Well, it is the start of another week here in Uganda. Another week away from home and another week that things can happen. We need you to keep praying! Please don't stop. God is totally working in the hearts of officials here and they need your prayers too.
Things to pray for:
- Meetings to happen to clarify things for everyone in the different government offices with the right people at the right time (soon is our prayer)
- Letters to be written to the right people by the right people to clear up any confusion still preventing visas from being issued (not just for Canadians but also for Americans)
- Embassy officials to have their concerns and questions answered and be satisfied with everything that they receive so that the visas can be issued (again, both Canadian and American)
- ALL the families that are in this process and waiting, waiting patiently to take their children home. I believe there are now more then a dozen (probably even much higher then that) and I know there are more waiting back home in North America to even come and get started on their court stuff, etc. This affects a TON of families and especially children!
- protection for the kids. This is HUGE. There are a lot of kids caught in the middle of it all and they need your prayers most of all.
- Peace for tough choices that families are having to make or have already made. Again, there are a lot of families involved and they need your prayers for God's comfort and peace.
- Praise for God working. This is not man's fight, but God and He alone will win this battle. There is nothing man can do to prevent God's victory and also nothing man can do to speed it up. God's timing is perfect and He knows EXACTLY when this fight will be won and He is working to accomplish EVERYTHING He has planned. Join me in praising Him for that. To God be the glory, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
Blessings from Uganda
Teach
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
More work from the devil...
He still here and he's not going away. When we get good news, it seems like 2 mins later he is working to put doubt, fear and discouragement in our minds. Well, again, God leads me to His word and says in Hebrews 10:35-36, "So do not throw away your confindence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
Today I praise again and say thank you Lord for your word, your promises and your unfailing love!! I will NOT be move from this rock I stand on. I will NOT be shaken by the devils attacks. I am resting in God's comfort and His word, right where He wants me. Thank you Lord, thank you!
Keep praying, things are happening and the devil knows it. Thank you all SO much for all of your support!! It is a huge blessing to us!
Blessings from Uganda
Teach
Today I praise again and say thank you Lord for your word, your promises and your unfailing love!! I will NOT be move from this rock I stand on. I will NOT be shaken by the devils attacks. I am resting in God's comfort and His word, right where He wants me. Thank you Lord, thank you!
Keep praying, things are happening and the devil knows it. Thank you all SO much for all of your support!! It is a huge blessing to us!
Blessings from Uganda
Teach
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Attacks Keep Coming...
This weekend was a low one for me. Satan is attacking me and my family hardcore but he will not win! On Friday, I went out to do a few things in town and go out for lunch with some friends. When I got back to my room in the early afternoon, all my electronic devices were stolen! The culprits took my macbook (lap top for you non-mac users J), my iPod (mp3 player), my digital camera, my flash drive, my cell phone and a friend’s digital camera I had in my room. Basically everything that I was using to encourage myself and stay connected to my world back home. For those of you that don’t know me well, I am kind of a techy. I like my technology, actually I LOVE my technology. In fact, I worked in the electronics section at Costco for almost seven years while putting myself through university before becoming a teacher.
It was strange right from the beginning because my room has a British double lock on the door (you turn the key twice and the lock goes in on two stages). I ALWAYS lock the double lock! When I went to open it, only the first stage was locked. It was strange. When I noticed my stuff gone, I thought it had to be someone from the hotel because who else would have a key to my room? Also, when I first went to this hotel (I was asked to leave Sanyu guesthouse 3 weeks ago – long story not for this post) they told me that I had the ONLY key to my room. I even had to leave it for the maid if I wanted my room cleaned, which I only had been doing once per week on Mondays. This had to be someone from the hotel, no one else could have a key or access to extra keys that I was told didn’t exist. I went to the hotel manager and told him my stuff was gone and he said he would call the police. I was a little in shock, so at first I accepted this and went back to my room. Then, on gaining my head, I realized if it was the manager who did it, he wouldn’t actually try to help me. I called a Ugandan friend and he told me not to trust anyone and to go to the police station myself right away. This was even more confirmed when I started to leave and the manager told me not to. I went down to the police, filed the report and they came back to the hotel to “question” the workers with traditional Ugandan methods (let’s just say not the same as in North America). They ended up taking everyone down to the police station and held them all in custody for further “questioning”. The police agreed that someone from the hotel must have a part in it and are still trying to get answers. The hotel owner has been very nice to me since then, I think mainly because he doesn’t want me to ask him to pay for my stuff. He changed the locks to my room, gave me ALL the keys, reduced my fees and gave me access to some other benefits not normally given to other guests. Well, 3 days later, still not much has changed in my case. They have not arrested or questioned anyone outside the hotel and tell me they are looking for 2 people. They do suspect one worker in particular and are looking for his friends. I don’t really have much hope that my stuff will be found, but who knows? Anyway, this was probably one of the heaviest blows that Satan could deal me right now. He is working overtime to discourage me, tear me down and make me give up and give in.
The thing the devil doesn’t know or is failing to see is that I serve an even bigger God! An awe-inspiring, mountain-moving, gasp-giving, wonder-working, all powerful God that loves me and is taking care of me here. Yes, I was discouraged. Yes, I wallowed a bit in my own self-pity. Yes, I was angry (still am a bit) BUT then God picked me up, brushed me off and told me to “keep on”.
I know we must be getting close to going home because it sure seems like the devil is working extra hard, pulling extra innings, putting in some major over-time to stop me, stop us, from bringing these kids home. Things are going to happen soon, I just know it. God knows when this will all be over. He has it in His perfect plan.
On Friday morning (before this happened), I read 2 Corinthians 4:8 &9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” What an amazing message to prepare me for the next attack from Satan. God wanted me to know that He is still here – that I may be hard pressed, that I may be perplexed, that I may be persecuted and even struck down, but He is not going to let me be crushed, in despair, abandoned or destroyed. He says in Hebrews 13:5b & 6, “’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” And in Isaiah 43:2 He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Friends, God is with each of us. He will not leave us, or forsake us in good times or bad. And today (as we should EVERY day) I say blessed be the name of the Lord. I am not discouraged. Although it sucks not having my lap top or iPod or those other things, they are just that, things, material possessions and they can be replaced and they don’t control or change the work that God has me doing here. God is so good, God is ALL I need and God will continue to carry me through this no matter what Satan throws at me or my family!! Yay God for that!!
Fighting in Uganda,
Teach
It was strange right from the beginning because my room has a British double lock on the door (you turn the key twice and the lock goes in on two stages). I ALWAYS lock the double lock! When I went to open it, only the first stage was locked. It was strange. When I noticed my stuff gone, I thought it had to be someone from the hotel because who else would have a key to my room? Also, when I first went to this hotel (I was asked to leave Sanyu guesthouse 3 weeks ago – long story not for this post) they told me that I had the ONLY key to my room. I even had to leave it for the maid if I wanted my room cleaned, which I only had been doing once per week on Mondays. This had to be someone from the hotel, no one else could have a key or access to extra keys that I was told didn’t exist. I went to the hotel manager and told him my stuff was gone and he said he would call the police. I was a little in shock, so at first I accepted this and went back to my room. Then, on gaining my head, I realized if it was the manager who did it, he wouldn’t actually try to help me. I called a Ugandan friend and he told me not to trust anyone and to go to the police station myself right away. This was even more confirmed when I started to leave and the manager told me not to. I went down to the police, filed the report and they came back to the hotel to “question” the workers with traditional Ugandan methods (let’s just say not the same as in North America). They ended up taking everyone down to the police station and held them all in custody for further “questioning”. The police agreed that someone from the hotel must have a part in it and are still trying to get answers. The hotel owner has been very nice to me since then, I think mainly because he doesn’t want me to ask him to pay for my stuff. He changed the locks to my room, gave me ALL the keys, reduced my fees and gave me access to some other benefits not normally given to other guests. Well, 3 days later, still not much has changed in my case. They have not arrested or questioned anyone outside the hotel and tell me they are looking for 2 people. They do suspect one worker in particular and are looking for his friends. I don’t really have much hope that my stuff will be found, but who knows? Anyway, this was probably one of the heaviest blows that Satan could deal me right now. He is working overtime to discourage me, tear me down and make me give up and give in.
The thing the devil doesn’t know or is failing to see is that I serve an even bigger God! An awe-inspiring, mountain-moving, gasp-giving, wonder-working, all powerful God that loves me and is taking care of me here. Yes, I was discouraged. Yes, I wallowed a bit in my own self-pity. Yes, I was angry (still am a bit) BUT then God picked me up, brushed me off and told me to “keep on”.
I know we must be getting close to going home because it sure seems like the devil is working extra hard, pulling extra innings, putting in some major over-time to stop me, stop us, from bringing these kids home. Things are going to happen soon, I just know it. God knows when this will all be over. He has it in His perfect plan.
On Friday morning (before this happened), I read 2 Corinthians 4:8 &9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” What an amazing message to prepare me for the next attack from Satan. God wanted me to know that He is still here – that I may be hard pressed, that I may be perplexed, that I may be persecuted and even struck down, but He is not going to let me be crushed, in despair, abandoned or destroyed. He says in Hebrews 13:5b & 6, “’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” And in Isaiah 43:2 He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Friends, God is with each of us. He will not leave us, or forsake us in good times or bad. And today (as we should EVERY day) I say blessed be the name of the Lord. I am not discouraged. Although it sucks not having my lap top or iPod or those other things, they are just that, things, material possessions and they can be replaced and they don’t control or change the work that God has me doing here. God is so good, God is ALL I need and God will continue to carry me through this no matter what Satan throws at me or my family!! Yay God for that!!
Fighting in Uganda,
Teach
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Not lost, but not much to say…
Well, it seems that I have been pretty silent lately. To be honest, it is because I haven’t had much to say. Things are starting to feel like they are moving and so I am cautiously optimistic but I stress cautiously! I really feel like God is lining everything up so that we all will be home soon and life can get back to “normal” (as normal as life can get with 5 kids and dad being gone for 4 ½ months anyway). Meetings have been happening and are happening here in Uganda. Information is being processed and people in high places are working on it. Not much else to say. Your continued prayers for the gates to open are HUGELY appreciated. Soon, I know it will be soon and your prayers go a LONG way in helping. Thank you!!!
I continue to keep busy with the everyday – playing and spending time with kids, going to the lawyers for updates (briefs, he calls them), going to the slums, going to Ssenge, and all the rest of the stuff here that keeps me busy. I continue to feel that God really is sustaining me and helping me get through this all. I continue to find that I am drawn to my bible for comfort and am still amazed that it speaks so loud and clear to me. If you are interested, here’s some passages (like I promised last week) that have really become dear to me:
Psalm 61-63
Romans 16:19-20
Matthew 11:28-30
Ephesians 6:10-18
1 Peter 4:12-19
1 Peter 5:6-11
2 Chronicles 20:15&17
Psalm 34
Psalm 121
Psalm 11:7
Fighting in Uganda,
Teach
Matthew 11:28-30
Ephesians 6:10-18
1 Peter 4:12-19
1 Peter 5:6-11
2 Chronicles 20:15&17
Psalm 34
Psalm 121
Psalm 11:7
Fighting in Uganda,
Teach
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