Thanksgiving

The holiday season is once again upon us, and I have to say I am very glad to be so far away from the commercialism that has taken all that is sacred out of our Holy days! Here, there is no bustle to buy, buy, buy, because there is nothing to buy and nothing to buy it with. Over the past week I’ve been thinking a lot about the Thanksgiving holiday and what it is, what it is supposed to be, and what it should mean for me as a follower of Jesus Christ. I remember being in elementary school having a whole day of class dedicated to celebrating the holiday. We would cut out hand shaped turkeys, make big pilgrim hats, eat a ton of sugary snacks, and talk about all of the stuff we were thankful for. I remember filling countless lists over the years of things that the Lord had provided me and my family with. And I was truly thankful for them. My lists would always include my wonderful family, great friends, and a long list of the material things that the Lord had been so faithful to provide. Being here, it would be easy to list all the things that we have the luxury of at home in America, but it would be worthless, because all of those things are essentially worthless. People here don’t have electricity or running water, or even clean water for that matter, so what good are water heaters and dish washers or washing machines? There is always an abundance of good food around the holidays as well, and in fact in many households that has become the sole purpose in celebrating at all! In America, we have so much to be thankful for that I feel that sometimes we lose track of the things that are the most valuable. The thing that we should be the most thankful for that we take the most for granted is the wonderful gift of salvation through Jesus Christ! The work of reconciliation is the greatest, most essential, most exciting thing in the world! That our indescribably great, perfect and holy God would choose to reconcile His creation to Himself by taking on Himself the punishment for their sins for the glory of His name is beyond comprehension and should make our hearts spill over with jubilant thanksgiving!! In light of the cross, water heaters and sanitization plants, and good healthcare facilities are garbage! In comparison with the honor of being able to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, our families and friends are nothing! And what is food? It does not and cannot fill or satisfy, we can eat until we can’t even walk to the door but in the morning, we will still be hungry! Our God is able to fill us forever with His very presence and that is reason enough to give thanks!
To be entirely clear, I am so thankful for the overwhelming abundance that the Lord has blessed me with! I cannot understand why He would choose to bless me with the wonderful wonderful family that He’s placed me in; the terrific friendships He’s brought into my life that challenge, encourage and bless me so much; the opportunity to have a quality education, and live in a beautiful part of the world in a nice house, and a million more wonderful blessings that are completely undeserved! But, during this holiday celebration, these are not the things that are at the forefront of my mind, nor should they be! I am so thankful for these gifts, but my eyes and heart should be focused on giving thanks to our wonderful gift giver, the LORD!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

"Who knows but that you have come for such a time as this?"

Wow. Sometimes the Lord shows His hand so clearly in a situation and it literally takes my breath away. Days like today, even though I have had less than 6 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours, I can scarcely contain the joy that is pounding in my heart and feel like bursting into a thousand pieces and yelling and crying and laughing all at the same time! I have to be completely honest, at least a half dozen times a day recently I have had to stop myself from whining in my head about how exhausted I am and try to cling once again to the purpose for which I am submitting to the labor of being exhausted, that is glorifying the name of Jesus Christ in every situation, and not the name of Heidi Elliott. Last night as we finally pulled into our compound after a full day of travel at 2 am, and I flopped myself into the bed fully aware of the fact that I’d be up again in less than an hour to feed the baby, I had to pray hard for the ability to see beyond the moment and the momentary discomfort of not being able to force my eyes to focus for more than 30 seconds at a time.
This morning, (after the sun had actually come up) I sat down and read a note from a friend that reminded me that our God works through seemingly hopeless and thoroughly unlikely situations for the display of His glory and greatness, and reminded me of the way He’s been faithful to show this through the past. The Lord caused the words to stick in my mind all morning and as we hit the ground running seeing patients I was reminded of what I’ve been learning in my bible study on the book of Esther. Beth Moore draws out an interesting parallel between the well known words of Mordecai and words in the book of Joel. She points out that Mordecai may have purposefully framed his words to reflect and remind Esther of what had been written in Joel about Zion in a time of peril needing to be rescued by our merciful God. Or it could have been that the Lord just chose to tie together the pieces of history and leave His fingerprints clearly displayed without Mordecai even being aware of the part he was playing. I was reminded that it was only Esther that had been called for “such a time as this.” One of the points that Beth Moore had made was that “who knows?” if every mind battle that we face and have to choose between honoring the Lord and following the leading of the Holy Spirit could be that very defining moment for which we were created. The weight of righteousness is a heavy burden, but Praise God we do not have to bear the burden alone because it would not be physically possible!
So, as the day progressed, and both Renee and I were battling fatigue, headaches, backaches, and just general discouragement, but the Lord was so faithful to continue to remind me that He is always concerned with “such a time as this,” and that I needed to trust that He would work even when I thought that I could not. This afternoon I sat down with one of the children we had taken to the clinic earlier in the morning and his father to discuss his follow up injections. His father didn’t speak any English so our day guard sat down with us to help translate. I told him a few things to convey and then sat and waited and watched as their conversation became intense. I had no idea what was being communicated back and forth, but was growing impatient to move onto the next patient. After a few minutes Charles, (the day guard) sat up straight and smiled real big at me and said, “Okay. He said that he is a Muslim but because of all that he has seen here in the past week he wants to know about being born again. On Sunday he is coming and he will come to my church for prayers!” PRAISE GOD!!! I had to fight back the giant tears that were filling my wide eyes, as I thanked him for inviting his to his church. The father smiled and thanked me and shook my hand several times, and as I walked them to the compound gate to head to the hospital with the next patient I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement at the grace of our Lord for allowing me to see that He is in the business of turning back hearts! The Lord used that interaction to show me His fingerprints on this situation and remind me that all of our efforts are for “such a time as this;” times when the world is watching and seeing if we really do care about them and care to show them the love of Jesus. Times when the Lord wants to give us the joy of being a part of His work in teaching others about His character and drawing them to Himself.
When I reached the hospital where I was supposed to meet Renee, I walked in and was once again blown away by a reminder of God’s perfect plan and perfect timing. As we were sitting in a poorly lit hallway waiting for a doctor that never came, we shared the events of the afternoon and Renee began to tell me about some new ideas she has felt the Lord laying on her heart recently. As she was saying that she still wasn’t sure if they were her own ideas or the Lord’s, a white woman walked up to us and just started asking us about our ministry. It was a whirlwind of a conversation, but she left and returned with a Ugandan woman who wanted to talk to us about the very thing that Renee had just described to me! As soon as that little meeting was over, we felt like it was time to head to a different hospital since the little girl we had was not even receiving treatment. We walked away from that hospital marveling at how the Lord had placed us there for the purpose of meeting this woman; talk about a divine appointment!
The Lord is incomprehensibly great and He desires for His creation to have the joy of seeing His greatness and glory, and His plans to accomplish that are perfect!! I am incredibly joyful and humbled by the realization that He chooses to use me as a part of that plan, despite my weaknesses, my tired whining, and my blurred vision for the future. I am so thankful to be in this place for such a time as this!

Thank you all for your prayers and notes of encouragement, they mean so much! I wanted to also update you on Shaquille, for those of you who have been praying for is surgery. They finally felt that he was well enough to operate on Thursday and the surgery went well! He is feeding through his mouth and the doctors say he is healing nicely and should be discharged possibly early next week. They said that he was even laughing and singing this afternoon. Praise Jesus! Here are some pictures from before and after the operation. The tubes in his nose were for feeding through, and they said that now he is tube free so I’ll post more pictures when he gets home!

Kids, kids and more kids!!

Hello my friends and family, what an adventure life is! I apologize that my updates have been few and far between! I know that all of you are eager to know how to pray specifically, and I am going to try to be better at equipping my fellow prayer warriors over this last month. Our cup here at Serving His Children is always full, and so is our dinner table! In the past few weeks we’ve had kids in and out of the house with different ailments that range from infected cuts and fungal infections to Typhoid and TB as well as severe malnutrition. To learn more about what has been going on here in the past few weeks you can read Renee’s blog; http://www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com/. How I wish I could recount all of the precious details of each child who has come through our doors and into our hearts, but with so many babies in the house it is impossible to spend that much time at the computer! I will just give a brief description of what the Lord has been doing with some specific children recently so that you can worship along with us in thanksgiving over all of the ways He’s been showing His face!

Meet Selah Grace. Praise the LORD for His gracious character and His sweet loving-kindness! Her name is a reflection of what our God has chosen to reveal to us through her. My heart is overflowing with joy from the blessing of this baby girl, and the honor of being a part of God’s plan for her life, even if only for a short time. Selah was a nameless 10 day old baby girl that was brought to us a few weeks ago by one of our neighbors. She had been abandoned by her mother, and the woman she was left with wanted to throw her in the latrine. Our neighbor somehow knew of the situation and told her that she knew of some white girls who would take her. Of course when we saw her our hearts were captured and after only a few hours of thinking and praying about what to do with the situation, Renee and I were already excitedly discussing the name Renee had thought of and all the little outfits we could put her in! When Selah came to us she was covered in a strange chaffing rash from never being bathed and she was loosing weight because of poor nutrition. She rarely cried, which generally means that they had not been holding her and she had given up on crying. Today, she is a healthy 5 ½ week old, gaining weight, cooing and even smiling occasionally in response to big kisses from her aunties! J This week Renee met with the probation officer for the Jinja area and we’ve been told that he is going to grant a foster care order so that we can continue to care for Selah legally. We are so excited for that huge answer to prayer!

This is Shaquille. (His real name is Shakul, but we have another little boy with the same name so we had to rename him so that we would not get confused!) Shaquille is one year old and is still drinking milk as his only source of nutrients. He has a cleft pallet which makes it impossible for him to suck, or eat anything that could get caught up inside his nasal passages. Because of this he is developmentally behind schedule. He is very small and has very little muscular strength. When he first came to us, we were told that there was no one in Uganda who could do the surgery, and that he was just going to die from malnutrition. This week, because of God’s provision, we’ve travelled to Entebbe twice and Shaquille is at a brand new hospital there waiting for his surgery that is scheduled for next week. He has gained a ton of weight since he’s been with us and is a happy little boy. Please pray for the whole procedure and the recovery, that the Lord would protect him from infection.

This is Shakul, a 1 ½ year old who 2 months ago was seriously malnourished and dying from HIV and malaria. While in local children’s hospital doctors tried to inject fluids through an IV in his head. When the needle fleshed out because his veins were so small, they forced the injection through anyway and caused a large chemical burn. When he came to our house he never smiled, the skin was falling off of his head and you could see his tail bone sticking out even with a diaper on because he was so emaciated. Over the past two months he’s gained about 3 or 4 pounds, has bubby cheeks and a round belly and the cutest smile ever. This boy has a very strong will, and even has enough energy to throw some giant tantrums, but we’ve grown pretty attached regardless! We’ve recently discovered that he loves hats, so we bought him an orange bucket cap and he loves to wear it all the time, he even gets mad when we take it off for bath time. He is growing in size, muscular strength, and even in good humor and we enjoy watching God work in his little life.
This is Allaphat, and Praise Jesus, after a long and terrifying battle with many ailments, this giggling, galloping little boy was healthy enough to go home! He was here about 3 months and in that time there were many many tearful nights spend on my knees asking the Lord to please let him live to see morning! (My last blog post was a reflection of a few weeks of staying up with Allaphat for feedings.) It was a painful process for all of us, but the Lord was so faithful and showed His strength in bringing healing! Allaphat is HIV positive, so he will always be immunity impaired and struggle to keep away sickness, but he’ll be facing the future with the right foot forward now since he is back to his healthy weight. He was very sad to go home because of all the fun he’s had with us since he’s been healthy enough to play, but he comes to visit nearly everyday and pops his head in to say, ”Auntie Heidi, How are you?” J Even now I can hear him outside singing his favorite song from bible study, “Pharaoh, Pharaoh” at the top of his lungs! Please continue to pray for him as he comes from a Muslim home and my heart hurts for him to grow up knowing Jesus!

Maurine is still healthy and doing great! She is learning English very well and becoming quite the little helper with her “siblings.” Faith is big and healthy and has also been well enough to go home, but her mother is now employed by SHC so she also visits everyday and comes to play. Our hearts are so full with love for all of these children! Thank you for your prayers for them, it is an indescribable blessing to watch them all grow and learn and know that our God has a specific plan for each of their lives and we get the honor of helping and watching it to unfold!

Meditating the Incomprehesible

I’m finding that in the dark of night and on the edge of life where death begins to be a terrifying reality, human strength holds no hope at all. Its something we know in our heads, but are shocked by it when we see this truth in such a powerful way. The past two weeks have been so emotional and exhausting, but have given me such great perspective that only experience can bring, and ultimately taught me more about living by the strength of our powerful God and not thinking that I can by my own strength “power through.” Tonight, as I was riding with Renee on the back of a motorcycle back to the hospital, we passed a woman laying bleeding on the side of the road. We quickly pulled off the road and ran back to where a small crowd was beginning to form. She was bleeding from several wounds on her head as well as from her shoulder and for many long minutes she seemed unconscious and I seriously thought that she might die. In times such as these the only prayers that will come from my heart are cries of “Jesus, please help!” We had been bringing sheets for Renee to sleep on at the hospital so it just so happened that we had sheets to help put pressure on her bleeding head wounds to slow the loss of blood. (Another reminder that there are no chance encounters, only divine appointments) As Renee held the sheets to her head, I held her hand and the flashlight and prayed that the Lord would bring the ambulance quickly. The ambulance never came though and after about 20 minutes a man with a car finally scooped her up and told us that he would not wait for the ambulance and would take her to the hospital himself. After watching his car speed of down the road, we climbed back onto the back of our motorcycle and headed the rest of the way. I don’t know if she’ll be okay; I don’t know if she even made it to the hospital. I don’t know if my 20 minutes of holding a stranger’s hand in the dark will make any difference in her life at all. In the midst of so many unknowns that have the potential to drown my heart in discouragement, I have to cling tightly to what I do know. I know that our God is bigger than this world; bigger than corrupt governments and poor healthcare; bigger that my comprehension. I know that He can conquer fear and bring peace; I know that He has conquered death and will continue to bring hearts back to the life that they were created for in Him. I know that even though I don’t know the whole story, He does because He is the Author of life and is sovereign over all creation.

Worship is powerful!

As I was preparing for today’s bible lesson, I was listening to some praise music in the background. I continue to be convinced that the Lord has called me to teaching because of how much I have to learn! Everyday He teaches me new things about Himself and I’m blown away at the growth that comes when I am actively working towards growing others. In preparation for the lesson, I was reading 2 Chronicles 20. It says that a vast army was coming against Jehoshaphat, king of Judah and that after hearing this, “Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD.” He called for fasting across all Judah and “the people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD.” I was first of all struck by this reaction. Many different stories in scripture record the wrong reactions that we have had to different trials and troubles, but Jehoshaphat knew where real power came from and called upon the King of heaven and earth to give him wisdom and strength for the battle ahead. Once the people were assembled before the temple of the LORD, he said “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” He immediately turned to worship in the face of trouble. I was meditating on the reality of what can come from a heart that chooses that kind of reaction when a familiar song came on describing the story told in Acts 16. “In prisoner’s chains, with bleeding stripes, Paul and Silas prayed that night. And in their pain, began to sing; their chains were loosed and they were freed.” I decided to take the opportunity to re-read this familiar story. I remember hearing it in Sunday school and even teaching about it on occasion, but had never been so struck with the fact that their response to the awful situation they were in was worship! Then as a direct result of their worship, God chose to shake the foundations of the prison and break the chains of all of the prisoners. The story does not end there either, in fact the best part comes after the earthquake, because that night the Lord brought many hearts to Himself! The jailer saw the power of the God that these men worshiped and wanted to seek Him. Acts tells us that he said “’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved- you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.” What a powerful reminder! Because Paul and Silas had their hearts set to worship, they were prepared for ministry even in the middle of a trial in the middle of the night! The Lord used them to show His power and might because they were worshipping Him through their struggle. How I long to be used like that! But if my eyes and heart are more fixed on the size of my trial rather than the size of my God then I will not be ready for the real battle; the battle for lost souls!
I returned to my lesson and continued to study through the rest of the 2 Chronicles 20. The Lord spoke to the people and let them know that the battle was His and that they needed only to take up their positions and stand firm and watch the deliverance that He was going to give them. King Jehoshaphat and all of Judah and Jerusalem fell on their faces and worshipped God. The next morning, they suited up in obedience. But the most exciting preparation they had for the day was the suiting of their hearts for battle. “Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever!’ As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” The LORD is great and His love endures forever! May that be the tune of my heart in response to every situation, and may it clothe me with readiness to watch God win every battle! He is mighty to save and faithful to do it! Worshipping Him is the only response that will fit, and He is more than worthy of it!

The lesson went well, though it rained and we had to send the kids home directly after the lesson. I know that God has big things in store if He is teaching the hearts of His little ones as much as He is teaching mine! Thank you for your continued prayers for the children who come that their hearts would be drawn to worship of our great King through knowledge of Him and His greatness, worth and power!

Who knew that heart strings could be stretched so far or that we could have the capacity for so much love? My heart has been stretched across half of the globe and somehow I still find myself falling in love with new little ones everyday! I feel like my heart breaks a little everyday, and yet it feels so full and refilled with every divine encounter and every sweet conversation that the Lord reveals and reminds me of His purpose! We have another little girl in the house named Maurine, and I love this little 5 year old like I can’t believe! This morning we had church and we got to dress her up in one of the cute new dresses we bought for her at the market this week, and she smiled so big! Not a lot of words yet, but I was thrilled to have a response that shows she understands that we love her! She comes from a home of abuse, so I know she struggles with fear and security issues. She sat on my lap for a while after dinner and was content to just sit and have her back tickled for a long while and even wandered into the kitchen and stood next to me until I hugged and kissed her tonight, so she is even feeling comfortable enough to seek physical comfort from us! Her smile is so beautiful!
Faith is getting so big, I cannot believe it! Even in the few weeks I’ve been here she has grown a ton, and is now just a chubby looking 2 year old! She is so active and has been playing and talking up a storm! Its just my favorite to run and play “hide and tickle” with her in the mornings and hear her shriek with excitement as she finds me behind doorways!
This morning I taught children’s church at Acacia Community Church, and that was pretty funny! The church is outside, and this morning was windy and threatening to rain on us, which just added another dimension to the chaos! There were about 50 kids and myself and two other helpers, which would not be too different from bible study here at the house, but I tried to do a craft and two games this morning on top of the lesson! It went much better than it could have gone, but I heard later that the adults could hear all of our activities going on the other side of the house despite my attempts to keep the activities relatively contained and quiet! I think the kids enjoyed it though, and I know I certainly did!
I cannot even communicate how the Lord continues to remind me of His wonderful faithfulness! I learn more here everyday than I feel like I teach, as our sweet Counselor leads me through each day, each lesson plan, each unexpected event and reminds me of His greatness, His glory, His wonderful compassion and sweet mercy! I find that every day I am falling more in love with Jesus as I fall in love with the people that He’s made and is continuing to make in His likeness, and as He works and moves in my heart to draw me to Himself! It is a beautiful, beautiful life!

Hello my family and friends! I have a spare moment here and want to bring you up to speed on what is going on here. We have started teaching every day instead of every other day, which I love! Last Friday, as I was preparing to start bible class, we found that we were entirely without a translator! I was pretty sure that the next hour would be a disaster, but prayed that the Lord would take over and miraculously bridge the language gap. Of course, our God is faithful and he provided more than I could have asked for and when I sat down to begin teaching, a 12 year old girl named Brenda sat down next to me and just started translating! She did such a great job too, and engaged the other kids and answered my questions in such a way to let me know that she had heard and understood the previous lessons as well! I was so encouraged and praised Jesus in my heart for the big blessing he had provided! If that had been the end of the big blessings for the day it would have been enough, but our greater-than-life God showed His providence again that same afternoon! Some of the older girls, including Brenda, came up to me and asked if I had any bibles to give them. I answered that I didn’t but that they could come early on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and we could have big girl bible study. They were excited about that idea and have been so excited to be set apart! Then Sunday morning at the little missionary church that we attend, the pastor announced that they were in need of someone to teach the children’s church starting next Sunday! I was more than happy to volunteer my Sunday mornings while I’m in Uganda and was so encouraged by the opportunity to plug in here! To say the least, God has been at work this weekend in showing me exactly where he plans on using me this semester, and I am so thankful for the clarity of his direction and leading!
As I lay in bed last night, entirely exhausted and yet unable to sleep, I began to sort through the many events of the long day. I am always surprised how the Lord uses the quiet moments to speak to my heart and remind me of what He’s done through the not so quiet times! I’ve found that our God does not waste time, and He has a purpose in every moment if I’ll pay attention enough to see what it is and what He is doing!
This week we’ve had big success as the Lord has shown himself through the willingness of the older children to help not only with bible study, but also with the feeding program! Its so encouraging to see them get excited about helping their own community! I know that it is because of the grace of God that we have had a positive reaction, and am continuing to pray that the hearts of people in Masesse will be open to Serving His Children as a whole so that we can continue to build meaningful relationships that will honor Christ and show his love in real practical ways here, and ultimately draw them to himself!
I continue to thank God for you and your prayers! You cannot know how powerful and encouraging they are to me. I was reminded by my dad on the phone even this morning that God uses His body of believers to fortify and comfort each other, and that His power can be seen in the way He works in and among His people! Thank you for being an encouragement and comfort to me, my family!

Beautiful feet!

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Interestingly enough, the Lord brought that to mind the other day as I looked down at my very filthy feet. They looked pretty gross to me, and after a few moments of daydreaming about a nice pedicure, I just laughed and remembered the words to a song I sang as a little girl. I’ve forgotten most of the words, but the chorus sings, “She’s got beautiful, cute-i-full feet!” as it describes a girl who brings the good news to her friends. Earlier in the day I had encountered a shoe crisis, and ended up walking barefoot around the city for quite a ways, and the bottoms of my feet were black with I don’t even want to know what! These were not “beautiful, cute-i-full feet!” As I thought about that song, and the proverb behind it, I was humorously reminded that this does not mean that the Lord will miraculously keep your feet looking lovely, with nice callous-free heels and perfectly shaped and painted nails. But on a deeper level I was struck by the truth that I often times forget what real beauty looks like. Beauty has become distorted and turned inside-out by our world. The Lord does not see beauty, and indeed he did not intend for beauty to be seen in the way that many of us think of it today. Man looks at the outside appearance, but God looks at the heart. What we see as beautiful in so many ways is simply the shallow outer wrapping. The Lord has made many very beautiful vessels, such as the bodies of many, many people, but the part that is meant for beauty is found in the heart! Many times we miss out on beauty because we don’t look much further than the surface. If I were really concerned with true beauty, and what that looks like in an anointed young woman, I would not be so concerned with pedicured feet, (though they are quite enjoyable every once in a while!) and with well styled hair, (though I enjoy my hair thoroughly) and with how charming I can appear. (Though that last one is rarely an issue with me! Ha ha!) No, I’d be much more concerned with my feet bringing the good news; with my hands serving others as to the Lord, with my clothing being strength and dignity as the woman in proverbs 31, who is praised for her fear of the Lord and zeal in seeking Him. I’d be careful to make sure that I’m being bathed in the Word of God daily, and saturating my thoughts with it and with prayer. What a great reminder to me, that my feet do not need to look attractive to anyone in this world, and that if I am walking in obedience to God then they will be truly beautiful!

Praise God for another wonderful week in paradise! :) Though nothing like the paradise seen on the silver screen, Uganda is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been on this planet. Namely because along with the rest of creation it was created for the purpose of displaying God’s glory. Every morning, I have had the wonderful blessing of seeing the sun come up over Lake Victoria and the wonderfully green tree tops. And in the evening watch it go down and turn the sky bright shades of pink and orange. Its glorious: just a brief glimpse of the beauty of the one who painted it! And, my friends, that is not even the most beautiful part! I don’t need to tell most of you the great joy that I find in working with children. I have had the joy of beginning our bible school classes this week and what an adventure that is turning out to be! The first class was a bit more challenging than I had anticipated it being, since our translator was not so thrilled to be there, and struggled with some of the translations. We had about 35 kids and they were surprisingly well behaved, and interested in what we were doing, which was a blessing. Wednesday’s class was up to 50 kids and we had a different translator who was happy to be there and excited to be helping teach! Today we will have lesson 3 and I’m excited to see what God will do! The trend this far has been growing and getting more and more excited, so if we keep going in that direction, it will be great! Please pray along with me that the Lord will continue to break down the language barrier and that His word will be heard in the hearts of these Ugandan children! I love them with my whole heart and am so excited to see God’s hand work in their tiny lives!

Thank you for the prayers for health this last week, they have been much appreciated and I am happy to be able to report that the Lord is in the business of healing! I am feeling much better and am praising Him for strength today!

Here at last!

Hello my dear family and friends!
What a week it has been! I arrived safely in Uganda and have been working hard to get adjusted to the rhythm of life here for the past week. I love every second that I’m here and am continually overwhelmed by the joy of Christ! Many of you know that I am living in a house in Masesse, Uganda with Renee Bach volunteering with her ministry Serving His Children. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Serving His Children provides food for the children of the community, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to take part this week in what God is doing through the feeding program. SHC also provides medical relief to the community and this week there were 9 babies living in our house receiving treatment for many things ranging from malaria to scabbies to infected wounds. My room is just down the hall from the babies’ room, so I have had the excitement of little ones waking me up every morning. It is a wonderful reminder to me of my purpose in being here and that there are little eyes watching me even when I’m not expecting it! I love being with the children here, I am just in awe of how joyful and energized you can be when the Lord gives you a passion for something!
Tomorrow we will begin the bible school classes, and I am so excited to see what God has in store! I can see His hand in so many big ways around me here. Even as I type, I have a 2 year old playing in my lap, bursting with giggles. A few weeks ago, I’m told that she would not even smile or cry because she was so malnourished, but the Lord has been at work in her little life and been healing and nourishing her body, as well as providing for her future. Her name is Faith and at the beginning of the summer, her mother moved her and her sisters down to Masesse from northern Uganda where her husband was recently killed by the rebels. They have been in need of a home and the Lord has in the past few weeks provided them with the money to buy a home! God is in the business of healing and providing, and it is so exciting to have a front row seat!
Thank you all for your e-mails and prayers! It is good to know that there are so many of my loved ones on the front lines of this spiritual battle praying for me! I’ve had a lot of questions about my living situation, so here are a few details about that! Right now, there are 6 women staying and volunteering here at the SHC home. Renee’s cousin, Elly, is here to help me with the bible clubs, and will be leading the praise and worship for the kids. She has been a joy already this week and I am looking forward to working with her and watching as the Lord works through her. Rachel Fix, Pastor Adam’s sister, and her best friend Ariel are also here visiting, which has been so much fun, but they will be leaving after next week. There is also Shana, who has been serving with Renee all summer, and she will be heading back to Canada to study for the fall semester, and possibly come back for spring when I come home. I have been blessed so much by the great friendships that the Lord has already provided for encouragement and fun while I am serving here! There is also a house woman named Beatrice, who lives in the little house behind our house within our compound and cleans house and does the laundry. She is just my age and has 2 adorable little boys, James and Joseph. She has told me multiple times that she loves it here with the aunties, and is so happy to have a good job. Originally, the house had no kitchen, but Renee was able to buy some countertops, a small stove and a small refrigerator, so we now have a fully functional kitchen! Praise God!! There are 4 bathrooms, but only 2 with water heaters, and only one that works. It is a blessing to have so much room, especially during bath time for the children, because we can divide and conquer a bit!
This week we will need prayer for health as there has been a bug going through the house, and of course we are continuously surrounded by sick kids. I would also ask for prayer for the bible classes tomorrow and all this week as we step out in faith that the Lord will use us to communicate his word despite the language barrier between some of the kids. I am filled with thanksgiving that the Lord has been showing His faithfulness in giving purpose to every aspect of ministry that He has been preparing me for. My heart is full everyday and overflowing with His joy as I watch the wonderful movement of His hands in the lives of His people, and I am in anticipation of what He will continue to do! I am joyful to be able to share in these blessings and share these victories with you, my friends! Please continue to send me your e-mail messages; they are a blessing and encouragement to me even though I cannot reply to many of them! All my love, as your sister in Christ and for His glory,

Heidi

More than Conquerers!

What a promise!! And our God is a keeper of promises, always true to His Word! How well I know it! I cannot tell you, my friends, the amazing journey that this preparation period has proved to be already! I wish you could see the magnitude of God's great power as he reveals it into the quiet places of my heart! He is so faithful to reveal Himself when we seek Him. As I stand here on the edge of the unknown, staring into the reality of my own inadequacy and unworthiness, I begin to understand what it means to really trust God! The past few weeks have been filled with fervent prayer and seeking for guidance and wisdom for the weeks to come and a readiness for the events that I will soon encounter. How faithful God is to remind me of His strength!

For every fear I've conceived over the past months, the Lord has brought forth His Word to strike it down. For my fear of spiritual attack that I would not be able to withstand, He revealed Psalm 11, "In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to the mountain. For look the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men: his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face."

For the fear of failure in ministry, He reminded me of Isaiah 55:10-11: "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out form my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

For the fear of not having enough curriculum or teaching tools to communicate the gospel, Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

God's word is powerful!! It is sharper than any double edged sword, and will be our offensive weapon in battle if we will wield it! John Piper words it very well in Desiring God, "We have one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. But what any christians fail to realize is that we can't draw the sword from someone else's scabbard. If we don't wear it, we can't wield it. If the Word of God does not abide in us, we will reach for it in vain when the enemy strikes. But if we do wear it, if it lives within us, what mighty warriors we can be! This has been the secret of God's great spiritual warriors. They have saturated themselves with the Word of God....The Sword of the Spirit is full of victory. But how few will give themselves to the deep and disciplined exercise of soul to take up and wield it with joy and power!"

What a truth this is! Had I not been in the word during this time, I would be paralized by fear from the decietful attacks of the evil one! What a wonderful God we serve that He does not leave us to our sinful, fearful thoughts but draws us to his Word and teaches our souls of His character and strength!

How sweet are the words that come from the mouth of the LORD! The more I grow, the more I truly treasure his Word, and the wonderful strength and confidance it equips us with! My constant reminder and encouragement has been from Romans 8, and is the entire basis for this note and for the duration of my journey is the fact that we are called by God and he has made us more than conquerers!



"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be confirmed in the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn amoung many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; those he called he also justified; those he justified he alsoglorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all_ how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring a charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died- more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as shepp to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!"

Joyous anticipation!

Hello my friends!!
I cannot even describe the way it feels to be on the verge of this great adventure! The Lord has filled me with such joy and awe as He continues to bring together all of the details of this trip and ministry. I wanted to say a giant THANK YOU! to all of the people who came out for the Hike for Hope last Sunday. It was a great success; a wonderful time of prayer and fellowship, a beautiful afternoon with not even a drop of rain (a huge answer to prayer!), and we raised over a thousand dollars! Praise God for His awesome Providence and the blessing and honor of watching Him provide in big and exciting ways and getting to be a part!

I know that many individuals have been asking how they can help specifically with the preparations for this new ministry, so I wanted to give an update of where I'm at, and how individuals can help out if they feel so led.

Financially, I have have raised about 5/6th of my goal, so I have about $1000 left to raise. If the Lord is calling you to participate financially, you can make out a check to Calvary Church and write in the note that it is for the Uganda mission. Checks can be sent to Calvary Church at 12700 Sheridan Blvd., Broomfield CO, 80020, or placed in the offering on Sunday morning. Remember that all contributions to this ministry need to come second to your regular tithe to your home church.

As far as supplies go, I do have a few items that I am still collecting but have very limited space. If you feel that you can help by purchasing supplies or items for me to bring, please send me an e-mail and I'll let you know more specifically how you can help. My address is 7heidijo@comcast.net.

In prayer, I would ask that everyone pray fervently for Serving His Children. This week is the first week that they are officially up and running! Today was the first day of the feeding ministry and as they begin all of the functions that the Lord has called them to right now, they need brothers and sisters on the front lines doing battle for them in prayer! Check out Renee Bach's blog at www.servinghischildreninuganda.blogspot.com to see pictures and hear about how God is revealing Himself through beans! I would also ask you to pray for this specific branch of Serving His Children, the bible school. Pray for me as I prepare lesson plans, that they would be Christ centered and God honoring. Pray for the hearts of the children, that they would have ears to hear, and that the Lord would make Himself so real to them! Pray that the Lord would continue to provide financially, that we would have no problem purchasing the rest of the supplies in Masese. Pray for safety in travel, and health for everyone serving. Most importantly, pray that God would be turning back hearts and transforming lives for His name and His glory because of His Son!

Thank you so very much for your continued prayers and support! I am so blessed and encouraged that the Lord has raised up so many individuals to be apart of His plan for Masese, Uganda! Please contact me with any questions!

The Beauty of Grace through Trials

A truth that has offered much strength and hope to me over the years is one that comes out of 2 Corinthians 12. The well known verse that I have held close to my heart through many struggles is verse 9: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." There is such great truth in these words; God's great and immeasurable grace is more than sufficient for us, and we can see God's power more clearly when we are weak and have to lean entirely on His strength. For a period of time I used to think of this passage as a message addressing my tendency towards feelings of fear and inadequacy, reminding me that God is big enough and that He displays His power through our weaknesses so it can be seen by others. It is indeed true that God desires to use us to show His power through our weaknesses, however it has not been until this last year that I have seen so clearly the beauty of this grace that He allows us to see His strength through the middle of our trials and areas of weakness! It had been a topic that I was a little fearful of because I struggled with my fear of experiencing trials and painful situations to show Christ's power to others. It was a wonder to me how Paul could truly say that he "delighted in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties." Those are not things that I generally delight in, and I think I know a few other comfort-seeking humans who feel the same way!
But as I have faced trials in my own life, and shared in the sufferings of loved ones, I've come to see grace so much clearer, and I've come to know Jesus is a more intimate and wonderful way! There is not one painful trial that I have encountered that I would erase from my past, because as I reflect on my own trials, I can see how each one revealed a different aspect of God's character to me, and always reminded me of my real need for a savior. The source of pain and suffering in this world is sin, not always our own, but because we as humans have separated ourselves from God through sin. I think that often we don't understand the depth of our need for a savior. We often feel that we appreciate God's grace because we sometimes say or think things that we shouldn't, but when we are confronted with our own real sin, even just the realization of the real possibility of sin in our lives, we get the wonderful blessing of experiencing the magnitude of God's grace in our lives! Its so beautiful to see how great the love and how sweet the grace of Jesus Christ truly is! That is why Paul, and now myself, delight in all the more hardships, and weaknesses! Paul ends the chapter saying, "for when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul grasped the magnitude of His need for Jesus, recognizing that when he was not trying to depend on his own strength, (which is prideful sin), He was all the more empowered by Christ and could see God more clearly and understand His character and grace so much more.
As I've been reflecting on lessons learned over the past year, I found this one to be confirmed over and over through many different situations and individuals in my life. As I prepare to follow the leading of Christ into the middle of Africa, I have been reminded by many individuals of the dangers and risks of this location. The evil one reminds me of my own inadequacies, and my sinful spirit begins to worry at times. But here, in the face of fear, and by the power of the Holy Spirit who has the wonderful grace to choose to lead my heart, I choose to say that I will "boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me....For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Why Uganda? And other details...

Following the leading of Christ is the passion of my life, I get very excited to share what He has revealed to me and the steps that He has led me to take. Because of this excitement, I tend to give long explanations with tons of details, so when I wrote out my support letter for Uganda earlier this week, I found myself looking at 2 pages worth of single spaced, 6 point font details. I was advised that this is way to long for a support letter. :) So, because I love everyone to know how great our God is in how he leads hearts and opens doors, I decided to cut all the details out of my letter and put them here! For everyone who has received my letter or will soon, the following is a bit of background to what God has been doing and how he lead me to Serving His Children. Believe it or not, this is the condensed version!

In three short months, I will be heading down to the heart of Africa to teach the gospel to children and the community in the city of Masese, Uganda!
I am so excited to be sharing with you the newest adventure that the LORD has set before me! Many of you have been faithful prayer warriors and by faith have financially supported me in the past as the LORD has led me through steps in ministry that have led me into a deeper intimacy with himself and a deeper passion for serving him with the talents that He has equipped me with. You may recall that a little over a year ago I was apart of a team that went to Salter’s Hill, Jamaica to serve at Robin’s Nest Children’s home. As I walked away from those two weeks (and some sweet baby boys that held my heart strings with a death grip), and headed home to the states, a burden fell upon my soul that I can barely express. The LORD let me know right then that children’s ministry was to be a permanent occupation for my life, and that very soon He would be calling me again to step out in faith and serve His children for His glory. There is indescribable joy that comes with sharing the hope of the gospel with little children and watching them soak in the very news that they were created to delight in!

Little did I know that this renewed understanding of my passion would bring me all the way down to the Equator! As I prayerfully searched for the location and timing that the Father was calling me to, I steered clear of any thoughts of Africa. It is far too terrifying and far too devastated for someone small, weak and silly like me. Thankfully, we have a Councilor who does not let us think that WE are the source of strength, or that the ability to impact lives comes from ourselves; He quickly reminded me that of course I was not big, strong, or smart enough! His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and He has equipped me with everything that I need to simply obey. Through a series of divine encounters and events, the LORD continued to spark inside me a deep concern for the people of AID’s stricken, and war torn Uganda. My heart was full of fear thinking of the possibility of being sent to Uganda, but one night as I discussed my reservations with a friend, the Holy Spirit struck me with such authority and power that I was positive of His guiding and direction. As I described all the reasons I had for not going to Uganda, I found words coming out of my mouth that confirmed that the LORD was calling me to walk in His strength rather than my own: “I will not allow fear to get in the way of following what the LORD has called me to do!” I hadn't been thinking those words, but God let me know in a unique way that He expected obedience. When the Father speaks that clearly, it is foolish to second guess it. Peace overtook me at that moment and I was able to worship God in the certainty that He would guide me into His will for His glory.

Since that evening, the LORD has opened every door and sent into motion all the events that have brought me to the ministry Serving His Children. Through the connection of a sweet woman Rachel Fix, I was able to get correspondence with a woman named Renee Bach, the founder of this ministry. I felt that the LORD was calling me to a ministry where I could use my specific talents to teach. Without knowing what specific tasks the LORD would provide for me, I asked general questions about her ministry and their needs. After a few e-mails back and forth, it became clear that the position I had been praying for, Renee had been praying that the LORD would provide someone to head up. Her vision was to add on to her ministry by creating a bible school for the community and individuals who took part in the other ministries of Serving His Children.

The plan now is that I will travel out to Masese beginning on August 11th of this year, bringing with me supplies and a curriculum to teach at the bible camp. My primary job will be teaching and coordinating events for the bible school. I will also be volunteering for the other ministries of Serving His Children as they have need. Of course, I am taking this step in faith, as I do not have the funds necessary to make this trip. I will be spending 4 months there and will need funding for my entire stay there. Transportation, rent for a space in the Serving His Children facility, and food for myself are my primary needs. I am also praying that the LORD will provide funding for the ministry itself; for curriculum supplies, shipping of extra supplies, and other needs.

Confessions of a 21st Century Martha

The other day, as I stood at my sink washing what felt like the millionth load of dishes for the week, my mind wandered across the many different tasks that I needed to be doing. As usual, as I went through my mental checklist, that vein in my neck (the one that tells me I'm in over my head) began to pulse. Not actually thinking too long on any one thing, I was essentially getting nothing done but dishes. Sitting in front of me on the counter was a children's church curriculum book. On the cover was an illustration of the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha out of Luke chapter 10. Like many children's bible story illustrations, the person in the story who is in the wrong looks ridiculous, and the one who is doing right looks almost angelic. In this picture Martha has 6 arms, each doing a different task; she's sewing something with 2 hands, baking with another 2, pouring water for Jesus, and sweeping a mouse out from under the table. Mary of course, is sitting on the floor in front of Jesus looking sweet and beautiful and content. I laughed to myself, but in my grouchy mood I thought of how Martha gets such a bad wrap! Sure, its was better for her to listen to Jesus then be focused on other things, but she was working hard for the Lord. I thought, "Listen, she seriously had a ton to do, and if everyone wanted to eat, and drink and not have to worry about those details, then that was her ministry! Right? And seriously, the mouse under the table? who wouldn't be worried about that. I mean someone has to get all the dishes and laundry done so that there is room to sit on that floor and listen to Jesus!" I went on in my mind making tons of wonderful sounding justifications for busyness, but only making myself more angry all the while.

Our God is so compassionate, He loves me enough to even convict me right in the middle of one of my mind rants. I thought suddenly about the other sister, Mary. She sat and listened to the voice of Jesus. In reality, I'm sure she wasn't a lazy person who never did any housework. I'm sure she was well aware of the things that needed to be done around the house. But, Mary decided to sit at Jesus' feet. Luke 10: 41 gives us Jesus reply at Martha's comment; "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."
How true is that in my own life! I'm a Martha sympathizer because much of the time I am just like her! I want to do so many things for Christ, be involved in so many ministries, get perfect scores on all my exams in my overloaded school schedule, have a perfect looking space, be a cute looking woman,... But then, some of those things really aren't for Christ at all. In reality, I have alot of good ideas, but not all of them are God ideas, (as Beth Moore pointed out in our last women's bible study.) I was reminded once again that when my focus is on Jesus, as Mary's was, I'm only interested in the tasks that actually bring Him glory. "There is a time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven." Cleaning, cooking, studying for long hours, grocery shopping, and trips to the bank; those all have a place. So do those coffee dates that turn into bible study, and that bible study with peopel who don't seem to care, and that ministry that consumes extra hours of preparation. All those tasks that the Lord has placed in front of me have importance, but they cannot be my focus! The tasks are simply tools that God will use to bring Himself glory, or to prepare me for another task that will ultimately bring Him glory. My job is to focus my eyes and ears on Jesus and to listen intently to His voice. Priscilla Shirer made an excellent point in her bible study, Discerning the Voice of God, "Intimate fellowship is the purpose of God's plan." The plan is not the purpose; the tasks are not the ultimate goal: Jesus desires that I walk in Him with all of myself so that I can know Him better, not so that I can just walk in Him.

I finished those dishes, but with a much better attitude than when I started them, and moved on to the next task. Jesus loves it when we put our eyes back on Him, because we cannot have real joy any other way. As I continue to prepare for the big task ahead of me, I'll be remembering that the tasks themselves are of little importance. I want to choose, as Mary did, to focus on the one thing that is needed, and approach everything else with that in mind.

In anticipation of something beautiful

What a glorious day! Brothers and sisters, what a wonderous miracle that we celebrate this time every year! Though terribly commercialized by our culture, the Easter celebration should bring our hearts into abounding worship. That Jesus would come and die for our sins is the greatest act of love that has ever been!! But Jesus did not stay dead! He rose again, having defeated death forever! I can hardly contain my spirit as I dwell on the beauty of this forever love story; my Jesus defeated the very sin that held me captive so that I could become the woman that He created me to be, and be filled by the wonderful joy that comes from a heart full of uninhibited worship to Him alone.

Pastor Steve has been doing a sermon series on the Supremacy of Christ out of Colossians, and I have been so blessed and encouraged by it! In a world that has forgotten and forsaken the Living Word, that is Jesus Christ, it has been so refreshing to be reminded that the same sin that invaded the hearts of the Colossians is the same as the deception that runs rampant through the hearts and minds of people today, and that the same powerful Jesus still sits on His throne, and can wipe out all deception and false teaching. It can be so discouraging to live in this world at times because we can see everywhere the power that holds captive the hearts of the decieved. I know that for myself, I can fall into the habit of becoming overwhelmed by the devastation of false religions, and crippling world views. But we serve the God who defeated death!! Can he not defeat deception? He certainly can and does every day! He defeated deception in my heart, and the hearts of all believers when He opened our eyes to see Him! Christ is truly all we need!! Praise the name of Him who is Risen!!

This truth is one that the Holy Spirit has used very much to encourage my heart recently as I prepare for Uganda. When I first made the decision to go, I could not help but be worried by the alarming reports of satanic worship in this country. Knowing with my heart that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world, I still struggled with how people so lost and decieved could come to the point of even listening to the hope of the gospel. How gently and yet strongly the Lord has reminded me of His strength in the past few weeks! He is all! Christ made those minds that seem to be too far gone, and He's rescued hearts just as deprived, and will continue to draw people to Himself with His infinate power until His return!

As we anticipate the beauty of His second coming, may our joyous celebration of His first be overflowing. Christ is all, and Christ is all we need! (Thanks Pastor Steve!) He has defeated death and continues to defeat deception in many hearts as He draws us ever closer to Himself for His forever glory, and our forever joy!
Happy Easter week everyone! :)

Heidi Jo

In anticipation of something beautiful

Hello friends and family!

Welcome to my new blog! :) As many of you know, I have felt the burden on my heart for many years for children's ministry, as well as women's ministries. It is one of my greatest joys to share the Word of God with a precious little one, and watch the Holy Spirit begin to work in their hearts, or share my heart with young women and see the healing power of Christ transform them! For the past year the Lord has been leading me through a journey of seeking Him and His will that has been such a blessing. Some of you know the steps that have brought me to this point, and can attest to God's hand in bringing this ministry to me! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have the honor of serving Christ alongside Serving His Children this coming fall.

For those of you who just stumbled upon this blog, and may not know me or anything about this new minisrty, let me explain a bit! :) I am taking a mission trip to Masese, Uganda this fall to serve with a ministry called Serving His Children. This is a new ministry that was started by a young woman by the name of Renee Bach, to serve the communtiy of Masese and the surrounding areas by meeting a few basic needs there. The most important being, of course, sharng the good news of the gospel! Essentially the goal of Serving His Children is to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to show his real and unconditional love. (To learn more specifics about this ministry, visit www.servinghischildren.org) As a branch of this ministry, SHC would like to start a bible school program for the children. This is where I will be volunteering; helping to start this bible school by gathering and bringing curriculem, supplies, and all my creative juices! I will also be teaching. I had been praying very specifically for a ministry that I could be useful to, and Renee had been praying for someone with my talents to come and start up the school! Our God is so amazing!

The purpose of this blog is to keep my brothers and sisters in Christ updated on this ministry so that they can be in prayer, and so that they might be encouraged by hearing about how God is at work through Serving His Children. Throughout my fundraising period, as well as my time in Uganda, I will be updating this page, so that you can be a part of what God is doing!
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and support! Thank you! :)