Audio Bibles

Back in March when I sent out support letters asking for money to get me back to Uganda, I was worried about sending them to people that I asked to support me just one year ago. I thought people would be bothered or tired of helping me out but this year people seemed even more generous than last year. I am so blessed. One of the surprise blessing was from Mr. Greg Herring. He got my letter and him and his wife gave generously but then he called me and told me about some audiobibles he wanted me to bring to Uganda. In african culture there is an emphasis on oral telling of stories. some thing we americans may never understand. we would rather read about something to learn it but in africa they can learn better by hearing it spoke aloud. these audio bibles would do just that. They are solar powered 2.5 ounces and no bigger than the average wallet. They have speakers or can be plugged into headphones for listening. Mr Greg told me all about them and i said yes! these would for sure be something these people can use! I thought of momma monica who cant speak english or read/write Luganda. She doesnt go to church on Suday because we go to an english speaking church. The only bible she is getting is when the kids have night time devotionals and they read a bible story from the book and one of the other staff translates it for her and the kids. This would be a way that monica can hear the very words of Jesus not just a summarized kids version of it.

Mr Herring was excited too and put in an order for some audio bibles for me to take in Luganda, Lanugo, English and Acholi. The only problem was that i was getting on the plane in a week and they still hadn't arrived.

The day before we got onto the plane we saw the package on our door step! God is good!

Then I heard Agnes' story.
Agnes is from the Acholi trip - she lived in the Acholi quarters displaced there after the war broke out in northern Uganda. While there she learned about ILA (the organization that trys to relocate the Acholi people back to their home land in Gulu). She was a witch doctor but ILA's resettlement program requires therapy and the bible is incorporated into each lesson. After learning of Jesus she trusted in Him and is a believer now. Agnes called a friend over and together they emptied her house of everything witch craft. Most of all Agnes fell in love with Jesus and she longed to learn more about Him. She would pray and the Lord would give her a verse in her head but she can not read and she doesn't own a bible so she would run to her neighbors house and say please read to me Acts 4:9 or whatever verse the spirit gave her. The neighbor would read her the verse and she would weep because it had everything to do with her current situation. The Lord was communicating to her through His word but she had no way to hear unless someone read to her. Agnes' thirst for the word grew and grew and she would go around asking anyone to please read to her but they could only read to her for so long and only so often.

When I was told this story I knew that God wanted me to deliver an audio bible to this woman. I didn't get to give her one while I was in Uganda but I prayed and decided to give all the bibles to the ILA organization to give away to those they thought would benefit most and this definitely included Agnes.

The coolest thing was how God let everything fall into place. He told me to send support letters to even those I asked last year, He put it on Greg's heart to call me and give me these bibles, He got me the bibles right before I had to leave, He let me hear this story, and He even made me remember to even put the Acholi language on the tapes. I had added the Acholi language as kind of an after thought not thinking that I would get the opportunity to go there much or get these to them but now all but 2 of the audio bibles are being given to the Acholi people. Wow. He really does work everything out according to his plan and purpose. Our job is only to trust and obey.

Here is me handing off these beautiful audiobibles to Benson director and founder of ILA Uganda

Agnes finally receiving her Audio bible

Margaret and family receiving their audio bible!

Please visit www.ilauganda.org to learn more about ILA Uganda and please pray for this amazing organization and those who are receiving counseling and therapy with their program to recover after the war and relocate back home. Also pray for those who will be getting an audio bible in the near future.

Rafting the River Nile

I had never been rafting before. And now I think I never have to again. haha No rapids could be as awesome as these.

I'm on the left in the back row!

Here we are again. I'm forth from the left after the goofy photogenic guy smiling at the camera. Lol uncle tom!

This rafting trip was such an adventure. It started off with an boda accident on the way there! Me and rachel were riding to the middle of town to catch the bus to jinja my arms were cold because it was so early in the morning so naturally I had both of my arms snuggly tucked in my jacket and leaned against Rachel as our boda weaved in and out of traffic. Next thing I knew we just tipped over. haha another boda changed lanes expectantly and hit ours and we fell to the ground but don't worry we only scraped our knees and elbows a tad! no biggie! We got back on and got to our bus stop in time! Then we took the bus and a while later arrived at the Nile river ready to face death! honestly I was terrified! Rachel had rafted the Nile before and almost died like twice or something so she had horror stories and she was freaking out too. I'm pretty sure both of us were shaking as we got into the raft. The guide flipped us over in the calm water a few times to teach us how to get out from under the boat in case we flip. HA! We flipped almost every single time. It was terrifying. I don't think I have ever been so afraid of dying. When you flip and the water is swirling around you and you cant get up to breathe and the boat is keeping you under there is nothing like the desperation you feel in those moments that seem to drag on and on. I cannot breathe. I just kept thinking this in my head over and over again. I cannot breath. I'm not going to be ok. I cannot breathe. As soon as I found the air pocket under the raft to take a deep breath a huge wave would slam into my mouth and nose. I was choking. This happened literally every single time we flipped and Uncle Tom and Rachel can attest to my fear filled expressions as I finally took in a breath of life.

I didn't die! I am so blessed I got to experience near death though! I really am thankful! It made me so grateful to be alive. Witnessing the power of thousands of gallons of water rolling over a rock at one time with tremendous speed was so beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. The water was unstoppable. There was nothing that was going to tame it or slow it down. And our boat was like a fragile floating leaf completely at the mercy of the power beneath us. wow. I still cannot believe I made it through this. what a day. I remember praying before each rapid Lord, fill me with all joy and peace, as I trust You. I trust You. Save me. haha And I meant it like never before too!

That's not all I learned from these rapids.

I told my dad about my rafting trip and how we went through like 9 rapids, 4 of which were the highest stage raft-able (stage 5) and also told him about some hard stuff going on in life and he starts pouring out this amazing metaphor like its no big deal. he said most of life is filled with stage 1 or 2 rapids, easy little blurps that come and go, but there are only a few times in life when there are category 5 rapids that we face. We have to trust God to get us through those stage 5 rapids - He doesn't promise us that the boat wont flip over or that we wont get wet, disoriented, or even trapped under for a few seconds, but He does promise us that He's gonna be right there with us the whole time and that with Him we will make it out alive.
Wow dad. You are seriously the best dad in the world. and your almost as cool as Jaja Laura too ;)

little memories

Recently I was reminded of a super sweet time I got to have in Uganda with the girls. It was about 10:30pm and the grown ups were finishing up our devo time and carol came out of the girls room looking upset. She and everyone else in the room were scared. They told me that annet and brenda were having scary dreams and no one could go to sleep now. I remember laying in Annet's bed and telling whispering a really long story to them about kittens and flying kites and kids playing soccer. Anyways this story went on and on and totally didn't make sense at all but after about 45 mins all the girls were asleep and I sneaked out of the middle bunk bed and tip toed out the door. mission accomplished :) i think it was sweet carol who lifted her sleepy head and said "auntie jess-ka, thank you"

Jesus, please be with the rafiki kiddos and keep them safe. Bless them and help them grow big and strong and fall in love with you. amen.

The Doe

I read this a while back and it got me thinking:

            The muffled, distant sound had broken the quiet reverie of his walk across the meadow. The sharp barking of a dog almost irritated him. It was abrasive in that tranquil setting. As the barking grew louder, his eyes scanned the meadow, looking for the culprit.

            Suddenly a small doe broke through the edge of the woods. Now he understood. Leaning against the fence post, the man watched with compassion as the doe cut across the broad expanse of meadow. She was running straight toward him. He stood motionless, not wanting to add the fear of man to the animal’s frustration. As the frightened fawn leaped the fence, she staggered. The chase had taken its toll. Her wet coat gleaming in the sun, the doe stopped, took a few steps in one direction, then, ears held high, looked back toward the sound of the barking. The dog had broken through the woods.

            Eyes wide with fright, confused, worn out, panting wildly, the doe surveyed her surroundings, quickly discovering the man standing beside the fence. Glancing back for an instant at the dog in hot pursuit, then viewing the expanse of open field before her, she turned weakly and wobbled straight toward the man. She approached him without fear and buried her head in his tummy. Compassion flooded his heart and filled his eyes. She had found a protector.

I am the doe. Where do I run when I’m spent, afraid, in trouble, weak, hurt, needing? God wants me to know more of who He is so I can trust in Him and bury myself in the security of all He is. He is waiting for me to come to Him who is able and willing to protect me. Sometimes when trouble comes I’m too taken by surprise or too consumed by trying to out-run it that I look only at the trouble quickly approaching as it gains speed. I need to look around for Him instead. He is there and He is waiting even when He is still and quiet. He patiently, lovingly waits for me to look up and find Him-the only thing I need to survive. He longs for me to know Him so I can more fully rely on Him. I've learned that sometimes He designs troubles to somehow lead us straight to Himself! Pretty crazy. I might not see that I’ve been led there until I’m inches away from his fingers if I’ve been so preoccupied looking at the problems instead of looking for Him. So today I need to set my gaze on Him in the distance. I see Him there, waiting for me to run up to Him. How He so lovingly and mysteriously pursues me.

oh rats!!

So you know the saying that goes “everything’s bigger in Texas”….

Lies.

This, my friends, is a rat. A special kind of African rat. I know! Unbelievable right? I kept telling Godfrey and Moses that this had to be some sort of rat related animal or a opossum-cousin or something not an actual rat. But its true this is a rat and it lived for at least 3 weeks near our garbage cans. Hunter and Godfry saw it one night and trapped it under the stairs and killed it somehow with a stick. (I’ll spare you the details) If you spend any amount of time with Hunter while in Africa you will quickly learn that Dr pepper, hunting, and Duck dynasty are the three things he misses most about home. Well hunter, you got to hunt!

The Nile

Everyone in Uganda will tell you that water means life! We got to visit the source of the Nile River!

Here we are at The Source! I think 30% of the Nile is from a spring underground. You can actually see it bubbling up. The rest comes from lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the 3rd largest lake in the world and the Nile runs from south to north into the Mediterranean sea! There is a man made island just near the place where the spring flows and the spot that the Nile is said to begin!

It takes 3 months for the water from the Source to reach the Mediterranean sea.

Fisherman working along the Nile

Lizard giant

We got to take one of these boats along the coast and look at animals and enjoy the view. What a relaxing day before we headed home to be with the kiddos again!

Me pretending to be lost in thought haha!

the kiddos