie. Last Christmas Pastor George and Winnie were blessed with a trip to the UK (where their sponsors are for the primary school that they run) and their eyes were opened to the ways of the west. The food, escalators, pets, movie theatres, day trips to the beach, etc. Winnie realized that even though we make more money, the things we buy are also very costly and that some of us can honestly struggle to pay the bills. At the same time we have so much.

Winnie then went on to say, "Karen, I can't believe you actually want to come to Africa. You gave up so much to come to our hot, dry, dusty place. That means you are really saved." Woah, 'really saved'? I mentioned that salvation is easy really - if you believe that Christ died for your sins and you ask for his forgiveness, then you are saved. "O ya, you're right", said Winnie. "That means you are really called to love us then!" I wasn't truly sure what to say. All I know is that I am glad to be called to Africa. It feels like home and I don't really feel like I have given up that much to come and relate to my Ugandan friends.

New Year's Day 2012

2012-01-01T22:53:00.000-08:00

I found the mango tree back with no problem and was surprised to see at least 7 familiar faces amidst the crowd. These lovely people greeted me with huge hugs and welcomed me back to Soroti. The service was nice - with worship songs that have become familiar to me over time, but songbooks were also handed out and we surprisingly sang three old hymns. I loved it. The sermon was decent, coming from an untrained accountant, but it once again convinced me that Biblical studies across the board is needed in Uganda. Too many verses are taken out of context - especially trying to promote a prosperity gospel. Over and over I heard the speaker say he was hoping 2012 would be the year he receives his blessing from the Lord.

After church my car was loaded with old ladies and young children, and I drove them all over to Pastor George and Winnie's compound. Grass mats were laid out on the ground for the ladies to sit on. They sit up straight, with their legs stretched out flat infront of them. (I don't know how they do it... I can't sit so perpendicular or I get a back ache.) The men collected plastic chairs and sat in a circle under the mango tree. Two mango trees provide great shade for the whole afternoon. It was absolutely precious to see one little boy follow his dad into the men's circle. He was probably 3 or 4 years old, and he was wearing a black tuxedo with tails and a cumberbun.

The ladies were trying to get me to sit with the men, so I could have a plastic chair, but then Winnie reminded them all that I was a kitchen mzungu. Their faces lit up when they realized that I would help with preparing lunch. Washing my hands from the water provided in a yellow jerry can, I quickly set to work peeling potatoes. The out door kitchen was being put to full use. Metal pots were filled - three over open fires and two on a charcoal stove. White rice, rice pilaf, beef, chicken, cabbage, atap, and soups were being prepared... a true New Year's Day feast.

Before the meal could be served we also had to collect dishes from a variety of locations and wash them all to remove the dust. As Winnie and I were washing and rinsing we were able to have a deep conversation about the sermon. The sermon had suggested that we link up with people who have more than us so that we have a chance to receive. That's the part I struggled with the most... the speaker had suggested that the widow connected with Elijah so that food could be provided for the whole drought. I thought that was opposite of how it really happened. Elijah stayed with the lady because she had flour and oil, but really it was GOD who made it all multiply. If the lady and/or Elijah lacked faith, they all would have starved.

We started discussing blessings and what they could look like. At first clothes, food and money were mentioned, but after challenging them to go deeper we came up with a great list - a smile from your husband, a child holding your hand, a hug from a friend, a note of encouragement, a prayer, a clean house, and so much more. We are blessed in so many ways.

I left George and Winnie's at 3:30 pm, knowing that I had been blessed by their company, the honesty and fellowship with the ladies, and the opportunity to share and probe just a little bit more.

Upcoming Retreat

2011-12-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

Next week I will be traveling down country with my team-mates to meet at a place called Garuga, just outside of Entebbe, for team retreat. I would love it if you would join us all in prayer for the following things:

§ For the Lord to prepare all of our hearts, filling us with His Spirit and breaking any barriers of pride, selfishness, lies and fears that we may have, so that
· we will be able to clearly see, hear and follow His direction with excitement and anticipation
· our hearts may be aligned with His heart
· love, unity, humility, grace, healing, hope, and discernment to abound in all of us
· He may be blessed and glorified

§ For a hedge of spiritual protection around our team as a whole, Scott & Jill Olson (coming from Illinois), Anthony Jones (UK), and the childcare workers, and also around every relationship within our team

§ For God to give wisdom to Tim & Angie, Scott & Jill, and Anthony as they prepare to lead the retreat

§ For the children of Team Beyond and the childcare workers, that God would provide a safe, edifying, and joyful time in which He captures their attention and their hearts

§ For the Holy Spirit to fall upon Garuga Resort, sanctifying the spaces and preparing the way for our arrival

Church Under the Mango

2011-12-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

Winnie called to delay our agreed upon meeting time. That was not unexpected as things never start on time in Uganda. She called me a half hour later and informed me that I could now come. I was actually glad for the delay since it gave me time to stop by the post office and pick up my first PACKAGE!!

shirt, tea, napkins and tissues, chocolate and fudge, socks, pocket calendar and stationary. Woo Hoo!

I drove out to Goshen Nursery school and picked up Pastor George and his beautiful wife Winnie. They were excited to see me, ride in my car and show me the location of their humble church. Within moments we were underway, driving up Serere road to a very sharp, yet remote turn-off. It felt like I was pulling into someones backyard, but it was more like a roadside bar that I had to pass through in order to get to the final destination about another kilometre up the road. We pulled into a compound and went to sit under a mango tree. The mango tree was in full flower at the moment, which stood out from the other mango trees in the neighbourhood. The people in the area say that tree is blessed because a small church meets there every Sunday to pray.

Three rustic wooden chairs were brought out for us to sit on, while the old lady who owns the compound sat out on a woven mat. She asked us to pray for her husband because he has been sick all week. This lady didn't speak any English, but I soon learned that her husband eats little and drinks a lot and that makes him sickly. People passing by noticed that we were in the compound, so they drove up the street to find the man at the bar. Moments later he came slowly biking into the yard to greet his guests. The conversation was actually interesting and quite varied. He is trying to build a small hostel for high schoolers to stay in since there is not much room left in town for boarding. He is also very glad that the church meets on his property.

I'm glad I was able to meet some of the members of this church because that is where I am choosing to worship on New Year's Day. I got home at dusk, in time to take my laundry off the line and have dinner with my house-mate. Another good day in Soroti.

Glimpses into my Days

2011-12-29T22:44:00.000-08:00

I begin to stir at 6:15 am when "Rabbit", the loud rooster / cock begins to crow outside my window. I'm starting to continue resting through the noise as I would prefer waking up between 7 and 8 am. Mustard the cat greets me with longing eyes... she's looking at the container full of little dried minnows and hopes that I will share a few. Rabbit comes to the front of the house and knocks on the front door with his beek... but I haven't figured out why. Does he deserve to come in the house too? I think not.

Early hours of the day are a good time to go to the market. The meat is fresh, it's not so crowded, and the heat is less. (For the past few days, it has even been 83 degrees up til 10 pm). I stroll through the market greeting a few friends and buying fresh produce. The other day I was able to to convince some young boy to find me two green peppers after being unable to see any being displayed on the tables. I was grateful he knew where to look because home-made tacos wouldn't be the same without one of my favourite veggies. The market has lots of tables set up in the centre of the "sellers" area for baskets, fruit, veggies, and meat, but surrounding those rough, uneven tables are two rows, about a block around, of small metal lockers/storage units. These units contain dishes, clothes, hardware, tailoring shops, mosquito nets, a few toys, and more. Across from the beef butchery I have found my friend Peter's shop. Already we are renewing my French as he is a Congolese refugee and I have brought to dresses for him to repair.

There are about 9 "Supermarkets" in town, they are extremely small and very expensive. At the moment, a tiny jar of peanut butter is going for about $6 and a SMALL box of cereal is going for almost $9. There are some small changes since the last time I was here. Feminine pads and sensodyne are now available. The yoghurt is much better. And the Indians are starting to bring in chicken fillets and good ground beef from Kampala. Now, if only the luncheon meets and cheeses could arrive. There are some things that are just worth paying for!

A daily trip to the post office is necessary because I am waiting for them to return my keys. A mailbox was purchased for me last February, but when I went to see if the key worked, it didn't. I had a receipt to prove it was my box, but it is taking the post office three weeks already to change the lock on the box. I think they are starting to get my box number memorized, as they have to physically go to the back of the shop and get my mail. So far I've had two pieces from CRWM, and three Christmas cards!

The rest of my day is spent biking around, visiting friends and aquaintances throughout the holiday season. It has been good to share tea with people who I care about deeply and I know that God is opening a few doors for ministry in the New Year. Soroti is actually quite empty at the moment since many "townspeople" have gone home to the village for the Christmas season, so that's why the ministry has all been put on hold. Relationship building is key here to living and serving in Uganda.

Once a week I meet with my team for an official meeting - prayer, sharing, discussions and business. Throughout the week though, it is also nice to fellowship with the various families around the city. Even though I have a house-mate, it's rare that she is home since she is in the village a lot, so it's nice for me to share meals with my team-mates in the evenings. Now that I have been blessed with a car it makes it a lot more possible to go out after dark.

Other things that fill my days are: reading assignments - like "When Helping Hurts" and writing reports - like following up from that retreat I went to in Jinja. Last night I sprayed all the shrubs in the yard since caterpillars are having a feast. I took all of my Christmas decorations down. Am thankful for my kindle, so I can read lots of books. I'm slowly getting to know a few of my neighbours... I even had to borrow some cooking pots from one lady.

Well, hopefully that gives you a small glimpse into my day. How is your day going?

Two of our chickens sleep up on an open window.

Kamuda Christmas Party

2011-12-25T21:46:00.000-08:00

This is a video of "Alive With Purpose" having worship in my yard during their Christmas party.

On Christmas Eve, Beckie (my house-mate) invited one of her Bible study groups over.

Chicken and beef were prepared for 57 people.

As well as Rice!!

Ludo is a popular game, similar to Sorry.

Spending time in prayer

During worship they carry their belongings to Canaan. :)

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T08:32:00.001-08:00

Customize a photo slideshow

The Pharmaceutical Salon

2011-12-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Everyone goes the extra mile to look "smart" at Christmas, so I decided that I would get my hair plaited and look smart too. My friend Prossy found a lady who could braid mzungu hair and she even figured out a cheaper price for me. I agreed to the price and so yesterday morning I hopped on my bike and went to the pharmacy in town where I knew I could find the stylist - Liz.

I was expecting the braiding time to be about 3 hours, but who knew that I would spend the next 9 hours sitting on the floor of the pharmacy, watching and listening to life behind the counter. The whole process began at 10 am, when we walked up the street to the beauty supply store and picked out blonder hair that could match my head. I definitely did not want black hair being added to my head. It was close to 11 am when the braiding began.

I sat behind the counter of a small pharmacy on main street. I sat on a woven mat while Liz sat on a plastic chair tucked in behind me. It was my job all day to pass the extensions to her... little piece by little piece so she could just keep braiding. Conversation flowed and her hands were working, but by 2 pm, we were only a quarter of the way finished. WHAT?? I asked her if it always took this long... and she kindly informed me that she has never done my kind of hair before and she didn't want to hurt me. She has done hair of the Indian mzungus and she thought my hair would be the same.

I could see in the small mirror that she was doing a great job though, and I knew I couldn't just up and walk away, so I continued sitting on the floor, staring at boxes of pills - Hedon, coldafex, and other pain killers. I spelled the menthyl balm that was on the shelf right in front of my face. And I imagined what all the syringes and needles would be used for in the boxes lining the bottom shelves. I did realize one thing... I won't pack as many meds from home... if you look close enough, you can find it here... and the owner of the shop was very concerned about expiration dates.

With an aching back I continued to wait and work, while watching African soaps on the tv tucked up in the corner of the shop. I watched until the power went out, that is.... everybody was blaming Umeme, the power company, until a half hour later when we say a transport coming through town carrying a huge gas tank cylinder on it's trailer. All vehicles needed to be moved and electrical wires lifted in order for the cargo to pass through town. The locals were even amazed that it had a police escort and a vehicle in front saying "Caution - wide load". Apparently this truck was headed for the Congo.

The shop had non-stop customers all day. Many of them were shocked to find me sitting in the corner, but were absolutely delighted that I was getting my hair plaited. "Wow, you really look like an African now!!" Sipping only a bottle of water, I kept hoping that my hair would finish... although I was enjoying the company and Liz was learning to braid faster. She didn't believe me when I mentioned that the key was to have my hair really wet. (That goes against everything Africans believe about their own hair.)

Around 5 pm we heard a crash, and since we had to leave the shop briefly so that the "nurse" could give a treatment behind the counter, we went out to inspect the accident on main street. A lady had misjudged the curb while parking and hit a cement pillar on the side of the building. Thankfully no one was hurt. Back inside, I spent the next two hours listening to a village lady trying to figure out how to get her sacks of charcoal to the next city of Mbale. She was trying to do some small business, but hadn't arranged transport and the man who would take the sacks would have left her with absolutely no money - since the cost of gasoline is so pricey, he was asking 500,000 Ugandan shillings for transport to a city just 2 hours away... thats almost $240 Canadian. By 7 pm the lady was exhausted and just decided to leave her bags and walk away.

Now, thankfully at 6:50 pm, my team-mate Josh called to tell me that there were two Christmas trees dropped off in my yard, a gift from the neighbour children. I used that call to say that I absolutely needed to be home by 7:30 pm (as is my curfew when I don't have a vehicle - otherwise it's way to dark to be out safely) and that I had an appointment. Well, finally things started to rush. Three ladies were braiding and everything was finished by 7:20 pm. I couldn't believe that it took the whole day to add three packages of short extensions to my head. But I learned a lot culturally from the floor of the pharmacy and my head really does look smart.

Now I just need to learn to sleep with this extra bundle of hair on the back of my head.

Cagayan de Oro Flooding

2011-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

My heart is saddened this week to hear of the floods that are occuring in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines. I lived in CDO for the first of my three years in the Philippines and I have many wonderful friends there who are greatly challenged by these rushing waters. I would like to share with you my msn chat with my friend Aliza this morning... may it increase your prayers for this suffering island.

The discussion started like this:
K - How are you girl?
A - I'm great. Our house is destroyed though
K - Really? Your house is gone. So sorry to hear that.
A - Yes and Boknoy's is gone too. (Another dear friend of mine)
K - is Boknoy okay? And his family?
A - cagayan is coping... boknoy is well so is his family... how did you know?
K - fb posts... I don't see or hear the news here in Uganda... no tv or radio

Then Aliza went on to share these very incredible stories of how God was watching out for His people:
its approximated to thousands, because others are missing and the most painful part is that since we have little funeral homes here, the dead bodies were thrown in the dumpsite, (you've been there before) and the city is starting to smell specially balulang where our house is.

but so far, God is good. we were supposed to go home to talakag that night but we had a flat tire at the same time that the mountain collapsed. i was complaining to God saying Lord its signal number 2 and we are stranded here because of a flat tire and then we fix it and the tree fell down right in front us, it was a big tree, and it was now 12 am, the same time that the flashflood that hit the cd and the bridge overflowed and the same time that the mountain collapsed,. landslide that it, i realized then in the morning that God was preventing us from travelling, because we could have died then.

i thank the Lord for the protection, i sat down and thought, O Lord, thank you for the protection. i couldnt see it at that time, i mean we were literally stranded on the road because the manga tree fell down, we had to drag the small branches and wait for some help to cut the tree so we could pass. we were stranded there for like 2 hours.

i was soaking yet because of the rain, was so thankful that Stella and Aloha were with me during that time, cause i went out to get them and the place where they are staying is one of the major destroyed places, people are hanging on the roof just to be alive, the water was like 30 feet... i could not imagine it,
but there more better stories though(: like Ate Ching Lopez story.. ^^ (Ching was my room-mate!)

all of the cars were gone but her multicab remained... (: amazing right?

so many christians are alive and got a testimony to tell. can you still remember Pastor Ong and Ate Lenie?

well, Pastor Ong wasnt there, Ate Lenie and Kring their daughter were stuck in the house they could not get out, their parlor was gone, all that remained are the flooring of the house, and they broke the window and swam, the water was so strong, technically their house should be destroyed and they should be dead too but the water was calm, inches separates them from the strong current, it was a miracle they survive, because the water was so strong, yet when they were swimming, it was so calm, they were on the roof till 7 am in the morning, the flood occured after the electricity was gone, and it was 12 am.

Jezeil and Andrew as well, they could not get out of their house, if they go out, they are dead, so they stay inside, put their children on the table, and then let it float and they were holding the table, they were int he water for 7 hours, i went there and i told myself they should be dead, the other houses were completely destroyed, but their house is intact and the water was ceiling level just enough for them to breath,. she was crying and all they could do was pray to God.. amen

and Galdo family.. Kuya Arnold tied ate (his wife to him) and they swam, he was badly wounded and in shock but it was a miracle they survived, their house was the main line, all the water came rushing through them, it was a path for the water. some of their neighbors were swept away...

MayMay and KringKring has the same experience.. most of the Living Hope members (The church where I used to attend) were affected. i told my neighbors and friends that houses can be rebuilt but this 2nd opportunity that God gave to us cannot be measured, cannot be paid.

if you are here, you can see dead bodies on the streets, so many unaccounted for, and no water... ):

i learned a lot being a pastor's wife, we could not always control our circumstances but God's sustaining grace is more than enough to see us through.. that phrase really became a reality at that time.. when i saw dead children below 4 years old and even an infant that was stuck on an electric pole, i could not comprehend but God reminded me that hey my grace is sufficient for cagayan de oro.. !!!

which is why now, we are mobilizing my young people, we will clean the houses that are intact and help the families in putting their house back in order again, it might not seem like much but our church doesnt have the financial resources to support the affected people but we have the heart and manpower to help.. Go CLEANING.. (:

I am so happy to hear from you, it reminds me that im still alive^.^

I will be gone a minute from now, i have to go to balulang, where our house is and we need to arrange on which house we will clean first, those that cannot afford a cleaner so that can have a cleaner house for christmas, and i have set aside a little bit of something so we can bring food just enough to feed 100, i can only contribute this much but i wanted to do something even if its just a little thing to help my city.. (:

thanks for praying for us... you have no idea that seeing you online brought me immense joy, and your newsletters brought me happiness too.. i thank the Lord for your friendship and for your life... (:

That's the story I heard this morning. The names will be unfamiliar to many of you, but I know each and every person she mentioned and my heart breaks. I wish I could be there to clean with them!!

Pics of Mto Moyoni

2011-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Sun rise over the Nile River

Sam experiences a trampoline for the first time!

Sniffy - one of the "ministering" dogs

Drop (like dutch black licorice)

Benjamin is spending time in reflection and prayer!

Miriam and Sarah praying during a time of forgiveness and repentance.

Enjoying the fellowship amidst God's creation!

After spending 5 days in Jijna, I loaded up the car at 2:30 pm and hoped to make it back to Soroti by dark at 7 pm. While still 2 hours away I received a phone call from my Fida friends, informing me that there was a Christmas party at the Landmark hotel and they wanted me to come.
Trust me, I was exhausted - after days of reflection, prayer, journaling, and giving everything over to God... finished with a long, rough car ride home, but I knew I had to attend. Some of the leaders from Finland were also present, so I'm glad that I was able to make it. To share stories of the work that has been going on with the former child soldiers. Here I am sitting with Prossy - one of my great friends from Fida. We enjoyed whole fried fish and chips and lots of sodas. It was a blessing to partake.
But it was also nice to come home and finally sleep in my own bed once again!

"Let it Rain"

2011-12-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sniffles arise as tears start to flow, rain sprinkles down on the edge of the Nile.
Generations of sin are being brought to the foot of the cross.
Wrapped in a shawl, I pray for my heart to be transformed, but also for the nation of Uganda. I am beyond grateful for the childhood that I had - with Christian parents and grandparents, a safe village, great friends, and boys who have always treated me with respect. My heart breaks for my Ugandan companions - abuse, neglect, curses, confusions, incest, abortions, rape, beatings, failed crops and shame torment them.
"Hear these praise of a grateful heart, each time I think of You the praises start. I love You so much, Jesus, I love You so much!"
How can I even begin to thank God for the blessings in my life? Over and over I hear God say "You are mine!", "I love you!" How awesome it is to be a daughter of the King of kings! I don't know what it is about being on African soil, but I'm constantly reminded that I'm a Princess - But only a princess, a royal gal, in the eyes of my Heavenly Father. I never want to be "royalty" here in Uganda - just a servant of my Master who desires to see this struggling land transformed by the grace and forgiveness of the cross, through the Holy Spirit.
For the past few days, God has placed Isaiah 60-62 across my path. "your heart will throb and swell with joy." ... "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." ... "I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God."
God will rejoice over ME!
These verses of joy are scattered throughout chapters of how God will "restore the places long devastated." Pray with me, that those 16 of us who are going through a "Transformation of the Heart" at Mto Moyoni will be able to walk/speak/dance in freedom, so that those around us may also see God's heart and be renewed.

Every Tribe, Tongue, and Nation

2011-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

Filling my Subaru with four other Ugandans, I drove down country to Jinja, where Lake Victoria becomes the Source of the Nile. We spent more time talking about the potholes and humps in the road the road than anything else, especially since I'm being refreshed in driving a stick shift (manual) with a sticky clutch.

Arriving at Mto Moyoni Retreat Centre, we are introduced to the most lovely gardens and quaint sleeping quarters that slope down to the whirlpool waters of the Nile. Hundreds of birds entertain us with their call, or incredible diving feats as they catch their dinner from the rushing waters.

Sitting down at the water's edge my Ateso friends watch some Lugandan tribesman try to catch fish with their rugged wooden boats. My Ateso pals started to recognize that they are on a retreat to a new land just as much as I am. The two tribes speak different languages and the landscape in Jinja is so different. Soroti is about a four hour drive north, but the land there is flat and grassy. There are many more trees and rolling hills in Jinja area. I chuckled as I watched my friends struggle with greetings, or even how they had trouble with their footing on the "steep" hills. I taught them how to fish with a hook and work on a string wrapped around a plastic water bottle. I rolled with laughter when I introduced them to a trampoline for the first time ever. Geoffrey seemed to manage somehow, but both Sam and Benjamin took about four jumps, then fell down on the mat and held their heads from the strange sensation. They looked half afraid and half giddy.

At Mto Moyoni there are two dogs that are called "ministry dogs". Sniffy (a German Shepherd) and Drop sit beside you to offer peace and comfort. And they show love when they lick you with their cheerful tongues.

Another stretching point is that people from many nations have gathered together to have their hearts transformed. Kenya, Canada, Uganda, UK, Netherlands, and USA are brought to this place in the Spirit - to seek God's face and forgiveness. Since so many nations collect in one beautiful place, the lunches provided are western. Wow, if you could have seen the faces of the Atesos as they tried tomato soup, or shepherd's pie, or even fresh cucumbers for the first time. They miss their atap, which is local mush (bread) made out of cassava and sorghum flour, but delightfully they only need to wait until supper when they once again receive local foods. Gnut (peanut) sauce on matoke (mashed plantian bananas) or sakumawiki (collared greens) on posho (white cornmeal mash).

It is a true blessing to be in prayer with people and dogs from every tribe, tongue, and nation!

Mto Moyoni

2011-12-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

I will write much more when I return home from Jinja in 5 days... just wanted to give you a glimpse.

I will be sleeping in a loft for the next few nights during the "Transformation of the Heart" retreat!

A shot of the sleeping quarters at Mto Moyoni. A Spiritual Retreat Centre.

On the Nile River, just minutes away from Lake Victoria. Spectacular!

60 Oranges

2011-12-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

There was a faint knocking at the gate and at first I wasn’t even sure it was my gate, since there are at least three of them so close together. I then saw an eye peeking through the small hole in the gate and knew that there was a visitor at the door. Walking to the end of my driveway I wasn’t sure who I would find, but when I opened the gate I noticed an old man, with an animal skin hat, a bicycle, and a large bag of oranges.

This old gentleman started to ask if Beckie was home, since he knew Beckie, but I explained that she was out. He wanted to know if I would be willing to buy some oranges because his grandson was in the hospital with malaria and he needed fees for the medicine. There was something impressive about this man. One, he wasn’t coming to just ask for money, he was willing to do a trade. Two, he was selling the oranges way too cheap. He was going to give me 15 pieces / 1000 shillings, but he needed 5000 shillings (about $2.50) and was going to give me 85 oranges. I knew that I didn’t need 85 pieces, but I started to think that I could give them away during the Christmas season, so I said “okay”.

As this stranger was filling a bag with fresh fruit, he started to tell me that we were the same because he was also “born again” and that makes us children of Israel. He said that even though times can be tough here on earth, we are both waiting for everlasting life. He then gave me two Scripture verses to look up when I got back in the house. I made him stop counting at 60 pieces, since I knew I was almost robbing the kind man of his fruit, and if he was able to sell more, I wanted him to be able to have some to sell so he could get more money for the hospital or just for his own life.

Here were his verses for the day:
Psalm 41:1-3 “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Food for Thought

2011-12-11T05:35:00.000-08:00

Last night the power was out, but somehow a “bar” up the street was able to keep a generator running all night long so that horribly loud music could continuously play until 5 am. I must admit, I didn’t have the best night of sleep, but I was ready to go to church once again this morning. I decided to attend a small church in Nakatunya called PUM – Pentecostal Upright Ministries. The church was praising God in a “new” way this morning since they were miraculously able to purchase a sound system to use in this tiny church. I have learned over the years that these systems are not meant for worship to be the most meaningful inside the building, but so that the neighbours can’t miss hearing what is being sung and spoken. For me, the most difficult part is that the guy who plays the keyboard is not necessarily a musician, he just keeps rhythm. I often miss the hide drums and vocal harmonies now.
I want to share with you what the messages were about today: First, the pre-sermon was about “wrong conclusions”. The first example was about people in the west – like Sister Karen – who have many pets and how they truly value their pets. Did you know that some people even love their pets like they are their own children? (I was really curious where this story was leading!!) Well, some westerners even love their pets so much they give them a piece of their inheritance. If the owner dies the dog can inherit money, homes, etc. (Well, I guess I had to learn something new today. J I knew that we can go a little overboard on loving our pets, but I’ve never known one to be written into the will.) The story went on to describe how this mother used to leave her baby at home with the dog looking after the baby while she went to town. Many days the mother came home and safely found the baby sleeping in the living room. One day the mother saw blood and the baby was gone. The mother quickly thought the dog had eaten the baby, so she proceeded to chop the dog as she was going to eat it for eating her baby. Half way through slaughtering she heard her baby crying in another room and there is also saw another wild animal slain. The dog had killed a prowling animal and saved the baby... the mother had drawn the wrong conclusion. We too need to check out all the facts before drawing wrong conclusions. (I was chuckling to myself as I thought how this young man hadn’t really checked all of his facts either... in the west, we would never leave a baby home with the animal to guard it... Children’s Aid would be there in a heartbeat. And what’s the Biblical point of this story?)

Secondly, the main sermon was about how to improve our lives. The pastor used to grow up extremely “poor” in the village, but because he trusted God and followed two pieces of advice, he now owns a motorcycle, and that makes him a rich man. The pastor described how many people in Soroti only think about two things: 1 – food and 2 – the activities of the “night”. The only way for believers to move beyond those two things were also twofold: 1 – spend time with the elderly because they know the important things of this world and 2 – spend time with wise people. The more you spend time with people above you, the better you will be. A few Bible verses were scattered throughout the sermon, but they were hard to follow with his main theme.

Church today was a confirmation for me, that even though Christianity has a strong presence in Uganda, that God’s Word is not truly known, preached, taught, or understood. Trust me, even Satan knows God’s Word, so it’s important to study and share God’s Word properly with the church. Too many sermons are about respect, hard work, honour, discipline... and so I am glad to be here in Uganda... to share that we can’t respect others if we don’t trust in Christ. We will not be able to work hard and honour God or others unless the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. God the Father must be the central aspect in every sector of our lives.

Evangelism Explosion

2011-12-11T05:34:00.000-08:00

With the hot African sun beating down on my quickly weathered face, I continued to bike around the neighbourhood of Nakatunya to visit friends from 2009. I stopped by the mud/grass hut of George and Catherine who are my Ugandan parents. It was sweet to receive hugs and to talk about all that life has presented in the past few years. Then I went over to the next compound, hoping to find a few other people, but instead ending up spending an hour talking with a Godly man named Pius. It was such an encouragement to talk with Pius. He truly cares about the children and he has such a heart for evangelism.

Goosebumps grew on my arms when Pius started explaining a training he attended in August. He proudly went and got his certificate to show me, along with the materials that he studied. The books were colourful, and clearly printed on the front were the words “Evangelism Explosion International for Children”. EE for kids!! Wow! You see, in college I took two years of “Evangelism Explosion” for adults, and I think the material is fantastic as it clearly lays out the Gospel message and the plan of salvation.

Pius wants to do some Bible studies with up to 30 children at a time, and he was wondering if we could do it together... especially since I seem to know the material so well. He mentioned that at the moment he has 200 of these little books for kids and he said that because he took the training he can always get more for free. I truly hope this is an open door for ministry. These books are a precious tool for reaching children for Jesus.

Photo Update - CAAF and More

2011-12-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Here the ladies are preparing beef tripe, meat, stomach lining, and more for the CAAF lunch.

The girls are "seriously" playing net ball. Seriously means they are giving it their all!!

Local musical instruments

Blocking a penalty shot

Just plain adorable... this little girl followed me everywhere at the football tournament.

A young boy shows me his ball made out of plastic and rubber bands/string.

Today Mandy, a team-mate who loves the changing seasons, hosted a women's tea. 14 ladies got together for a baking and gift exchange. Who knew so many delicious recipes could be made in Uganda!! It was so special.

At the Christmas Tea, Angie made a super yummy pumpkin latte!! For Mandy's perspective on the Christmas Tea, click here.

Sports Day in Obalanga

2011-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

I have just now kicked my feet up after a very long day. I awoke early because of the roosters and spent some time in God’s Word before preparing for my long, bumpy road trip to Obalanga. Beckie drove with a few neighbour kids out to the village, and I hopped along with FIDA. FIDA is a development agency that works a lot with the former child soldiers... the last time I was here I enjoyed doing the field work with them. It was kind of special when the car came to “pick me” at the gate today, because Charles and Bob did not know I was back in the country. Charles is always the driver, and Bob overseas the Soroti office. Of course, Lydia, Prossy, and Lawrence knew I was coming along today and so they had lots of things planned for me.

We planned on leaving Soroti at 8 am and Beckie was certain that wasn’t going to happen, so she left a little later... and she was right... we ended up going into Soroti town first to buy 5 sacks of rice, soccer balls, water and snacks, and some medicines before heading out to the village. Beckie was right behind us when we ended up driving on the very rough roads. It was about 10:30 am before we arrived, and we found that 4 communities of CAAF kids had already arrived to begin sports day. CAAF = Children Affected by Armed Forces. Due to the late start, and too many FIDA announcements, and a switch in leadership, my “prepared” sermonette was postponed, but I was asked to lead about 300 people in prayer to start the day.

The boys played soccer all day and the girls played net ball. I have never seen that game before and it’s kind of a combination between ultimate Frisbee and basketball. Beckie kept score with the girls and I floated through the crowds have some God-ordained conversations. Discussions such as forgiveness, purity, and patience came up as I sat with the spectators and chatted the day away. Near the end of the festivities, Beckie and I helped to serve supper to all of the CAAF kids who attended. Rice and cow parts – intestines, tripe, bones and some small meats, skin, and other chewy parts.... J It was fun serving the tired youth.

I met a couple of young people from Abim today. That is a small village, about three hours north of Soroti that has caught my heart, and I’m thinking the Lord may expand my borders to that place. These youth were asking me if I would come and share with them some Biblical studies. They have a desire to deepen their faith and understand God’s Word better. That makes me so excited that these former child soldiers wish to grow in the Lord. Please pray those doors will clearly open in that is the direction I am supposed to take while living in northern Uganda.

The tournaments ended shortly after 6 pm... Then there were a few short announcements before we left the village at 6:30 pm. Driving the bumpy roads is much worse in the dark, but I trust Charles as a driver – and FIDA has a heavy duty vehicle. Conversations flowed as we headed back to Soroti. It doesn’t feel like I have been gone for two years. The people in the vehicle are such good friends to me; it is an honour to serve alongside of them again. I was dropped off shortly after 8 pm and I’m thinking tonight might be a good night to go to bed early. The African sun makes me very tired.

Team Time

2011-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Since my arrival a week ago I have been so very blessed to get to know my team. Team Beyond is now much bigger – with 6 families and 3 singles, or 15 adults and 15 children. The dynamics are so different compared to the last time I was here, but it is still so incredible. The Team had it prearranged that I would spend at least one meal a day with each family so that I could get to know them better, and I feel like I have been spoiled because of all the delicious meals. Stuffed green peppers, egg salad sandwiches, spaghetti with home-made rolls, creamy pasta, tacos.... most of these are local ingredients, but some families chose to share their “American” treats with me. I have enjoyed hearing people’s testimonies and hearts for ministry.

Today we had a two and a half hour team meeting – it was a time to share our highs and lows right now – whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, children, or ministry, etc. My team leader has also assigned us the book “When Helping Hurts” and that has been a real eye opener for the definition of poverty. I hope to share more on this book soon.

Tonight all the ladies on the team came over for an evening Bible study. Apparently they come over to Beckie’s (my) house every Wednesday night for a Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Tonight we took a very close look at Deuteronomy 4. A verse that really stood out to me was “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Vs. 29

This posting seems a bit choppy, but I wanted to write just a little before I went to bed to tell you how some of my first week was filled. Tomorrow I’m off to the village to spend a “Sports Day” with the CAAF kids (CAAF = Children Affected by Armed Forces). Apparently I’m supposed to bring a message in the morning, so please pray that God will give me wisdom, courage, and insight as preaching was not on my game plan. J I’ll just call it a teaching!!

It's a Zoo in Here!

2011-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Thursday night I arrived in Soroti, and shared a meal with a few families before closing the doors to my new home and starting to get reacquainted with my new house-mate, Beckie. We went through the house – discussing the code to the small safe, also our power converters and water sources. Our filtered water is connected in the bathroom sink and the electricity is very iffy here now days. One for one, off for two... then off all day, on at night... it so strange and hard to plan around. I don’t mind not having electricity during the day because I don’t like fans or air-conditioning and I cook on a gas stove.

Part of our discussions that night also included how to care for the animals. Mustard the cat eats tiny dried fish, but not so many that she won’t also catch critters outside. Pal eats a few dried fish also in his evening porridge. I’m not sure what she gets, but it’s some sort of grain feed that I mix with water and serve to her when it’s cool. At the moment I don’t like having Pal in the house because she is having her bi-annual menstruation and I have to clean a trail of blood from my floor every time she comes in the house. I guess I never even thought about a female dog’s “system” but one can never stop learning. J

Then there are the five chickens and two roosters. Every morning I wake up to the sounds of their squawking just outside my window, for that is where there feed trough is also. I usually open the front door around 8:30 am and I find it hilariously funny to watch all the chickens flap and glide their way from wherever in the yard to greet me at the front door. On the front stoop they proceed to poop and make all sorts of noise... and if I am not careful with the front screens, the chickens are stubborn enough to come in the house and try to get at Pal’s left over foot. I have even heard rumours that the chicken like to lay eggs in the couch cushions, but I hope to draw the line there.

As much as the animals humour me though, I do enjoy having company in the house, especially since Beckie has been gone all week. Mustard is the sweetest cat ever and I’m glad to have a few constant friends!

Sunday snaps

2011-12-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Advent Season is upon us, and today I read a very fitting Scripture verse that goes along with the "Candle of Preparation":

"A voice of one calling in the desert,

'Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.

Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked roads shall become straight,

the rough ways smooth.

And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

Luke 3:4-6

This morning I decided to try driving my car once again. The first time I drove it I wasn't used to the clutch and it popped really strange for me (although it has been a few years since I drove a stick shift) so I haven't driven it, except for practicing up and down my driveway. :) I was running late for church though, due to jet lag - I slept in, so I decided to drive rather than ride my bicycle, since it was a good 20 minute bike ride away.

Arriving at the church where I served previously, I was bombarded with hugs from many children, and warm handshakes from the adults. I didn't want to teach the children, but I did attend class with their current leaders. There were about 130 kids in the tiny classroom - which is normally split into two groups - preschool through age 6, and then ages 7-12, but they all wanted to be with Auntie Karen. I did share a short Bible story with them though and encouraged the leaders to keep up the good work.

Some of you may remember this picture, but when I was in the Pamba church last time, this little girl name Teddy always wanted me to hold her when I was teaching. She was maybe 3 at the time. Well, today she was in church (and apparently hasn't been for almost a year because she was in the village with her family), but she spotted me after the service and held my hand for the next 10 minutes while I greeted many others.

Teddy was so precious today - my heart melted immediately

On a very side note, I went to a different church tonight and saw this sign at the side of the parking lot... although it was pouring rain and I accidently read it with and "R" instead of an "L". ") Free Fornication sure had me wondering what that church was selling. Ha Ha.

And here is my cat "Mustard" - much nicer looking than Pal.

My Soroti Home

2011-12-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Landing at the airport on Wednesday night, I was greeted by my team-mates, Tim and Steve. They loaded all of my luggage on the top of Tim's van around midnight and then we drove to the Adonai guest house in Kampala where we promptly went to sleep. At breakfast on Thursday morning I was showered with hugs from the rest of the guy's families ... lots of Sliedrechts and Tiesengas. :) By 9:30 am we were on the road. We decided to take the long route home, because at the moment there is a 45 minute stretch of road that is taking three hours to cross... so instead of driving 6 hours to Soroti, we drove west, with an incredible view of the Nile river, and took 7.5 hours to get home.

The Nile river was rushing greatly, pictures don't do it justice... I couldn't get a closer pic because there were security officers nearby.

We saw a small group of Baboons as we past near Murchison Falls.

I was greeted by the chickens at my residence... I believe there are 5 hens and 2 roosters. One cock is going to have his life taken if he want to cockadoodle doo at 6:15 am right outside my window.

This is my dog "PAL" and I have a cat named Mustard also... don't worry, I didn't go out and collect these animals... I am living with another team-mate who has a passion for these creatures.

Here is my Subaru Forester. I drove it briefly last night, but I have to get used to the clutch. It's been a while since I drove a stick transmission, so today I practised first gear and reverse in my driveway.

At least my driveway is long enough to handle the training lessons. :)

To the left of the photo you will see a sitting hut and a volleyball net - where neighbourhood kids daily fill the yard.

Here is my home sweet home... I am too blessed.

These are the boys quarters and outdoor latrine. Don't worry - I don't keep boys locked up and I do have indoor plumbing... it's just that many Ugandans would prefer a pit.

A view of the back of my house - I rode that trusty bike all around town today, revisiting old friends and running errands.

(Indoor pics will come when I am more settled or unpacked.)

Commissioning Photos

2011-12-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday - Commissioning Service

My Grandparents came to see me off with their blessings!

Many family, friends, and church members came up front to pray over me.

I was given a small time to share what's going on and to thank people for all the love and support!

Calm Before the Storm...

2011-11-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

In a half an hour I am leaving for the airport and I must admit I'm feeling pretty good. I feel so blessed and am glad to be organized. Mom, Dad, and Rick are coming with me, to help check in 10 pieces of baggage before I board the plane for Amsterdam and then Entebbe.

Last week I was able to get away to Grand Rapids, MI for a few days - to fellowship and celebrate American Thanksgiving with some precious people... but I was also able to deliver over 300 pounds of books/journals/photo albums, etc that will be shipped over to Uganda. A wonderful company is donating some space in a shipping crate that will take 2 months to arrive, and it really helped to get rid of some of my heavier items so I don't need to carry them on the plane.

Sunday was a wonderful day. Bethel CRC in Newmarket was full as people - friends and relatives came from around the province to be a part of my Commissioning service. The advent theme, of Jesus - Our Good News, totally fit with being sent to Uganda. A large crowd of people came to the front of the church and laid hands on me as my niece and nephews tucked in close for some of their final good-byes. (Hopefully pictures will follow) A potluck luncheon followed the service and then a relaxing Open House to greet a few more friends and family members. Family dinner sealed the evening.

Yesterday I said farewell to my grandfather and ran a few more errands - all of my insurance and banking is set up. Hopefully Dad will be able to sell my car soon... I actually ran out of time to deal with it.

Now - the bags are loaded in the van and my heart is extremely peaceful - as I have seen God work everything out in amazing ways. I am a little bit tired, but I have 16 hours on a plane, with only a 2.5 hour layover in Amsterdam. I think I'll buy some yummy cheese to take with me. I am so excited to see my team-mates on the other side of the ocean!! I know that I have been fairly chipper about leaving, but have no fear - I do get choked up every once in a while - for this amazing journey that I am embarking on.

All is well... and this Ride in God's Palm is going to be incredible... I know the days ahead will be incredible, but they will be like a storm of light - that truly displays God's power and majesty. May He receive the glory as I strive to serve Him when I hit African soil.

Writer's Nest Farewell

2011-11-17T04:39:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show you all what a special writer's group I belong to... please click on the attached link:

http://newsofthenest.blogspot.com/2011/11/karen-lubbers-farewell-writers-nest.html

It has been a blessing to join other writers in a monthly event - of themed writing and great fellowship.

Maranatha - Lord Come Quickly

2011-11-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

This evening I attended my final meeting at "The Writer's Nest". Tonight's theme was "Devotional" and I thought I would try write a devotional, which I've never really done before. But here's my piece:

Revelation 22:7-9

“’Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.’ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

While driving in my car the other day, I heard an old Tim McGraw song that says: “I went sky diving. I went rocky mountain climbing. I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu. And I loved deeper. And I spoke sweeter. And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying. And he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.” All those adventures sound like a great way to live.

Some of us may have lower expectations or excitements than what the world thinks is cool – I hope to have the house clean at the end of the day. I want to give my child a hug every day. I want to send a letter to a lonely friend. I want to honestly pray for a friend when that friend has requested prayer. Or I want to watch the sun set and thank God for another day. These are all important ways to live.

Throughout the past 15 years, I often remember back to a college professor who used to end his class with a prayer that finished with the words “Maranatha, Lord come quickly!” I pondered those words and placed them near to my heart. I really do want to have the Lord come back quickly, but I also want to greet each day to the glory of God because I never know when my time on earth is done.

Now as I prepare for the mission field, I am excited that I can continue to worship God by sharing His Good News. Even though I am ready to meet my Saviour today, there are many in this world who are not there yet. It is a challenge to all of us as believers to recognize God’s calling on our lives, to understand the chief calling of man, as defined by the Westminster catechism, which is "to glorify God and to enjoy him forever."

“Father God, may we never forget that you have called us your own. I pray that we can strive to worship You each and every day and to share Your amazing love with those around us. May we understand that our lives are just a twinkle in Your eyes, and that you deserve all the glory! Amen.”

A Moment of Silence

2011-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

The screen was lit up behind me as I stood in the centre of the gymnasium. The room was dark and quiet as close to 500 students at Hamilton District Christian High School listened to me share stories of the LRA war in northern Uganda. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a younger cousin - she was hoping I would come and share at the Remembrance Day assembly and I was completely honoured. The theme of the morning was remembering the veterans of the past, but also to realize the wars that are going on around the world today and how that affects all people. Since HDCHS sponsors former girl soldiers in getting them back into school they wanted to focus on the LRA and that's how I got tied into the assembly. For fifteen minutes I was able to share about the work and ministry going on in northern Uganda right now and I'm grateful to have another school of kids out there praying for me!

As I was racing home - in time for my second last shift at the group home - I was listening to the radio. The bugles blared just seconds before the silence began at 11:11 am. At first I didn't think anything of it, but as the silence continued, the tears started to stream down my face. I'm not sure what choked me up... it might have been remembering that Grandpa once fought in Indonesia for three years to help free Indonesia from the Japanese. It could have been the scenes of corpses that I helped to dig up and collect to help build a mass grave just north of Soroti. But I also think there was a sense of gratefulness for how blessed I am to live in Canada. Freedom to love God, express my opinions, work hard, and so much more.

I pray I never forget how much people have given up to fight for freedom and survival.

Preparing for Departure

2011-11-09T05:17:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers,
I thought it was time to write some more and fill you in on what's happening in my world... the time changed this weekend, but instead of sleeping in, my body has decided to get up between 5:30-6:30 every morning. Actually, it is probably more that my MIND won't stop running. I am trying to get so much done because I am leaving for Uganda in 20 short days. I-Yi-Yi!
Here is a glimpse into my mind:
Already been done:

saw the International doctor and got my immunization shots
got rid of most of my belongings in Canada (besides what I am taking with me - very little will go into storage)
spoke in Acton and Etobicoke churches, for support and encouragement
wired money to pay for my "new" vehicle - a Subaru Forester - in Uganda
called all credit and debit card companies to make sure the dates won't expire or the numbers get blocked while I live in East Africa
talked Home Hardware into giving me a deal on shipping totes and have started to pack three of them for the plane already.
recovered from my tonsillectomy
raised almost all of my needed funding for the long-term mission field.
have written tons of "thank you" cards... I think I am caught up.

What needs to be done:

pick up my malaria pills and other medications from the pharmacy.
confirm my flight details for a departure on Nov. 29th... landing Nov. 30th!!
visit a few friends and family members close to Lake Huron.
speak at Hamilton District Christian High on Friday - a 15 minute Remembrance day speech, focusing on former child soldiers and hope for Uganda. Nov. 11th
work two more shifts at the group home - pray for peace, as I am saying good-bye to four special young adults in my life, and an amazing team of co-workers, after 6.5 years
speak in Williamsburg CRC for support on Sunday, November 13th.
finish knitting one more teddy bear.
write approximate 500 letters to supporters and friends.
still looking for supporters who are willing to sponsor me :) Go to www.iteams.org and I will thank God for you!!
put a stop on my OHIP because I am leaving the country - (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)
get my International Driver's license.
attend my last "Writer's Nest" meeting on Nov. 15th.
do some last minute shopping for: personal hygiene supplies, a digital recorder, a video/camera, sheets, scissors, first aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray, iron tabs, and possibly a laptop... and more.
pack all of my belongings and make sure each piece of luggage is 23 kg.
have a Confirmation Service at my church in Newmarket on Nov. 27th, with a potluck to follow, Open House in the afternoon, and a intimate family dinner with my siblings, niece and nephews, parents, and grandparents.
try to visit people to say good-bye

Well, now you know how to pray and support me in the next 20 days... wow, what a ride!

"Here I am, Lord!"

2011-11-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

Rarely do I drink coffee, but yesterday morning I walked over to the serving window in the kitchen at church and poured myself a cup of java. I strolled over to the small woman's Bible study group and assumed I would just melt into the crowd - But God had other plans. One leader had the flu, another was at physiotherapy, and the only other leader who was present had lost her voice. :) Usually we start the meeting with singing and this morning was no exception - books were handed out and soon "Here I Am Lord" was chosen and I was quickly asked to lead. Sure - no problem. As we were singing the words I started getting choked up.... as I know I have told the Lord that I am willing to GO and now I know for sure HE is sending me. That song brought a few testimonies - of how people were either willing to go or of how some were scared to even sing the chorus because they didn't want to make promises they couldn't keep.

Normally after a time of singing, the large group breaks into smaller groups, and then I noticed that my group didn't have a leader at all. One of the older ladies leaned over and said, "Karen, will you lead the group today - you are always so good at it?" Well, I haven't been leading at all this year - due to a crazy work/fundraising/surgery schedule and I didn't even own a book, but I felt the Spirit prompting me to say YES. So I did!
Upon arrival to the classroom in the basement of the church, I was handed a Study guide on Matthew and together we opened our Bibles to Matthew 4. The next hour turned out to be one of the best discussions ever. We talked about Jesus being led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. Satan tried to tempt Jesus - with food, wealth, and authority, but Jesus was able to remain strong and quoted Scripture. It was noted how important it is to hide God's Word in our hearts. We also chatted about the differences between trials and temptations. Trials are things that happen to you, while temptations are things you have chosen to allow happen. Great explanation!
I also had one of those moments that sometimes baffles me in my faith. I know God allowed Jesus to be tempted - so that we could see how human he was, but that he also came through the temptations without sinning! He remained perfect, to be the Saviour of the world. But why? Why does God even allow Satan to test and tempt others? He had a hay day with Job. He slyly approached Eve to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden. We know that Satan is a created being, a fallen angel, but why does God still allow that evil to exist? God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God flooded the earth during the times of Noah. And yet Satan and his dominions are always there, trying to get us to turn away from the most loving, kind, just, forgiving God there is. Maybe it is to make sure we really CHOOSE life with Christ and PRAISE God in all of His amazing glory.

Week 6. Our Spiritual Future
Day 4: November 3

Read: Ephesians 3:14-19
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Today we pray for:
Growth in our love for each other - and for the weekend of Discovery - with starts this afternoon.

3 More Days = 40 Days for Bethel

2011-11-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Week 6. Our Spiritual Future
Day 3: November 2

Read: Matthew 22:34-40
"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Today we pray:
That Bethel will be bold in showing Christ's love in and for our Community.

Prepping for Remembrance

2011-11-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Friend - this post is short - but I need prayer to write a speech for next week. I have been asked to speak at a high school Remembrance Day assembly - talking about war, former child soldiers, and inspiring these teens to make a difference. I am excited about this new project!!

Week 6. Our Spiritual Future
Day 2: November 1

Read: Revelation 4:9-11
"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'"

Today we pray for:
Bethel CRC to become Passionate about God.

Double Desserts

2011-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's not to often that I go all out and follow my meals with desserts, but today I did.... and not just once.... TWICE!
This morning I gathered with my co-workers for my final team meeting at the group home where I have served for the past 6.5 years. I started choking up as they prayed for me, wished me well, and made the most delicious Good Bye cake ever.... cream cheese, jam, home-made yumminess. (I still have six shifts left, but it was nice to be with the whole gang.)
After purchasing six shipping totes, for packing, from a local hardware store, I drove into Newmarket to have dinner with a good friend from church. After my flavourful Paella, we ordered dessert, but I think we ordered too much. A colossal brownie on top of ice cream and peanut butter cups / skor on frozen yogurt... yum yum. We kept reminding ourselves that I wasn't going to have these treats in a couple of weeks. :) I love getting together with friends and breaking bread together.

Week 6. Our Spiritual Future
Day 3: November 1

Read: Galatians 5:22-26
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Today we pray for:
That Bethel will be a friendly, warm, welcoming, generous and hospitable church in our community.

The End is Near

2011-10-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

"Riding in God's Palm" has been incredible and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Lately I've been in shock at how the Lord is timing everything in my life. Looking back, I can truly see that God is preparing the way for a departure in one month's time. Uganda will be reached by December and I'm BEYOND EXCITED!

Churches are responding to my requests for sponsorship
Friends and family are filling in their support cards as well!!
Surgery happened three weeks after seeing the ENT - and that's pretty rare in Ontario now days. I have a follow-up appointment on November 9th to make sure that all is well in my throat.
Banking has been updated and in International drivers license is ready for purchase.

Last Monday I received an email from a Christian Reformed Church, stating that they wanted to support me, and they were wondering if I had time to come and speak. Well, I only had one Sunday open - and that was yesterday - just 6 days after sharing their desire to support me. Together the worship committee and myself made a plan for me to come and do a ten minute presentation, and the beautiful part was realizing that the whole service was planned to be missions-minded before anyone even knew I was coming.
I drove out to the beautiful church and met an incredible congregation. These people were so friendly, giving, encouraging, and enthusiastic. I felt very welcome and completely valued by a group of strangers. It is my prayer that these strangers will become friends - people with whom I can share my stories, and know that they will pray for me and love me in ways that only God now knows. I will be praying for this church, and for all the churches and individuals who are helping me to get to Uganda.
I have a feeling that a lot of my newsletters, blog posts, and emails lately have been about fundraising and departure details, but I don't know what else to talk about - it is pretty much all consuming. I can't believe I might only be in North America for another 4.5 weeks.... I hope to buy a plane ticket by the end of the week.
"Team Beyond" - my team in Uganda has been chatting with me more lately as well. Houses are being looked into, a Subaru Forester was purchased for my use, a recipe book is being made, ministries are waiting, Christmas plans are in the works, and packing tips are sent via email.
Hopefully I will get everything done that I need to do soon... it's kind of shocking how much stuff needs to be worked out before I go, even though I have been planning this for so long.
AAhhh, I want to keep on Riding with GOD!

Week 6: Our Spiritual Future
Day 1: October 31

Read: Ephesians 5:18-20
"Be very careful, then how you live- not as wise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Today we pray for:
We pray for a Spiritual Renewal by the Holy Spirit in Bethel

Sunday... to be continued

2011-10-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

I should be writing this earlier in the day, because I have so much to say... but you will have to wait until tomorrow to hear about my Sabbath Day.

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 7: October 30

Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-2
"Here is a trustworthy saying" Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach."

Belgic Confession of Faith
Article 30
The Government of the Church

We believe that this true church
out to be governed according to the spiritual order
that our Lord has taught us in his Word.
     There should be ministers or pastors
     to preach the Word of God
and administer the sacraments.
     There should also be elders and deacons,
     along with the pastors,
to make up the council of the church.
By this means
true religion is preserved;
true doctrine is able to take its course;
and evil men are corrected spiritually and held in check,
     so that also the poor
     and all the afflicted
     may be helped and comforted
     according to their need.
By this means
everything will be done well
and in good order
in the church,
     when such persons are elected
     who are faithful
     and are chosen according to the rule
     that Paul gave to Timothy.

Today we pray for:
Bethel's leaders and Council

A FUNdraising Day

2011-10-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

My day was filled with fundraisers today. This morning Mom asked if I would attend the Fall Fair for the Christian school where she is principal and I agreed to go. It was so cool watching a school community pull together to set up booths, sell soups and baked goods, organize a silent auction and try to raise money for that precious place of education. Upon returning back to the house I organized prayer cards and had a photo shoot - so that I would have a profile picture for the churches I will be speaking at - to hang on their bulletin boards. Then this evening it was off to church for a spaghetti dinner, with another silent auction - for a young lady from my church who wants to study in the Dominican Republic for a semester. It is so neat to see God's people pulling together to support worthy causes. And it's even cooler to see how the Lord provides for everyone's needs.

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 6: October 29

Read: Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

Today we pray for:
Our Share and Care Ministry

Inviting you in - to pray!

2011-10-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 5: October 28

Read: Matthew 25:34-49
"The the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "The the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

Today we pray for:
The work of the deacons

Doctor Delight

2011-10-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

It's 1:15 am and I'm trying to wind down from a truly eventful day. Right now my heart rate is starting to go back to normal after an intense, but amazing, Major league Baseball game in which the Cardinals came back with a win!! Wow - on to game 7 tomorrow night to find out who the World Series winner is. So good.
This morning I got up early to meet with a few older ladies from church for a time of fellowship before coming back to Bradford for an appointment with a travel doctor. Doctors are not normally my favourite people, but the doctor this morning moved WAY up in my books. First of all, he was friendly and explained clearly all the immunizations that I needed for going back to Uganda... I was shot with a TB test, typhoid fever, and influenza, also giving Dukoral, Giardia meds, and anti-malarials... (sure wish I had benefits right now)... but besides all that: He CARED. This doctor took the time to ask questions about where I was going. He was intrigued to learn that my team and I were working with former child soldiers in Uganda. He asked who the leader of the LRA was and what were some of the ways we were following up with the soldiers. I explained to him both the community development aspect - goat projects, mass grave, and crop cuttings, as well as the rehab aspect through things like art therapy. I realize that Team Beyond isn't necessarily the supplier / initiator for all of these ministries, but it has been a blessing to walk alongside other agencies who care and strive to make a difference for these young men and women. I was super excited though when the doctor even wanted to hear about how my faith made a difference for some of the oppressed in northern Uganda and that finding forgiveness and freedom in Christ was sometimes the only way for these young people to truly work through the horrifying experiences of war. We have been leading Bible studies and sponsoring the former LRA to attend "Father Heart Encounters" where they can learn about and experience the love of God. The doctor was so excited about the work I will be doing for the next 2.5 years that he called his assistant in to also share the story. When I walked out of the office 45 minutes later, the nurse had my prayer card in her file and I had a huge bill in my hands, but an even bigger smile on my face.
I am super fired up about going to Uganda right now... and so close to my target budget. If I had 50 more friends donating and supporting $20/month, or 20 friends give $50/month I would totally be on my way. Oh oh oh, now my heart is racing again... I am so close to getting on a plane... it may be another sleepless night of excitement.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Amen"

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 4. October 27
Read: John 4:24
"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

Today we pray for:
Worship Planning Team

I Hear an Amen!!

2011-10-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a blast journeying with God these past few weeks. For one, I am grateful for such an smooth recovery from surgery. If someone were to ask me if I would do it again at the age of 35 - yes, I would.
Beyond my health, I have loved seeing the Lord open doors to various churches around Ontario who desire to take me on as one of their missionaries. For the next three Sundays I will be speaking in a few of these churches and hopefully nailing down the last 30% of the support that I need to raise in order to be on the mission field. It is truly my prayer to be on a plane by November 30th to my beloved Uganda, and I am trusting God to continue providing in miraculous ways. He is GOOD!

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 3: October 26

Read: Acts 2:17-18
'In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughter will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants - men and women alike - and they will prophesy."

Today we pray for:
Coffee Break and women's outreach

Devoted Believers

2011-10-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

If you are confused about these Bible and prayer posts... my church is doing a 40 Day Prayer Guide in preparation for a weekend retreat in which we plan to discuss the future of our church. Praying that God's Perfect Plan will be done. Thanks for joining us in prayer. Only two more weeks to go.

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 2: October 25

Read: Acts 2:42-47
"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Today we pray for:
Small groups in Bethel.

Thankful for Monday

2011-10-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

With renewed vigor and health, I headed back to work today. It was great to be in a support worker role again, especially since I was beginning to despise all the time I spent on the couch in the past two weeks, recovering from the tonsillectomy. Today I am grateful for - health, a job, a voice, caring co-workers, beautiful fall weather, and another church just announced they wish to support me annually! WooHoo! God is good.

Week 5. Bethel Ministries
Day 1. October 24

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do no depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take."

Today we pray for:
We pray that through the journey our youth ministries will continue to develop deep relationships that encourages discipleship and spiritual growth - Genesis Club (Sunday school), GEMS, Cadets, Fusion, and High school youth.

Relationship Sunday

2011-10-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Once a month my church decides to have coffee and fellowship before the service and then lunch and small groups after worship time. I enjoy these days. This morning's sermon was about forgiveness - getting ourselves right with God and with eachother. I am forever grateful that the Lord of all creation has forgiven me of all my sins.... through the grace of Christ on the cross. It's not always easy to forgive someone else, but if I try to remember that God gave up His one and only Son, makes it an ounce easier.
Walking out of the sanctuary, I grabbed a number from the tiny woven basket, and found out that my small group was meeting in the library. Divinely, a great small group was put together of four adults and three children/teens. We honestly shared times when we needed to ask for forgiveness, or when we found it hard to forgive and spent time in prayer together.

Today was the perfect way to spend a Sunday... church, a nap, and a fantastic Major League Ball game. A nail-biting, shut-out win for Texas over St. Louis, 4-0. Now it's off to bed!

Week 4. We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 7: October 23

Read: Ephesians 4:11-16
"Now these are the gifts Christ gave the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

Today we pray for:
Unity in Bethel CRC and God's leading.

The Key Factor

2011-10-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I end my day with a migraine, but today that's how I greeted life. With a sharp pounding all around my head, I went upstairs to say good-morning to my parents. They were sitting around the kitchen table, where they informed me that I was sending out horrible emails in the middle of the night.
"What!!??"
Unbeknownst to me, a hacker had gotten into my hotmail account and emailed every one of my contacts. I am so sad and disappointed. Why? Why do people do this? I quickly tried to apologize to everyone, but my daily limit of sending emails had also been maxed out, so I couldn't say that I am extremely sorry for something I didn't do. A huge knot began to settle in my stomach.
As I was checking my emails, I even had one response that said "Karen, what is this? You call this missions?" Well, that just broke my heart. NO!! I would never intentionally send out rude or vulgar emails. I am grateful for the few people who alerted me to this crazy situation, but upset that I couldn't stop it from happening.
This evening I was reading a team-mate's blog post, describing how he lost his van keys while jogging, and it made me think back to when I lost a few important keys in Uganda. Apparently there was a hole in my shorts pocket, and I lost the keys to my gate, house, garage, and post office box. All very important, and I certainly didn't want any stranger to find them and break into my place. I had walked over to a friends house, but while it was visiting it started pouring rain. I ended up coming home in the dark, on the back of a motorcycle, and when I got to the gate, I realized the keys were gone. Well, the knot in my stomach began then also. I had to go and tell my team leader that I had lost some very important keys.
The next morning, I got up early and tried to re-walk the path I had taken the evening before, in order to try and find those keys. On my way back to the house, a neighbour spotted me on the road. Denis said to me, "Karen, why such a long face?" I told him that I was trying to find my lost keys. He responded with "well, I have been without work for a year and a half and I don't look like I'm about to kill myself!" And then it hit me... they are just keys. Of course, they can be replaced, especially since they all belong to padlocks.
I need to apply that same instant peace to today's situation. It will all be remedied or forgiven (I hope). The scenario is out of my hands and I will just have to release the knot and go on with life.

Psalm 34:19
19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
Psalm 42:5-6
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God.
Psalm 9:9
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Week 4. We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 6: October 22

Read: Jeremiah 32:38-40
"They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me."

Today we pray for:
A God inspired VISION for the future!

Prayer Time

2011-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Week 4. We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 5: October 21

Read: Ephesians 1:3-5
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure."

Today we pray for:
All generations in Bethel to come and work together as the family of God.

A Get Well Gift

2011-10-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

I got a precious package in the mail today... perfect for my sore throat. :) It's just too bad it took two weeks to get here.

A "waffle story" is mentioned in the card.... well, for my 27th birthday some dear friends surprised me on my special day. At the time, I was leading a short-term missions team of college students. They were combining basketball with evangelism ministries for 7 weeks that summer. I was living in the Philippines then, and my bedroom was up in a third floor loft, with rats roaming under the nepa hut rafters. At 7 am, I heard singing voices making their way up my circular staircase and soon saw 12 or so heads pop up into my room. They were singing "Happy Birthday" and each person was holding a home-made birthday card for me. So precious. Psalm 27 was read. And a breakfast tray with my favourite foods was handed over.... fresh mango and banana, waffles, and raspberry tea.

Well, two years later, when I was back home in Canada, a package came in the mail for me from California. One of my hilariously funny team-mates wanted to make sure I was still getting waffles for my birthday breakfast, so he wrapped an ego waffle in some tinfoil and stuck it in a card. By the time I opened it, it was moldy!! But man, did I have a good chuckle in my apartment that morning. I'm surprised the border patrol let that envelope cross. :)

Week 4: We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 4: October 20

Read: Romans 10:17 again
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

Today we pray for:
the Coach who is being sent to us from Home Missions for the weekend.

40 Days of Prayer Continued

2011-10-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Week 4. We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 3: October 19

Read: Romans 10:17
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

Today we pray for:
God to prepare our hearts to hear His voice during the weekend.

Christmas Among the Costumes

2011-10-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Mad Hatter hats, colourful wigs, sparkly dresses, and spooky masks adorn the aisles of the second-hand store... my stationary section has been rearranged so it took me a while to find the Christmas and birthday cards I was searching for. Slightly ahead of the season, I know, but it takes me a while to get over 300 cards ready to go for the end of the year. I wiped myself out though trying to peruse through a few stores. I can't believe how much energy this tonsillectomy has taken away from me.

Tonight I started compiling my lists for Canadian, US, and International mailings and smiled as I remembered about how rare it is for me to actually create lists. Then I started thinking that maybe I should start making a list about all that needs to be done in the next month and a half before I hope to move to Uganda.... here is a rough sketch of what crossed my mind:

raise the other 30% needed to live and serve in Uganda
spend time with my niece and nephews
speak at Rehoboth Fellowship CRC in Bowmanville on November 6th
finish my role as support worker on November 12th
speak at Williamsburg CRC on November 13th
visit old friends and family from the area where I grew up
take a road trip to Grand Rapids, MI to catch up with college mates
and maybe take in American Thanksgiving in St. Louis, MO
decide whether to have a good-bye party, or a Coffee House fundraiser, or both
have a commissioning service with my sending church - Bethel CRC
pack my bags or bins, after doing some last minute shopping for necessities and wants
write 300+ Christmas cards
follow-up with my surgeon
and so much more :)

Week 4. We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 2: October 18

Read: Hebrews 10:25
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Today we pray for:
The attendance during the Discovery weekend.

A Good Day

2011-10-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day for me, although I still have no energy. I have minimal pain, and both speech and appetite are almost back to normal. I'm so grateful. The best part of my day though was receiving word about another monthly donor and another supporting church. I am now at 70% of full, on-going support and I'm jumping for joy. God is providing in the coolest ways! I love HIM so much.

Week 4: We Pray for the Discovery Weekend
Day 1: October 17

Read: Ephesians 4:11-16
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

Today we pray for:
God's leading through the Discovery Weekend on November 4 and 5.... a weekend to discuss and plan the next 5 year goals for the church.

Give Good Gifts

2011-10-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

"How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?" - Matt 7:9... those words really stuck out at me during this morning's sermon. God provides for all of our needs, just as Jesus taught us to pray.... "Give us this day our daily bread." We have the privilege of going to God and just asking! He cares for our needs, and we should be willing to hand over both our work and worries.
What are the conditions of asking:
1. God wants to be first in my life.
2. He wants to be in control of my life.
3. I have to trust in God's timing - in requires me to sometimes wait, and to have faith!
I'm so glad that the Lord used my Pastor this morning to encourage me in trusting God for my needs for the mission field. I'm continuing to ask Him to provide each step of the way.

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 7: October 16

Read: Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Today we pray for:
Trusting God for the future of Bethel

Faithfulness in Hidden Places

2011-10-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Tucking a pillow under my arm, I walked out of the house for the second time in 8 days. I was off to my nephew's third birthday party this morning. It's not easy to watch silently in the corner as the kids play, and I was definitely jealous as my family chowed down on the wonderful spread that my brother laid out. For the first time ever I tried an Eggs Benedict and it's pretty yummy though. Yes, I'm starting to eat and talk more since my tonsillectomy, but I still have bouts with pain, nausea, and extreme fatigue. It's strange how much quieter my world is when I can't physically add to the conversations around me, but it does give me more time ponder an even greater list of thankfulness to a faithful God.
1. My family - for being so fun, and loving, and striving to see the children raised in the name of the Lord.
2. For a local church who just called to offer me a one-time gift for missions. Wow! Praise God.
3. For another church calling to see if I could come and speak on November 12th... They are taking me on as one of their on-going missionaries and I am so excited to share God's story in Uganda with them.
4. For friends who call, email, or send cards to check up on me during this time of recovery.
5. I even thank God for Internet - it makes a lot of my communication from the couch possible.

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 6: October 15

Read: 1 Peter 2:5
"You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Today we pray for:
For our Church Family in Bethel

Keep on praying - only week 3

2011-10-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 5: October 14

Read: Acts 14:23
"Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."
1 Timothy 3:8
"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain."

Today we pray for:
Many members of Bethel who served in Council over the past 56 years.

Finding Forgiveness in a Faithful God

2011-10-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Bitter Root - Witness - Al Jazeera English

A dear friend of mine sent me this video of former LRA soldiers, to watch during my recovery time. It broke my heart. I was proud of a tribe coming together and trying to find forgiveness, but I honestly believe that true forgiveness is found in Christ alone and not in a tribal sacrifice. Feel free to watch for yourselves.

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness

Day 4: October 13

Read: Romans 10:14-15
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Today we pray for:
All the pastors who served in Bethel the first 56 years... including my father, who served as a youth pastor from 1998 to 2007.

God's Faithfulness Continues

2011-10-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

God is faithful all the time! Every day I am feeling a little bit stronger and I'm trying to push myself further. A walk to the mailbox was all I could handle today though - so we are definitely talking baby steps in recovering from a tonsillectomy.
The great thing about technology means that life can still happen while I rest on the couch. Today I gained a few more prayer and financial partners. I'm now at 65% full-support and I'm really feeling like a late November departure is truly going to happen!! My team leader, Tim, called me from Kampala today. He has been vehicle shopping and today I believe he bought me a vehicle.... so that's exciting. The house that I wanted in Soroti isn't working out, but that's because there is possibly an even better house available - that is cheaper and fully furnished. I'm beyond grateful for Team Beyond, in Soroti, who is doing a lot of preparation work for me to arrive and feel at home.

How are you experiencing God's faithfulness?

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 3:October 12

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body -- whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free -- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."

Today we pray for:
All the volunteers who served faithfully at Bethel over the years.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Canadian Thanksgiving has passed by already, but I am grateful that I could be home to celebrate one more time with my wonderful family. I didn't eat much - just a few mashed potatoes, squash, and deviled eggs, but it was a blessing for me to just be in the room with my family. From my perspective on the couch, at my brother's house, I watched the children play, and the family interact. My grandfather and my Dad's youngest brother also shared the yummy meal with us. God is so good! I know I probably pushed myself too much by going, but by taking a pillow with me in the car and resting on the sofa, it was completely manageable. Recovering from a tonsillectomy is a long process, but I think I am doing better than I expected. Even though it hurts a lot.

Week 3. We Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 2: October 11

Read: Matthew6:33
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Today we pray for:
Thanking God for all his provisions over 56 years.

God's Faithfulness

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today's prayer point shares verses from my favourite Psalm.

Week 3. Thank God for His Faithfulness
Day 1: October 10

Read: Psalm 103:1-5
"Praise the Lord, o my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, o my soul;
and forget not all his benefits --
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your mouth is renewed like the eagle's.

Today we pray for:
Thanking God for 56 years of His Faithfulness in Bethel CRC.

A Day of Rest

2011-10-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad the doctors warned me that days 3,4, and 5 would be worse than days 1 and 2 after the surgery. My tongue is definitely sore and earaches are starting to appear. Neck aches and difficulty swallowing are also a part of my day... so what do I do.... Spend time on the couch, try not to talk, drink lots, read, write, and watch more tv than I should. But you know what... I'm doing alright. I actually feel pretty good and I'm glad I went through this process.

Week 2: Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 7: October 9

Read: Ephesians 4:1-5
"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Today we pray for:
Spiritual Growth during the Journey

Keep on Praying for my Church

2011-10-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Week 2. Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 6: October 8

Read: Ephesians 4:11-13
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of serve, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

Today we pray for:
The church's leadership: Pastors and council

Post-Op

2011-10-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Slouching on the couch, at the end of a long day, I thought I should give you an update of my surgery. Arriving at the hospital at 7:15 am, I checked in for surgery and waited with Dad in the sitting room. The doctor, nurse, and anesthesiologist all came to talk to me, to tell me what to expect. The surgery would be 15 minutes long. The first two days should be bearable for pain management, but days 4,5, and 6 will be worse. I would be in the post-op waiting room for six hours just to make sure that my cauterized throat won't hemorrhage. Great... lots to look forward to.

I remember the nurse having difficulty finding a vein for the IV on my left hand, and after two bruising attempts, she moved to the right hand where the needle slipped right in. An oxygen mask was slipped over my face, and before I knew it, I was waking up in the recovery room. I felt pretty good - like I just woke up from a refreshing nap. Within a half hour I was moved to another post-op room where I spent the next six hours reading, watching people, and DRINKING an unbelievable amount of liquids.

The pain didn't start until about 2:30 in the afternoon. My tongue feels swollen and that the muscles have all been pulled. My jaw hurts like it's been yanked wide open. I took skin off my lip with a frosty popsicle, and then there is the fact that I am now missing two tonsils. I was discharged at 3 pm, where Dad wheeled me out to the van and drove me home. I haven't felt nauseous all day - just tired, so I went home to take a nap. I have spent the remainder of my day, taking in liquids, struggling to talk, watching tv, and napping. I hope tomorrow I can eat something more than a popsicle and ice water.

Week 2. Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 5: October 7

Read: Romans 12:20-21
"On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Today we pray for:
Our church mentor/coach

Courageous

2011-10-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

'Tis the night before my surgery and I think I'm doing alright. I feel good, I just hope the doctors tomorrow say I'm good enough to have the operation. I appreciated my day off and took a friend out to see the movie "Courageous". It was an amazing testimony of integrity, accountability, and men of faith. It was absolutely powerful in describing God's grace and goodness. I pray that I will be able to take one ounce of courage with me into the operating room tomorrow and be a witness of God's peace.

Week 2. Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 4: October 6

Read: Romans 12:19
"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord."

Today we pray for:
The workshop leaders who will be speaking during our Discover the Journey weekend at the beginning of November.
Also, pray for me - that my body will be well, and my spirit peaceful.

2011-10-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those days where you are snappy, impatient, quick to speak, and fast to poke jokes? Have you ever been attacked and just want to bite back? I know that I have, but it's not good. I desire to be more relaxed... able to forgive, love, and live peacefully.

Tonight I am grateful for a team of co-workers who are giving me some much needed time off to go into surgery. Delightfully, the team collected together and covered my last shift so that I could have an evening to relax before going having a tonsilectomy on Friday morning. I know that in the next few weeks I will have plenty of time to lay around and pray for people - and I'm for sure going to pray for relationships both at work and at church - that God's peace will reign. That's what I feel today's prayer point is about.

Week 2. Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 3: October 5

Read: Romans 16-18
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Today we pray for:
Our relationships to grow as we discern God's will together.

Live in Harmony

2011-10-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with a very sore throat and the beginnings of a cold. I was off to the doctors clinic right away to get antibiotics so that I could nip this setback in the butt, because I am having my tonsils removed on Friday and I need to be healthy. Whenever I am not feeling well, I still like being around people. I'm a bit of a social butterfly - so I didn't cancel my afternoon plans of tea with a friend. We sat in the back yard of her beautiful home and soaked in some rare fall sunshine.
I was starting to feel worse, but felt that I could handle a movie out with another friend. We went to see "Dolphin Tale" and I'm glad that I made it, but by the time I got home I was ready for bed.
The great thing about these friends is that we love God and eachother. Unity and love are so important, and I know it is not always easy to maintain. Please ponder the following verses for the day.

Week 2: Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 2: October 4

Read: Romans 14-16
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."

Today we pray:
That God will bless us with Unity and Love for eachother.

I Wouldn't Go Without It...

2011-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Continuing through the 40 days of prayer journal that my church is using, I read that:

Today we pray for:
God's leading and blessing on our journey.

It is not only my prayer for Bethel, but also for my life, that I go with God's leading and blessing.

Week 2. Bethel's Journey of Discovery
Day 1: October 3

Read: Romans 12:11-13
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Barn Dancing

2011-10-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Cowboy hats and blue jeans were adorning the folks at a country barn dance I attended last night. Country music is not really something I care for, but hanging out with friends and meeting new people in my community always is! An 80 year old barn, in perfect condition, was decorated with Christmas lights and bales of hay were set out for seating. An unexpected surprise was watching this handsome young man stroll across the dance floor and come up to me with a question in his eyes. :) No, he didn't ask me for a dance... he wanted to know if I was Karen. When I looked closer at him, I recognized one of my baby brother's friends from elementary school. Who knew our paths would ever cross at a barn in the country. Fun times.

This morning at church our Pastor preached from Romans 12 and 13. I don't know if he is preaching according to the 40 day prayer schedule but the sermon definitely fit in with the reading for today. We must love others, and in lieu of this week's upcoming provincial election we must respect and honour our government leaders.

Week 1. We Pray for our Community
Day 7: October 2

Read: Romans 12:9
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Today we pray for:
Bethel's future involvement in our community. There are so many ways to be involved - pray for the businesses that surround the church. Visit our neighbours. Bring your kids to the mall to play and chat with the parents / caregivers who are there. Show patience in long line-ups at the grocery store. Donate food to the food bank. Write a letter to the lonely, and so much more.

Habitats

2011-10-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying "living" with my parents, but today is one of those days I am grateful for all the habitats I've had in the past. The old farm house in Whitechurch was a fantastic home for the first 23 years of my life. College dorms were a brand new adventure for me - lack of sleep, constant attention, sharing living spaces - which I never had to do before as I had three younger brothers.

Then it was off to the Netherlands for a year where I had a cool studio apartment above a two car garage. It was the first place that I called mine. In the Philippines I moved in to a neighbourhood with the greatest neighbourhood watch program anyone could wish for. The whole street knew whenever I was coming or going. :) In the Philippines I started living with people from other cultures and absolutely loved it. I miss dinners around the round table with my roomie, Ching, or the square table with my sister Merly.

When I was little, I used to dream about a home I would own someday. I always wanted a renovated one room school house - with the open loft concept and a round metal staircase. I was absolutely pumped when I moved to Tacloban, Philippines and found that God has granted my wish - on the mission field!! I had a round metal stair case and the open concept loft upstairs on third floor was my bedroom. Never mind the fact that rats haunted the rafters and a cat was forced to sleep with me. :)

I will never forget my SWEET apartment in Schomberg. I decorated the place with articles from around the world. My landlords were a huge blessing and it was uber close to work. The best part of the apartment was, well, three parts - the huge kitchen - so I could host dinner parts, lots of light from the open window and walk-out glass doors, and my favourite - a gas fire place, so I could stay warm!

In Kalacha, Kenya I spent a few weeks living in a mud house with dirt floors and scorpions. Then moved over to Soroti, Uganda, where I was the host of Team Beyond's guest house. Most of the time I had the house alone, but occasionally all 12 beds were full and I was a busy hostess.

You know, at the moment I am in a little room in the basement. I was chatting with a friend on Skype the other night who actually thought I was sleeping in a closet. :) It's definitely not big, but it's home for now.

I'm praying about my new home... The house I really want in Soroti, Uganda is having the rent increased. The landlady is really hard to connect with from this side of the ocean, but I'm continuing to communicate with her and bartering on the house price.

Above all though - I am glad I have a home.... and today I'm praying for those that don't - see below!

Week 1. We Pray for our Community
Day 6:October 1

Read: Romans 12:6-8
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is encouraging, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

Today we pray for:
Habitat for Humanity - a non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

The Prayer Journey - day 5

2011-09-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Week 1. We Pray for our Community
Day 5: September 30

Read: Romans 12:6
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;"

Today we pray for:
Newmarket Ministerial - is an ecumenical association for fellowship, communication and support for community pastors and church leaders. They also organize things like community prayer walks and joint church services.

And speaking of gifts... I am continuing to be thankful for those who have the gift of praying - as I know people are praying for me. I'm grateful for those who have the gift of encouragement - speaking words of affirmation into my life. I'm blessed by those who have the gift of giving - as the money is still coming in for Uganda. And I'm praying for the gift of steadiness and wisdom for the doctors as they remove my tonsils in one week's time.

Sunrise/Sunset

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Sunrise off of the back deck

Sunset just down the road

Week 1: We Pray for our Community
Day 4: September 29

Read: Romans 12:4, 5
"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

Today we pray for:
Inn from the Cold - is a non-profit organization manned by trained volunteers, providing emergency food, clothing and shelter to the homeless.

There are homeless and needy people all over the world. We must learn to care for all people..

Pics and Prayer

2011-09-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Freedom from the braids after three weeks.

The Marine Railway in Port Severn.

The Railway takes boats from one lake to another over land.

Celebrating the fall colours.

Rain didn't stop a car ride north to check out the fall colours. Fall is such a beautiful season, but summer will forever be my favourite. Port Severn is a gorgeous cottage town, in the middle of the Georgian Bay lake and river system. Dad and I went to explore a marine railway while Mom attended a meeting in a nearby community centre. The engineering on the railway is incredible... the boats don't tip at all coming out of the water and over land... two tracks and an incredible pully system.

Week 1. We Pray for our Community
Day 3: September 28

Read: Romans 12:3

"For by grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

Today we pray for:
Newmarket Food Bank - food banks every where are in need of food, as they help feed needy families in our local neighbourhoods. It's always shocking the number of people who actually come to the food bank for supplies.

Day 2 - 40 Days of Prayer

2011-09-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Week 1 - We Pray for our Community
Day 2: September 27

Read: Romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Today we pray for:

1. NeighbourLink - is a cross-denominational, charitable organization supported by local churches. Through NeighbourLink these local churches develop a centralized database and telephone resource center to assess peoples' needs, referring them to church volunteers and social service providers.
NeighbourLink is meeting real needs in the lives of real people, such as arranging transportation for doctors' appointment, assisting elderly or disabled with grocery shopping, friendly visiting, or assisting needy families with access to a food local bank.

In 2006-2008 I volunteered for this wonderful agency and for a year I was the Network Coordinator. It is such a valuable resource in the community and it opened my eyes to the world all around me in suburbia.

2. I am also asking that you pray for a community of churches across Ontario, as their deacons and councils are making decisions as to whether or not to support me on the mission field. I have been communicating with a lot of churches and am praying that the requests become a reality. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

40 Days of Prayer

2011-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

My church is going through 40 days of prayer, and I want to spend the next 40 days inviting you on this journey with us. I am going to be quoting the little booklet that was handed out at our church. So let the journey begin:

Dear Friends,
We are inviting you to pray with us for the following 40 days. We believe that prayer is the most important part of thanksgiving. The Heidelberg Catechism asks the question why we should pray in Question 16, the answer is clear:

A: "Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us"

The answer goes further"

"And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them."

Let us use these 40 days to diligently pray for God's leading during this time of discernment. We all want the best for Bethel because we all love and care for this church. Many of you has a lifetime invested in Bethel. Pray with us for Bethel's future.
But it is important that we pray with the right attitude and purpose:

The core purpose of our journey of discovery and this 40 days of prayer is for each of us to get into a closer walk with God; by dealing with our own brokenness through confessing our sinful nature. Prayer is to bend the knee and sincerely submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is a time to allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our lives of what grieves Him and to let the light of God shine in every area of our lives.

These 40 days are most valuable for us as a congregation and every individual to truly deepen our walk with God.

Week 1: We Pray for our Community
Day 1: Monday, September 26

Read Romans 12:1
A Living Sacrifice
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.

Today we pray for:
Bethel's Share and Care Ministry. We have a clothing centre in our church - where people can come for free to pick up clothing for the various seasons. All clothing is donated to the church!

Green Mailboxes

2011-09-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

It was a blessing to be at Bethel CRC on Sunday morning. We are celebrating 56 years of existance and we had an awesome service of worship and digging into God's Word. After the service we had a barbeque and chatted with not only fellow church members, but also with guests. Christian Reformed Home Missions sent us a wonderful lady, Hilda, who is the Ministry Developer for Evangelism and Prayer - to lead us in a time of prayer walking in the community around Bethel and Newmarket. (Hilda happens to be a person from my past that I used to babysit for, so it was cool to see her again.)

With burgers and hotdogs settling into the depths of our stomachs, a group of us settled into chairs that were dispersed around the fellowship hall. Hilda led us in a workshop about Prayer Walking - being intentional to pray for people, businesses, sights, and needs around our church and then we were sent out into the community to pray.

I went out with two friends. Praying aloud, we walked passed businesses and meandered the sidewalks for a short while. An unexpected prayer came about when I spotted a set of three older green mailboxes. More than half of the doors were hanging open, and I felt the Spirit leading me to pray for the shut-ins and the lonely. Most of the world stays connected through the internet now days, but I know there are still some older generations who would appreciated snail mail, a phonecall, and a visit. I prayed that God would bring a friend to the shut-ins and open my eyes to the lonely.

I know that we were stretched as a church yesterday morning, but I'm grateful. I must admit that my prayer life goes through stages of weak and strong, and it's always good to be reminded of different ways to pray. We can pray anywhere and for anything - if you are out walking the dog - pray for your neighbours. Riding the bus - pray for the drivers. I remember when I used to ride the jeepneys in the Philippines, most Filipinos would make the sign of the cross whenever we passed by a church. Even if it was a ritual for many of the Filipinos, it often reminded me to pray for the city that I was traveling in.

Steve Hawthorne says that "Prayer-walking is praying on site with insight." I hope that your eyes have been opened just a little bit to pray everywhere that you are. Pray without ceasing.

Never Stop Learning

2011-09-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today I am trying to learn something new!! This is one of my finished projects and I didn't use the old fashioned scizzors and glue!!

Poetry Readings

2011-09-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

Curling up on the cushy couch, I opened my ears to hear the poetry pieces that my friends from the Writer's Nest brought to share. It has been a long time since I've written poetry, but I found an old journal from college days that had a few hidden treasures. I'd like to share a few pieces with you.

... written Sunday, November 8, 1998:
It's alright to be a goose.
For then you are a part of a community.
You are never alone.
The leader is strong and breaks the wind.
Others follow behind within the current.
The followers "honk" to encourage the leaders.
How can I HONK?
When one bird gets weak or shot
Two swoop down til one recovers or dies.
Sometimes leaders switch and go to the back.
What can I learn from a goose?

... October 2, 1998
The world in a box,
A preacher once sang to me.
Every person in a box,
Far as the eye could see.
I don't want to be a shape
As all who are the same.
I want to be outstanding
To show my faith no shame.
Red, brown, yellow, black, and white,
Following Jesus is my plight.
I want to be a history maker,
So Lord, please, make me a world shaker!

A Blessing at Tanglewood

2011-09-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago today, my parents and I decided to spend the afternoon listening to the Boston Symphony. One of the hottest summer attractions in the Berkshires is a trip to Tanglewood, so I had secretly hoped it would be possible to go to this musical program.

"The Shed" at Tanglewood hosts over 1200 seats in under a covered roof, but there is also plenty of room on the grass for lawn chairs and picnic blankets. We didn't buy tickets in advance because we originally thought we would buy the cheapest tickets and sit out on the lawn. Rain dampened our plans though - we had no idea if tickets were even available or affordable for in the shed.

Pulling in to the busy parking lot, we spotted many people with umbrellas and lawn chairs. We were totally unprepared, but started walking towards the ticket booth anyways. Cars continued to fill the lot behind us, when all of a sudden a lady appeared in front of us. She quickly asked if we had tickets yet, because a family emergency just came up and she had to go. She had three tickets and she wanted to give them to us. "They are probably better seats than the ones you have... I was just going to drop them off at the box office. She said. Well, we didn't have tickets yet. She handed me three ticket and I choked when I saw the price. Sheepishly I asked, "Would you like anything for these tickets?"

"No, just enjoy the show!" And off she ran. Mom and Dad were chatting quickly about how we should run back and at least give her twenty bucks. I said, "No, that would be insulting, because she just gave us $91 tickets!!" Wow - three tickets for $91 each.

Dad's response: "God loves me!!... But we must remember to pray for the family emergency."

We found ourselves front and centre at the shed. Just a few rows off from the stage and it was perfect.

For almost an hour we watched musicians set up their instruments and tune with each other before the show even began. A completely different culture, and I now have a new appreciation for the orchestra.

The all Mozart program was phenomenal. The musicians played with such intensity and passion. The piano player danced his fingers over the keys and followed the conductor with immense devotion and animation.

Here's the proof... I'm holding one of the ticket blessings.

The Best of the Berkshires

2011-09-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of going back to the Beautiful Berkshires, and this time I went with my parents.

Dad, Mom, and I at a natural Marble Quarry.

There is something magical about old covered bridges.

One day was spent at the famous Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York State.

African art at The Clark gallery - made out of liquor lids. Very impressive, yet sad as the story talked about how Europeans brought alcohol to Africa to trade with, addictions happened, slavery began, alcohol went full circle as slaves came to America and were forced to grow that crops that brewed the alcohol... alcohol was shipped to Europe, and Europeans took it back to Africa.

This is the cute little cottage that we stayed in... perfect for the three of us. If you ever need a place to stay in the Berkshires... check out this location.

The cottage is on the property of a family trying to rebuild an old farm. This used to be one of the largest chicken barns in the State of Massechusetts. We had a blast touring the farm and getting to the know the family a whole lot better. I met one of the brothers at the tiny church I attended in June with the Galavanting Gals.

On Dad's birthday we drove back into New York to explore an Old Stone Fort Museum, but found that we still had a few hours to occupy in the afternoon, so we went to the humorous Secret Caverns. Deep in the cave there was a 100 ft waterfall... the sound was amazing - in the bowels of the earth.

Herman Melville was the author of "Moby Dick"... and we were able to tour his homestead.

The Berkshires is loaded with white steepled churches.

All week long we could feel the effects of Hurricane Irene in the air... the colours were amazing!

Back to the top of Mt. Greylock - the highest peak in all of Massechusetts.

Dad and I climbed up one steep rockface while Mom worried from the ground below.

Another evening brought us to Monument Mountain - for an incredibly scenic view.

On top of the world!

Missionary Kids on my team

2011-08-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

I want to share this video with you. In 2009 I taught Lydia while in Soroti, Uganda, and I can't wait to join them in living and serving in Soroti once again.

A Brother's Anger

2011-08-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Never wanting to show up at the Writer's Nest empty handed, I wrote a scene of a play this afternoon to meet the theme for the evening's gathering. I want to share my scene with you.

Scene:

A rich man’s courtyard – with marble statues, fountains, carved columns, and packed dirt

Character:

A middle aged man – who is the son of the rich man

The Script:

(Man is pacing the yard, with anger burning in his eyes, he kicks the dirt.)

Unbelievable! I can’t believe my father just said those words to me. “My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

He is no brother of mine. He is dead to me. Years ago he wished my father dead by asking for his inheritance and I cannot forgive him. How dare he come back to the old homestead! I’ve heard the rumours of his running around with woman, living as a drunkard and a party animal... and now, I can’t believe it, but the music in the air is proof enough... he’s still loving the parties.

I heard the instruments playing as I was coming in from a long day in the fields. Curiosity caught my attention until one of the servants ran out to tell me that “my brother” (using quotations) has come home. Home, this isn’t his home. And yet, my father still thinks that it is. Night after night, year after year, Dad stood on the balcony and watched the horizon, hoping that “my brother” would come home.

The word around the house tonight is that the old man ran out to meet the long lost rebel. Not only did he greet him with open arms, but yelled in delight for the servants to bring the best robe and put it on his son. They put sandals on his feet, which they shouldn’t have because he is worse than a slave in my opinion. And a ring on his finger! Are you kidding me? He has absolutely no authority in this neck of the woods. I’m the oldest. He owns nothing. Has nothing. Deserves nothing. (Mutters) Deserves NOTHING!

For years I have been watching my father raise one fatted calf after another, like he was always ready to celebrate something grand. I could never believe that he didn’t appear hurt or confused. I am! I’m bitter, angry, jealous, disappointed. In some ways, I feel forgotten. For many seasons now I have worked my fingers to the bone on this property. I’ve helped my father with every task in the fields and I’ve watched over the animals as their numbers increased. But no fattened calf was ever killed for me.

Can’t you smell it? That beast is tenderly being barbequed over the open spit, moments away from being devoured by the guests who have arrived to help my father celebrate the reunion. Why am I so undervalued? Why can’t my father recognize all that I have done for him?

I’m so much better than my brother. I had and still have NO plans of ever leaving my father. My younger sibling thought it would be fun to grab his inheritance and strike out on his own. It was like he never even needed us. It was insulting and I must admit, I’m greatly injured.

I just want to butt my head against these here pillars out of sheer frustration.

(Slows his pacing, and breathes deeply. Much calmer in demeanour as he begins again.)

I can’t shake the thoughts of seeing my father on the balcony. Why? Year after year he waited. Silently hoping for the family to be re-united. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day. I thought the rebel would surely die before he came home, and yet, he’s here. Alive. The servants seem to think he has a repentant look upon his face. They say he’s having a hard time looking my father in the eyes, and he’s wearing the robe, sandals, and ring with great discomfort.

I’ve always respected my father. How long can I stomp out here in anger? My father is still, well, my father. And technically this brother is still my sibling. I should care. I want to care. I want to love and forgive like my father. I have missed the little punk who used to copy my every word and movement.

(Pausing) Papa is right. Everything in that house is mine because it belongs to my father. All he has is mine. And that means my brother is mine as well. Mine to cherish. Mine to forgive.

(Sitting on a stone bench)

I’m just not ready. I need some time before I can walk into the house and put a true smile on my face. As long as my father continues to model unearned and undeserved grace, I shall soon recover, learn my lesson, and give that lost brother of mine... a hug.

The Key Factor

2011-08-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

For a few hours, I had been working inside the group home, when one of my co-workers came and asked me for the car keys. I was slightly curious why she was asking me, because I didn't have them. Weren't they in their normal place? Nope.

The panic started to rise amongst the staff in the house. We checked pockets and searched drawers. The car was searched, the garage was inspected and trash bags reopened. No one was able to find them and staff began to worry. Peacefully I remained calm. After searching for an hour and a half I relaxed on the couch to pray. The only thing I could hear was: "Go back to the garage." Three times I went to the garage. I searched the car again, and looked over the stock shelves. Again, the voice kept saying: "Stay in the garage."

Moments after two staff left I found the keys in the bottom of a big trash bin. I had a brief flashback of me throwing a drinking box in the garbage after exiting in the car, and there's a pretty good possibility I threw the keys in the garbage at the same time.

But I'm just glad that God answers prayer in such clear ways! It was fun calling the other staff and informing them of my great find! Peace reigns once again.

A Dry Season

2011-08-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

To be honest, fundraising has been very tough this summer. I don't know if it's the world economy, or vacation time, or the fact that church committees haven't been meeting for a few months, but the support raising for Uganda has sort of come to a stand still. I've been meeting with people, writing letters, making phone calls, and then.... no increase. God truly is teaching me trust and patience.

Refreshingly I felt God's hand of guidance this morning. I went to church, to be with God and His people, and was blessed during coffee time in the fellowship hall. One older gentleman passed me a humble cheque of support and one young lady spent a long time chatting with me about following God's leading. When I went to bring my coffee cup to the kitchen, a sweet lady said that her and her husband were going through their budget to see how much they could support me on a monthly basis and they would let me know soon. From the kitchen, I walked over to the mailboxes and grabbed a few papers from my box when another lady walked over and said that she wants to support me on a regular basis. I was able to hand over the information for International Teams so she could begin the Automatic Bank Withdrawal. This lady hasn't stopped thinking about the stories that my team leaders, the Sliedrechts, shared while they were at Bethel and she believes in the work we are doing in Uganda. From the mailboxes, I started heading towards the door when another old lady mentioned that she was going to write a cheque and give it to me next week. The tears started to collect in the corners of my eyes as I once again caught up the young lady I was chatting with earlier. She shared in my joy with a hug and a few tears of her own before we went our separate ways for lunch. I drove home praising God in an extra special way!

Tomato Wars

2011-08-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

After a long ten hour shift I was so glad when my dear friend offered to make me dinner. Within 20 minutes of leaving work I was sitting down to a delicious dinner of chili and great conversation. Spontaneously deciding that Kawartha ice-cream would be the ultimate finish to dinner, we drove back in to Schomberg and found the tiny little ice-cream parlor tucked in between Subway and the local gas pumps. Chocolate chip cookie dough overflowed from the waffle cone as I sat down at the picnic table to enjoy the fellowship and the outdoor music. With full bellies, we needed a little exercise, so we drove over to my house and played badminton in the back yard.

Back and forth the birdies flew for about a half an hour, while the sweat began to gather on our bodies. Getting a bit carried away, four of the birdies joined the realms of my neighbour's yard. When the fourth birdie flew the coop we had to stop the plays and wait for the neighbour to fly those birdies back over the fence. My silly friend decided to shoot birdies back at the neighbour before he was finished sending all four back to us and before I knew it, an all out pelting war began. First with birdies and then the cherry tomatoes. The neighbour stood from his upper deck while we batted the tomatoes back with our badminton rackets. Tomato juice squirted every where and laughed rang through the backyards.
Just a simple fun night in the midst of my life that's been put on pause.

An Ordinary Believer

2011-08-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

The Alliston Potato Festival was the perfect reason for all the community churches to join together for a mass service at the local soccer area. While Mom and Dad taught Sunday school, I stayed in the service and listened to an older man share his amazing testimony. I want to share Rev. Brian Steed's story with you.

Brian walked on stage in a short sleeved white button up shirt. It was obvious to the audience that he only had a stump in the place of his right arm. He was adament that he is not a hero, but a simple man who took his faith with him. There is a God who loves us, we just need to call on Him.

Brian was a missionary bush pilot in Northern Ontario during his twenties. When he was 28 he went from flying the church owned plane to flying a fixed wing airplane called the Beaver. In October of 1968 he had just dropped off a plane load of supplies at a northern mining camp before flying over to a remote lake to spot areas for possible future drop-offs. Landing on the lake, he opened the door of the Beaver to view the shoreline. Wind came up and blew off his pilot's hat into the water. Brian quickly made a plan to taxi the plane in a circle, so that the pontoon would come close to the hat... he was just going to scoop it up.

Steering the rudders with his hands while standing on the pontoon, he got closer to the hat. Suddenly, Brian slipped forward and tangled with the invisible fan at the front of the plane. Next thing he knew, he was in the lake, underwater, and missing an arm. A large gash on his forehead was also noticed. Brian quickly prayed an earnest reflex prayer of "Lord, help me!"

Brian immediately knew he had to get back to the plane. Approximately 20 feet from him, the plane was still slowly trolling by. He had to catch it before it went to the centre of the lake. He started to swim towards the plane and was slightly confused when his right arm wouldn't due the front crawl. With heavy clothes and work boots on, he swam hard enough to catch the edge of the pontoon before it went by. Brian was being towed by the pontoon and it took a lot of effort just to hold on. He pulled 4x to get himself up onto the pontoon, unsuccessful. Then he paused and said another sincere prayer, for God has always said "Call to me and I will answer you." So Brian prayed, "Lord, if you want me to go on living, I need your extra help." On the fifth try he was able to successfully beach his belly on to the deck of the pontoon.

Brian slowly got up, shimmied across the pontoon and up the ladder of the back door. Inside the airplane he looked at his arm and really realized it was gone. He saw lots of ropes in the bowels of the plane, so he grabbed one and started to wind the rope around his wet, bloody, slippery stump. Twice he tried to wind the rope, before he took the time to pray again. "Lord, what do I do now?"... and then he listened, knowing that God has an unlimited number of ways of speaking to us.

Winding the rope around his stump and neck, Brian created a tight tourniquet that stopped the bleeding. God had answered his prayers so far. Being 20 miles from people, with no phone working, Brian had two options. One - sit and wait... he knew that he would be found the next morning by the helicopter over at the next lake, or two - restart the engine and fly out. Brian wasn't in pain yet at this point, but he knew that it would come and he didn't want to pass out midair and crash, leaving behind a wife and two kids... so he prayed again for direction.

Brian felt the peace of a green light to taxi off of the lake and fly back to base camp. He was able to fly the Beaver with one arm, and quickly headed over to the other lake. The staff on the awaiting dock looked up to see a bloody mess approaching the pier. A decision was quickly made that Brian's mechanic would fly him in to the hospital in Thunder Bay. His side-kick was only 19 and didn't have his pilot's license, but Brian knew he could fly the Beaver, so off they went.

Landing in Thunder Bay, an ambulance soon arrived with some very "helpful" attendants. They asked Brian "which hospital would you like to go to?" and he quickly responded with the "closest!" Thankfully the best surgeon was on staff when he arrived, but before any procedures could take place, the hospital policy stated that the next of kin needed to be notified first. Being rolled on a stretcher, he was given a phone to call his wife. Brian's wife was excited to hear from him because he had been north for quite a while, out of phone range in those days.

"Where are you?"... "Oh, in Thunder Bay"

"Are you on your way home?"... "Yes, I am! We are here though because there was a bit of a problem and we had to make an unexpected trip here to the hospital. You see, it's me... I got my arm nicked by the propeller."

"Any chance you might lose the arm?"... "Well, actually it's completely severed, but God is with me!"

"I'll be praying for you and I'll be there soon with your parents."

Moments later Brian was on his way to surgery, and also received 22 stitches in his forehead. Thankfully it wasn't his good arm, since Brian is left-handed. :) To God be the glory!

A Message from the Message

2011-08-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a portion of this text from 2 Corinthians yesterday. I wanted to view the words in the whole context of Chapter 8 and was very encouraged by God's Word.

The Offering

1-4Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.

5-7This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That's what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too.

8-9I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

10-20So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands. This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. As it is written,

Nothing left over to the one with the most,
Nothing lacking to the one with the least.

I thank God for giving Titus the same devoted concern for you that I have. He was most considerate of how we felt, but his eagerness to go to you and help out with this relief offering is his own idea. We're sending a companion along with him, someone very popular in the churches for his preaching of the Message. But there's far more to him than popularity. He's rock-solid trustworthy. The churches handpicked him to go with us as we travel about doing this work of sharing God's gifts to honor God as well as we can, taking every precaution against scandal.

20-22We don't want anyone suspecting us of taking one penny of this money for ourselves. We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God. That's why we're sending another trusted friend along. He's proved his dependability many times over, and carries on as energetically as the day he started. He's heard much about you, and liked what he's heard—so much so that he can't wait to get there.

23-24I don't need to say anything further about Titus. We've been close associates in this work of serving you for a long time. The brothers who travel with him are delegates from churches, a real credit to Christ. Show them what you're made of, the love I've been talking up in the churches. Let them see it for themselves!

2 Corinthians 8

May these words also be a blessing to you.

My Home

2011-08-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

"You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right."

Maya Angelou

"They are the happiest, be they king or peasant, who find peace in their homes."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Where thou art, that is home."

Emily Dickinson

"Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need."

Sarah Ban Breathnach

"Home is where the heart is."

Pliny The Elder

"Home is not around the hearth, it is within the heart. Any worthwhile pilgrimage brings us home,

and so does any distant voyage for the sake of love."
Donald Masterson

"Home -- that blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps to carry it thither, as on an angel's wings."

Lydia M. Child

Joy or sadness, peace or pain, laughter or silence can all take place in the home. Walls can be crumbling down, cockroaches invading, or rooms filled with items that seems to be for museum viewing only and we call these places home. I no longer know how to define my earthly home. Home seems to be where I rest my head at night, or where my heart is. Home is with my parents, but home is also with the nations that I love. I have a home in the Netherlands, and in the Philippines, and in Uganda. There are houses of friends that make me feel at home as soon as I walk in, and I'm so very grateful.

On Sunday morning, I loaded up the van with a bunch of friends that I was camping with and drove over to the Drumhill pavilion for an outdoor church service. The campground I was staying at graciously allowed a local church to come in and lead a wonderful service. The pastor spoke of home through the perspective of my favourite Psalm.

15 The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103

The birds swooped around the pastor's head, collecting in the rafters above, as the microphone tried to carry the preacher's words to the large crowd. God has given us a home in glory land, the things of this earth will fade away. I kept thinking back to that garage sale that I just had. My childhood home will never be the same. My parents are praying about moving to a new place... so all I can do is grasp on to the home that I have in Jesus - for His love is everlasting and my place of peace is riding in His palm.

The Land Between

2011-07-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

Unlocking the heavy metal doors to my brother’s landscaping crate, I work in the heat to sort through 35 years of personal belongings. With Mom and Dad away for a few weeks, I decided to take home all of the boxes and go through each item. While unwrapping the kitchen gadgets, wall hangings, books, gifts, picture frames and so much more, I quickly made the decision to sell almost everything at a garage sale.

Saturday morning arrived with a few close friends and a very helpful neighbour setting up the yard sale. The first five hours were sheer chaos as many of the memorabilia drifted off into the cars of strangers. A part of me wishes these random people will delight in the “stuff” as much as I did, but I know they will never have the honour of knowing the full stories:

• the doll crib Dad made for me when I was a little girl
• the pig head drum I received in the Philippines
• Delft shoes and bells from the Netherlands
• Purses from Thailand...

And well, I guess that’s just a part of giving up everything to follow God’s calling on my life. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that they are just things... and I’m grateful I still have photo albums and journals to cherish the memories. I have chosen to keep some clothes and books that will hopefully be a good resource in Uganda.

My mind is already focused on what to pack. I hope to leave in October for at least two years and I’m excited for this next journey to begin. At the moment I’m at 53% (I can’t leave until I have 100% raised or pledged) of the on-going funding needed to make it as a career missionary in East Africa, and so that is one of my major focuses throughout the next few months.

I am extremely grateful for family who support me with their blessings, for friends who walk beside me on this adventure, for the financial givers, and for prayer warriors who take this move to the Lord in prayer. I am grateful that you are in my life... Relationships are where it’s at!

Living in the land between,

Karen Lubbers

www.iteams.org

As Jeff Manion, author of “The Land Between – Finding God in Difficult Transitions” paraphrased: He is saying, “Don’t worry. Don’t give in to anxiety. Don’t let it take all your energy. Don’t let it control you. Trust God. He sees. He knows.”

Crushing on Kurt

2011-07-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Proud to be Canadian

Leaving through papers and projects from my childhood, I found an autographed "Kurt Browning" poster. During my middle school years (and beyond) I had a crush on Kurt Browning. He was (and is) a very entertaining and talented figure skater. I loved watching the stories he created on the ice... not only with the skates, but the expression on his face. In seventh grade I wrote a letter to Kurt. I knew he lived out west, but I didn't know where. I wrote "Kurt Browning - Alberta, Canada" on the envelope and eight months later I received this poster in the mail. I was ecstatic!!

Kurt Browning is a 4 time World Champion and 4 time Canadian National Champion. Wow!

Stella's Groove

2011-07-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

In my senior year (1999) I wrote this book for a friend:

Inside was a list of ways Stella found her groove in the first place:
1. Always be right, or put up a good fight.
2. Be courageous.
3. Do whatever your heart desires, no matter how many people are looking.
4. Demand respect (appropriately).
5. Take a break if you need it.
6. Work on your photographic memory.
7. Eat spicy ramen noodles with a close friend.
8. Accept praises humbly.
9. Be a lady!
10. But hang out with the boys, not on them.
11. Don't admit it, but enjoy the snowbanks.
12. Find a few strong silent men to be your friends.
13. Travel.
14. Have patience beyond belief with friends.
15. Drive to think.
16. Always leave the door open to company.
17. Live as a free spirit, but also as a controlled spirit.
18. Sing often.
19. Pray continually.
20. Be honest and real.
21. Listen to your mom and dad (keep them in your back pocket and show them to the world).
22. Live for Jesus.
23. Tell your friends of precious family traditions (eg - singing "Amen" after supper).
24. Have a humble spirit.
25. Laugh lots ~ contentment ~ joy ~ stability ~ innocence.
26. Have confidence of who you are in the Lord.
27. Learn as many praise songs as possible.
28. Never stop believing in your siblings.
29. Never stop anything that was important enough to start in the first place.
30. Learn other languages, including Ebonics.
31. Have musical sisters.
32. Be willing to try anything new.
33. Snorkel with water snakes over shipwrecks.
34. Give everybody as second chance.
35. Be increasingly confident in yourself.
36. Forgive as Christ forgave.
37. Find a mentor.
38. Be a mentor.
39. Have friends across the spectrum, from strange to rational.
40. Sing yourself to sleep or fall asleep praying.
41. Read stories to your friends.
42. Don't hide expressions, even to yourself... therefore, write poetry.
43. Stay up late, get up early.
44. Play lots.
45. Become a favourite to some staff and faculty.
46. Wrestle.
47. Find a bosom friend.
48. Have a nickname or gesture for every friend.
49. Enjoy your grandparents' stories.
50. Mud fights are great.
51. Cry.
52. Do your devotions with great discipline.
53. Be accountable to someone.
54. Work hard.
55. Be grateful for roses.
56. Spend quiet time outdoors.
57. Go horseback riding.
58. Dance spontaneously.
59. Council friends at all hours of the day, no matter what is on the agenda.
60. When a guy gets on his knees to ask for forgiveness, forgive him.
61. Enjoy serenades.
62. Have non-Christian friends.
63. Pray for your spouse, even if you don't have one yet.
64. Play Foosball.
65. Never turn down an invitation to Fred's pizza on boys night out.
66. Pick up pennies, because every penny counts.
67. Remember that God is your biggest source of encouragement.
68. Write encouragement notes.
69. Call an old friend, even if you don't have much in common any more.
70. Read by the fireside.
71. Scrapbook your favourite pictures.
72. Fellowship with the elderly.
73. Care for the ones whom others don't care for.
74. Cook something spicy and international.
75. Push "seek" and enjoy a variety of genres.
76. Show incredible patience, whether in long lines, raising children, or experiencing water leaks.
77. Laugh out loud, even if you're by yourself.
78. Get to know your neighbours.
79. Admit when you're wrong. "You're right, I'm sorry."
80. Colour a picture and send it to someone.
81. Seek purpose.
82. Debate with yourself for a few minutes before spending money on something frivolous.
83. Look in the mirror and tell yourself "I am beautiful!"
84. Play sports, even if you are not very good.
85. Try not to follow a recipe exactly, switch it up a bit.
86. Volunteer for an organization that is out of your comfort zone.
87. Enjoy dressing up just for the fun of it, or relax in your favourite pajamas.
88. Visit a friend on the mission field.
89. Organize your closets and don't be afraid to downsize.
90. Go for a drive in the countryside.
91. Give your parents a hug and tell them you love them.
92. Bake a loaf of bread and then give it away.
93. Write: a letter, a poem, a diary excerpt, a book.
94. Link arms with your girlfriend when you go for a walk.
95. Sit back and read a few quality children's story books.
96. Gaze at the stars and pray for someone faraway.
97. Make a snow angel.
98. Try to keep at least one potted plant alive in your home.
99. Be real... share both your joys and struggles.
100. Relax with a long hot bath or steamy shower.
101. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
102. Thank the Lord for the precious people in your life.
103. Spoil yourself with a live theatrical play or concert.
104. Always get back on the horse after you've fallen off. (I've done it 3x)
105. Splurge on your favourite chocolate bar.
106. Climb a mountain.
107. Light candles - vanilla is my fav!
108. Sip a glass of wine.
109. Explore art museums - impressionist, modern, sculptured.
110. Take public transit when possible and get to know your seat-mate.
111. Shoot hoops.
112. Entertain the crowds and make people smile.
113. Respect your boss.
114. Take notes on the sermons you hear.
115. Learn to read music and/or play a musical instrument.
116. Take a walking tour in a few famous cities.
117. Scuba dive.
118. Keep a pet - like a snake, raccoon, or monkey.
119. Join a women's Bible study group.
120. Fall deeper in love with Jesus - every day!

Looks like I need to put a few of them back into practice! Stella needs her groove back.

Once a Month

2011-07-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Most likely you will find me at the Writer's Nest on the second Tuesday of the month. A group of wonderful Christian ladies all share stories that fit the theme of the month. This past month was "Biography" and I actually shared a piece that I wrote when I was eight years old. A piece of Terry Fox that I wrote for the paper and won $25 - with that money I opened my first bank account.

Please click here to read Belinda's take on our evening. She had the camera.