2014.
A year of changes, of new beginnings, of hardship and loneliness, of joy and excitement and anticipation, of rejoicing in The Father, of new friendships that will stick no matter the distance.
I thought the blessing was being asked to be a youth leader at church, but the real blessing was the 12 girls who stole my heart. Those sweet girls taught me more than I could ever teach them. They challenged my fears and erased them, they saw me for who I was, mistakes and all, and still loved me, and made me laugh till my stomach hurt. And they will forever have a place in my heart.
The anticipation leading to the 5th of April was almost unbearable. That was the day that I was going to finally see my best friend again, the day that I would set foot on Ugandan soil, and the day that would make the past ten months of waiting to be back, worth everything. Those three weeks in Uganda set the pace for the rest of the year and opened my heart to so many endless possibilities, even though the road to those possibilities seemed impossible.
Then came a week spent in the hospital fighting malaria and feeling the sickest that I have ever felt in my whole life. Fears started overtaking my heart as I wondered how I was ever going to pay for the hospital bills and make it back to Uganda, my home and my heart, in September.
The next months were followed with hardship, loneliness, finding myself in Christ, and giving everything to the One who told me to cast all my anxieties on Him. Day after day, month after month, God conquered all my fears and replaced them with excitement; paid every single bill, blessed me with friendships that will last a lifetime, restored my peace, paved my way financially to Uganda, and answered all my prayers with Trust Me.
I can’t thank God enough for the family he has given me and for the perseverance that we have endured through every hardship. This year was hard. But I thank God that we are now rejoicing in the life of togetherness. My little (but not so little anymore) sister graduated high school with amazing grades, made it to college and is now playing basketball as a point guard at Mount Vernon University! I couldn’t be more proud and excited for what lies ahead for her. I’m cheering you on from way over here, Em!
2014 has taught me so much about love. Deep and unconditional love. Love that won’t just disappear after making one mistake, love that won’t let you go, and love that knows no bounds. Loving means accepting someone even when they are at their worst, even when they are grumpy and not fun to be around, and even when it hurts. I thank God for bringing me a best friend who loves me in every moment, even when I don’t deserve it. Silvester has taught me so much about God’s love. He lives out the meaning of God’s love in everything he does, its built into his bones. This year has brought so many firsts and new beginnings for us; finally living on the same continent after 15 months of waiting, drinking Novida’s and eating matooke together, cooking together (while disagreeing about how something should be sliced, or how much salt to add, due to the different cultures of growing up ), loving and serving together, engagement, and now onto planning a wedding and then hoping to serve and love more together in ministry.
Finally, the past three months with Raising Up Hope for Uganda have been challenging, but oh so rewarding. The relationships with the people there are blossoming and I am so excited to see what 2015 holds for those. I am not saying its been easy, cause its probably been one of the hardest parts of the year, but God has never hidden His face from me.
Throughout this year, God has conquered valleys and mountains that I didn’t know would be possible.
So now,
Let’s do this, 2015.