Touching Jesus

I have sat down to write this many times over the past week.  Immediately something else vies for my attention and I have happily obliged.  I am overwhelmed by every emotion known to the human race.  My time in Uganda, the beautiful people, the incredible sights, the unbelievable poverty, the expressions of pure joy flowing from the hearts of those that literally possess nothing in this world.  It seems impossible to describe how I feel or to sort through these emotions that change as each memory flows through my mind.

God has been able to do abundantly more than I expected from the 12 days that I spent in Uganda.  It seems comical now, but before I even applied to go on this trip, I had a conversation with my aunt about our concerns for going.  I told her I couldn’t imagine leaving my precious boys for 12 days.  What on earth would they do without their mommy for that long?  What if, God forbid, something terrible happens and we don’t make it home, I remember asking her?  What if?!  Truly, God’s love is so perfect and merciful that in that moment, I felt Him say, “My sweet child, what happened in the last 12 days of your life?”  I thought, “Well, I definitely survived, maybe didn’t serve you as much as I could have Lord, but you still provided.”  I felt God ask again, “What about the 12 days before that, and the 12 days before that, and the 27 years of 12 day periods that I have allowed you to have before that?  Now that you are willing to set aside your own agenda and seek to serve where I have called you, NOW you have concerns about a 12 day time period?”  It was a peaceful confirmation to me that God was leading me to take this journey with Him, to meet Him in a place that He loves so very much, and to prepare myself to encounter Him in an indescribable way. 

Our pastor spoke right before I left about how we meet God.  He read Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Bold for emphasis)

Our pastor said, “Do you want to experience Jesus in radical way?  Feed the homeless. Give your love to the orphan and widow. Clothe the naked and care for the sick.  Because when you give your heart and your very best to those in need, you are physically touching Jesus!”

Through tears I remember looking over at Kyle as he whispered in my ear, “Are you ready?  Jesus is calling and He is ready for you to touch Him and love Him in a whole new way.” 

Truly as I sit here looking back on my experience, I am humbled to know that God allowed me to caress the face of Jesus.  I held His precious body and I kissed His magnificent face.  While I humbly clothed and fed Him, He bathed me in righteousness and set about the task of changing my heart for all eternity. For every ounce of love that God poured in and through me onto His precious people, He touched me abundantly more than I felt I was able to give and my life will never be the same!  These pictures bring tears to my eyes each time I see how richly God blessed me with the honor and privilege to know Him more intimately by loving His own!  

While there are many more stories to share, I want to end this by sharing some of the beautiful faces of Jesus.  He is beautiful, sovereign, merciful, powerful, gracious, and loving.  He is ABUNDANTLY MORE than I ever imagined and His perfect love is the greatest blessing I have ever experienced in my 27 years of life!  Please take time to pray for each of these treasured Heirs to our Father's Throne!  

A big thanks to Bethany, Hannah, and Lisa for some of the most incredible memories captured in pictures!

More stories to come very soon!

I LOVE this place!!!

Wow!  There is so much to say and yet it seems literally impossible to even attempt to describe my experiences here in Uganda!  I can definitely feel the Lord at work and I seem to become crazier by the day as I am SERIOUSLY falling in love with being here - so much so that I have already planted the seed with Kyle, but now that I think about it... he never responded to that email, interesting... (Small group friends, don't worry - I will NOT play the Holy Spirit Jr. on this one!)

ANYWAYS, we have been able to see and serve in so many areas of Kampala, it has just been incredible!  We didn't arrive here until Wednesday, but since then we have gotten to:
* Love on over 50 babies at Sanyu Babies Home, especially one little treasure named Gloria!
*Painted houses and played with orphans at The Open Door orphanage.  I literally had a sweet 3 year old named Akeem attached to my hip for over 5 hours!  (I have lots of pictures but the internet is too slow to load them here... will have to wait until I get back.)
*Traveled to one of the craziest markets on earth and got stuck there with 5 other women and a translator...lets just say the stories I have to share about this experience will need to be told in person or at a later date because of how crazy it was but God was so amazing and my faith was stretched more in that several hour time period than probably ever before!
*We worked with women at Hope House that are former prostitutes now working to earn a living making the most beautiful jewelery you have ever seen!  They are so beautiful on the outside and even more beautiful on the inside!  They are just learning about Christ and it was so inspiring to hear of their hope and joy found only in Him!
*And today we got to go to the slums because 250 boys that live on the streets were invited to a wedding feast, (and when I say feast, I seriously mean it...weddings are an all day thing here!) because we brought shirts, ties, pants, underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a letter from a family in America for each child.  We actually ran out with about 20-30 boys left but God was still so gracious to those boys and they were so joyful.  Picture me bawling like a baby and them still smiling.  I've got a feeling these boys experience more joy in the simple things like actually getting to go to the wedding than I could ever imagine in my own life.  It was very humbling when one of them asked me to tell him about America.  He said, "The people in America must be such a joyful and happy because they can buy anything they want, live in nice houses and eat many times a day. That is how I have pictured them my whole life, is that true?"  I tried to explain America to him but he couldn't understand how we would ever be unhappy or ungratefull for the lives that we lead.  I will truly never forget the puzzled look on his face and the disappointment he had in hearing that many times we take our blessings for granted.  I would love to challenge each of you to really think about how much you have, make a list even, of all the blessings that God has given you!  Seriously, whoever makes the longest list will get something cool from Africa.  Girls - I've got some beautiful jewelry and Guys - Well I think my dad is probably the only one checking this that is a guy so dad, if you make the longest list - I'll figure something out! :) 

Thank you all for your continued prayers while I am on this journey!  I know this post was a lot of info mixed with me being a goof but it has been an incredibly long day and I am about to head to bed for the night!  (It is almost 9pm here.)
Some things you can pray for:

1. Wisdom and discernment as I go through this next week.  God is showing me some incredible things and some areas of my life that I have been withholding from Him that He is taking over.
2. For our team, that we would continue to let God be our guide in each day and in all we do! 
3. For our families at home since we are heading into week 2 and they are really starting to miss us. 
4. For the children at the orphanages, that God would set the lonely into families and allow these children to feel the love of a mom and dad!
5. For the Street Boys, that God would deliver them from any addictions they have and for any of them that do not know Him, that God would make Himself known to them in some really powerful ways!

Thank you again for your support!  I love you all!!! 

Bekah

We are hereeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

We made it safe and sound to Uganda this morning at about 8am.  Thankfully, jet lag hasn't set in yet and I am feeling so overwhelmed by God's provision and direction that I haven't had even a moment to feel tired.  Today we were able to go and eat at a Ugandan pizza parlor and it was so fun to experience the Ugandan version of pizza.  Afterwards, our interpretor took a few of us to go and offer our leftover pizza to the street children.  Let me tell you, there are no words to express the deep sadness I feel for those poor sweet babies!  One child couldn't even take a piece a pizza because his "pimp" as they are referred to here, was watching and he would get in trouble for taking it.  But there were many other children that were so incredibly grateful and excited to be given a meal!  One boy, (I don't even know his name) has a very deep wound on his leg and is in need of serious medical attention.  We had left our suitcases at the guest house so I couldn't help him today, but I will not make the same mistake tomorrow!  These children need love, hope, nurishment and medical care in the most desperate way!  I am so totally humbled that God has allowed me to touch Him through this children, according to His word!  Well I better get going because we are just about to go to Sanyu baby home and spend the next 3 hours loving on some of God's most precious treasures!  I will try and post pictures with the next post but for now, I am heading over to love on some sweet babies!  Please continue to pray for us, our families and the children that we are ministering too!  Pray that God's love would bridge the language barriers and that His hope would fill these children to the point of overflowing onto others!  Please pray for wisdom for me as I meet those that need medical help.  Pray that God would give me a discerning heart and a humble spirit so that through all of this ALL the glory, honor and praise would belong to the Almighty God!

UGANDA!!!

I know it has been a VERY LONG time since I last posted, just wanted you to know this is still the place to follow the adventures of our family - we just took a little 6 month break! :)  Come back in the next few weeks to follow my journey to Uganda...