Walking in the Light of the GREAT I AM

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Ladies Bible study group had me reflecting yesterday, as we are looking at the seven "I AM" statements of Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. He himself said that he is light and life. To follow Jesus means to believe in and trust him. Following Jesus is like traveling to follow the light on a dark night. You will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. Jesus shows us what we could not see, and guides our every step. And we shall never be alone as Jesus guides our way. 

I remember being in the Chalbi Desert in 2009, and I needed to walk from one house on the mission station to another house at the end of Kalacha village. The first time that I walked the ten minute distance, I was with a group of young people, and it was a full moon. We enjoyed each other's company and easily found our way because the huts and structures in the distance were even darker than the night sky, so we could track our whereabouts. The second time I went, I was alone. I went with a flashlight. And here is where my analogy might fall apart, but, that torch was worse than walking in the dark. Yes, the torch could only show me a couple of feet in front of me and could show if there was anything on the path - like thorns, snakes, or scorpions, but it blinded me to all the rest of my surroundings. The whole village was watching me get lost in the dark, because I was using a false light.

A stranger finally yelled across the sand and said, "Turn off the torch, you will see better in natural light." And I obeyed. And even though it was still dark, I had to swallow my fears and trust the real lights that God had provided. There were just enough stars to brighten the night sky, so that I could follow the path and walk in the right direction. I could count the number of huts I had to pass before reaching the house safely. 

Jesus is "the true light that gives light to everyone." John 1:9

The fears and chaos are cast to the side when you trust in the true light of life.

A question was raised during the discussion - what is darkest dark and the lightest light you have ever experienced? When I thought of the dark, I thought of that Chalbi hike, but that another friend mentioned being deep inside a cave, when the tour guides turn the lights off. And yep, that is truly dark. But I had hope the light would come, so I always laughed at the way others immediately went into panic mode - fearing bats and the unknown. The imagination goes wild! And when you finally step out of that deep dark cave, the light is super bright. From chaos to clarity.

My darkest time is shared in a poem - click HERE to find out. :)

When I pondered back to the brightest light, I reminisced about playing Hide and Seek with my brothers. The old house in Whitechurch had a decent sized upstairs, but still kind of small if we were many children. So, whoever was counting had to stare at the light, so that it would be more difficult to find those that were hiding all around. When you keep looking at the light, the light stays with you.

When I asked Moses what was his light and dark memory, he took a totally different directions. He said his darkest dark was war in Teso, or heading into open heart surgery. Why, yes, of course, those were very dark times.

And then his light was when he came to the realization that works could not save him, but during a time of prayer and fasting, his heart was opened to Ephesians 2:8-9 and the saving power of Jesus Christ alone. Christ called him. Hallelujah.

I thought I'd ask one more person, so while a neighbour was over for tea this morning, I asked his perspective. He thought and thought and then shared. The darkest dark is when he closes his eyes to go to sleep. And it's super bright when he opens his eyes in the morning!

My dear friends, it is not enough to look at His light, and to gaze upon it.  We must follow it, and walk in it; for it is a light to our feet, not only our eyes. Walk by faith. Throw away the darkness. Shed the chaos. And find peace, warmth, direction and joy in the Light of Jesus.

Health Update

I am happy to report that the blood clot is no longer showing up in the blood work or scans!! And I greatly praise the Lord. But, my clotting levels are still too low, so the doctors are working with me to find the correct blood thinner dosage for me to stay healthy. I'm blown away by the prayers of the saints, as I have deeply experienced the peace of the Lord. 

Blood Clot + Anxiety (must) = Trusting God

 

It's Fresher Week at Gulu University, and that means that our church is actively involved in campus activities. It's important for us to welcome the newbies to town and make sure they know they are loved and invited to University Community Church. 

Getting ready for movie night at one of the hostels.

Watching "Freshman Year".

After the movie, a brief message was shared and the youth prepared for another day of life on campus.

But for me, the end of the night meant something else. I had been sitting at the back of the crowd and when I stood up, there was immediate pain in my heel. I limped my way back to the car. A few youth noticed and asked me what was wrong, and I said I wasn't sure. I hadn't tripped in a pothole or over danced to strain a muscle.

Just before bed, Moses asked me, "Do you still take your blood thinners?" And I responded, "yes, I do." Completely random, but it got my mind thinking. 

In the middle of the night I googled if you can get blood clots in your foot, and yes you can. One clue was, you don't feel it while lying down but extremely painful while standing up. By morning I was a mess. The hot water tank wasn't working and my anxiety was so high I was bawling taking a cold shower. Moses quickly came to find out what was wrong and I told him to take me to the clinic. After six hours, and way to many attempts to get bloodwork done, a D-Dimer and doppler scan confirmed a blood clot in my foot.

Now, for many people, this seems simple. Increase the blood thinners and it should go away. But I have 2017 in my history and mind. How quickly the pain went from the legs to the lungs. I don't want this clot to dislodge and travel. Tingling = nerves. Sitting too long = anxiety. A Charlie horse - a racing mind.

The doctors have me on a blood thinner injection every 12 hours. I asked the nurse to teach me how so that I don't have to go to the clinic every 12 hours. I will go on Saturday for more bloodwork. 

Today, I feel somehow fine. The pain has decreased and my mind is also fairly calm. But being alone is not good. I'm so grateful for Moses. He is caring, supportive, and a great sidekick. 

I'm asking for your prayers though!! The journey is not over. Please pray that the blood clot would just disintegrate without any complications. Pray that we will have wisdom to know the best treatment options and that my body will be protected. And, above all, I want to experience peace. PTSD is hard and I do want to trust God through this whole journey. He's got me.

July 2026

I totally understand how some North American kids are already dreading the though of heading back to school. The days are just flying and we want the summer months to remain. Well, here in Uganda, it kind of feels like summer year round, although right now we have a lot more rain, but the days pass by in the blink of an eye. 

This month, the kids and I dove deeper into the story of Joseph. His story is always inspirational to me. He was truly a man of integrity, and God blessed his footsteps.

Every other Saturday morning I can hear the children's laughter and voices as they begin to gather two hours earlier than the designated time. They are so excited to play games, hear a Bible story, pray together, and share a snack.

Our big Zoro peacefully hangs out with us as we sit around a bonfire.

My birthday mail has started arriving. 21 pieces so far!

My favourite gift is that Mom promised to write me a letter every day for 50 days. I can't wait for them to arrive. Apparently 33 of them are already on their way!!

Usually every January is dedicated to being a month of prayer and fasting at church. Well, this year, another two weeks were added in July. Monday to Friday, from 6 AM to 6 PM, and then we would meet at church to pray together and break the fast.

It was encouraging to see pray with a large number regularly. We prayed for University Community Church, personal needs, unreached people groups, Gulu, and Uganda.

One thing we love doing is celebrating others!

Neriah is like a grandchild to us - Happy 4th, sweetie.

We celebrated with those who are near and dear to her.

University Community Church has outgrown it's current rental space. The building committee has been put together and the team is off to a good start to make a permanent structure happen.

Moses is the vice-chair, and I am the treasurer for the church construction team.

Another birthday was held on a Sunday night at home. A young neighbour, named Joshua, turned 16 and we honored him with a small celebration because he is so helpful to us. He assists with the Saturday kids club, he helps visitors find our home, he helps organize tea for the 60 kids who come to Sunday school, and he's helpful around the compound. He has helped us to feel at home in our neigbhourhood.

The men were excited with the music and the pork.

Joshua was truly humbled by this celebration.

A dear friend baked me a "cheesecake" in her airfryer!! 

It's the little things that make you smile.

Prayer meetings continued.

Bandit is growing a little more every month. He still loves to chew EVERYTHING in sight.

Why does my hair always look nice on a day when I'm going nowhere?

Isaac - a man of prayer

Tabitha - a woman who prays

Wrapping up our prayer time together

Church family is so important to us. We thank God for calling us into a pastoral role to these beautiful souls in Gulu.

One Friday night, after prayers, a group of girls begged to come home for another slumber party. So, spur of the moment, we cooked supper together, played games, and laughed until 3 am.

The competition was fierce.

Who knew you could play "Spot It" for hours.

Then, just a few hours later, it was back to another Saturday with the kids.

Joseph was in captivity and the children were captivated.

Trust God. Do good. Be faithful.

I love seeing Sarah use her creative skills.

She sure made the bedroom come alive at home.

My Noah's ark collection is back on display after being in a box for a few years.

Time of Confession

While going on road trips, it is not uncommon for vendors to surround the vehicle and you shop through the window. You can get so much - cold water/soda, oranges, tamarind, mushrooms, ghee, smoked fish, chicken, goat, or gizzards on a stick, honey, roasted cassava, bananas, and more.

The vendors risk their lives sometimes to gain a customer.

I found Bubble Tea in Kampala. Yeah!!

Moses thought it was interesting that a lady has taken over a bus stop for selling her roasted maize.

Oh, Kampala. On city streets you can find a herd of cattle. And the battle of waiting continues.

A lawyer in the making.

Hanging out with friends who love photo bombing and selfies.

Celebrating another birthday boy.

Butterflies. If God created over 18,000 species of butterflies, imagine how much more He cares for you and me and knit us in our mother's wombs. He transforms our lives.

University students - o ya!

Moses is on the board of directors for another Christian NGO that is building a Bible school here in Gulu.

Moses handles all the women in the house with ease.

Let the good times roll!

You are always welcome to come home for game night, too!

Two weeks ago we were in Kampala. I called my one of my besties there and told her I was around, so she cooked my favourite food of hers! Chiroco, AKA lentils. Did you know that Esau gave up his birthright for a bowl of lentils? Not even meat. :) That's how good they can be.

Moses and Mike wrapped up a sermon series with an open Sunday for Q&A. Anyone can send questions in advance via a WhatsApp platform, or even ask during Sunday. The questions lead to deeper understanding and a greater knowledge of God's Word.

It keeps the preachers on their toes!

Moses' snack the other day - fried cassava chips with gnut (peanut) paste and cayenne pepper on top.

Thanks for checking in on our crazy lives.