Reunions and New Experiences in Jinja--All Awesome!

Our trip to Jinja, Uganda, was amazing in so many ways! It was special to see children and adults that have become dear friends and family over our last visits. It truly was a reunion! Thank you once again, to The Met, for letting us join you on this wonderful mission trip. We even had the opportunity to  enjoy reunions with team members! 

The Mashah Orphanage children are growing and maturing by leaps and bounds! It is such a blessing to see them thriving, and being so well taken care of! We were able to spend more time with them this trip. As a group, we primed three new houses at the orphanage. And, of course had the birthday party! We were also able to take the kids swimming! What fun! 

It was so good to worship at Evangel Church, Lugasi II. Reuniting with friends and the children was awesome. These kids are leading in their own worship through singing "specials", playing instruments, sharing testimonies, leading in prayer, leading in praise and worship, even translating for me! 

We had two great times on the Elevaré property with the Wakisi community, complete with crafts, inflatable bouncer, face-painting, parachute, tug-of-war, playground, testimonies, music by K-Krew, evangelism message; and ending with dinner, and distributing clothes and shoes! We also visited another village, playing games, praising God with K-Krew, testimonies, and an evangelism message! 

It is always so good to stay with Mathias and Frances! This year, Mathias took us to The Source of the Nile River AND he fished! Such fun! They make us feel so welcome, it is truly "home" to us!

Some activities were completely new experiences, and also very special! I was able to see my friend, Habiba almost everyday! We talked about our favorite colors, foods, school subjects; about Jesus, and how He is always with us. It was awesome to visit in her home, and meet her mom!  To be able to be a part of a baptism in the Nile River was so amazing! Wow! We also celebrated with Wakisi Church on the one year anniversary of their new church building. This is the church that we painted last summer! It was a beautiful celebration! 

Whether we are doing activities that we've done on previous visits, or doing something for the first time, it is a true blessing! Each interaction, each conversation, each hug, makes closer relationships and sweeter reunions! Thank you God for this special place, these precious friends, and our wonderful family there! Thank you for leading us there, just like in the US and Dubai...One Step at a Time!

Elevare 

I never get tired of this view of the Nile River from Elevare!

Painting Helpers!

Such Hard Workers!

"Happy Birthday to You!"

Swimming!

Happy Girls!

"Special" Music at Children's Church

1/2 of the Kids in Children's Church!

The Other Half!

Wakisi Community Coming into Elevare

Ready for a Fun Time!

Awesome!

Children in the Village We Visited

I Always Enjoy the Babies!

Habiba and Her Mom

Baptism in the Nile River

Preparing for Lunch at Wakisi Church Celebration

Cake and Celebrating!

Mathias Showing Me how to Weave a Mat

Boating and Fishing on the Nile River at The Source

These Guys Were Really Fishing!

Dinner with our Family!

"Bye-Bye" Dubai-An Amazing Blessing!

Wow! I can’t believe our time in Dubai is over! What an adventure it was! I would have never guessed we would live three years in Dubai, and have such an amazing experience! But you know what? That is our amazing God at work! As I look back on my life, not only has He led me “One Step at a Time,” but His handprint has been all over my life! I am so thankful for that!

We were so blessed to spend time in Dubai! It is difficult to know where to start when it comes to describing our blessings here. I loved where we lived! My absolute favorite thing to do was to WALK!!! We would walk down the JBR Walk, and hear many languages! Just when I would think to myself, “Oh, they are Americans,” they would break into speaking a language that was definitely not English! I loved seeing all of the different clothing, and experiencing all the different cultures. You know, cultures have unique ways of even walking down the street! Some cultures, because of the crowding in their home countries, do not step to the side or “give way” when you walk by, some stand in what Americans would feel their “personal space.” It’s not wrong...it’s just different! Dress is SO DIFFERENT for different cultures! Again, not wrong, just different than what I had experienced! I could wear anything on the JBR Walk, and it would fit right in!

It was such a blessing to get to know and love friends from different countries, speaking different languages, with different backgrounds. To learn about different holidays, and to celebrate them was such a blessing! We celebrated holidays from the UAE, India, Ethiopia, Kuwait...Christian holidays, Hindu holidays, and Muslim holidays. It was just good to be exposed to others’ beliefs! 

The people in Dubai are amazing! There are so many there that have so little materially, but have such a positive attitude, and kind, kind spirit. It was such a blessing to spend time teaching English to sweet friends at the Labor Camps. What friends they became, and I will miss them terribly! 

When we would walk in the morning, usually around 6:00 a.m., we would greet at least ten people before we returned home! I was always greeted with a “Good Morning, Madam, or Mum” I loved it! I have a feeling I will be greeting the trees and bushes on our morning walks out in our new neighborhood! In the evening, our walk was an obstacle course! So many people, so many clothing styles, so many languages, so many high-heeled shoes! Ha!

Our church, Fellowship of the Emirates, was our family! The Kids’ Ministry was my home! The children and teachers were so encouraging and just plain fun! My Ladies Bible Studies learned together and prayed together. Again, so many different experiences coming into the environment from different cultures. Larry served on the HUG team, and met wonderful people, wanting to make others feel welcome at church, and ministering to them there. I loved going to worship and hearing everyone singing in English, but all different kinds of accents! Pastor Jim did a wonderful job of making everyone feel welcome, and everyone understand what God’s message was for us.

You know, God stretched us in Dubai! We were out of our “comfortable!” I want to continue that! With teaching English in the Labor Camps, teaching the children, and becoming bolder in sharing my Faith, God blessed me, and showed me His Grace is sufficient for all circumstances. We were able to go to Uganda more because it was closer, and God grew me there! Our relationships there grew stronger, and deeper.

What is the next chapter? How do you top Dubai? We don’t know, but God does! We know He will continue to bless immeasurably! We know He will continue to comfort, and be everything We need. We know He will continue to lead us One Step at a Time! We can’t wait!!!

Burj Khalifa

Dubai Fountains

Beautiful!!!

I call it the "Twisty Building!"

Luke at the Burj Al Arab

Easter Sunrise Service

Atlantis Hotel

Camel Ride with Emily

Desert Safari with Emily

Desert Safari with Luke

Our "Neighborhood"-JBR Walk

Spices at the Old Spice Souqs

Uganda...Better Every Time!

Each time we go to Uganda, I think, actually I KNOW, “It can’t get any better than this!” And, the next time we visit, IT GETS BETTER! We had the BEST time, and God blessed us immensely. I pray that He was glorified in all we were able to do. 

We will be going back to the US soon, and we wanted to visit Mathias and his precious family one more time while we were still a short flight away. In the meantime, our children at church here had collected an offering to buy clothes for the children in Uganda. We held a “contest” between boys and girls, and the children gave $1,700! With an estimated cost from Pastor Mathias, this would buy a shirt and shorts/skirt for approximately 105 children. But, with Mathias’ ingenuity and God’s GOODNESS, we were able to touch 1,000 children’s lives with the clothes offering! We took shirts, shorts/skirts, and shoes to a small orphanage, “Sunday” shoes to the orphanage our church in Houston sponsors, then took one clothing item to children in two villages, a school, and a church! Wow! It was like the loaves and fishes in the Bible...the clothes just kept being “enough!”

We were so blessed to visit our church’s orphanage, to visit and worship at Mathias’ church, and his children’s church! What a blessing to see the children memorizing verses, leading in worship, leading in testimonies, dancing and praising God, and reviewing Bible stories!

As always, we LOVED spending time with our Ugandan family. Mathias, Frances, Mark, Patra, Mitchell, Matthan, Marjorie, and Junior always welcome us so graciously! Spending time with them is just THE BEST! They make us feel so welcome and loved! Visiting with friends there is such a blessing as well! 

We are heading back to the US soon! I will be coming the end of March, and Larry will follow sometime this year. We are building a home in New Braunfels, and plan to live there. We are listening and waiting to see what adventures God has for us next! We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, He will continue to lead us One Step at a Time! 

"Bales" of clothing

Sorting clothes

Larry and Fahim…so cute!

I think it fits!!!

Children at school waiting and receiving clothing

Classroom at the school. This was actually two classes, the oldest and the youngest!

Peace and Simon from Jennifer's orphanage

The children at Jennifer's wearing new clothes and shoes!

BEFORE!

AFTER!

Larry and Isaac

Habiba! We met her five years ago, and have stayed in touch!

Market

Kasaba! Yum!

Oh so cute!

Children in one of the villages, waiting in line for clothing

See our clothes!

Mathias and Mitchell!

Children's Church

I ALWAYS find a baby!!!

At Junior's school! We're missing Matthan, Patra, and Mitchell in this picture!

So blessed to call them Family!!!