A few weeks back our pastor sent me an email asking me if our family would like to do the Advent for our church services that week. Doing Advent entails going up to the pulpit with your entire family and taking turns reading different parts of the Advent reading to the congregation. Then one person from your family lights the Advent candle. When I received this email, I immediately replied back 'Sure!' and copied Eric on it so he was in the loop. And then, guess what? Out of sight, out of mind. We never, ever, ever thought about it again. Until Sunday morning. When I walked into the sanctuary with five minutes to spare and one of the pastors approached me with a candle in his hand and started talking. I stared at him, blankly. The words coming out of his mouth sounded like Chinese. But then I saw the candlelabra in the background and the words he was forming began to become clearer. And clearer. And clearer. Then a horrific realization came over me with dread and trembling.
I had forgotten that our family was doing Advent that morning!
Trying to act calm and collected so he wouldn't catch on, I asked, 'um, well, I forgot my sheet with our readings on it. Do you know how I can get a copy of it?'
Now it was his turn to stare at me blankly and say, deadpanned, 'Well, I don't know. I mean, aren't you supposed to have your parts memorized?' (He's kind of known for his dry-witted humor. I still don't really know if he was kidding or not...)
I continued trembling, cheerfully smiled, and said something back that I can't recall now. I turned on my heal and my brain quickly tried to come up with a plan while inside my head I said, 'please help me, Jesus!'
Just then our head Pastor was walking into the sanctuary. I explained that I had forgotten our Advent reading sheet. Did he know where we could get one? As if on cue, he pulled a sheet out of his binder and said, 'Sure! I've got a copy right here!'
And the hallelujah chorus sang out loud and clear. Well, in my head it did.
Next, I had to find my family. I had three minutes. You see, Eric and I had driven separately that morning and I had gotten there first. As I went walk-running down the hallway, I spotted them approaching me.
I yelled, "We have Advent today!"
I saw that same look of horrific realization come across his face too.
And then it was game on.
I scanned the sheet, taking in that there were four reading parts. Then I quickly became Miss Bossy-Pants and began assigning the reading parts based on the best 'go-to under emergency procedures'.
'Okay, I'll take the longest reading part. Eric, you're good under pressure with things like candles, so you light the candle and read the second longest part. Owen and Jeremiah, you're too young to read on the fly without practice, so you're out. Sophie, (teenage girl who doesn't want everyone staring at her and quickly exclaimed, 'I'm not reading!!!'). Okay, never mind. Josh, you be Reader 1 since you're the oldest child. Wes, Reader 4 only has two sentences. I think you can handle it.'
As we sat down in our pew, I gave them the sheet to look over for words they might now know. And I tried to breathe.
I become common senseless in on-the-fly settings. My mind was all jumbled and I only remembered that we were supposed to walk up to the altar after Pastor Russ gave the announcements. So when he stopped talking, I stood up. Eric jerked me down and hissed, 'not yet! AFTER the video!' Oops. Okay. Hopefully nobody noticed that. Breathe in. Breathe out. As the video played, I looked over the sheet one last time, realizing Wes' part had the word 'iniquity'. Oh dear, does he know how to pronounce that? I tried to mouth this to him, as he set on the other end of the pew, but just kept mouthing back, 'what?'
Oh, Jesus, help him to know that word.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Finally, it was time. Owen, thinking he wasn't supposed to walk up with us since he didn't have a speaking part, almost didn't go. He grabbed ahold of the pew and planted his feet and I almost panicked. But it was a Christmas miracle. I told him to come on and he actually listened.
So there we stood. It wasn't as I would have planned it. In my perfect world we would have practiced our reading parts and even given one of our youngest a part to read because, well, that is just so cute. I would have checked out everyone's clothing that morning, making sure it passed inspection. I might have even had everyone lay out their clothes the night before. As it was, we were unprepared and off the cuff, many of us sporting jeans and tennis shoes.
Yet, you know what? It ended up being completely fine. Just fine.
And so now is the part when I find the spiritual lesson to be learned because there is always a spiritual lesson, right. I suppose it could be spun one of two ways. For one, maybe the lesson is that if we hadn't been so busy that week we wouldn't have forgotten about our Advent reading.
While this is true, it's an incomplete picture. You know what is missing? Grace. And guess what? Grace is greater .
Grace is greater than the fact that we forgot. Grace takes what we have to offer and makes it enough. He wants us to come as we are. To come anyway, even if it's not well thought out. To come and offer what we can because there's no condemnation in Christ Jesus. We can try to dress up and perform and put on our Sunday best for Jesus, but he always prefers the uncut version. The version that is raw and true.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Teenagers Are My Toe Jam
Not long ago a popular Christian author, in regards to raising teenagers, claimed that teenagers were her jam. I have to admit, I was instantly jealous of this statement. For as much as I want to have these sentiments, I just don't. Instead, I suppose I could claim that teenagers are my toe jam.
Yes, toe jam. You know, that dirt that hides between your toes and accumulates? The dirt that makes your feet smell?
For as much as my husband and I dearly love our two (almost three) darling teenagers, we have not the slightest inkling of what we are doing! We don't know when to say no. We don't know when to say yes. We second guess our decision making, sometimes on an hourly basis. We are treading on unknown terrain--our feet are unsure and they are slipping and sliding, getting stuck in the mud and the mire. And we are accumulating toe jam. And lots of it.
Teenagers. They're muddy. They're messy. Not in the toddler-sticky-hand sense or the rowdy ten-year-old way. Instead, their disheveled untidiness shows up in emotional turmoil. Their angst comes from a combination of craved independence and raging hormones, along with a host of all kinds of other feelings, I suppose. They're up. They're down. They're all around. As a momma, I'm realizing how difficult it is to NOT get caught up in the roller coaster life of their momentary highs and lows. I often find myself rounding a curve and being thrown off into the muckity swamp, left on the side of the road to pick out toe jam, all the while yearning for The Golden Years (the beautiful yesteryears of ages 6-10.)
As much as I hate to admit it, I yearn for The Golden Years because those were the years when I had control. And I suppose having control gave me some peace. Teenage years, on the other hand, are all wrapped in letting go and extending freedom. I no longer always feel in control of their world anymore. I worry about the temptations and dangers they will face, and the mistakes they may make. I want the decisions they make to reflect that they are 100% sold out for Christ. Mostly because I want them to glorify Him in all that they do. However, if I'm honest, there's also a little bit of a prideful mixed-motive on my part: I don't want their mistakes to make me look like a bad parent.
I wish this wasn't true. But it is so very true.
So when I describe to you our life right now, it's not a 'jam'. We're not at a concert, pumping our hands to the music and jamming it up! No, picture something more like this: I'm hanging by my pinky finger off the side of a cliff, shouting for help. I'm crawling across the Sahara Desert, panting and dry-mouthed, barely making it. I feel unmatched, ill-prepared and unsure. Not only are my feet cut and bruised, they're collecting lots of dirt along the way.
Yet, here's the thing. There is One who makes it His occupation and His past-time to meet us in the slush.
In Psalm 40:1-2 the Lord tells us if we wait patiently for Him, He will turn to us and hear our cries. He will lift us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He will set our feet on a rock and give us a firm place to stand.
He lifts us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.
He sets our feet on a rock and gives us a firm place to stand.
What glorious hope-filled news this is! There is just ONE prerequisite. We must be willing to ASK FOR HELP. We have to be willing to cry out and acknowledge that we CANNOT DO THIS THING on our own! Once we admit our weakness, then He can become our strength.
Prayer. It really all hinges on prayer, doesn't it?
Prayer--this is what sweet Jesus is pressing upon my heart right now. He's telling me to gear up and get my prayer on. He's telling me to get prepared for a lot more toe jam, because battles are fought in the trenches, in the thick of dirt and mud. Now is not the time to be pining over yesteryears. Now is not the time to be caught up in inconsequential fluff and now is not the time to be wasting on social media, FOR CRYING OUTLOUD.
No. Now is the time to WAKE UP so we can GET DOWN. For some knee-bending and soul-pleading. There's a war being fought for our children and the stakes are way too high and way too close for comfort. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Whether you find yourself in a cliff-hanging or fist-jamming season, the time for intercession is NOW.
Bring your requests before a God who delights in turning yuck into beauty. Ask the One who holds the copyright to fashioning divine artistry from mere dust and dirt. He put the create in creativity, for heaven's sake! He specializes in wowing us with making seemingly impossibilities possible.
I can hear Him whispering, almost daringly, 'BRING IT'.
"Bring it to me, dear daughter. Cast your cares and worries about your teenagers on me for I care for you and for them. I will turn your mourning into dancing. I will turn beauty from ashes. Day by day, day in, day out, lean into me with your angst. Bring me your control issues so that I can be in control. Most definitely, there are going to be muddy and unclear days--but the key is to keep trudging, keep walking. Extend your hand to the one who will lead you beside still waters. To the one who can rain down grace on any and every situation. Through me, dear child, that hard to reach dirt can be blotted out, obliterated, and clean forgotten. Through me you can have a hand-raising, fist-pumping full out jam session. Through me, you too can be standing victoriously, exclaiming with a smile from ear to ear:
'Teenagers are mytoe jam.'"
Yes, toe jam. You know, that dirt that hides between your toes and accumulates? The dirt that makes your feet smell?
For as much as my husband and I dearly love our two (almost three) darling teenagers, we have not the slightest inkling of what we are doing! We don't know when to say no. We don't know when to say yes. We second guess our decision making, sometimes on an hourly basis. We are treading on unknown terrain--our feet are unsure and they are slipping and sliding, getting stuck in the mud and the mire. And we are accumulating toe jam. And lots of it.
Teenagers. They're muddy. They're messy. Not in the toddler-sticky-hand sense or the rowdy ten-year-old way. Instead, their disheveled untidiness shows up in emotional turmoil. Their angst comes from a combination of craved independence and raging hormones, along with a host of all kinds of other feelings, I suppose. They're up. They're down. They're all around. As a momma, I'm realizing how difficult it is to NOT get caught up in the roller coaster life of their momentary highs and lows. I often find myself rounding a curve and being thrown off into the muckity swamp, left on the side of the road to pick out toe jam, all the while yearning for The Golden Years (the beautiful yesteryears of ages 6-10.)
As much as I hate to admit it, I yearn for The Golden Years because those were the years when I had control. And I suppose having control gave me some peace. Teenage years, on the other hand, are all wrapped in letting go and extending freedom. I no longer always feel in control of their world anymore. I worry about the temptations and dangers they will face, and the mistakes they may make. I want the decisions they make to reflect that they are 100% sold out for Christ. Mostly because I want them to glorify Him in all that they do. However, if I'm honest, there's also a little bit of a prideful mixed-motive on my part: I don't want their mistakes to make me look like a bad parent.
I wish this wasn't true. But it is so very true.
So when I describe to you our life right now, it's not a 'jam'. We're not at a concert, pumping our hands to the music and jamming it up! No, picture something more like this: I'm hanging by my pinky finger off the side of a cliff, shouting for help. I'm crawling across the Sahara Desert, panting and dry-mouthed, barely making it. I feel unmatched, ill-prepared and unsure. Not only are my feet cut and bruised, they're collecting lots of dirt along the way.
Yet, here's the thing. There is One who makes it His occupation and His past-time to meet us in the slush.
In Psalm 40:1-2 the Lord tells us if we wait patiently for Him, He will turn to us and hear our cries. He will lift us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He will set our feet on a rock and give us a firm place to stand.
He lifts us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.
He sets our feet on a rock and gives us a firm place to stand.
What glorious hope-filled news this is! There is just ONE prerequisite. We must be willing to ASK FOR HELP. We have to be willing to cry out and acknowledge that we CANNOT DO THIS THING on our own! Once we admit our weakness, then He can become our strength.
Prayer. It really all hinges on prayer, doesn't it?
Prayer--this is what sweet Jesus is pressing upon my heart right now. He's telling me to gear up and get my prayer on. He's telling me to get prepared for a lot more toe jam, because battles are fought in the trenches, in the thick of dirt and mud. Now is not the time to be pining over yesteryears. Now is not the time to be caught up in inconsequential fluff and now is not the time to be wasting on social media, FOR CRYING OUTLOUD.
No. Now is the time to WAKE UP so we can GET DOWN. For some knee-bending and soul-pleading. There's a war being fought for our children and the stakes are way too high and way too close for comfort. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Whether you find yourself in a cliff-hanging or fist-jamming season, the time for intercession is NOW.
Bring your requests before a God who delights in turning yuck into beauty. Ask the One who holds the copyright to fashioning divine artistry from mere dust and dirt. He put the create in creativity, for heaven's sake! He specializes in wowing us with making seemingly impossibilities possible.
I can hear Him whispering, almost daringly, 'BRING IT'.
"Bring it to me, dear daughter. Cast your cares and worries about your teenagers on me for I care for you and for them. I will turn your mourning into dancing. I will turn beauty from ashes. Day by day, day in, day out, lean into me with your angst. Bring me your control issues so that I can be in control. Most definitely, there are going to be muddy and unclear days--but the key is to keep trudging, keep walking. Extend your hand to the one who will lead you beside still waters. To the one who can rain down grace on any and every situation. Through me, dear child, that hard to reach dirt can be blotted out, obliterated, and clean forgotten. Through me you can have a hand-raising, fist-pumping full out jam session. Through me, you too can be standing victoriously, exclaiming with a smile from ear to ear:
'Teenagers are my
Friday, August 29, 2014
It Rhymes With Earth Day...
Last Thursday night as I was tucking in Owen, I asked him if he knew what tomorrow was. "Is it Earth Day?" he asked inquisitively.
"No, it's not Earth Day," I said, trying to hide my amusement. "But it rhymes with Earth Day."
"Worth day? Derf Day? Surf Day? Nerf Day?"
He finally figured out it was my birthday (although there was slight disappointed it wasn't Nerf Day). Shortly thereafter, he presented me with a birthday present: a mostly used Wal-Mart gift card left over from Christmas.
Oh, how I love the heart in a seven-year-old's giving. They don't worry that it's not good enough. There's no self-conscious or insecure thought that the receiver won't like it. They just do.
Speaking of doing, my friend, Michelle, gave me a birthday gift for us to go and 'do' together. It certainly was a big to-do.
She took me to the Living Proof Live Beth Moore Conference in Memphis. It happened to be right smack dab on my birthday. While I was pumped up about going, I was not prepared for all the showering down of blessings that came with this gift.
For one, as we were leaving the hotel to go to the FedEx Forum, you'll never guess who we ran smack dab into? If you guessed Beth, you guessed right! I wish I could tell you that we acted all cool and hip, with just the right inspirational words of convo. Unfortunately, we were struck with a big case of Cindy Brady stage fright and just stared, blank and silent. Oh, well. Just being that close for a moment was enough for me. And I couldn't help thinking how sweet it was for God to arrange that little encounter. On my birthday. A surprise little package.
My birthday always has a little empty spot associated with it because I'm reminded that my mother is no longer here to celebrate it with me. Because let's face it. Moms celebrate their children's birthdays better than anyone else on the face of the earth. I believe that has everything to do with the fact that it's a 'birth'day and us mothers will never, ever forget the intimate details surrounding that word 'birth'. Oh, no we won't! Whether the 'birth' day is physically giving birth or the day you held your adopted child for the first time, these moments are forever seared in a mama's memory. Yes, a mama's got some mileage when it comes to birthdays and can specialize them like nobody's business.
These thoughts were all swirling about in my head (along with a bit of self-pity, I might add) as Beth Moore took the stage. Yet, God sure knows how to bring about something sweet in the midst of our pain. Right about then, my melancholy mood got hi-jacked by an amazing realization, a God-realization:
"While you don't get to spend this day with your earthly 'birth' mom, tonight you get to spend it with your 'spiritual' mom. Happy Birthday, sweet daughter."
Goose-bumps overtook. Surprise package number two, all wrapped up in a profound truth.
I had never really thought about it before, how Beth Moore is my Spiritual Mom. But she definitely is. Right after my 'birth' as a believer, I had a desire to truly study God's Word. About then, our Young Couple's Sunday School class began a once a week woman's Bible study. That study was Beth Moore's 'A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place'. Wow, did that study teach me the cohesiveness of the Bible and how the Old Testament jived with the New! Not only did Beth teach me God's truth, she inspired me. Just like we might be inspired to perform better at a sport by watching an Olympian athlete, she inspired me to seek after Him as she sought after Him. The most profound thing I will never forget her saying: 'If you don't have a desire to pray and read His Word, pray for it! That's a prayer that He's gonna answer!'
Thank you, Beth, for teaching me to pray that prayer. And really just for being God's ambassador to thousands of women just like me. Thank you for sparking a revival amidst the body of believers. I can't wait to meet you in person one day on a street paved in gold and give you a hug of thanksgiving. I hope to not be tongue-tied this time and get to have coffee with you at the Heavenly Cafe (cause we all know there's going to be lattes in heaven).
Thank you, Michelle, for giving me a gift on my birthday that had so much to do with my spiritual birth. Not only was it a reminder of my spiritual heritage, it was the beginning of something new. God is birthing and commissioning much new life out of what we learned and what we prayed during that LPL Memphis 'birth'day! We are STOMPING our way to victory :) !!!
And thank you, Owen, for my mostly used Wal-Mart gift card. I think I'll save it for Earth Day.
"No, it's not Earth Day," I said, trying to hide my amusement. "But it rhymes with Earth Day."
"Worth day? Derf Day? Surf Day? Nerf Day?"
He finally figured out it was my birthday (although there was slight disappointed it wasn't Nerf Day). Shortly thereafter, he presented me with a birthday present: a mostly used Wal-Mart gift card left over from Christmas.
Oh, how I love the heart in a seven-year-old's giving. They don't worry that it's not good enough. There's no self-conscious or insecure thought that the receiver won't like it. They just do.
Speaking of doing, my friend, Michelle, gave me a birthday gift for us to go and 'do' together. It certainly was a big to-do.
She took me to the Living Proof Live Beth Moore Conference in Memphis. It happened to be right smack dab on my birthday. While I was pumped up about going, I was not prepared for all the showering down of blessings that came with this gift.
For one, as we were leaving the hotel to go to the FedEx Forum, you'll never guess who we ran smack dab into? If you guessed Beth, you guessed right! I wish I could tell you that we acted all cool and hip, with just the right inspirational words of convo. Unfortunately, we were struck with a big case of Cindy Brady stage fright and just stared, blank and silent. Oh, well. Just being that close for a moment was enough for me. And I couldn't help thinking how sweet it was for God to arrange that little encounter. On my birthday. A surprise little package.
My birthday always has a little empty spot associated with it because I'm reminded that my mother is no longer here to celebrate it with me. Because let's face it. Moms celebrate their children's birthdays better than anyone else on the face of the earth. I believe that has everything to do with the fact that it's a 'birth'day and us mothers will never, ever forget the intimate details surrounding that word 'birth'. Oh, no we won't! Whether the 'birth' day is physically giving birth or the day you held your adopted child for the first time, these moments are forever seared in a mama's memory. Yes, a mama's got some mileage when it comes to birthdays and can specialize them like nobody's business.
These thoughts were all swirling about in my head (along with a bit of self-pity, I might add) as Beth Moore took the stage. Yet, God sure knows how to bring about something sweet in the midst of our pain. Right about then, my melancholy mood got hi-jacked by an amazing realization, a God-realization:
"While you don't get to spend this day with your earthly 'birth' mom, tonight you get to spend it with your 'spiritual' mom. Happy Birthday, sweet daughter."
Goose-bumps overtook. Surprise package number two, all wrapped up in a profound truth.
I had never really thought about it before, how Beth Moore is my Spiritual Mom. But she definitely is. Right after my 'birth' as a believer, I had a desire to truly study God's Word. About then, our Young Couple's Sunday School class began a once a week woman's Bible study. That study was Beth Moore's 'A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place'. Wow, did that study teach me the cohesiveness of the Bible and how the Old Testament jived with the New! Not only did Beth teach me God's truth, she inspired me. Just like we might be inspired to perform better at a sport by watching an Olympian athlete, she inspired me to seek after Him as she sought after Him. The most profound thing I will never forget her saying: 'If you don't have a desire to pray and read His Word, pray for it! That's a prayer that He's gonna answer!'
Thank you, Beth, for teaching me to pray that prayer. And really just for being God's ambassador to thousands of women just like me. Thank you for sparking a revival amidst the body of believers. I can't wait to meet you in person one day on a street paved in gold and give you a hug of thanksgiving. I hope to not be tongue-tied this time and get to have coffee with you at the Heavenly Cafe (cause we all know there's going to be lattes in heaven).
Thank you, Michelle, for giving me a gift on my birthday that had so much to do with my spiritual birth. Not only was it a reminder of my spiritual heritage, it was the beginning of something new. God is birthing and commissioning much new life out of what we learned and what we prayed during that LPL Memphis 'birth'day! We are STOMPING our way to victory :) !!!
And thank you, Owen, for my mostly used Wal-Mart gift card. I think I'll save it for Earth Day.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Monday, June 9, 2014
Top Ten for Ten
Jerry our 4th is now TEN,
He's always surrounded by friends,
A baller is he,
A runner carefree,
Be assured, he's in it to win!
My top ten list for my 10-year-old:
- That his neighbor friends on Lanfair Drive started calling him Jerry and ever since, it's just kind of stuck...
- He's our peacemaker and gets along with everyone, even Owen.
- He's always the last to come in from swimming or sledding and could stay outside from morning to night
- Looking out for his little brother is second-nature
- He's good at saving money
- He smiles the biggest when he's playing sports
- His favorite birthday cake is RED velvet in honor of his favorite sports' teams
- I've never heard him make fun of anyone
- He's always the first one asleep and the first one up
- Watching him pitch is my favorite
Happy Double Digits little man! This mama is pretty crazy about you!
***dual purpose cake--birthday and college world series***
Sunday, May 25, 2014
God Raises Up
Last night our team had the privilege of sharing with our church family about our mission trip to Uganda. We cooked a sampling of Ugandan food for them to try: posho and beans, cooked nuts, fresh sliced pineapple and hot Ugandan tea. We even had lukewarm water.
Then we took turns sharing about what we did in Uganda and how it personally impacted each of us. As I listened to my team members share, it took me back...back to our trip...back to Africa.
And I thought, as I have so many times, what if we hadn't went? What if we had missed it?
Because we almost did. We almost missed it.
Last September when Joshua, Sophie and I committed to going, we had absolutely no idea how we were going to pay for it. The financial aspect of it seemed so overwhelming, so big, that it nearly kept us from even trying.
We almost didn't chance it.
Just as Peter had to step out of the boat in faith before he could experience walking on water, we had to step out in faith before we could experience God's monetary provision.
I wish I could tell you that I had complete and utter faith in God alone. I didn't. I experienced great times of doubt and frustration. But this happened only when I took my eyes off of God and focused on our circumstances--that is when my mood sunk down low and doubt and discouragement reigned. Kind of like when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. When he looked down at his circumstances, he no longer was able to skim along the surface of the water. Instead, he sunk down into the deep abyss.
Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see'.
Faith is walking forward even when all that you can see with your human, naked eye appears to be insufficient.
Not only did I struggle with doubt regarding raising the money, I struggled with doubt about whether it was good stewardship. This happened after reading several different excerpts from a book written recently that raises questions about whether or not short term mission trips are beneficial. Over and over, the question plagued me: would giving $6,000 to the ministry be wiser than spending it on us to go?
Stepping out. It felt risky. It felt scary. It felt vulnerable. And sometimes--in light of the prior paragraph--it felt maybe wrong. What if it really wasn't good stewardship? Oh, how I worried and fretted more than I ever should have! Thankfully, God only requires faith as small as a mustard seed.
Between September until March--the amount of time we had to come up with the money--there were only three things we could do: offer up the little we had, pray for God to multiply it, and then sit back and wait for Him to do it.
Sounds a little bit like the feeding of the 5,000, doesn't it? When Jesus asked his disciples to provide food for the crowd of thousands, all that the disciples were able to scrounge up were two loaves of bread and five, measly fish. Interestingly enough, it wasn't even their own food! They had to borrow it from a boy in the crowd!
Our 'meager offering' came in the form of fundraising and my small, part-time job. The rest would be up to God. The Great Mathematician. The Great Multiplier.
As the months ticked away and the mission trip got closer, I began to witness God's math at work. Our team held a 5K, hosted a spaghetti lunch, and provided food for a business. Then, we watched the balance that we owe begin to decrease.
After much prayer, Joshua, Sophie and I sent out support letters two months prior to our trip. We asked people to 'sponsor' us as we worked here locally on behalf of orphans and widows. Our 'offering' this time was donating our time towards mission work here in Paducah. We prayed and hoped that doing so would take care of our remaining balance.
God indeed provided for our remaining balance through our letter writing efforts as well as a few generous 'out of the blue' donations. We were (and still are!) so very appreciative of everyone's generosity. Each check we received left us speechless. We felt so unworthy, yet so grateful...
Kind of like the cross, isn't it?
On this side of our mission trip, I am blown away by God's provision. He raised up every single dollar. He solely raised it up for such a time as this, to accomplish His kingdom work. What God raises up, no one can tear down.
As far as my worries that our short-term mission trip might not be good stewardship? While, yes, I believe we should always weigh the benefits of going versus giving, I also believe there are transactions that occur in people's hearts on mission trips upon which a price tag can't be put. Sometimes, you must witness things in person before it can penetrate your heart. Sometimes going first births an outpouring of giving later. The results of experiencing it makes it a part of you and forever changes you. The bottom line is that mission trips birth further action.
Stepping out and going was another lesson in trust for our family and believing even when we can't see. It was a lesson in not putting boundaries on what God can do and believing that the Cattle Owner on a thousand hills is completely able.
God is in the business of doing the impossible and accomplishing God-sized dreams. His eyes run to and fro among the earth, looking for people who are fully available to accomplish His plans. Our mission trip--it seemed like such a tall order at the time, but it was just a glimpse--just a glimpse--of the All Sufficient One.
Glimpses of His Glory...In the Starfish 5K that only expected 300 runners at most, yet had over 700 show up. In my close friends/family who are seeing God provide extravagantly as they step out in faith and adopt. In the donor who wants to make our FCA Power Camp this summer completely free to every single participant...Glimpses of His Glory.
I don't know about you, but I'm not settling for watching front the sidelines. Until He returns or calls me home, I want to be a part of those glimpses.
Then we took turns sharing about what we did in Uganda and how it personally impacted each of us. As I listened to my team members share, it took me back...back to our trip...back to Africa.
And I thought, as I have so many times, what if we hadn't went? What if we had missed it?
Because we almost did. We almost missed it.
Last September when Joshua, Sophie and I committed to going, we had absolutely no idea how we were going to pay for it. The financial aspect of it seemed so overwhelming, so big, that it nearly kept us from even trying.
We almost didn't chance it.
Just as Peter had to step out of the boat in faith before he could experience walking on water, we had to step out in faith before we could experience God's monetary provision.
I wish I could tell you that I had complete and utter faith in God alone. I didn't. I experienced great times of doubt and frustration. But this happened only when I took my eyes off of God and focused on our circumstances--that is when my mood sunk down low and doubt and discouragement reigned. Kind of like when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. When he looked down at his circumstances, he no longer was able to skim along the surface of the water. Instead, he sunk down into the deep abyss.
Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see'.
Faith is walking forward even when all that you can see with your human, naked eye appears to be insufficient.
Not only did I struggle with doubt regarding raising the money, I struggled with doubt about whether it was good stewardship. This happened after reading several different excerpts from a book written recently that raises questions about whether or not short term mission trips are beneficial. Over and over, the question plagued me: would giving $6,000 to the ministry be wiser than spending it on us to go?
Stepping out. It felt risky. It felt scary. It felt vulnerable. And sometimes--in light of the prior paragraph--it felt maybe wrong. What if it really wasn't good stewardship? Oh, how I worried and fretted more than I ever should have! Thankfully, God only requires faith as small as a mustard seed.
Between September until March--the amount of time we had to come up with the money--there were only three things we could do: offer up the little we had, pray for God to multiply it, and then sit back and wait for Him to do it.
Sounds a little bit like the feeding of the 5,000, doesn't it? When Jesus asked his disciples to provide food for the crowd of thousands, all that the disciples were able to scrounge up were two loaves of bread and five, measly fish. Interestingly enough, it wasn't even their own food! They had to borrow it from a boy in the crowd!
Our 'meager offering' came in the form of fundraising and my small, part-time job. The rest would be up to God. The Great Mathematician. The Great Multiplier.
As the months ticked away and the mission trip got closer, I began to witness God's math at work. Our team held a 5K, hosted a spaghetti lunch, and provided food for a business. Then, we watched the balance that we owe begin to decrease.
After much prayer, Joshua, Sophie and I sent out support letters two months prior to our trip. We asked people to 'sponsor' us as we worked here locally on behalf of orphans and widows. Our 'offering' this time was donating our time towards mission work here in Paducah. We prayed and hoped that doing so would take care of our remaining balance.
God indeed provided for our remaining balance through our letter writing efforts as well as a few generous 'out of the blue' donations. We were (and still are!) so very appreciative of everyone's generosity. Each check we received left us speechless. We felt so unworthy, yet so grateful...
Kind of like the cross, isn't it?
On this side of our mission trip, I am blown away by God's provision. He raised up every single dollar. He solely raised it up for such a time as this, to accomplish His kingdom work. What God raises up, no one can tear down.
As far as my worries that our short-term mission trip might not be good stewardship? While, yes, I believe we should always weigh the benefits of going versus giving, I also believe there are transactions that occur in people's hearts on mission trips upon which a price tag can't be put. Sometimes, you must witness things in person before it can penetrate your heart. Sometimes going first births an outpouring of giving later. The results of experiencing it makes it a part of you and forever changes you. The bottom line is that mission trips birth further action.
Stepping out and going was another lesson in trust for our family and believing even when we can't see. It was a lesson in not putting boundaries on what God can do and believing that the Cattle Owner on a thousand hills is completely able.
God is in the business of doing the impossible and accomplishing God-sized dreams. His eyes run to and fro among the earth, looking for people who are fully available to accomplish His plans. Our mission trip--it seemed like such a tall order at the time, but it was just a glimpse--just a glimpse--of the All Sufficient One.
Glimpses of His Glory...In the Starfish 5K that only expected 300 runners at most, yet had over 700 show up. In my close friends/family who are seeing God provide extravagantly as they step out in faith and adopt. In the donor who wants to make our FCA Power Camp this summer completely free to every single participant...Glimpses of His Glory.
I don't know about you, but I'm not settling for watching front the sidelines. Until He returns or calls me home, I want to be a part of those glimpses.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Twelve reasons why your teenager needs to go to FCA Leadership Camp this summer!
{I wrote this blog-post last summer right after we came back from attending FCA Leadership Camp. I wanted to re-post this in hopes that some of you will read it and consider sending your teenager this summer to this amazing, life-changing camp!}
It has been seven days since we got back from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Student Leadership Camp. Seven days to ponder upon and unpack those 'mountain-top' days.
My husband became the FCA representative in Western KY a little over a year ago. As we get FCA up and running in the schools here, our hope is to send many athletes to this life-changing leadership camp. I have been to many student camps over the years, yet none really compares to this one in my opinion. It uniquely combines athletics, leadership skills and Christ all in one camp. It teaches students to be leaders for Christ on their school campuses. Oh, how I love this camp! In the next several paragraphs, I will attempt to give you a glimpse of what FCA camp is like.
First, when I think of FCA Camp, the picture that comes to mind is of the one below. The worship is outstanding. There is just something about seeing a bunch of rough and tumble athletes praising the LORD with everything in them.
Every message hammered in on an aspect of being 'Relentless' in your walk with God. I especially love the part of this verse that says 'We are not of those who draw back.' Another version uses the words 'shrink back'. When I think of not shrinking back, I see a football player fearlessly barreling through the defensive line. The Lord has reminded me of those words all week: 'do not shrink back...do not shrink back...do not shrink back...'
Fourth, the atmosphere at camp from the first moment that campers arrived was one of servitude. Steve Wiggington, FCA dude-in-charge, had a separate meeting with the male campers from the get-go, emphasizing the fact that they were to go out of their way to be gentlemen to the ladies, opening doors, taking their plates, letting them eat first, etc. Oh, how these boys rose to the occasion! All week long, I got pampered and spoiled, as men young and old took my plates and opened doors. It was a precious thing to witness in mass. It also made me sadly realize how rare of an occurrence it is to see this these days.
Fifth, the Faith Walk on Saturday (when campers divide up in small groups of 3-5 and go door to door, politely requesting the homeowners if they can ask them a few spiritual-type questions) began with much timidity and hesitancy, but ended with students overcoming their fears as they realized that it is not difficult to ask stranger's questions that often ended in sharing their faith!
While many think this kind of Gospel-sharing is not effective, I would have to disagree. God cannot be nailed down and put in a box--He moves and works in ALL kinds of ways, including short conversations with strangers. Indeed, God shone in unbelievable ways that day, as students came back and shared how they saw Him work... including an older couple in town going out of their way to come on campus, find some of our staff members and share with our whole group of students how God used the students that came to their son-in-law's door that day...that their conversations with him had ultimately led to this young man making the decision to surrender his life wholeheartedly to the Lord. This day was my favorite by far. It seemed as though something changed in the demeanor of those students that day...a 'joyful seriousness' overtook the atmosphere.
Sixth, the cardboard testimonies on Saturday night were powerful. I don't think I will ever tire of cardboard testimonies! The last testimony of the night was by one of the students that we brought:
As campers whooped and hollered, I am pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Seventh, the competitions that went on all over campus were just down-right fun. And--well, competitive! Not to mention, we couldn't have ordered better weather right in the heat of summer!
Eighth, walking around campus and witnessing students in groups praying, reading their Bibles and sharing their struggles with one another was a beautiful sight to behold. Each camper is in a huddle group which is led by a college student. The groups spend time discussing real life struggles the teenagers are facing and what the Bible says about it.
Ninth, the FCA Bible every student leaves with is enough in itself to go to this camp each year. I got one this year and I am LOVING it so much. We have spent many mornings this past week as a family using the questions that are sprinkled through the text as conversation starters during our family devos. It has much added commentary and thoughts specifically related to the teenage student-athlete.
Tenth, the campers had sessions in which they are given ideas on how to go back to their school campuses and be leaders for Christ on their sport's teams, at their schools in general, or in the community. They brainstormed ideas and ways to start an FCA Huddle at their school.
Future Camp huddle leaders :)
It has been seven days since we got back from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Student Leadership Camp. Seven days to ponder upon and unpack those 'mountain-top' days.
My husband became the FCA representative in Western KY a little over a year ago. As we get FCA up and running in the schools here, our hope is to send many athletes to this life-changing leadership camp. I have been to many student camps over the years, yet none really compares to this one in my opinion. It uniquely combines athletics, leadership skills and Christ all in one camp. It teaches students to be leaders for Christ on their school campuses. Oh, how I love this camp! In the next several paragraphs, I will attempt to give you a glimpse of what FCA camp is like.
First, when I think of FCA Camp, the picture that comes to mind is of the one below. The worship is outstanding. There is just something about seeing a bunch of rough and tumble athletes praising the LORD with everything in them.
Second, hearing college athletes share their testimony of God's work in their life is both inspiring and moving. As they authentically share their failures and successes, this roomful of ball-handlers, runners and jumpers can relate all too well.
Third, the preaching each morning and evening was challenging and from God's Word, straight up and non-sugar-coated. The word of the week was 'Relentless', based on Hebrews 10:39:
Fourth, the atmosphere at camp from the first moment that campers arrived was one of servitude. Steve Wiggington, FCA dude-in-charge, had a separate meeting with the male campers from the get-go, emphasizing the fact that they were to go out of their way to be gentlemen to the ladies, opening doors, taking their plates, letting them eat first, etc. Oh, how these boys rose to the occasion! All week long, I got pampered and spoiled, as men young and old took my plates and opened doors. It was a precious thing to witness in mass. It also made me sadly realize how rare of an occurrence it is to see this these days.
Fifth, the Faith Walk on Saturday (when campers divide up in small groups of 3-5 and go door to door, politely requesting the homeowners if they can ask them a few spiritual-type questions) began with much timidity and hesitancy, but ended with students overcoming their fears as they realized that it is not difficult to ask stranger's questions that often ended in sharing their faith!
While many think this kind of Gospel-sharing is not effective, I would have to disagree. God cannot be nailed down and put in a box--He moves and works in ALL kinds of ways, including short conversations with strangers. Indeed, God shone in unbelievable ways that day, as students came back and shared how they saw Him work... including an older couple in town going out of their way to come on campus, find some of our staff members and share with our whole group of students how God used the students that came to their son-in-law's door that day...that their conversations with him had ultimately led to this young man making the decision to surrender his life wholeheartedly to the Lord. This day was my favorite by far. It seemed as though something changed in the demeanor of those students that day...a 'joyful seriousness' overtook the atmosphere.
Sixth, the cardboard testimonies on Saturday night were powerful. I don't think I will ever tire of cardboard testimonies! The last testimony of the night was by one of the students that we brought:
As campers whooped and hollered, I am pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Seventh, the competitions that went on all over campus were just down-right fun. And--well, competitive! Not to mention, we couldn't have ordered better weather right in the heat of summer!
Eighth, walking around campus and witnessing students in groups praying, reading their Bibles and sharing their struggles with one another was a beautiful sight to behold. Each camper is in a huddle group which is led by a college student. The groups spend time discussing real life struggles the teenagers are facing and what the Bible says about it.
Ninth, the FCA Bible every student leaves with is enough in itself to go to this camp each year. I got one this year and I am LOVING it so much. We have spent many mornings this past week as a family using the questions that are sprinkled through the text as conversation starters during our family devos. It has much added commentary and thoughts specifically related to the teenage student-athlete. Tenth, the campers had sessions in which they are given ideas on how to go back to their school campuses and be leaders for Christ on their sport's teams, at their schools in general, or in the community. They brainstormed ideas and ways to start an FCA Huddle at their school.
Eleventh, Eric and I got to spend some wonderful, quality time with other staffers--people I am sure we would be best of friends with if we lived in the same town. I enjoyed all of them so so much. Also, the kids of the staff members had a 'kid's camp' each day. They got to know all of the other staff member's kiddos. It was so precious. At the end of the week, they performed a 'rap' for all of the campers, with break dancing and all! My boys loved kid's camp, especially my youngest!
Future Camp huddle leaders :)
Twelfth, while this is not entirely important, I can't help adding it. The food at Campbellsville University is INCREDIBLE! It is not like regular cafeteria food at all. If you don't go for any other reason, go for four days of yumminess! :)
As we were packing up to come home, one of the students we brought looked at me and said, 'It's going to be hard to go back to the real world. Everyone here is so nice.'
It's true. It's a cozy, friendly, inviting environment. There is a supernatural presence working, weaving, and pouring in for the four days of FCA Camp. Student-athletes make friends with other student-athletes from other schools--often resulting in future college roommates. It makes leaving a bit difficult, to say the least.
You don't have to live in Kentucky to come to this camp. We had many students from surrounding states--some from as far as Georgia! So my last few words to you are--if you have a teenager, make it your goal next year to send him or her to FCA Leadership Camp! You and your teenager will not be disappointed!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Uganda--A Visit to the Schools
SOS Ministries set up and arranged for us to go and speak to four government schools in the surrounding villages. The schools gave us free reign to say and do whatever we wanted in our presentation.
I think our team was most apprehensive about this day because we had been given such little information beforehand. We Americans like to be able to plan and prepare. Yet, in true African fashion, the information we received kept changing. We were told we were going to two schools, than it changed to four. We were told there would be about 100 children at each school, than we were told there would be 500 or 900 students per school. We were told we would need to split up into two different teams at each school, but then found out we wouldn't. We had bought 500 salvation bracelets to make with the children, yet we really didn't know if we'd have enough for even one school. Would we be outside or inside? How much time should we plan for? At some point we realized we needed to quit worrying about preparing and just start praying.
Before leaving that morning, we gathered full-circle, hand in hand. I found this time of prayer with my team to be the sweetest yet, for uncertainty creates a dependency on God that brings about the most genuine of prayers.
We lifted up our promised-filled requests:
'Do not let your Word return void...supernaturally speak through us...be our strength in our weakness...Your grace is sufficient...we are weak, but You are strong...Holy Spirit, fall down upon us today...we may not know all the details about today but You do...'
His Spirit met ours, calming us and reminding us that He had every bit of this under control.
Our loosely held plan was: begin with Jessica sharing her testimony, followed by our Gospel skit, making bracelets (if the environment and the amount of students was conducive to doing so), singing some songs, then ending with Brad giving a Gospel- centered message.
Jason and Charles would not be with us. Instead, they would be speaking to/teaching Ugandan pastors. The rest of our team plus three interpreters were being driven by Damon in SOS's truck:
Off we drove, bouncing along the dirt roads to the first school we were speaking at.
It's amusing to me how 'safety' conscious we are in America, yet here we were--us and our children--riding and hanging off the back of a truck down the roads of Uganda. I honestly can't say that we were going all that slow. And if you didn't pay attention to upcoming branches--well, you'd be clothes-lined for sure.
Strangely, none of us seemed all that concerned. Maybe it was because there was something freeing and relaxing about riding in the back of a truck, the wind hitting your face and blowing through your hair.
Maybe it was because one couldn't grow tired of looking at the beauty of the green landscape against the brown-red dirt.
Maybe it was because it never grew old waving at the children shouting 'Mzunga!'
One thing is for sure, I would jump at the chance to ride down those roads again.
After about 15-20 minutes, we reached our first school.
This school was a high school and many of the students actually lived there. Upon checking in with the principal, it became apparent that he wanted to take us on a tour of the school. He showed us their computer lab, which reminded me very much of the very first computer lab that my high school had in 1986. Only this one was in a room about the size of my bathroom.
Next he showed us the dorm rooms where the students lived and slept.
Then, as he proceeded to lead us to a room where we would speak to the students, he told us we had five minutes to do our presentation.
We tried not to act ruffled but I know every adult around me was thinking the same thing:
'five minutes???!!!'
Quickly, we decided Jessica would do her testimony and then we'd do the Gospel skit and go from there. We knew that was longer than five minutes but since we were operating on African time we decided to use it to our advantage!
High school students packed out the room:
Jessica began sharing her testimony. As she spoke to them about her struggles as a young high school student and growing up without a father figure in her life, the faces in the audience seemed to connect. She explained how a fellow student/friend had introduced her to Jesus and how He ultimately met her in her neediness and changed her life forever.
Next, we did the Gospel skit. Then, Brad followed up with a Gospel-centered message that was so eloquent and strong. All the while, Edward translated for us. After Brad spoke, Edward got going for at least five minutes. Edward is the pastor of the church at SOS. We could not tell what he was saying, but he spoke with such passion and tenacity, it was obvious that he was preaching. It took all that was in us to not shout 'Amen!' and 'Preach it, brother!'
When we were finished, the principal of this school (shown in the above picture) walked with us out to our truck. He told us that he was a born again believer and thanked us profusely for coming. Then he said something that I believe was a message straight from the Lord, a message to carry with us throughout the rest of our day:
I still get goosebumps when I think about that.
The next school that we drove to was an elementary school.
This school, like many of the schools we visited, had many positive messages written on them in English. I suppose it is very similar to the many messages we have displayed on the hallways of our schools in America (such as 'Say No to Drugs', 'Be the change you wish to see in the world' or 'Knowledge is Power').
Yet, many of the messages I found unsettling, reminding me of the very real problem of child-trafficking and prostitution:
Compared to the last school, the kids here were more raggedly dressed and poor; many were barefoot and dirty. If they did have on shoes, they were usually way too big or too small for their feet.
There was far less order at this school and as the kids pressed in on us, it didn't appear that anyone was really in control. Damon had told us that the quality of education in most of the government schools was very poor. We were witnessing this firsthand.
We made the mistake of trying to pass out a few paper tambourines. The children swarmed Colton, each of them trying to grab one.
Because of the chaos, we quickly realized that making salvation bracelets wasn't going to work here.
I was reminded: 'you are planting seeds that will one day sprout into something beautiful.'
Here, the children are responding to a question Edward is asking them.
After our presentation, we played. They spent much time touching our skin and laughing such joyous laughs.
They never tired of getting pictures taken and looking at their images on the screen.
These shy children had some of the sweetest demeanors. Even the uniforms made of light blue gingham seemed to call out preciousness. There was something about the eyes of these children that made you want to gather them up and protect them--protect them from the difficulty, the disease, the death.
Our time we spent here may have been my very favorite moments of our whole trip.
As we had at the other schools, Jessica shared her testimony, followed by our Gospel skit and finally, Brad's message. While I was very aware of God's presence amongst us, it felt different here than the other schools. There was a gentleness and sensitivity in the air, reminding me that God meets with and touches people in ways conducive to the given moment.
After Brad spoke, we reviewed the Gospel skit by making salvation bracelets. We were so excited to finally get to make these. Oh, how the children loved them!
We ended with Weslan playing his guitar and Olivia playing her violin as we sang Blessed Be Your Name. I don't have to tell you how special of a moment that was.
Leaving this school was hard. We could have stayed all day.
But we had to leave because we had one more school to visit--a high school boarding school.
This school was definitely the most prestigious one of the four (not 'prestigious' in our known sense of the word, but comparatively).
When we arrived, the majority of the students were finishing up exams. We waited under a big tree where an art class was taking place. The students were drawing a portion of the tree trunk. The teacher was very friendly and allowed many of our team members to join in and draw along with them.
Soon it was time to meet with all of the students. They conjugated inside one of the large classrooms.
We all sang Blessed Be Your Name once again (this song will never ever be the same for me again...Uganda will always be attached to it every time I hear it!). Then, Olivia closed out our time by blessing us with the song Amazing Grace:
That evening, as we gathered together and discussed the day, we marveled about how the Lord had shown up in so many small ways that day. For one, we were gone for eight hours and not one of us had had any bathroom issues. In fact, even amidst all of our water drinking, not one person ever even needed to go. Secondly, it seemed the Lord had the details of our bracelet distribution completely under control as we came home with only a handful left. Third, God had once again used each of our unique abilities in a way that allowed us to work beautifully as a team. On a personal note, I hadn't had one problem with my eye allergy--a huge praise being that we had been driving along dust ridden roads all day.
Just as the physical laboring over kitchens had been satisfying at the end of a hard day's work, this day was just as satisfying in its own way. Rather than spending the day sweating, we had spent the day speaking. While kitchen making, our sweat had sowed something tangible; While presenting the Gospel, our speaking had sowed something intangible. Both the tangible and intangible are representations of a Father who is lovingly drawing these people to Himself.
I loved each and every single day that we ministered in Uganda. But this day was by far my very favorite. This day changed me the most, stirring up a fire in my soul to make the most of every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Now that I am home, this day of our mission trip is the one that has lingered with me as I go about my life here in Paducah. It's the one that stirs within me, reminding me to 'go and tell'.
The other day I realized something quite profound. Our FCA ministry here in Western KY is to reach students in the public schools with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's exactly what we were doing on day five of our mission trip--it just happened to be in Uganda, instead of Paducah.
It was in that moment that I understood why this day was my very favorite of all. It's my calling.
I think our team was most apprehensive about this day because we had been given such little information beforehand. We Americans like to be able to plan and prepare. Yet, in true African fashion, the information we received kept changing. We were told we were going to two schools, than it changed to four. We were told there would be about 100 children at each school, than we were told there would be 500 or 900 students per school. We were told we would need to split up into two different teams at each school, but then found out we wouldn't. We had bought 500 salvation bracelets to make with the children, yet we really didn't know if we'd have enough for even one school. Would we be outside or inside? How much time should we plan for? At some point we realized we needed to quit worrying about preparing and just start praying.
Before leaving that morning, we gathered full-circle, hand in hand. I found this time of prayer with my team to be the sweetest yet, for uncertainty creates a dependency on God that brings about the most genuine of prayers.
We lifted up our promised-filled requests:
'Do not let your Word return void...supernaturally speak through us...be our strength in our weakness...Your grace is sufficient...we are weak, but You are strong...Holy Spirit, fall down upon us today...we may not know all the details about today but You do...'
His Spirit met ours, calming us and reminding us that He had every bit of this under control.
Our loosely held plan was: begin with Jessica sharing her testimony, followed by our Gospel skit, making bracelets (if the environment and the amount of students was conducive to doing so), singing some songs, then ending with Brad giving a Gospel- centered message.
Jason and Charles would not be with us. Instead, they would be speaking to/teaching Ugandan pastors. The rest of our team plus three interpreters were being driven by Damon in SOS's truck:
Off we drove, bouncing along the dirt roads to the first school we were speaking at.
It's amusing to me how 'safety' conscious we are in America, yet here we were--us and our children--riding and hanging off the back of a truck down the roads of Uganda. I honestly can't say that we were going all that slow. And if you didn't pay attention to upcoming branches--well, you'd be clothes-lined for sure.
Strangely, none of us seemed all that concerned. Maybe it was because there was something freeing and relaxing about riding in the back of a truck, the wind hitting your face and blowing through your hair.
Maybe it was because one couldn't grow tired of looking at the beauty of the green landscape against the brown-red dirt.
One thing is for sure, I would jump at the chance to ride down those roads again.
After about 15-20 minutes, we reached our first school.
This school was a high school and many of the students actually lived there. Upon checking in with the principal, it became apparent that he wanted to take us on a tour of the school. He showed us their computer lab, which reminded me very much of the very first computer lab that my high school had in 1986. Only this one was in a room about the size of my bathroom.
Next he showed us the dorm rooms where the students lived and slept.
Then, as he proceeded to lead us to a room where we would speak to the students, he told us we had five minutes to do our presentation.
We tried not to act ruffled but I know every adult around me was thinking the same thing:
'five minutes???!!!'
Quickly, we decided Jessica would do her testimony and then we'd do the Gospel skit and go from there. We knew that was longer than five minutes but since we were operating on African time we decided to use it to our advantage!
Jessica began sharing her testimony. As she spoke to them about her struggles as a young high school student and growing up without a father figure in her life, the faces in the audience seemed to connect. She explained how a fellow student/friend had introduced her to Jesus and how He ultimately met her in her neediness and changed her life forever.
Next, we did the Gospel skit. Then, Brad followed up with a Gospel-centered message that was so eloquent and strong. All the while, Edward translated for us. After Brad spoke, Edward got going for at least five minutes. Edward is the pastor of the church at SOS. We could not tell what he was saying, but he spoke with such passion and tenacity, it was obvious that he was preaching. It took all that was in us to not shout 'Amen!' and 'Preach it, brother!'
I am not sure if I can describe in words how very present the Holy Spirit was in that room with us. From the moment Jessica began speaking about Christ to the moment Edward finished, He was there translating His Word.
When we were finished, the principal of this school (shown in the above picture) walked with us out to our truck. He told us that he was a born again believer and thanked us profusely for coming. Then he said something that I believe was a message straight from the Lord, a message to carry with us throughout the rest of our day:
'You are doing a very important work. You are planting seeds that are one day going to sprout into a beautiful blossom.'
I still get goosebumps when I think about that.
The next school that we drove to was an elementary school.
This school, like many of the schools we visited, had many positive messages written on them in English. I suppose it is very similar to the many messages we have displayed on the hallways of our schools in America (such as 'Say No to Drugs', 'Be the change you wish to see in the world' or 'Knowledge is Power').
Yet, many of the messages I found unsettling, reminding me of the very real problem of child-trafficking and prostitution:
There was far less order at this school and as the kids pressed in on us, it didn't appear that anyone was really in control. Damon had told us that the quality of education in most of the government schools was very poor. We were witnessing this firsthand.
We made the mistake of trying to pass out a few paper tambourines. The children swarmed Colton, each of them trying to grab one.
Because of the chaos, we quickly realized that making salvation bracelets wasn't going to work here.
We finally were able to get the kids to stand back far enough to listen to our skit and our testimonies. I looked around at the faces as we presented, noticing children who were focusing intently on all that was being said. As His Word was spoken and taught, I realized that God was bigger than chaos. Remembering this helped me relax and forget about the disorder. As we presented and Edward translated in Lugandan, I again felt the Lord's presence among us.
I was reminded: 'you are planting seeds that will one day sprout into something beautiful.'
Here, the children are responding to a question Edward is asking them.
After our presentation, we played. They spent much time touching our skin and laughing such joyous laughs.
They never tired of getting pictures taken and looking at their images on the screen.
Damon picked up lunch for us in the village from a small shack of a place that sold Rolexes. A rolex tastes kind of like a chicken pita or taco and is quite delicious. Here is a picture of what one looks like:
Ours was obviously not served on a plate but wrapped in foil. We ate our food as we drove to our third school.
This third school was also an elementary school. The school we had just left was situated right in the heart of the village it was in. Right outside the school were lines of shacks serving as stores, restaurants or bars. However, this school felt like it was out in the middle of the country. The contrast between the children here compared to the school we'd just left was also extraordinary. Whereas the children at the last school had been loud and rowdy, the children here were subdued and quiet. Almost too quiet.
They were quite standoffish at first and we were told that they had likely never seen white people before.
Ours was obviously not served on a plate but wrapped in foil. We ate our food as we drove to our third school.
This third school was also an elementary school. The school we had just left was situated right in the heart of the village it was in. Right outside the school were lines of shacks serving as stores, restaurants or bars. However, this school felt like it was out in the middle of the country. The contrast between the children here compared to the school we'd just left was also extraordinary. Whereas the children at the last school had been loud and rowdy, the children here were subdued and quiet. Almost too quiet.
They were quite standoffish at first and we were told that they had likely never seen white people before.
These shy children had some of the sweetest demeanors. Even the uniforms made of light blue gingham seemed to call out preciousness. There was something about the eyes of these children that made you want to gather them up and protect them--protect them from the difficulty, the disease, the death.
Our time we spent here may have been my very favorite moments of our whole trip.
As we had at the other schools, Jessica shared her testimony, followed by our Gospel skit and finally, Brad's message. While I was very aware of God's presence amongst us, it felt different here than the other schools. There was a gentleness and sensitivity in the air, reminding me that God meets with and touches people in ways conducive to the given moment.
After Brad spoke, we reviewed the Gospel skit by making salvation bracelets. We were so excited to finally get to make these. Oh, how the children loved them!
We ended with Weslan playing his guitar and Olivia playing her violin as we sang Blessed Be Your Name. I don't have to tell you how special of a moment that was.
Leaving this school was hard. We could have stayed all day.
But we had to leave because we had one more school to visit--a high school boarding school.
This school was definitely the most prestigious one of the four (not 'prestigious' in our known sense of the word, but comparatively).
When we arrived, the majority of the students were finishing up exams. We waited under a big tree where an art class was taking place. The students were drawing a portion of the tree trunk. The teacher was very friendly and allowed many of our team members to join in and draw along with them.
Soon it was time to meet with all of the students. They conjugated inside one of the large classrooms.
We decided to make salvation bracelets with this group, too.
We all sang Blessed Be Your Name once again (this song will never ever be the same for me again...Uganda will always be attached to it every time I hear it!). Then, Olivia closed out our time by blessing us with the song Amazing Grace:
'Amazing Grace,
How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.'
Just as the physical laboring over kitchens had been satisfying at the end of a hard day's work, this day was just as satisfying in its own way. Rather than spending the day sweating, we had spent the day speaking. While kitchen making, our sweat had sowed something tangible; While presenting the Gospel, our speaking had sowed something intangible. Both the tangible and intangible are representations of a Father who is lovingly drawing these people to Himself.
I loved each and every single day that we ministered in Uganda. But this day was by far my very favorite. This day changed me the most, stirring up a fire in my soul to make the most of every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Now that I am home, this day of our mission trip is the one that has lingered with me as I go about my life here in Paducah. It's the one that stirs within me, reminding me to 'go and tell'.
The other day I realized something quite profound. Our FCA ministry here in Western KY is to reach students in the public schools with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That's exactly what we were doing on day five of our mission trip--it just happened to be in Uganda, instead of Paducah.
It was in that moment that I understood why this day was my very favorite of all. It's my calling.
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