November Newsletter

What a month it has been for us here in Uganda. If your November was anything like ours, it flew by. It seems like just yesterday we were preparing for November and now here it is, December 2nd. November was filled with outreach, celebration, Thanksgiving, and rain, lots and lots of rain. And you can imagine what happens when most of the roads are made of dirt and have poor drainage.

Erinya Lya Mukama Lye'bazibwe

July 2015.

Oh man, just thinking about what all has happened in this short month brings a smile to my face. July has been the best month of our lives. By far, without comparison. The wait for it was long and the anticipation was unbearable. Now it's July 29th and we have to pinch ourselves to believe that everything that happened actually happened and it wasn't just a dream. We want to reminisce as we tell you all about the adventures we had in Uganda with some of our favorite people from the Buckeye State.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

It’s been eight months since I have left “home”. Eight months of eating matooke and beans, and boda boda (motorcycle taxi) rides, and red dirt roads. My home has went from being a cozy brick house wrapped in a white picket fence in Berlin, Ohio, to an apartment compound down a red dirt road that’s filled with kids screaming and playing all day long in Bulenga, Uganda.

A new home calls for learning new things.

Like how to deal with no running water for over two months, how to wash my hair in a basin and wash my clothes by hand, and how winning a bargain deal with a boda driver is a big accomplishment, so big that a high-five to myself is needed when it happens. Learning how to cross the street successfully has taken a while to master. Imagine this – a mother load of cars zooming back and forth (except they drive on the opposite side of the road, that alone confused my brain), boda bodas showing up out of nowhere behind cars, taxis randomly stopping on the sides and even right in the middle of the road, all the while honking is going on everywhere and your brain starts having a mini panic attack, throw in some random cows crossing the street and you have a crazy mess you somehow have to walk through. Boda rides have taught me that mzungu hair has no chance against any sort of wind, even just a breeze. It’s more like I have to own the “I just woke up with my hair like this, and messy is the new style, isn’t it cute?” look. I can successfully cook matooke, beans, sweet potatoes, cabbage, Irish potatoes, and fried rice but it’s got nothing on a real Ugandan mama’s cooking. I’m working on becoming a Ugandan-food-cooking-soon-to-be-wife (74 days to be exact!). I’m slowly learning the native language, Luganda, but it’s a long (did I mention slow?) work in progress.

Eight months at my new home away from home has also taught me what it means to be homesick. And being homesick has taught me what it means to appreciate the family I have in small town, Ohio. Today I wrote a short letter for the annual Yoder camping trip about 21 years of memories made camping with my big Yoder family in a mosquito infested campground. These are some of the memories that came flooding back,

“When you think of camping with family, and more specifically all 50 of the loud and weird Yoder’s (you have to admit, we are all a little weird, but the good kind of weird), you either hate it or you love it. I am one of those people who love it and have loved it for all of my twenty one years. I remember nights of sitting around a big campfire under a clear, star-filled sky, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. When I say a big fire, I actually mean a hugely-enormous-should-be-illegal fire, Yoder’s sure know how to make a fire. It always seems like there is something new to be made on the campfire every year, Esther’s now famous donuts being one of them. I think of singing hymns, all voices raised together in perfect harmony, ending in a prayer that is followed by Uncle Jake singing “Amen, Amen, Amen…”, which brings me to the memory of Uncle Jake stuffing thirty marshmallows in his mouth at once, always the life of the party. The funny, crazy Uncle that every family needs. I remember days of playing softball and thinking I was cool for playing with the “big guys” while secretly wishing the ball wouldn’t come flying in my face. Always eating meals so big and delicious that you feel like your stomach is going to burst, and at the end of the weekend you are convinced you have gained about 20 pounds. I remember simple and funny things, but things that have made an imprint in my heart over the years; calling up Alli and Jenni when we were little to make sure they would bring their baby dolls so we could play, Dad cooking up some gross raccoon they killed the night before and then having some weird desire to eat it, chewing pieces of double-bubble gum and blowing bubbles the size of our heads, Robert giving us rides down the hill in the little red wagon, washing Steve’s hair with dish soap (I’m pretty sure he was real mad at us but was too nice to show it), water balloon fights, volleyball games, rib cook-offs, holding new babies that have just joined the family, bumming in a lawn chair with a soda in one hand and a bag of chips in the other for hours just because you know you can, Uncle Earl sharing the gospel on Sunday mornings, puppet shows, Doddy surprising you with a witty joke every now and then, and lots of mosquito bites. Oh and laughter, lots and lots of laughter. Memories being remembered, shared, and made. Reunion.”

There are countless memories that I could share with you about both sides of my big and loud families, but that would take pages and I am sure you don’t want to listen to me stroll through memory lane. Growing up in two huge Christ-centered families has shown me examples of grace and forgiveness being given and received over and over again, and what that looks like when it is started at the very beginning of it all, from the grandparents. My prayer is that one day, my kids will grow up and look back on years of memories and be able to say the same things about their family and instill that into their own children. I want my kids to be the ones who say “I L O V E my family gatherings” instead of the ones who dread going. There is something so beautiful about families who stick together, love each other, pray for each other and fight for one another in Christ.

My prayer is that one day I will sit with Silvester, wrinkled by years of life, and look out and see a family full of Christ-like love and grace, forgiveness, humility, and unity. One that sticks together through the hardships and one that’s full of a thousand memories.

Amazing Grace // How Sweet the Sound

I glanced at the big pile of dirty dishes in my sink, I thought of once again walking past and acting like I hadn’t seen them. Too late. I boil hot water and look at the dishes. Ew. Do I really have to do these right now? Yes, just do it. Washing dishes is one of my least favorite things to do in this world. I crank up some music extra loud to try to make the washing more enjoyable (and secretly thinking that I can sing louder without my neighbors cringing). My Ugandan neighbors are probably thinking there is something wrong with this crazy mzungu who is singing very loudly out the kitchen window. I smile to myself and keep singing.

I hear the beginning beats of one of my favorite songs and as I listen to the words, I realize just how much this song is resonating deep in my soul.

“Make me broken, so I can be healed // Cause I’m so calloused, and now I can’t feel // I want to run to You, with heart wide open // Make me broken” Yes, Lord! I am broken, I want to run to You, touch my heart and heal me.

“Make me empty, so I can be filled // Cause I’m still holding onto my will // And I’m completed when You are with me // Make me empty” Lord, please, show me Your face, show me Your will!

“Till You are my one desire // Till You are my one true love // Till You are my breath, my everything // Lord please keep making me” Lord, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to turn, hear my cry, be my very breath, keep making me into You.

Tears are streaming down my cheeks as my heart is breaking at the kitchen sink. “Make me lonely, so I can be Yours // Till I want no one more than You, Lord // Cause in the darkness, I know You will hold me // Make me lonely” Hold me, sweet Jesus. Wrap me up and out of the darkness and into Your light, I want no one more than You, Lord. Hold me…please.

My prayers have turned into cries and my knees have hit the cold, tile floor. God, I don’t know where You are taking me, but make me patient. God, I want to run to You with arms stretched high, make me broken. God, fill me with Your very presence and Yours alone, make me empty. God, I am scared, give me unconditional faith. God, its so dark here, its so hard, but make me want no one more than You, Lord.

The songs keep coming.

Waiting here for You, with our hands lifted high in praise // And it’s You we adore, singing Alleluia // You are everything You have promised, Your faithfulness is true // We are desperate for Your presence // All we need is You

You stay the same through the ages, Your love never changes // There may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning // And when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid // Cause I know that You love me // Your love never fails

You light up our way, You bring a brighter future // You light up our lives, Your love is like no other // We are going to shine, now we are going to shine for You // We won’t fear the night, we are looking straight ahead // Never turning back, counting on Your faithfulness // Oh this God, is our God, even till the end // Standing strong over us, time and time again, even till the end

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 // My chains are gone, I’ve been set free // My God, my Savior, has ransomed me // And like a flood, His mercy reigns // Unending love, Amazing Grace

God, You are here, You have never left. What a sweet, sweet realization.

This big God of the whole universe loves me, He loves me! And He knows exactly what He is doing with my life,even when I don’t. I want to live my whole life for Him who created me into existence, just like He gave His one and only son for me, for us. I want to praise Him for the big things and the small things. And give all glory to His name. I am small, but He is big. He knows my every thought and heart break, every joy and victory, every defeat and darkness. I want His praise to always be at the tip of my lips, that every nation and tongue would know His name. Even in times when I feel defeated, I will praise His name.

I will rejoice in the fact that when days are hard and I feel defeated, God brings me a sweet little visitor to brighten my day.

I will thank God that when I need a good chuckle, He brings my favorite people to send me funny snapchats and reminds me why I love them so much.

I will be grateful for friendships that last and that are true and beautiful. God brought this one back into my life right when He knew I needed it most.

I will know God takes care of me. He brought me a sweet blessing and second “mom” in Jean who takes cares of me like her own.

I will overcome darkness and despair. I will overcome insecurity, loneliness, and comparison. I will overcome through the Overcomer Himself.

Future // Now

This blog is exactly what the title says; this is the story of my future, and the story of life now.

My fiance Silvester lives in Uganda, East Africa, where I am serving too, and where God first brought our hearts together in 2013. We plan to continue the rest of our lives together and make it official on the 18th of July, 2015 in Uganda at a big wedding celebration with family and friends all around. We are so excited about the future that God has in store for us and we want to share our story with you.

Silvester currently serves at a vulnerable mothers ministry, Uniquely Woven, located in the southeast of Kampala. Uniquely Woven takes care of single mothers who are very desperate, who have lost their husbands while they are about to experience their labor, young teens who get pregnant at school and see no hope for their baby, and many more dark situations. He started out helping as a translator at the time Uniquely Woven was starting in May 2014, and now helps out as the Coordinator of Operations. His job is to find the right story of a mama the ministry is going to care for, figure out the best way to help her and her children (if any), find her a new home, locate a school for the mama’s children and attend their school events, deal with the local merchants that provide food and other services to the mamas. He is present at the hospital at the time of birth for the mama (even if it is an all night process), and responds to all the needs of the mama as long as they are still under the care of Uniquely Woven. He recruits and manages volunteers that help in the different activities held by Uniquely Woven, and translates at the pregnant mothers bible study in Namuwongo slums that is held every Tuesday.

I serve at a street children out-reach ministry, Raising Up Hope for Uganda, located West of Kampala in Bulenga. Raising Up Hope has several different programs including a Boys and Girls Home, a Safe House, slum outreach every Tuesday and Thursday, Village of Hope, and a Day Care education program for kids in the community who’s families can’t afford the school fees of a private school. Every day is different for me as some days I can find myself teaching English at the school, or cooking rice for a group of kids in the slums, or visiting the Safe House and the two young mamas and their beautiful babies there, or traveling to the Village of Hope and even helping plant beans, potatoes, and other foods, or photographing the day with the other volunteers and kids, typing up contracts, reviewing the website, and editing photos.

“Together, we want to love and serve the children in every way possible and in any time we have, there is nothing as fulfilling as serving others.”

Although we are both serving at these two different ministries, God has placed a different call for the future on our lives. If you know Silvester personally, you would know that he has always had a heart for children and knows that God placed that on his life for a reason and he can’t ignore it. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” James 1:27. Silvester has always had a vision to live out this verse in his life and has started it by serving at Uniquely Woven. Our ultimate vision, dream, and goal as a couple that God has called to Uganda, is to start a home for homeless children and welcome them into our lives and into God’s love through the ministry. Our purpose is to be “Father” and “Mother” to them and erase the word and feeling of “orphan” and “orphanage” from them. We are in the beginning steps of writing out the vision and goals of this new ministry. We believe that every child is perfectly made in God’s eyes and that He has a plan for each and every one of them. We know that this will be a big and hard step to take but we believe that with God’s help nothing is impossible. We plan on starting our own ministry when we are settled into marriage after some time and when God says the time is right.

We can’t do this without your help. Right now we need about 17 faithful  and committed sponsors giving $50 per month, or 35 sponsors giving $25 or their own desired amount per month, or even just a one time donation, our monthly budget would be covered and drive us to serve God faithfully. If you have interest in supporting, please message me on Facebook or email katelyn_yoder@yahoo.com to get more details on our budget plan. We hope that you are able to share this with your friends and family as well, and are extremely thankful for you taking your time to listen to me as I share our future story with you. Your prayers are the most needed thing of all. Please pray for us as we embark on a life of missions together and that God would meet every one of our needs right where we are.

We need your help.

 God Bless You.

Goodbye 2014. Hello 2015.

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.

When Dreams Come True 18:07:2015 4PM

Yes, its time for a guy to mumble about his crazy life. I know many of you have questions going on in your minds over whats happening here but let me tell you, its alright. 

I am so sorry it took me a long time to come up with one of these but I will try my best to give all detail required. 

I will start on the ministry side of life, these few weeks have been hard ones getting around everything to do with ministry but I also thank God for that one time me and Kate walked into one of the mamas house during Home Visits while we didn't think that God was sending us there, this mama who was alone in the house with her 2 year old daughter who looks scared and traumatised as she was watching her mom suffer in labour pain at home while no one was there and she couldn't do anything. 

Not to worry you, God enabled us to get a car, (thank you for your support to Uniquely Woven) and we helped her to the hospital, while she thinks she is dying, we reach a Government Health Centre where they try to ask for a bribe so that they can induce her, suggesting that this is the only option or else they refer us to Mulago which is about 3.8 miles from this health centre and they said that its dangerous  because something would happen on the way, so I decided that please send us to Mulago so we don't have to pay this bribe and I knew that God would be there with us. On arrival to Mulago, we were joined Nurse Jenny who took a close care to this mama, we thank God that she had a baby safely and healthy. Today mama Peace is very happy to present to you Baby Silvester. She is so thankful for God's faithfulness and grace over his people especially those who pray to him. 

Mama Peace and Baby Silvester

This Tuesday, Uniquely Woven, under the programme Jangu Omulise which means "Come Bloom", we hope to dedicate over 50-75 babies to the Lord. Many of these babies never have a chance to. And we will also take that day as Uniquely Woven to celebrate Christmas with these mamas.

Talking about my personal life......first of all I want to thank you all for the support you give to me and ask that don't stop praying for me and my fiance as we also take on this step next year. I want to tell you alot about this so why dont you visit www.silvesterandkatelynforever.com/lovestory now! God Bless You Love You

A Heavy-hearted Monday

When God calls you somewhere, you go. There can be anxious thoughts, uncertainties, and even fear, but out of all, there is complete joy. Almost three months have passed for me here and as I sit at home this Monday morning, sipping Mukwano tea and eating a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich for breakfast, my heart is burdened and heavy with the uncertainties of what lies ahead. Many things have been pulling my heart in different directions lately and its hard for me to find the motivation to keep going. If I let it, fear could grip me so tightly in this moment that I could not escape it. God brought me here, but He never promised it would be easy, but lately I find myself asking, “God, why am I here? What is my purpose?” And I beg Him to reveal it to me, but it’s taking long and my heart feels so impatient. Patience is not one of my strong points and I start thinking, Please, I want to know so badly so I can start doing “great things” so why aren’t You showing me already? Utterly selfish thinking. It’s in these moments that He draws me close in His big, Fatherly hug, and whispers in my ear, Trust Me. He redirects my thoughts and brings me back to the realization that everything comes perfectly in His timing, and each day is a gift from Him. He reminds me I don’t have to be doing big and huge things, but small acts of kindness and compassion speak volumes. And if I just trust Him and cast my anxieties to Him, He will carry me over the rocky path, onto the smooth, sweet path of His plan.

You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

I have come to the realization that comparison is the thief of all joy. What is comparison that I can let it steal my joy? And who am I that I can question the Creator of the whole universe why He didn’t create me like someone else? This year has been a year of change and of new beginnings and of hardship. I am still learning, and as I learn, the Holy Spirit wraps around me tightly and reminds me that I am a Daughter of The King. It’s in the words of a song, the deep colors of a sunset, the free laughter of children around me, and the joy of friendship that He unveils His love to me. And its then that I breath in deeply and let go of the fear that has started to overtake my heart.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the spirit of Sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

We are not failures and we are not mistakes, we are Sons and Daughters of the King. It’s with that truth that I can now walk boldly and confidently into each day knowing that He brought me to this very place. And its with that truth that I will learn to trust in His timing and continue to climb up the mountain of life with Him holding my hand every step of the way.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Simple, Pure L I F E

I am sitting here trying to think of a way to start this blog and what I am going to write. I’ve been thinking about it for a week or so now and have been procrastinating writing once again. Sometimes my mind just totally blanks and no ideas come, so I am hoping you will be okay with my simple blog on L I F E. I don’t have anything amazingly inspirational to write or some big, huge story to tell. But everyone has a different lifestyle, no two lives mesh up to be exactly the same. Everyone has their own story. So, I have decided to tell you my story and about L I F E here, what I have been doing, what I love about being here, my day-to-day shenanigans, what ministry looks like for me.

First and foremost, my love for matooke has grown immensely. Matooke is a green plantain banana that is peeled, steamed, and mashed. It’s usually served with sauce like beans or ground nut sauce. My favorite meal ever is simply, a plate full of matooke, beans, cabbage, and rice. Yum. Seriously, its the best. BBQ ribs got nothing on that.

I’ve come to accept the fact that my hair will never be smooth, straight, and knot-free. Boda rides make that all impossible. Also the lack of any sort of hairdryer or flat iron makes the “smooth and straight” part more complicated.

Cold showers have become a normal. Also, washing laundry by hand every week. Clumps of red mud on your shoes 24/7 has also become normal. Either that, or you scrub them every other day, especially during rainy season.

The beauty of an African sunset never gets old.

One night four of us girls (Erica, Elle, Mel, and I) decided that we needed to get out of our small town. So we took the RUHU car and headed for Javas for dinner.  And let me just say, four mzungus driving in rush hour Kampala traffic with bodas zooming all around and a driver who hasn’t had much experience with the crazy driving of Kampala, can call for an anxiety attack. Don’t worry though, we made it there and home safe, sound, and all in one piece.

My weekdays are spent doing ministry at Raising Up Hope. Every day is different. I can honestly say that not one day is the same as last weeks day or yesterday or the day before. Plans are changing all the time. One day I will be teaching English to a class of 15 students; reading stories, having spelling tests, teaching about the future and past tense, and explaining to them why they can’t say “I like to go in China. I go to school yesterday.” The next day I will find myself sitting at the Safe House in a small little room talking life with Mama Olivia and sweet Joanne, while cuddling little baby Jordan in my arms. While yet the next day is filled with meetings and administrative work. And even the next day I can find myself painting the walls of the school or heading to the slums for an afternoon of cooking rice, bandaging open wounds, visiting a small one-roomed home full of 8 teenage girls and simply sitting and listening to someone tell me their story. The simple act of sitting and listening to someone is more powerful than giving them a full blown sermon. I have found that relationships are one of the most important things in life. And to have any sort of relationship with someone, you have to first build up trust. That’s what a lot of these past few weeks have been like, building that trust. And slowly by slowly, these kids are starting to tell me more bits and pieces that fit into their life story of who they are today.

I am so thankful for a God who meets us right where we are and promises new beginnings every morning. If I am being completely honest, some days are totally hard and not fun and full of blood, sweat, and tears. Some days I don’t want to go to work. And some days the unorganized schedule really gets to me. But when I bring the focus off of “me”, God hits me like a ton of bricks. Like today, when all the girls from the Primary 3, 4, and 5 classes put on a surprise performance for us, complete with dancing, singing, and handwritten notes saying “Auntie Kate, we love you so much. Thank you for painting our school. We love you for life.” The huge hugs and smiles on their faces did all the talking for them. It was one of those “ah-ha” moments where all the hardships of the week just fell away and made everything worth it.

Most weekends are spent with my best friend, Silvester. We often head to Watoto Suubi and visit his family and friends. We have visited one of our favorite little guys, Sam, in Suubi 2. He was just one year old when I worked in the babies home in 2012, now I can hardly believe he has grown into a big three year old boy full of adventure and laughter. Its so crazy that now when I talk to him, he understands and actually answers back. We watch movies with his sisters in Watoto house 121 and eat suppers with Jean and Maurice Bradley. We helped organize and officiate a soccer tournament one Saturday and watched as teams battled for the trophy. It was hard competition but a Watoto team won in the end.

Its been fun and interesting building our relationship and blending the different cultures together. There’s a few things I will tell you about Silvester to help you know him better.
1. He loves anything and everything to do with Marvel. More specifically the movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy…)
2. He has a huge heart for kids.
3. He loves mayonnaise with a passion. Elle now refers to him as “mayo head”
4. He is the funniest person I know. Never failing to make me laugh, I promise that you can’t be around him and not laugh.
5. He cares for people with his whole heart, never thinking twice about helping someone.

I would also like to share the exciting news that he will be getting baptized this coming Sunday, November 9th, at Watoto Church West! We are so excited to see this happen.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Suubi once again. But this time I will be spending the day in the classroom with Jean learning and observing how to teach English to these kids. I am so excited as I don’t have really any idea how to teach English to someone who has grown up with a different native tongue. If you have any teaching ideas, please feel free to share with me!

Thank you all for your continual support and encouragement. I hope that these short paragraphs will give you at least a small glimpse into my life here. If you would like more, please feel free to come visit. Just tell your boda driver to bring you to Bulenga, Nakuwadde, Jacaranda and I will be standing there at the gate waiting for you :)

Joanne and sweet Jordan. I love these two together.

Friendship and Laughter: cures for any rainy day.

Silvester and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly.

New Life

Some of the most vulnerable people in this world are kids and we are all indirectly called to love and care for them, they have the decisions to the future within them.
(Loving kids is my hobby..... other than watching Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies)

Hi friends, I would like to take off some time to confuse you with my life here in Uganda, in ministry with Uniquely Woven, and at home every month.

This month I set off to Suubi with my best friend Katelyn(forever) to officiate a childrens' soccer gala. All went well, we got to witness the kids display their skill while playing to better themselves as they take the trophy.

Elle

I have managed to make a whole bunch of new friends who work with Katelyn at Raising Up Hope.

Ronnie and Erica

Mel

Hanging out with Katelyn a lot of the time on weekends, building the cross cultural relationship, creating a whole new level of understanding even with the hard buttons being pushed from the different corners of influence.

One day, we were heading to town when a boda (a motorcycle taxi) in front of our boda just suddenly stopped to offload a passenger and we just bumped into him, then the boda behind us bumped into us, throwing our boda driver off and keeping Katelyn midair because her leg was between the two bodas. God saved the day, we were all alright.

Most Ugandan men keep irritating me with their comments when we walk through crowded places, comments like; "How much can I give you for that white girl?"

It has taken me 21 years to get to know that I actually need a fan in my bedroom. Thank God for influence.

We have a consistent turn up of about 25 to 30 mamas for Jangu Omulise. We are so opportuned to witness two off those mamas receive salvation, thank God for our weekly speakers at this awesome bible study that I fluke in. Seriously, at this moment I can answer 25% of the questions these mamas ask about their pregnancy. I am looking forward to opening up another venue for Jangu Omulise; Bible Study for the pregnant and new mothers, it has seen to the birth of over 10 babies in Namuwongo, babies borne to mothers filled with hope and trust to God, their renewed faith to him. In the same programme of Jangu Omulise, we focus on visiting the mamas that come to Jangu Omulise, bringing our love to the babies, praying with the mamas, handing out bibles and giving out mama kits (a package full of small important items usually required by the hospital where the mamas would deliver from, or also usable in case of an emergency delivery).

Sarah and Oliver (Uniquely Woven Mamas)

Uniquely Woven Ministry continues to focus on taking care of women who would be living in some of the most dark and dangerous places around Uganda, where childbirth is not a time to celebrate. Many of them would not have the supplies, support, or resources needed to have their child. They would live in fear, oppression, and hopelessness, based on losing their husband to AIDs, other diseases, alcohol and polygamy. With a maternal death rate as high as 1 in 11, these mamas could feel as if childbirth is a death sentence.The goal of Uniquely Woven is to give them supplies and support, but more importantly, give them a hope for their future as well as their baby. Keep Uniquely Woven in your daily prayers or you can support now by visiting the website. www.uniquelywoven.org to find out more.

Silvester and  Katelyn

Lastly, I will be getting baptised next Sunday the 9th of November, 2014 at Watoto Church West in Kyengera, I find it a unique symbol of open declaration that I choose to obey Jesus Christ for the rest of my life no matter what. Baptism is a whole command of its own given by God through John the Baptist, the biblical book of Acts, Matthew and many other references. Jesus himself was baptised to complete the process of doing all that God requires. Please pray for me as I wait to be baptised, I have heard this is one of the many times that the devil tries to attack His servants, and I have had many trials since I made this decision. One last scary occasion was today; the taxi in front of my boda broke suddenly, so we bumped into it, and the car behind us knocked us almost crushing us between, but thank God we are alright.
Thank you for your commited support and prayer.
God Bless You

A Beautiful Chaos

I. Am. Here!!! Sometimes I can’t believe that after all the planning, the waiting, the excitement, the anticipation, I am here. Its been almost two weeks since this new life adventure of living in Uganda started and here I am, sitting in my little room on Friday, 2pm, trying to think of a way to sum up the past two weeks in just a few short paragraphs. I tend to procrastinate writing blogs, I find it hard to put into words the feelings and emotions that come with living thousands of miles away from your first home in a different culture. I can easier show you photos of what it looks like, and capture the emotions on the faces of the people here, and hope that somehow you will get a glimpse of the ‘beautiful chaos’ that has become my life here.

My first week was a refreshing mixture of relaxation, visiting friends, and meeting new ones. It just feels like home, like I could finally take a deep breath and know without doubt that this is where I am meant to be. This is my home. I spent time moving into my new home, organizing and cleaning everything, buying a fridge (yeah, there was no fridge!), meeting my new roommate, Erica, visiting the babies home that I volunteered in the last time I lived here, eating lots of matooke (green plantain bananas that are mashed and steamed), spending two days inWatoto Suubi Village with Silvester and his family in House 121 and C9, celebrating birthdays and so much more.

In Uganda, pouring water on someone on their birthday is one of the common gifts.

A Charcoal Stove (After Use)

I can’t sum up the amount of peace I have here, my heart feels so much at rest. Of course there are challenges like nights of cooking on a charcoal stove outside on the porch with a flashlight when there’s no electricity to power up the burner, washing all laundry by hand, having no car of your own to just go somewhere whenever you need or want to…but even with these challenges, I wouldn’t change a thing and I wouldn’t chose to live somewhere else, this is where I forever belong. Yes, there are dangers of living here like disease and robbery, but isn’t it like that all over the world? Where you live now? I have no doubt that this is where I am supposed to be.

Now its getting to be the end of my second week here. This week was a bit of a different story than the first week. I knew that Monday would be my first day at Raising Up Hope for Uganda. Erica and I were told to show up at 10am at the boys home and we would have our meeting with our current supervisor William. Raising Up Hope is one ministry with several projects going on within. They have a Boys Home and a Girls Home which is exactly what it sounds like. These homes house roughly 20 kids at the moment each from the slums or street and provide them with a good education, food, a home, a house mom, a place of safety, and a family. During the day these kids go off to school and come home in the evening. During the day, the Boys Home also serves as a Day Care and School for kids in our community who would be sitting or working in bars with their relatives cause they can’t afford the fees for schools. So they come here and are taken out of dangerous situations that they would otherwise be involved in if not for the RUHU School. The school stops at the end of 6th grade. There are two main teachers who are there every day. Imagine a school being run by only two teachers. This is where a lot of help is needed. Raising Up Hope also does ministry in the slums in Kampala and is raising funds to start building a Village of Hope for the kids with its own school and sense of community and family. There are two homes built so far but still so much more to do. There is also a safe house where kids from the slums who aren’t ready for school and need time to adjust to life come to. On Monday we enter the gate and are greeted by a dozen huge smiles and hugs. The kids grab onto our hands and don’t let go. They lead us to the back of the home where the classrooms start. We look into a classroom of about 40 small kids sitting on the floor who seconds ago were so intently focused on their lesson but are now running and screaming for the door to attack us with hugs and handshakes and “How are you? What’s your name?” We have completely disrupted the classroom but there’s smiles and laughter all around.

Our Class

The teacher then leads us to the next classroom of about 25 students in the 4th grade. She looks at us and says “Do you want to teach now?”. Erica and I look at each other blankly and somehow find ourselves in the front of the classroom with all eyes on us. We have not even the slightest idea of what to do or teach but somehow we make it through the day singing lots and lots of songs, playing hang man, teaching them John 3:16, singing some more, and telling stories. At the end of the day we were exhausted and overwhelmed. I had no idea how I was going to do this everyday, and quite honestly I didn’t really enjoy the day. Being thrown into something that big and not being prepared is scary, at least for me. I like to have things planned out and organized, and this was definitely anything but that.

My Roommate Erica and one of our students Juliet (Two Best friends)

The next day we are told to be prepared to teach again in the morning and that in the afternoon we would be heading to the safe house. We enter the school gate again but this time are greeted with “Auntie Kate! Auntie Erica!” The sound of that is so sweet to my ears.  These kids are so full of joy and thankfulness no matter what their circumstance is outside of this small school. They are happy. I believe their futures are bright and so full of hope. And I pray they grow to believe that too. How can I be selfish and think to myself that I can’t do this because its too much for me, when these kids need truth and love spoken into their lives.

Baby Jordan

We head to the Safe House and I meet an 18 year old mama who just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Saturday. I bathe him and dress him and cuddle him, watching his sweet baby yawns come and go. God is so present in these moments, like I can feel Him sitting right there with us. His mama tells me about her life as I also tell her about mine. She tells me she loves being a mom, that its one of the best gifts. What an inspiring thing to hear from this young mama.

Wednesday I have a day of rest, as the first two days have been long and tiring. Thursday William takes us to the beginnings of the Village of Hope. It is BEAUTIFUL. The views are breathtaking. This place is definitely going to be a place of hope and restoration. We help them plant beans, or try our best to. Gardening is definitely done differently here than in the USA.

Village of Hope

Elle, Erica and I trying to plant beans.

Going into week three, I feel more determined. I will not let Satan knock me down and tell me I am not able. God never sets us up for failure. And it can only get better from here. I know God has put people in my life to help me through the hard times and celebrate with me in the good times and everything in between. He’s building friendships and establishing long term relationships. He is making me free. And He is teaching me how to love this beautiful chaos we call life.

Some of the Kids at School

Someone wants come to school too.