[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