I used to think... #OutofSortsBook

I used to think I could live this life on my own, but now I think I can do nothing without the grace and power of Jesus. 

My story is unique yet similar to some many other people. I became a Christian at 18 when I realized, like all Christians must do at some point, that I needed Jesus. I had been doing it on my own for so long, and I was so tired. Each day I would seek fulfillment in the world around me, just to find that the next day I needed to be filled all over again. It was temporary, and left me wanting more, feeling dirty and unlovable.

I joke with my friends about this old life, and call it BC: before Christ. I was a totally different person before I allowed God to take over my heart, will, and life. There is a lot of things I used to think, but now my world has changed...

I used to think that I couldn't be loved (if only you really knew me), but now I must choose to love myself every day.
I used to think that I wasn't beautiful but now I think that my beauty is an undeniable part of the woman God is transforming me to be.
I used to think that I loved well but now I see love is a commitment to choose God and choose the other over myself.
I used to think that I had to see, touch, feel to believe but now I know that believing is obeying, and requires faith.
I used to think that my worth came from my abilities but I am learning that I am worthy even when I am unable.

The love of God is a wave, crashing down on you, overwhelming you with its power. Each down the wave of his grace and mercy fall upon you, you change. The waters of his love transform you: carving you, building you, and shaping you from the brokenness you are and have experienced. There is no denying it or fighting it.

It changes everything. Your heart, your friends, your desires, your will, your direction, your life. There is no way you can encounter Jesus and not be transformed.

I used to think that I could do this on my own, but now I think I wouldn't want to live any other way.

Uganda Celebration 2015

This past weekend, my team gathered to celebrate the wonderful things God has done through us, our supporters and the people of the Revival Mission Church in Eastern Uganda. It was a great success! There was delicious food, preachimonies and lots of pictures! We began our presentation with this short video that provided an overview of our time in Uganda this past summer:

We then used this slideshow, found HERE, as a starting point for our time of sharing and discussion. Following the formal presentation, many people stuck around to eat the bounty that was shared by our Ugandan friends. It was very exciting to share what we have done, and look forward to what is to come! Thoughts and prayers are already being had about summer 2016!

Stay tuned for more information!

You are loved.
Liz

Bukigai: Church Construction

Most of what we give and get in Uganda is intangible: love, stories, relationships, encouragement, joy, praise, worship, prayer. We leave with fuller hearts, overflowing with testimony to the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Countless "God moments" throughout our short time in Uganda.

The biggest tangible contribution we have made to the community in Bukigai is the financial provision for their new church. Three years ago, Alex and Milly Wori were sent with the beginning funds to start the foundation of a new church.

You can see the original papyrus structure on the left, and the men building the foundation.

Two summers ago, our large team of thirteen people were able to raise enough money to bring up the walls. It was awesome to watch as our local brothers literally and figurative brought up the walls the re-ignited the light of this church body.

This last year we watched the building transform as a roof was constructed and completed. Leading up to our trip, and even while we were in country, we received an abundance of support so that we could also put in doors and windows. It was truly magical leaving the village knowing our brothers and sisters would have their first sunday worship in their new, fully enclosed building very soon

We left the village at this stage in the construction.

Very soon after, it was totally enclosed! 

The people in Bukigai are very excited about this new building! It is the biggest structure for miles, and people are already inquiring on how to rent it out! It speaks volumes of the BIG God that wishes to do BIG things in the people of Eastern Uganda. On our first day in the village this past summer, the choir of the church, called Bukigai Revival Mission Church (BRMC) sang us the original song!

Lyrics:

Bye bye the church of papyrus

We are now in a concrete one

We congratulate you our friends from UCC

And the partners who supported us

We were ignorant people in papyrus

(something) with nothing to do

We appreciate you for the love that you showed us

Because now we shine shine shine

Praise God! It is honor to spread His provision and blessings to our brothers and sisters across the globe. Thank you for partnering with us! 

You are loved.

Liz

Worship.

Sometimes, I just don't feel like worshipping. I am tired or disconnected or distracted. I don't have the warm, tingling sensation as a I sing out to our great Lord. I lack the reverence, the joy and the heart-felt connection that I am used too. That I long for.

Sometimes I feel disingenuous when I sing and do not feel these emotions or sensations. Am I really worshipping if my heart is not in it?

Yes. It is worship irregardless of how I feel about it. It is not about me, or my feelings, or my "place with God." It is about Him, His feelings and His place in my life. It is about praising His name, his works, His goodness, His work on the cross and the grace He has extended. We are to praise Him every morning and every night, in the good times but especially in the bad. Our feelings do not dictate Him, or His worthiness to be praise.

God designed us to be worshipful beings that sing out His praises all day long. But we don't live in that perfect world, and sometimes its okay to sing out when you don't feel like it. Actually, it is probably more meaningful when we worship in our yuckiness, in our despair, in our pain. Sometimes it's about obedience, and singing to Him because he deserves it, all the time, any time.

One time I asked Milly, our resident Ugandan, if she ever felt like not worshipping. Has she ever experienced the lack of desire to sing out praises? Her answer was an adamant no. "There is no place I would rather be than worshipping my Lord." She isn't kidding, and she is for real. This woman is the epitome of Holy Spirit filled and inspired.

Her intention was not to make me feel bad, or to compare. Her only responsibility is to our one true God. I am sure there are times when she does not feel the goodness and the greatness of our Lord. But ultimately she knows that is isn't about her, or me, or you. It is about Him, His son and His spirit. May we worship Him today, tomorrow and always. Because He deserves it, requires it and desires it.

You are loved.
Liz

Community.

Community. It is my favorite part about being a Christian. It is through the people around me that I experience a tangible expression of God's love. And in the times when I am not my best self, I experience God's grace through their unconditional support.

The African community takes this to another level. Their collective culture and the high value they place on togetherness and family intensify the effects of their community. If our van gets stuck in the mud, random farmers in the surrounding area congregate to help. The most often story we hear is one relatively poor family member giving to an even needier member. It doesn't matter that they are barely making ends meet, they will give what they have to their people. They give until it hurts.

During a lot of our waiting times in Uganda, I took the opportunity to talk to my Ugandan brother, teammate and resident agriculture specialist, Moses. His passion and desire for justice was inspiring. He could motivate you to support just about any cause. His biggest conviction is his love for his country and the longing to help his people out of poverty. One of our conversations led us to discuss the way that he supports his family. He provides a lot from them, mostly because he lives in the states and is able to make more money. One time he was sending a larger amount to his brother, in order to pay his university tuition. The clerk at the bank couldn't believe he was supporting his brother in this way. And Moses couldn't believe that someone wouldn't support their brother in this way.

The culture of Uganda raises its children with this value of family and community. It's not only family first, but others first. You give to others until its uncomfortable, until you can't give any more. You see that family reaches far beyond the context of mother, father, siblings. It is your fellow church members, your neighbors, that person across the street that just lost a loved one. Sounds similar to what Jesus means when He says "love your neighbor as yourself," right?

I was reading Mark 12 the other day. It talks about the widow who sacrificed all the little she had back to God at the temple offering. As I was reading the commentary on the website She Reads Truth, I realized that often our Ugandan friends live this way.

"The widow's everything was next to nothing. And yet she knew that all she has was from God, her protector and provider."

"She had the guts to give God everything... This woman with very little looked at absolutely everything she had- her poverty- as abundance."

The author of this particular devotional goes on to challenge the readers in this way:

"Are we digging deep, deep down into the next-to-nothing parts of our pockets and calendars and efforts to give to the Lord from a place of sacrifice what is already from Him?"

 Are you all in? Am I giving until it hurts? Not just your money, but your time, your priorities, your thoughts? Unfortunately, in America, we live in a culture that encourages comfort. It tells you that you have to be comfortable and if you're not, then you do whatever it takes to get there. Even in church, we are prompted to give, but do you give until it hurts, until you might have to give up some of your comforts in order to support someone else?

I admire my Ugandan friends that have come to live in America. They have left their comfort, their known world, to come to a vastly different place. They work really hard to live in average apartments so that they can send resources back to their family. But they always have enough, and they are always giving to others. It's almost as if the more open your hands, the more you have.

We have a lot to learn from one another, friends. And I am thankful for this example of community, of giving, and of sacrifice.

You are loved.
Liz

Thoughts on time, relinquishment and faith.

As I start to process my trip and all that I experienced while in Uganda, my thoughts have been sporadic. It will take time and lots of conversation to bring them together into a coherent message leading to long term effects. In the past week, as I have been journaling, I have had short moments of inspiration, where thoughts flowed and I was able to come up with a brief glimpse of God. They are messy, full of dead-end logic and incomprehensible questions. Each stream of consciousness are totally separate, but I have hope that in time they will come together to reveal more of Him, His movement in Uganda, and His will in my life. Until then, we wait.

                     

I can't believe my time in Uganda has come and gone. Time is not linear. It's almost as if there are moments or long series of moments when we can almost experience another dimension of time. Like there are gaps in the time-space continuum when it doesn't make earthly sense. I know God is outside of time, and does not see the world as we do. I wonder if there are moments when we can see beyond our humanly understanding of time.

Why do we even have time? I guess it helps our finite minds attempt to organize an infinite universe. And when we try to understand beyond this present moment, we end up going in circles. We start to believe that something came out of nothing, and that life might be possible outside of this place we know as home. We struggle to understand a god that is outside of time, outside of this known world. It is hard to see beyond ourselves, beyond our understanding of time and space. But I believe there are moments, moments that can't even be defined by seconds or minutes, that we experience a different kind of time. How is it that I am already here, three weeks after I started my Ugandan adventure? It is almost as if it never happened, and I have been doing my normal routine this whole time.

Again I say this, time is a strange phenomenon.

                     

To relinquish: to surrender what you have and what you want. To leave your convoluted human desires and dreams behind, to give up and give in to God's love. It sounds painful and it is. It sounds hard and frustrating and impossible, and well, it kind of is. To let go of letting go is confusing, and unknown and unexplainable. Releasing your grips and allowing life to be willed through you is terrifying. It is like a zip line, and those first few seconds (or minutes or days) after you jump before your lifeline (or Jesus) catches you. The free fall is what we all live to avoid. But without the jump and fall, you will never know the feeling of true reliance on God. Or the freedom of flying down the line with the wind of His grace and love that both propels you and holds you.

                     

God, you are a paradox. The more You reveal, the more You expect (Luke 12:47-48). The more I know, the more I want. The closer I get to You, I want less and less of this world. As I drink more of Your living water, the thirstier I am for You. I want You to reveal Your plans to me, but what that comes more responsibility and higher expectations and closer obedience. I am saved by faith, but without works, am I really saved? It is not about what I do, but if I do not obey am I really in relationship with you? You love me just as much today as yesterday, so why am I working so hard to earn your love?

We are just finite minds attempting to define an infinite God.

                     

You are loved.
Liz

[2015] Home (?) and Happy (!)

Home is a relative term. I am currently in my bedroom, close to my friends and all that I consider normal. But part of me will always remain in Uganda. I find that as I get older, the more my heart grows and is spread out across the country and world. And home is where the heart is, right?

Baby Jaden is one of those that stole my heart!

One thing I love about the Ugandan people is their ability to make me feel at home. I don't feel intrusive or out of place (mostly). I feel welcomed and included, wanted and part of something bigger. We were at home there, amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is always hard leaving them, but I rest in the hope of the future. Not only my return, but also our eternal heavenly home!

Saying goodbye in Bukigai

I also know that our accomplishments and future projects wouldn't be possible if we didn't live here. Living in America allows us to finically support our friends over there, and to make connections to others who can also join the mission. I am thankful for the life God has provided me here, and the heart He has given me to continue investing in His work in Uganda.

Still, over and over people asked us to stay. From marriage proposals to job offers, our friends did not want us to leave! Our Pastor Richard was insistent on it! Upon my return last year, I wondered and prayed if that was what God wanted for me. A few months ago, I was getting ready for my internship, and I felt confident that God wanted me here. He has gifted me with skills, filled me with compassion (and now provided a dream job) here in America. I have a peace that this is what God has for me right now. I do not know what the future has, but I feel certain that I am exactly where I need to be.

So I am home. And definitely happy. Leaving is bittersweet, but today I choose to be joyful in all that God has done the last two weeks.

Reunited with Baby Faith and her whole family!

I have lots more to share! Check back soon :)

You are loved.
Liz


For more pictures, check out my Facebook or the UCC blog.

[2015] One week down!

So it has been a week already. Time is a weird phenomenon- it moves simultaneously slow and fast. Our five days in Bukigai were beautiful, joyful and too short. Part of my heart will forever be there!

I am currently at cafe arabica, my favorite spot to hang in Mbale. I have been looking forward to this cappuccino since I arrived in Uganda!

I don't have much time or internet, so I'll keep this short. Our program in Bukigai went fabulously- we trained and taught around 100 locals on the topics of positive parenting, poultry management and agriculture. The information was well received! By the third day, the people were teaching one another!

During the last part of the seminar, the group collaborated to build a chicken coop with left over materials from the church roof.

We also have a fully roofed structure!! It was awesome to watch them finish the rafters and put on the roofing!! I found a great joy in visiting the site a few times a day to encourage and cheer on the workers, who were Alex's brothers and friends!

This week they will be putting in doors and windows so the entire structure will be enclosed. Praise God!! We had a little taste of how wonderful that will be- each afternoon the tropical rains came and poured down and disrupted most everything. This sunday, our friends will have their first worship service in their new brick building! I have no doubt there will be much rejoicing.

From here, we will be visiting other churches under pastor Richard's care and offering a shortened version of the three day seminar we gave in Bukigai. The goal will be to expose them to a little bit of information, but mostly just to encourage the church members. We will be traveling a lot so please pray for travel mercies!

Please pray for these requests as well:
-successful completion of the church building
-effective trainings and sharing of knowledge
-continued health and unity of our team (we have really been enjoying each other's company!)
-establishing and continuing relationships with the people we encounter
-discussions with pastor richard and team about future plans and directions

Thank you!

You are loved.
Liz

[2015] We made it!

Malembe! (Greetings!)

We arrived safely in Uganda last night at around 10:30pm. We only lost one piece of luggage, and luckily that didn't include any of our necessities! We were greeted by part of our Uganda family as usual! This was the first time I have had my name written on a sign in at the airport! Jenny and I felt very special :)

We are currently at Anderita Beach Hotel in Entebbe, which has beautiful views of Lake Victoria!

We are waiting for our dear friends Pastor Richard and Alex Wori to come pick us up! From here, we head to Bukigai, in time to have Sunday worship with them tomorrow. Please be praying for safe travels along the road here!

We will probably won't have any internet in the village, so the next update won't be until later in the week (Thursday). Please pray for our workshops and trainings that we will be conducting- that they will be fruitful and lead to positive discussions. Also pray for the relationships we will continue to build and the new ones we will create!

I appreciate you!

You are loved.
Liz

Update from the Wori Family!

Here is an update from Milly we received a few days ago!

We (Alex, Ramich and Milly) arrived in Uganda safely on June 16, 2015. Glory to God and thank you for your prayers. We also give thanks to all those who have supported this Mission both financially and through prayer. We look forward to receiving the rest of the mission team members on June 26, 2015.   

On June 18th, 2015, the Roofing materials that had been purchased  mostly in the capital, Kampala, were transported safely to Bukigai Village. On June 19, 2015, the carpentry work, led by Ezra (the Chief Carpenter-Alex's brother),  begun. Today, June 20, 2015, is when we took the attached photos as the timber for roofing was being joined before it is put up on the building. The community is very very pleased and very grateful for the support and they all send their greetings.

Below are the photos:

Alex, Ramich and

Ezra 

(Alex's brother and the head carpenter for the construction project this year)

Milly, Alex and their daughter Ramich

The construction begins!

Every thing is cut and done by hand to save costs! 

We hire Alex's brothers, cousins and family friends because they are carpenters by trade in Uganda.

That is all for now. We leave TODAY! Please be praying for the rest of the team as we travel to join the Wori Family. Our flight leaves SFO at 1:50pm and we should arrive in Entebbe by 10:40pm the following night in Ugandan time. They are 10 hours ahead of us, so our arrival time in CA will be around 12:40pm Friday afternoon. 

From there, we will spend the night in Entebbe and head to Bukigai the following day! Last time, we had a lot of detours and mishaps, so it took us a whole extra day to get there. Pray against any unnecessary barriers, and that we will arrive in the village during the day (driving on the dirt road at night is dangerous). We will have sunday worship with the church in Bukigai, we are really looking forward too! 

Thank you for your prayers!

You are loved,

Liz

 

Grants upon Grants!

This year I have been blown away by the way God has provided funding! Over and over again, people and organizations have come forward and awarded grants, extra support and and abundant blessing over this upcoming trip. I wanted to give you all an outline of some of the organizations we will be partnering with as we continue our relationship with the Bukigai church.

In the fall, one of our team members Kelly Huff found an organization called the Paraklete Foundation. This word "paraklete" means "to come alongside" in Greek. Their vision is:

The Paraklete Foundation proclaims, demonstrates and expresses God's love by supporting those in need of education, training or experience in life skills, spiritual nurture, and/or Christian service in lower economic communities.

We submitted a grant proposal to fund the next critical phase of construction of the church: the roof! It is vital that we add the roof to the structure soon so that the walls do not get worn down. Praise God- THEY GRANTED US THE WHOLE AMOUNT! Nine thousand dollars later, and we will be providing this community, the preschool, and the church with a brand new, leak-free roof.

This spring, our new team member Cindie encouraged our team to apply to the Blum Center at UC Davis. They mission statement is:

The Blum Center for Developing Economies addresses the needs of poor communities in developing countries. We prepare students with the theoretical understanding, applied skills, and experiential learning. Our courses and grants programs enable students to become agents of change in the war against world poverty.

We found out about this possibility at the last minute, but Cindie and our other team member Jenny worked hard to make sure they got it in by the deadline. Praise God- they received a four thousand dollar grant for their chicken project! Not only will this cover the cost of supplies, but will also cover some of the in country travel costs.

Lastly, our team has somehow (thanks to Jesus) gotten connected to Veterinarians Without Borders (VWB). This organization has initiatives in various countries, including Uganda. Their goal in Uganda is:

implementing regional trainings to teach smallholders to recognize signs of disease and report them to their District Veterinarian so steps can be taken to control disease before an epidemic occurs.

Another woman from our church has volunteered with VWB and encouraged us to contact them. Within weeks, we had set up a partnership between VWB and our two team vets, Jenny and Cindie. This organization has agreed to cover nearly the entire cost for these two, including airfare! That means all the financial support they have raised will now go to help the rest of the team! This is a huge reason why I was able to go.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!? God is so good, and has continued to provide for us and our brothers and sisters in Uganda. He is not limited, and will use whatever means necessary to further His kingdom.

You are loved.
Liz

Until then, we wait.

Lately this phrase has brought me a lot of peace: Until then, we wait.

It seems like we are always waiting, doesn't it? Even after God has provided so abundantly and thoroughly in recent weeks, I still feel like I am waiting. Waiting for my job to start, for my husband to come, for real life to begin.

I have been reading this book called "When the Heart Waits" by Sue Monk Kidd. It has been exactly what my heart and soul has needed during this in between time. It is helping me redefine what it means to wait, and has fed the fire of the hope inside of me.

Our culture as a whole is constantly moving forward, barely slowing down to appreciate the milestones and memory markers along the way. We think we are wasting time when we are not doing something. Near the beginning of her book, Kidd quotes a monk she met during her visit to the St. Meinrad Archabbey:

" 'When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important thing there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be.' " (22)

 Instead of waiting, we often fill our time, schedules and lives with movement.

"Movement is a kind of diversion from our inner misery. Without the stimulation of forward motion, we're troubled by thoughts we usually keep at bay. Yet, stillness is essential." (33)

And often times, it's painful to wait. It can seem like the "rawest kind of agony," (21). You beg and plead with God to fulfill your needs now. I mean, if God and/or Jesus can satisfy all my desires, why doesn't He?? 

Because often times, what we need is found in those times of waiting. Spiritual growth and ultimate fulfillment come as we painfully wait for what we think we want. As we trust in Jesus and obey His commands, we find the satisfaction, joy, love and worth we have been longing for. As Kidd writes:

"Transformations come only as we go the long way round, only as we are willing to walk a different, longer, more arduous, more inward, more prayerful route." (19)

There are no short-cuts in God's kingdom. God cares more about the process than the product. Even then, when we arrive at our long awaited destination, we find that there is always the next thing we are waiting for. I am starting to see that it really is in the "in-between times" where the most growth happens. Moreover, it is where most of life happens.

My hope in this time of waiting grows as I recall each time God has been faithful to His promises. I have been here before, waiting for the next revelation, for greater understanding. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. And I have more faith than ever that it will happen. And when it does, I will once again be amazed by God's greatness and abundant provision.

Until then, we wait.

You are loved.
Liz

PS- Sorry, this post has nothing (directly) to do with Uganda. Just wanted to share :)

[2015] Our Mission

Ultimately, our mission is to build relationships with the Ugandan people.

When preparing for and going on short-term mission trips, it is important to have a long-term perspective. It is silly to think that I am going to Africa to bring Jesus or that I will change the world of the people that I meet. Instead, I believe that I am taking part of the work that God is already doing in Uganda. There are already people, churches and movements happening. There are dedicated Christians and full-blown ministries that are reaching out to the poor and needy of Uganda. The only new thing I am bringing is my American culture and my white skin.

With that said, our team does hope to bring some skills and training that might not be available to our friends there. This year, we are bringing along Moses, who is a Ugandan that now studies agriculture at UC Davis. We met him last year (as he is a friend of our resident Ugandans) on our adventures while he was doing research in some of the areas that we visited. He will be on our team, providing some agricultural workshops for the local people. Additionally, my girl Jenny and another new team member Cindie will be facilitating a chicken project that will include education, vaccination and maybe some chicken coop building! Due to their work with chickens, these two have received a 4,000 grant and FREE airfare, which is part of the reason I was able to go this year! Additionally, Uncle Greg, our team leader again this year, will be continuing his positive parenting discussions. Last summer, he started training some of the elders and pastors about the "Family Hui," a creation of his nonprofit that focuses on bringing together families into a larger community. He hopes to continue this training and spread the information to more people this year.

I am the only one on our team that does not have a specific...purpose. My only role is to bring the love and joy and excitement that God has abundantly blessed me with. As an inherent achiever, I anticipate this might be difficult for me. I love being productive and completing tasks and having a tangible thing to leave behind. With that said, I know I want it to be more about the people and less about the product. I believe that is more in line with God's heart, anyway. 

One great thing about returning this summer is that it shows the all the people I met last year that I was serious when I said that I would be back. It is sometimes hard for me to accept the fact that simply my presence is a blessing to people, especially those in other countries. I mean, think about it- wouldn't you feel privileged if people traveled across the globe just to meet you?? The idea that I would give up my time, money, and comfort to get to know them blesses them. And the fact that I would do it again solidifies the fact that I am committed to them and our relationship. 

Thanks for coming along side me as I prepare my heart and mind for another African adventure. I love being a part of what God is doing here in Davis and across the globe in Uganda!

You are loved.

Liz

Trust and Patience

On October 26th, 2013, I wrote in my journal: "Trust and patience hurt so bad."

Waiting and trusting, patiently obeying, and taking that first step into the unknown is painful. And hard! But God calls us to do this consistently. He calls us to obey when we don't know what is coming next. He ask to trust that His plan is best. And through it all, we must be patient for his timing. In the midst of that, you sometimes find it hard to hope.

But then the moment comes. His promise is fulfilled and you find yourself wondering why you ever doubted His goodness. Because His plan is better than you imagined, better than you could have thought. Let me explained a little more :)

In December this last year, God brought me (again) to the story of Abraham. God fulfilled His promise of a son to him, but He later asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac. Abraham did not know what God's plan was but trusted that it was the best. This story resonated with me and I realized that God desires us to sacrifice everything to Him, even when it doesn't make any sense! Over the past few months, God has asked me to surrender my desires, or my "Isaac"s to Him. This included my hope for marriage (right now), as well as my desire to go back to Uganda this summer. As I made my final decision to not return at this time, I told God that he could have it, have this hope, and that I would not go unless He gave "it" back to me (just like God gave Isaac back to Abraham). 

For months, I grieved the loss of a return trip as my roommate/best friend/travel partner/soul sista Jenny prepared to go with the team to Uganda this summer. We would joke that if the team raised enough money for me to go, then maybe that was a sign from God. We included our resident Ugandan/prayer warrior Milly in on this joke. We should have known that she would take it very seriously!

On Thursday April 30th (less than two months before the team would leave), I received this email from Milly:

"Hello Liz,

I hope the Lord is telling you to go with us. We have also started funding raising late but we are confident we shall make it. Please join us. You do not have to raise all your need your self. Some body is willing to bridge the gap in case of any deficit. Please join us. Just let Greg and Rick know you want to go."

I was shocked, doubtful, and excited. Was this it? Was God giving me back this hope NOW? Upon further investigation, I found out that there a generous donor who was willing to "bridge the gap" and donate the money we needed in order to get the team to Uganda. Hours later after receiving this email, we found out that one of our projects received a large grant that would cover some of the other in-country travel costs. Within the next day, our two veterinarians, Jenny and Cyndie, also started a partnership with another organization that would pay for their airfare. Therefore, all the money they had been fundraising would now go to the rest of the team...which very soon would include ME!

To say the least, I was skeptical. I wanted to make the right decision. I only wanted to go if God wanted me to go. Plus, I was graduating and needed to find a job. I was convinced that if I made the right decision than God would provide me a full-time job for next year. That is when my girl Jenny called me out- I was acting as if God's promises were conditional on my faithfulness. But as you can see in the story of Abraham, God fulfills his promises despite our mistakes. God's promises are founded in His faithfulness, not on me or my faithfulness. God would fulfill his promise to me to provide a job, whether I made the "right" decision or went to Uganda. 

So with that, I decided to go. I decided to persevere through my doubts and wonderings and trust that God would provide. I boldly proclaimed that truth as I shared my reasons for returning. I have known since I started my masters program that God would provide a job following graduation. Now I just gave Him a slightly smaller window to show up, between my graduation trip to Hawaii and this adventure to Uganda. 

One week after Milly's email, I had an interview for a school counselor position at a high school in Vacaville. I felt good going into the interview, I felt confident in the interview, and I felt positive after the interview. I knew it was crazy, but I prayed that they would call back that day. Four hours later, I got a call from the principle. And they offered me the job the same day. This NEVER happens...except with God. 

Within a week I had decided to go back to Uganda AND God provided me a job. SAY WHAT?!? I was bursting with JOY and couldn't contain myself as a relished in God's goodness. He longs to bless us with good gifts. And they are even more sweet when we are patient and trust in His good and perfect plan.

Often times, it seems as if God is slow to action, but when He decides to move, it happens really quickly! I have been swept away in this river of goodness. And I CANNOT WAIT to see where God takes me next!!

More on my next Ugandan adventure to come :)

You are loved.

Liz