Clarity in Grand Rapids

An 8 day vacation turned into an 8 month medical leave of absence.

It has been a long journey, but I see the Lord's hand in so many ways.

I am grateful for six months of quality time with parents.

I am glad that I could be here to mourn with those who mourn.

I'm thankful for good medical and emotional care.

I praise God for supportive mission agencies and churches, friends and family.  

Global Outreach Mission and Resonate Global Mission have prayed for me and encouraged me so much along the way.

Last week I was able to have a good "practise" run for travel and activity.  For almost 5 months I had been having extreme leg pains, especially while spending time sitting in vehicles, but thankfully that has mostly gone away and I was able to travel with ease.  So, flights are being booked for me to return to Soroti, Uganda in early April!!  I'm so excited to be going home.

I can't believe I did a whole winter in Canada.  

 While in Grand Rapids I had a week of visits, fellowship, and closure.  I was able to catch up with many colleagues from Soroti, most of whom have chosen to move back to the States since I left, and I wanted to hear their God stories.  It was great to fellowship, talk, and share together. 

I also went to chapel at Kuyper College and shared with staff there.  I truly value the education and missional direction that I received in such a precious school.

While there I came across a pice of art that I was a part of creating.  These feet were all footprints of former child soldiers with the Lord's Resistance Army, and I remember washing the oil based paint off their feet with kerosene... my bare hands stung for days.  :) 

 I also caught up with cousins, donors, Resonate Staff, friends, and was pampered by my college roomie.

I tried dying my hair purple, but at least the highlights came out beautifully.

 Sorry, just sharing a few glamor shots.  :)

After the week was finished, I felt great and had final confirmations that it is time for me to head back to Uganda.  So, now I am home, packing a few too many bags for flight and praying that the Lord will bless this transition back to Soroti.  There is so much to do when I get back there and I want to make sure that I listen to God's voice during this process.

I need to buy a car.

I will catch up with many friends and ministry partners.

I will have to restock my kitchen.

I'll need to find my way around the market, since the old market has been torn down and set up further away.

I will buy a postcard in Kampala and send a letter to my doctor... because that was her final prescription for me - "Take painkillers to get home and send me a postcard from Kampala".  (But I'm thinking of buying the postcard in Soroti, because apparently it's a new thing for the local post office to have these cards and they are missing me.  The staff keep asking my colleagues when I am coming back because they are just not selling stamps like they used to when I was there.)