Baby Theo

Last night a new baby came to Acacia Tree. Robin has decided to call him Theo, meaning gift from God. Pray that he grows in size and strength. He is one and a half years old and only weighs 6.7 kg. Right now he is taking a high caloric drink every few hours to give him much needed nourishment. There are a couple of other babies that may be joining us very soon.

Theo is adjusting very well. Please pray for all of the other children that are a little confused by the new baby. Also pray that when the new babies come that God shows us what they need most.

We will post some pictures soon. Thank you for all of your prayers!

Island Ministries

Cassidy and I went out to an Island on Lake Victoria yesterday. We got to the church at 8:00 AM and didn't push off until 10:00. It rained for a good part of our trip so we sat on the boat under a tarp for almost an hour of our two hour trip on what just might have been the slowest boat on the lake still powered by a motor. It was awesome though. We were on a rickety boat with visible leaks and water in the bottom, crossing wakes that were similar in size to our boats. While on the boat we were served tea and samosas. When we got the island, Cassidy and I were responsible for sorting out the medications that were prescribed by the nurses who did the consultations. After an hour or so of that Diana, director of the island ministries, walked us an another muzungu around the island. While on our walkabout we encountered an illegal tilapia stash. These fish can grow to be around 400lbs and the fish we saw weighed in around 8-12 ounces. We then approached a house with a stark naked baby outside who, when he saw us, got up and ran inside crying. I guess we were the first buzungu he had seen and we were still a little scary. After this we encountered a group of children leaving the bible club that was held on the island during the clinic. Each of the three muzungu had children clinging to a finger or two. It was an awesome day but the trip back felt even longer.

Uganda

Mitchell and I have been busy. On Tuesday we went into the capital city, Kampala. All of the people, cars, and motorcycle taxis called botas can be overwhelming, especially since traffic laws and right of way seem to be novel ideas.

The children here at the baby house are precious. During the day a two and a half year old named Deborah comes. The first day she kept looking at my funny skin. Benja is two and lives here. He is such a happy little boy.

We have also started trying the food. Two nights ago we tried motoke which is kind of like mashed potatos but it is made from bananas.

Tomorrow we are going with a woman named Diana to the islands for medical outreach. Also this afternoon we may be going with her to take pictures of ten children who all need surgery of different kinds that would only cost about fifty dollars.

Prayer: please pray for the outreach on Friday and that who needs the help is there. Pray that Mitchell and I continue to adjust well. Pray that God gives us great strength and endurance to do all the things we need to do.

I love you all and thanks for the prayers.

We are here!

Thank you for all of your prayers! We are safely here. Last night we got in around 9 at night and all of our luggage was there.

Today Mitchell slept until 3 and I woke up at 10. The children are precious! I will update more later!

Pray for continued health and that our jetlag is done with. Pray that God uses us while we are here.

We leave today!

I didn't get to blog yesterday... I almost blogged everyday last week. 

Yesterday I gave Mitchell a hair cut. It is the shortest I have ever seen it but it will be good since he won't have a hair cut for three months. After Salon de Cassidy we ran last minute errands. We then began the daunting task of packing all of our bags the way that they need to be packed for our trip. Overwhelming to say the least. 

Last night my dad and Lisa through a going away party for us. It was really great. Meemaw and Peepaw were there, so were Grammy and Grampy. Aunt Caren came as well as Brad and Tammy Carlson. And Meredith and Andrew brought baby Wesley. It was really fun and I had some great food!

Our flight leaves DFW at 1:20 p.m. We are going to be leaving the house at around 10 to make sure we have plently of time to check in all of the things we are taking to orphanage (including two high chairs)

I really cannot quite comprehend that I will be leaving in three hours to the airport to leave to go to Africa for three months. I have no idea what that even means right now. I suppose that that is a good thing though because I had no trouble sleeping last night and I feel very much so at peace.

Thank you for everyone's continued prayers.

If you think about Mitchell and I in these next 30 hours please pray for our traveling and that we have no problems getting all the supplies to the orphange. Pray that we have no problems clearing our luggage and getting our visas once we get to Uganda. Pray for favor as we travel and that we have as few issues as possible. Pray that the security guards don't stop us to go through our bags because I painstaikingly packed them and it would be quite difficult to get everything to fit in them again! Pray that I don't go stir crazy on the flights. 

I love you all. Next time that I blog I will most likely be on a different continent! 

Praise God for the work he is choosing to do through Mitchell and me!

Lazy Days

Mitchell and my dad's new dog, Molly.

Today was a wonderfully lazy day. I had lunch with my mother and my sister. Then Mitch and I went and tried to run some errands, but the Half Price Books that we were trying to go to was closed. We did get to go walk around JoAnn's Fabric a little bit. There we got some canvas to make Mitchell a cloth belt for Uganda. There was a huge selection! I loved it!

Back at home I napped, played cards, WiiFitted? for an hour and studied the Luganda language. Pretty awesome.

For dinner I put some of my studying to good use. I had a baga (burger) with chipusi (chips or french fries) and amazzi (water). For dessert we had more of the pie that Caroline and I made. WONDERFUL!

Last night I felt very stressed out so Mitchell and I read Galatians. I love how tangible that book is. It blatantly tells you the fruits of the spirit, that is how we should look as Christians, as well as the armor of God, that is how to prepare yourself for battle. Daily I have to remind myself that this life is a constant battle. I have to beat down distractions and focus on the prize.

Pie.. 3.14159265358979323.....

Today my sister and I made pie!!!!! Delicious, wonderful, French silk pie. It was amazing. We danced around the kitchen to my ipod, more like me dancing and Caroline laughing at her fool of a sister. We also made a mess because my mixing bowl at home is taller.... I guess you had to be there to understand. It was so much fun. It is moments like that that stay with me. It is things like that that I will think of when we get to Uganda and when I miss my family.

Before the pie making commenced we went and ran some errands. We got bed sheets for Uganda that are zebra print and awesome. We also got some carabiners to attach extra things to our backpacks, more bug spray, seasoning spices (we were told the food is very bland in Uganda) and oxiclean.

This afternoon we met up with my grandmother, aunt, and cousin. I helped Grace Elizabeth on her homework in which we counted by tens. Counting by tens is hard work but somebody has to do it.

I have decided that I am going to keep a daily journal while I am in Uganda so that when I am old and gray I can look back on these wonderful memories, many of which I probably will have forgotten by then. I will do my best to blog as often as possible but with everything to do there I am not sure how much blogging time will allow.

Today's prayer requests: I keep thinking of last minute things that we need to get so please pray that God focuses my mind and that I don't forget anything too important, pray for Rebecca and Robert as they prepare to move on Thursday, and pray for our upcoming flights.

Iowa is far away....

Last night Mitchell and I went to First Baptist Church of Smithfield for a going away party for the Ragsdales. Rhonda Ragsdale is a super power house of a lady that organizes the yearly trips to Mexico, of which I have gone on seven. She is such an inspiration of a servants heart. Her husband, Dave, is one of the funniest people I know and has helped me realize that there will never come a day when I stop growing as a Christian.

Paul talks about our Christian life as a race, something that requires endurance and patience not as an on and off switch. I don't instantly become Christ like. I have to put myself into His hands, let Him mold me at the chosen pace (art takes time), and let Him constantly change me.

In more mathematical terms many people think of themselves as 1 dimensional, a solitary point in space without interaction. These people tend to be very sad because we were not designed as individuals, but rather as parts and pieces of a larger body. Others view themselves as 2 dimensional were they interact with those around them but nothing above. These people will often find themselves unfufilled because they don't yet comprehend that God wants a relationship with them. There are also people who live in 3 dimensions, acknowledging themselves, others, and God yet they don't search much deeper than that. There are people who live in 4 dimensions who allow God to interact with them and not just "church-God" but the living all powerful creator of the earth God who wants to completely shake your world into something amazing.

I hope that I am living in the 4d, though I know often I just live 3d. I aspire to one day live 5d, 6d, or more. What that really means I don't yet know, but I trust that as I chase after God, He will reveal Himself to me in amazing ways.

Tonight I ate dinner with the Dunlap's (now technically the Dunlaps and Whitings since Becca got married and changed her name). This week Rebecca and her husband Robert are moving to Iowa. It was great to get to see them one more time before she leaves. Becca and I have known each other since 7th grade.

Prayer Requests: That my nephew Wesley starts to feel better, that I have time to accomplish everything that I need to, and for traveling mercies.

Uptown Girls!

Yesterday was such a wonderful, relaxing day with friends and family. In the morning Mitchell and I played Wii Fit during which I learned my "body age" is 27. Then we went to my Aunt Lisa's house and played with my cousin Grace. Grace gave me her school picture and together we placed it into my planner so that I will have it with me in Uganda. FYI Grace decided it should be in the bottom left corner of the inside cover.

In the evening Mitchell and out friend Matt Berger went to the Cowboys game. While the boys were off being boys, Matt's wife and I walked around downtown Fort Worth. It was such a great evening of friendship! Nicole is the coolest. We were regular uptown girls, walking around the shops and hanging out at Starbucks for an hour just chatting!

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us yesterday. I got a text a few hours after I posted the last post saying that the pipes unfroze at my dad's house and that they didn't bust! What a blessing.

Church this morning was amazing. I love all kinds of praise and worship music but there is just something about an old hymn that gives me peace like no other. As I sat in church I just absorbed the words "Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face....... The things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace". It is so strange looking back to the way I used to think about life and the world and comparing it to the work that God has done in me. I am not worried that I only will have 1 skirt, 3 dresses, and 1 pair of pants for 3 months. I am not worried about the lack of AC or consistent water. I am not concerned about leaving the comforts of malls and fast food and constant electricity. I am not concerned about the language differences. Just like in the song, when I focus on God everything else pales in comparison.

God is something that I couldn't understand until I just sat at His feet and let Him guide me. It seems contradictory but there is so much freedom at the feet of the Lord.

Please pray for continued peace and focus. I praise God for this week of hopeful relaxation I will be able to enjoy before heading out on our big adventure!

One Week

Today is exactly one week from our departure date. As I type I am exactly one week, to the minute, from our boarding time.

Last week I started to get a little anxious about everything but through God's help and everyone's prayers I am feeling quite a bit more relaxed. We met with Kendall yesterday morning as we left San Antonio and he gave us vitamins to take over to the children. I think that this last week is going to keep me so busy that I won't even realize how quickly the 16th is coming.

Last Sunday Mitchell's parent threw a wonderful going away party for us. We got to see family friends, kids from church, and even some of our friends like the Nicole and the Canales family. It was a complete blast.

My goal is to blog everyday this week to let you know what I am thinking but most of all to send my prayer requests out to you. Even in the days of the new church the body would share it's prayer needs with the rest of the body. Prayer needs for today: Pray that God gives me a clear mind so that I can get everything into order, pray that the pipes at my dad's house thaw so that they can have hot and cold water, pray for the orphanage in Uganda and the preparations that are being made on their end for our arrival.

To read more about the orphanage where we will be and to learn more about the children check out their blog at www.zembakids.blogspot.com

The picture is from our road trip yesterday. Cold, no make-up, and tired!

11 Days

I can hardly believe that Saturday the 16th is almost here! Every time that I try to sit and think about where I am going to be and what I am going to be doing I get a little bit overwhelmed. It is so amazing that God has chosen little ol' me to fly across the world to care for his children.

I try to imagine what it will be like to walk down the streets of Entebbe. I imagine the monkeys that I have been told about and the big birds that are everywhere. I imagine the warmth of the sun on my skin. I imagine myself trying to communicate in the market. I imagine myself holding the children and playing with the children. I imagine the beautiful eyes of the kids as they look at this crazy muzungu walking through the city.

I know that no matter how much dreaming and thinking that I do, God is going to blow my mind. Every plan that I have ever made that I have given over to Him, He has turned my so-so into amazing. I am on the title page of the next chapter of my life and cannot wait to read the beautiful poetry that El Shaddai is going to write on these pages.