Uganda

hey everyone! i got to uganda last night around midnight. we were greated by 5 huge hugs and smiles by the 5 oldest girls. i love it here! its not really what i was expecting but i love it! although the food might take awhile to get used to. :) today all of the kids came over to auntie katies house for playtime worship bible study and food. the worship was amazing! having all those kids come over is a lot of work! but it was good work. after all of the kids left we went into town with katie and got dinner for her family. sorry im kinda scattered but its late and aunt jennifer is cracking me up trying to kill all of the knats in our room. haha

Love

So tonight I was sitting in my bed spending time with the Lord. I asked Him to show me to a place that would interest me or spark something inside of me. He led me to Titus. I have never read Titus before but I started reading at chapter 3. It talks about how we are to be obedient and be ready to do what is good. It goes on and talks about how we used to be foolish and disobedient. But God saved us with His love and kindness that He poured out through Jesus Christ. This got me thinking about how we love because God first loved us. Let me give you a mental picture of this-- the little orphans in Africa (and anywhere else) dont understand what love is. Many of them have come from broken homes where their father left them and the mother had to spend all of her time working and couldnt take care of a child, or both of the parents died from AIDS. These children have never been held or hugged on. They have never been told I love you. They have never been told you are beautiful. They have never been tucked in at night and kissed on the head. They have never cuddled on the couch with their daddy. They have never been able to run to their mom when they get scared and have her hold them and tell them its going to be alright. They dont know love until someone takes them in and hugs on them and kisses them and tells them how much they love them. Until then they are not able to love because they dont know what it means to love. Because of the example set before them they are able to love. This is what I think of reading through Titus. Because of God's example of what love is we are able to love.

On another note-- I LEAVE FOR AFRICA ON THURSDAY!!!!!! I am beyond excited!! I cant wait to see how the Lord uses me. I will follow Him wherever He leads....this week it is Africa and I cannot wait!! Please pray. Thanks!

I'M GOING!!!!

I don't even know how to express my feelings! I'm not really sure how I even got this far but...



I got my plane tickets today!!! I'm beyond excited! I will be leaving April 16th and returning April 27th! My aunt Jennifer is traveling with me! I can't wait to see what God has planned for me to learn and how He is going to grow me!



God is so good! He is the only way I am able to travel to Uganda! He has blessed me in so many ways. Without Him, none of this is possible!



Thank you so much Jesus for allowing me to travel to Uganda with my aunt!



Please continue to pray for my travel and Katie and her beautiful children. Also pray for Gwen and this sweet family I know (the Kecks) who are both adopting from Uganda and are waiting to meet their children.

Everything by Lifehouse

BROKEN

My heart breaks for these kids! And to know that there are millions more just like them kills me!! Please pray for all the orphaned and abandoned.

Update on things...

It has been a very long time since I have posted. If you have read my earlier posts you may remember my talking about going to Africa. Well, my original plan had been that I would go to Uganda during my spring break and help Katie Davis, this amazing twenty-year-old that God put in my life. I’m not really sure how this happened, other than it being God’s plan, but a big group got together and planned their trip to help Katie during spring break, not knowing my plans. Things got overwhelming and now I am not going during spring break. When I was first told the news, my heart shattered into a million pieces. Immediately I started getting frustrated with God and for a few weeks, I was asking Him, “Why are you doing this to me? You know this is where my heart is! Why would you take this from me? I thought this was Your plan!” Well, it has taken a lot of conversations with God, but I am at the point where I have been broken and realized maybe this was all my plans. I know that God has a time for me to go and has a perfect plan for my future. Right now I am praying that His timing will be shown to me. I have ideas of when I can go – the week after spring break or sometime in May – but I am trusting and waiting for God’s PERFECT timing.
I feel like my relationship with God has gotten closer and stronger. I have realized that my life has no meaning without Him and that He is in control. If I were in complete control of my life there is no telling where I would be. God has shown me that He is the only one who knows what my future holds. I have learned that thanking Him continuously strengthens the relationship we have. I thank Him daily for the plan He has for my life and the plan He has for my trip to Africa. I also thank Him for His answers to my prayers even if they don’t turn out to be the answers I was looking for. In doing this I have felt our relationship grow. I know that He is working for my good and that He will never lead me the wrong way.
Please be praying with me that I will trust God with my trip to Africa and that He will show me His perfect plan. Also be praying for me to find out if I need to have a travel companion and if so who that might be. Another thing to be praying about is for Katie and her children.

Merry Christmas Ya'll!