Friday, March 7, 2008

Eight days down, 300+ to go?

Though my days here are still in the single digits, I feel as though weeks and weeks have passed since I landed last Wednesday. The days are filled with kids and walking and laughing and conversations and lots and lots of love. Each morning that I wake up and feel the cool breeze on my skin, I’m reminded again and again in a very gentle way that it is GOOD that I am here. Not just good because I like it here but good because God desires it in my life. I am doing my best to live that out in my every day actions and lets just say that I’m finding it it’s quite easy to do when all I see are beautiful faces and beautiful land.

I’ve been spending the majority of my time at Amani Baby Cottage, the same place I was at for 5 months last year. It’s been such a blessing to have a place to go and just love kids. After trying to process a lot of things I think that I decided that even though 100% of my time will not be spent at Amani during my time here, it will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s the first place I came in Uganda and it’s the place that God used to show me so much about love. So even though things may pick up in the next few weeks with various other things, Amani will be my ‘home base’ and I’ll be visiting quite often.

In the next couple of days I will be meeting with 2 girls to talk about organizing/planning/teaching an English classes for the women in the Suubi project. [For the sake of time, I’d invite you to visit the website [suubiafrica.org] to learn more about Suubi.] We will be brainstorming and attempting to come up with creative ideas to teach these women the English language. As time progresses, there are hopes of also starting a Lugandan [a language here] language class for the international Suubi volunteers. I think we’ll be taking things one step at a time though (:. With Suubi allowing us as volunteers to have some freedom in what we want to do and what we think should be done will be a lot of fun I think. I’m really excited to be working with such a neat and creative organization.

Even after having delayed flights, cancelled flights, a serious lack of sleep and getting to Uganda later than I was supposed to…God was faithful and took care of me.
Even after having some problems with my phone when all I wanted to do what communicate with people back home…God was faithful and took care of me.
Even after accidentally taking medicine I’m allergic to, following that with many anti-histamines, my throat closing up and my breathing getting quite shallow…God was SO faithful and took GOOD care of me.

There is so much ahead of me…I can barely wait to see what happens…to see how the Lord is going to choose to work in my life. I know that whatever it is, it’ll be good. Although I am excited for the future, rest assured that I am definitely loving life NOW. Walking through town, reading a book to kids, holding my dear little Josephine [she’s the one pictured below], laughing with my friends, reading the Word of God and finding comfort, peace, assurance and joy, making silly faces with the 6 girls that live in the house I’m staying with…..it’s all my life and all I can do is love every minute of it.

I’m incredibly thankful that I’m not left alone to live this life. Not only do I have the constant presence of the Lord, I have the constant encouragement of my family and friends and random people who I meet along the way.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, whether you found this blog randomly or on purpose…thanks for joining me on this journey. I’ll do my best to keep you all updated. Feel free to comment or email or…do whatever.

Love.
Love.
Love.
Always.

here is a link to more pictures:
http://ksu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2174485&l=51e86&id=17022221




5 comments:

Unknown said...

do you have all your funds now that you are there, or no?
-rachel :)

Amy and Bethany's Ugandan Adventures! said...

YEah julie! i'm a loyal reader and look forward to many more blogs to come....i kind of live vicariously through all your people now that i'm gone!:)

Anonymous said...

oh it's so good to see a blog, julie :) i second the girls on living vicariously through you... i miss that porch, the breeze coming through as you sit and hold a little one after lunchtime... i'm so glad you get to live this right now.
love,
auntie amanda

Anonymous said...

oh I'm so thankful for this update! I have so much to tellyou I will be calling/emailing you soon -- things are busy here though and I would rather call when I have a good amount of time to sit and talk -- and a time where you can do the same -- please let me know when that is. have you met melody and joseph's dad yet? oh I'm so anxious to here about everything. I love you so much and I think about you everyday. --melissa

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