Bible Study at Dokolo Begins

I have for the last week been watching my team leader's children as he and his wife have been in kenya b/c of infection. Today i took a short break from babysitting to begin a bible study at the primary school called Dokolo in Kamuda. It will last at least 8 weeks as a trial run going through this program called Book of Hope. If it works well here we will train others to also go into other schools and do the same thing. They've given us 23 kids who we will meet with friday's from 2-4. they're giving us two hours during their regular school day. anyway. today the kids were pretty quiet and timid, but I can't wait to see how God works in their lives and they become free to share with us. Please pray for the students at Dokolo Primary School that we will be working with for the next several weeks. That the heart of God would really be portrayed by Berna and I as we share with these students. When Berna asked them today how many of them had eaten lunch, only one out of 23 kids raised their hand. I remember how much trouble i have focusing when i haven't eaten in two hours, none the less all day...

thanks for your prayers... a few photos from the day...

Learning the memory verse, Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Drawing pictures of their families (i'll try to scan a few in once i get back to my house next week)

The school.

jinja

spent just under a week in jinja going through a program called Transformation of the Heart. It was a time of examining my heart and listening to God. I'm still processing everything, so I'll have to write more later, but for now I just want to say I'm thankful that God is patient with me and only reveals as much stuff for me to work on as I can handle at a time. and so many times God gives us different names for Himself and yet still we cannot grasp, can't fathom Him really...His love...His patience...His persistence...all is but a shadow of what's to come. today i was learning about God as I AM WHO I AM. what stood out to me as i considered this name this morning. God knew that the Israelites would need that Name as they were about to embark on quite the journey. He knew that as they struggled through the wilderness and the unknown, that they would need to cling to the God who does not change, Who remains faithful, consistently, no matter what situation/circumstance they found themselves in. God says I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. He is remaining the same great, faithful, loving, jealous God He always has been. This is the One who I cling to. And I tell you HE IS FAITHFUL and His heart is BEAUTIFUL and nothing can change that.

the kamuda girls' retreat

Thank you so much to everyone who prayed for the retreat with the girls last weekend! I know God was working in their lives and is still working. I wish I could share more about the conversations, but to be honest, the majority of the conversations were held in Kumam, the girls' heart language. Bena led the bible studies or translated when I spoke if it was necessary. Bena would tell with me what the girls were sharing as she saw necessary. She shared that there was a definite sense of hopelessness for two of the girls, so please keep praying for them (Agnes and Dina). Agnes is the one stuck in a difficult early marriage situation and Dina is a full orphan whose grandfather stopped paying her school fees in the middle of senior high because he thought he didn't want to waste money on her as she would just get married and start having children. It was so good to see these girls free to laugh and enjoy themselves and God's beautiful creation, and learning from the word of God. They seemed to love the time they had there and even asked if we could extend it.

For me the hardest part was having to just sit and watch the bible studies. I wanted to be participating more in them, but I also understand how much better it is if it's done in their heart language. So I'm learning that the time when I'm simply observing I need not to get frustrated but use that time for praying for them as they talk. I'm still processing how we can do future retreats differently/better, but overall I'd do it again.

Retreating with Kamuda girls

I'm leaving tomorrow (friday the 3rd) for a weekend retreat with Bena and 4 girls that are on her drama team. I wanted to give the names of the girls and just a bit about them so you who are joining in prayer could pray by name. First there's Mary, she's about 20 or so years, she was forced into an early marriage (at 15yrs) by her parents so that they could get the dowry. When she moved in with the husband's family she was abused so ended up coming back home. She knows the Lord, so at least she finds hope there. Then there's Agnes she was also forced into an early marriage at 15yrs and she's not much older than that now. She does not want to be where she is now and has tried to move back home to her family again, but they began abusing her so that she would go back to her husband. they did not want to lose the dowry that the husband's family has already payed. She does not know Jesus yet, so please pray that His love becomes so evident to her this weekend. Then there's Dina and Teddy. Both of these girls know the Lord and that's pretty much all I know about them at this time. None of them have bibles, so i will be giving each a bible and trying to share basically how to read it on their own each day. Bena's also going to be leading some bible studies on our identity in Christ throughout the weekend, "I am God's Child" "I am bought with a price, I belong to God" and "I am the salt and light of the world." Please pray for these truths to penetrate their hearts and that they would be open to sharing and feeling free to ask Bena and I questions and share concerns and what not. And we want to take time praying for/with each girl. I'm really excited about the potential that this weekend holds. We are going to Sisysi Falls, which is a great place about 1.5 hrs away that is so beautiful and peaceful. It's so far one of my favorite spots in Uganda. Anyway, we come back Sunday morning. thanks for praying.

Praying and Preparing

The last two weeks or so have been pretty chill with most of the children on holiday and back at their homes in the village. It was good to have my friend Claudia visit from home and to have a week of quiet before things pick back up again. The Good Lord knows what we need. These next two weeks I will be doing a lot of planning and preparation for the next few months as I will be quite busy until at least January.

Some things you can be praying for:

I am teaching one missionary child, Lydia, 2nd grade, two days a week (math, phonics and reading, spelling and vocab, and health)

I have joined the choir at my church

I will be leading two bible studies for Senior High girls who are boarding at a school nearby

Bena and I will be leading a bible study for 20 jr highers beginning the third week in September and lasting I think about 8 weeks.

Bena and I will be taking small groups of Sr. High and post sr. highers on short weekend retreats focused on identity in Christ and Character of God.

Preparing for freedom camps for children who have been affected by armed forces that will take place in December and January and figuring out how to follow up and give continuing support after that.

Wisdom every day

That the deep in me would continue to cry out for the deep in God

My heart would be aligned with His heart

That our team would be more and more a team of prayer and intimacy with Jesus

Thank you for praying, these are the requests, the bare facts, though I'm sure there are more, please also when praying thank God for the work He is already doing and how faithful He has been in answering prayers. We serve a big God, praise Him with me.

Please if you could commit to praying for at least one of these items either email me or post a comment to say which one you will be praying for so that everything is covered. Or if there's something else you feel led to pray for you could include that in a comment or email.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

when nature calls...

I had two girls stay the night last night, Betty and Abella. I’ve mentioned them before, both are right around 12yrs old and have parents who are rarely or never around. We watched a movie before going to bed and during the movie I suggested that we drink our sodas, as they didn’t want them at dinner but to have them with the movie. Betty said she did not want hers until morning with breakfast. I said, that drinking soda with breakfast is a bit strange and wondered why she wouldn’t want it with the movie. Then it was like a light went on in her head. She thought out loud, “Oh yeah, the toilet is inside here. Ok, I’ll have my soda now.” It’s just not something a twelve year old in the states has to think about. If you have to go to the bathroom here, for the majority of the children I hang out with, it’s a shared pit latrine somewhere outside. And the middle of the night here is dark and I mean dark. It reminded me that I am not in the states anymore.

sabotage

I was just thinking this morning about sabotage. Nice light early morning thinking...i know. oh well. One of the frustrating things I'm finding here is how out of jealous and greed already desperate people are destroyed further. It happens in the macro sense and the micro. Warriors in one tribe raid their neighbors for cattle. Both groups are barely surviving and yet they go after one another and both groups suffer more unnecessarily. And then there's the story of the boy that escaped from the LRA after 6 years of captivity and he goes to find his land, his parents had been killed in front of him so they're not there, his relatives deny him everything, they've already claimed his land and now this one who has suffered years in the LRA now suffers as a homeless orphan on the streets. Then lately there's been jealousy showing its ugly face among some of the children and their families that visit our house. The grandmother of one is accusing the grandchild of the other trying to destroy her reputation among the white people. And I know this sabotage is done in the states too and around the world. Why is it so hard to be happy for others and not want them to get ahead? Why do the poor steal from the poor and ruin any chance of anyone getting ahead? Why do friends break relationship over the other's good fortune? The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. We must pray for hearts of love and courage to withstand the attractive allure of the evil one. Oh that Truth would prevail and we would build one another up instead of tear down. That we would be wiser to the enemy's schemes and fight for each other rather than against. Precious Savior have mercy on us.