i apologize for the length of this blog...
i've been horrible about updating.
the longer i wait, the longer the blog
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let me get this out of my system and then we'll move on..
there have been many moments of frustration in the past week.
i’m seeing/recognizing that we all walk a very fine, very dangerous line when we start treating those around us with a complete lack of respect, dignity and especially love. also, i’m not sure which is worse…to treat people like that or to be on the receiving end of it. in my heart of hearts i just don’t know what to do or say anymore
i’m praying for continued patience in all areas of my life. when the situations that are going on in my life are present, it feels like an uphill climb to remain patient and to love without hesitation. i read yesterday about how God changes our character with the passion of His love. it has become my prayer that, that would happen not only in my heart but your heart and the heart of others as well. that the love of God would go before us…that the LOVE of God would surround us all in ways that we can’t even imagine.
now moving on.
“…having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. for those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own…but as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” Hebrews 11:14,16
what a fallen world we live in.
what a blessing it is that this earth isn’t our home.
as a people of faith, we need to be living in the reality that what we see around us [the earth] isn’t our true home. i’ve found that there is a deep longing in our heart for more. more love. more truth. more hope. more faith. more of the Holy One. when heaven holds our hearts, we gain a more eternal perspective. and an eternal perspective is crucial as a follower of Christ.
as i look into the faces of the children, women and men, i am reminded that i am looking at a reflection of Christ. each and every one of us was created in the image of God. the amount of respect, dignity, reverence and love we need to be giving to each human is immeasurable.
because lets face it, folks…
we all love ourselves enough…
it’s about time that we start loving others in the same manner.
moving on [again]
the 4 of us [josh, kathryn, ian and i] have begun a relationship with a newly established organization and it has been nothing but a huge blessing. it’s a children home that includes a school that is nursery school through P2. there are approximately 70 children and they arrrrre wonderful. there is also a widows program and i just can’t explain it all but it’s a blessing beyond compare. they are so incredibly gracious and welcoming and loving and accepting. we visited last Tuesday and decided to go back Sunday afternoon with clothes and some food.
it was such a JOY to be able to hand out shirts and dresses to the children. [i’ve posted three pictures here on my blog but i’ve posted many more on my facebook account. there is a link at the end of this blog]. some of the children came to us as scared as can be of the ‘white people’ while other children ran over to us with a huge smile on their face and skip in their feet as they went away. after they received their clothes, Kathryn was there handing out little pieces of candy for them…they loved loved loved it all!
although we weren’t able to get them a huge amount of food, we stopped off and got 13kg of rice and 16kg of beans before we got there. because there are so many of them, it will probably only last them 4 or 5 meals but at least a few meals will be a little more nutritious than they are accustomed to!
very quickly, i want to say thank you to my DAD!
because most of this would not have been possible without him!
i love you!
we will be going back to this place in the next few days. we are going to be getting allllllll the kids at least one round of deworming pills. hopefully their big ol’ stomachs will start to shrink (: i’m also praying about the possibility of getting these children tested not only for malaria but HIV/AIDS. given that they live in a village and poverty is overwhelming, it’s almost guaranteed that none of them have been tested for HIV. i’m not sure how all of this testing will happen though because i know of no medical personnel here in Uganda that would be able to get out to this village and who would be able to perform the needed tests. it would require getting these children into town and into a clinic to be tested. between transportation costs and medical costs, we just don’t have the funds to do this yet.
if you’d like to help out, that’d be more than amaaaazing!
you have no idea how far $10 can go here…no idea!
if you’d like to contribute to this specific need,
please please please let me know!
because the sooner, the better for these children.
so i was thinking about it and i decided that...
i’m pretty sure that 6 months from now, i’ll still be riding down the road on a piki and i’ll still be looking around thinking to myself ‘geez, this is really my life’ and i'll still be thanking God for LIFE!
i can’t count the number of times i tell God ‘thanks’ in one days time.
i don’t deserve any of this…not one bit.
but praise God for he doesn’t look at what we deserve.
his grace is enough and his love endures.
thanks for the encouragement.
it’s good to know i’m not alone…
you all are truly wonderful.
pictures are none.
the internet is not working in my favor today.
sorry folks :(
maybe tomorrow!
edit:
pictures have arrived on my facebook!
here is the link (:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2174485&l=133ee&id=17022221
enjoy!!
