T-1 Week

In one week from today, I will get on a plane (or a series of planes) and fly for over 22 hours.  I will fly out of Orange County...to Minneapolis...to Amsterdam...to Entebbe.  I will leave the comfort of my life and my home and enter a completely different world and way of life.  I will find out what it really means to serve the "least of these" and to - undoubtedly - be served and changed by them.  After all, we all live in poverty, don't we?  Some financial, some spiritual...but ALL of us, in this broken world, are poor.  We all need redemption.  We all need hope.

Our time in Uganda has changed a little already.  Apparently, one of God's *many* lessons for me in this trip is "flexibility!"  I will be stretched in so many ways, but He has made it clear early on that it's time to let go and be flexible.   And to remember WHO is leading this trip.  Not our team lead. Not Visiting Orphans. Not me.  God is.

The ministry we had planned to work alongside in the prisons for the first two days was recently "kicked out" by the Ugandan government, so we will no longer be able to spend time with those children.  (The government is requiring them to seek NGO status before they are allowed back in).  That is a prayer request, because I cannot think of kids who need some light and hope more than they probably do.

Anyway, our new in-country itinerary is:
Saturday, April 14 - Depart

Sunday, April 15 - Arrive in Kampala, Uganda

Monday, April 16 - Work with Return Ministries http://www.returnministriesuganda.org/ to serve lunch to the kids, do Bible lessons, play games and do crafts

Tuesday, April 17 - Spend the day doing home visits to the children from Return Ministries (taking some bags of food and clothing, etc.).  Then, travel to Canaan Children's Home http://canaanchildrenshome.org/ in Jinja, Uganda.

Wednesday, April 18 - Serve with Pillars of Hope, ministry to street children, http://fromthestreets.org/godfrey.html

Thursday, April 19 - Spend time with Home Again Ministries www.redeemedafrica.com/ , ministering to the Karamjong tribe and then play with the Canaan children.

Friday, April 20 - Serve at Canaan

Saturday, April 21 - Serve with Katie Davis at Amazima http://amazima.org/

Sunday, April 22 - Worship with Pastor Isaac at Canaan, and then depart for Amsterdam.

A full week, no doubt!  Please pray for safe travels, health, energy (with an 11 hour time change!) and God's blessing over this time.  Please pray for open hearts, open minds and open agendas.

I wrote about my battle of Fear vs. Faith in the last post, and that battle continues as the trip gets closer.  Honestly, I think a big part of why I am so fearful because I feel really ill equipped to do this.  I feel completely out of my comfort zone, completely inept, completely lacking in words, gifts, wisdom... All this fills my mind.  And then I try to remember that THAT is exactly where God resides.  At the end of me.

In all of this, I truly love how God continues to gently remind me of His call and faithfulness.  Just last night, Sharon (my sweet friend who invited me on this trip), and I had the privilege of meeting two pastors from Uganda.  They shared their hearts for ministry in that country and ended the evening by praying over us and for our upcoming trip.  It was so moving to hear them pray for us as we travel to their homeland -- truly beautiful! 


And seriously, what are the chances that a couple from Uganda would "happen" to be in town the WEEK before we go there?  And that Sharon and I would "happen" to be invited to meet them?  And that they would bless us so much in the few minutes we had to spend with them?

God is so good!  Happy Easter, all!!!  He is risen!   He has conquered ALL fears, ALL poverty, ALL sickness, ALL of our darkness.  His is risen, indeed!