Uganda-relish-the-moment

I think of every picture I've gotten, this has to be my all time favorite. I can't remember what we were doing, teaching, singing, or preaching, but I remember this exploding feeling of joy! This picture is just the essence of happiness in its purest form. And maybe the smiles don't jump out right when you look at it, but looking at each child's face I can't help but also smile. I ❤️ these kids! 

Uganda-step-out

Meet Hanifa. Through the Ugandan outreach team, this amazing mother of 5 at the market came to know Jesus. In the time we've been here she experienced and told an amazing testimony. 

One of her fellow stand mates came to work on day to find a witchcraft charm hanging in her booth. The rest of the market was terrified and telling the woman she was cursed and was going to die. So Hanifa stood up and basically started laughing at them saying "God is so much stronger, this is foolish". But the people couldn't grasp this, so Hanifa picked up the charm and threw it. The people started freakin out telling her she was going to die and probably wouldn't make it through the day. Well I am happy to say Hanifa is definitely alive and well and an amazing leader for the market.  It has been so amazing to see her a couple times a week and minister to her...even though she is really ministering to us. This woman has remarkable courage and a heart of gold!

Uganda-need-some-shades

The kids absolutely LOVE to have their picture taken and more so, to see themselves in pictures. I don't think it is very often that they see what they look like and when they do, you get roars of laughter in response. I had a fun time with some kids in the village wanting to try on my glasses... I think it suits her well :)

Uganda-dress-them

Before we left, many from our church took part in making pillow case dresses for the girls. We handed them out at the "say no to hunger" and te smiles couldn't have been bigger! Thank you so so much to all who helped! 

Uganda-love-her

This is my girl Rashida! I fell in love with her last year and started sponsoring her. Thankfully in the time that I have been here, I've been able to spend a lot of time with her. I brought her some goodies (clothes and school supplies) and met her parents and sister. Her mom and dad were so grateful and kept bowing down to show gratitude. It broke my heart, but they were so gracious and welcoming to me. They said I was part of their family and the Ugandan staff said that was a huge honor. Rashidas teachers described her as a cute little girl with a big personality and tends to get goofy and forget she's at school.... So pretty much exactly like me :)

Uganda-be-brave

We have been talking a lot about stepping over "chicken lines". "Chicken line" is the term used to describe that thing where you draw the line and say "ha! Yeah right, I'm not doing that!"... Whatever you are too scared to do :) so our group discussions have been about the things that God calls us to do yet we shy away because we are scared, and the amazing things that will come if we just take the step over the "chicken line". For me it was going on one particular outreach. Luckily when I was here last summer, there were so many people on my group that it was always filled and I "didn't have the opportunity to go"... Aka "I didn't have to sign up!" All I knew about it, is that you go to a market shopping area and pray for people. Just walking up to people and praying for them is or was one of my fears. I think about random people coming up to me and doing that and I hate the idea. It seemed weird and awkward. Well I stepped over that line and went. That God fella, he seems to know what he is doing! This ended up to be one of my favorite outreach! 

This market is filled with little booths of people selling all sorts of fruits and veggies. We met several people and it was so much more than just praying for these people. The men and women we met wanted to share with us and hear our stories as well, they wanted to tell us about their kids, and what they sell. It wasn't like walking up to strangers but family you haven't seen in a while. We were also able to bless them all with clothing. They were like little kids at christmas and put it on and paraded around to show off what they got :) 

Uganda-learn-something

We traveled to one of the nearby schools with the plan to teach the kids some basic body parts in English. We started with pointing to different body parts and they could name every single one! The kids are 1st grade and learning some English but the amount they knew was incredible! So we sang "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and then played an intense round of Simon says. I am constantly awed by all of these kids and the circumstances they live in, yet the heart they have in each and every thing they do ❤️

Uganda-get-some-veggies

I had the opportunity to go shopping for all the goods the compound would need for the week to come. The first stop was this market. This market probably stretched a little more than 1mile by 1mile. These vendors are set up anywhere and everywhere and selling just about everything under the sun... It is by the equator, so pretty much everything grows. The vendors set up whatever produce they have on what look like mini, cut up, dirty tarps. Then they swarm you to buy their product. 

The crazy thing about this market is that witches will come up next to you, touch your arm, as start quietly chanting curses and whatnot until you come buy from them. So lesson learned: know what you want, know where you're going, and move quickly. It was a unique experience to say the least! 

Uganda-meet-them!

This beautiful country is just as profound as the time I last saw it! It has been so incredible to see all the Ugandan staff members, and they remembered me without me telling my name!  It has also been wonderful to see familiar faces of all the village kids. So far this trip has been full of very new and different experiences than last time, yet every bit as extraordinary. 

Meet my friends, Hudson and Trevor. These two boys are parts of the sponsorship "say no to hunger" program. Stepping out of the van, these two ran up and jumped on me, and the entire 3 hour period we were there, they never left my side! At this program, the kids come every Sunday to their designated village church (there are 4 locations) and they play games, do a craft, learn a bible lesson with memory verse, and have a meal. This meal is one of the few they will have for the week, and for sure the only meat they will get for the week. Regardless of circumstances, the kids know no different, and their smiles say it all in the picture :)