The Crazy Adventures of an American Mzungu

 I grew up in Central Oregon, where the Cascade mountains bust through the skyline, and here is where my love of nature comes from. Moving to Boise, I appreciated the hiking trails that would take me through miles and miles of God's creation. There are also the best sunrises I have ever witnessed! But Uganda -- oh! Uganda is the most beautiful place I have laid my eyes on. I am always amazed at the glorious splendor God sets before me, as I soak in His artwork. Lush vegetation, amazing scarlet soil, the Nile River, Lake Victoria, sunflowers (my personal favorite), trees, and the most amazing skies I ever witnessed!  So often, I get caught up in whatever I am doing – work, ministry, life – that I forget that I am surrounded by God's glory. I forget to take the time and soak up the beauty God created for my pleasure. He created it to woo my heart. I must admit, this past year I have been bad about enjoying the beauty of God's Hand. But when I do stop, I find myself com

In 5 short days, I will be heading back to America. I must say, going home proves to be a much larger leap of faith than when I came here to Uganda. I had three weeks to prepare. I knew that God was calling me, so I dropped everything and came. Now, I am returning to basically nothing. Sure, God continues to provide for me, and I know He will continue once I land and jump back into American life. However, I am still nervous. For the past couple months, I have been praying that God would go before me and pave the way. A few days ago, a friend of mine was praying over my return. She prayed that God would not only go before me, but go with me. Those words struck my heart, and I have been mulling over them for the past couple days. I cannot count how many times I have prayed God would move before me -- to work in hearts of those I would be meeting -- to guide me through a new adventure. Yet rarely, if ever, have I prayed that God would go with me, where He should be in the first place. I

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 This precious face is one I met earlier this year. A dear friend of mine continually invited me to her village, in hopes of reaching her Muslim family with the truth of the gospel. It was the last time I went out there, I met this beauty. His smile can capture the coldest of hearts. He is both deaf and mute and would be considered less, but lit up the dark hut! He was treated well, and even took charge of the other children. While out there the final time, his mother (my friend's sister) accepted Christ as her Savior. A moment of sweet joy! We then left, and I cherished the precious smile of this boy who captured my heart and his mother's decision. This week, I ran into my friend in town. She told me things in her village were not going well. The uncles in the village were angry to hear of the new Christian in the family. When the

No persons were harmed in the making of this photo.... THIS photo.... the real thing is a different story.... Six months ago, my friend Brittany and I were getting on a boda (motorcycle taxi). I was in a skirt, so I needed to ride sidesaddle to be culturally appropriate. When we took off, I could tell I was going to fall off. I chose to jump instead of attempt to stay on the boda. I knew if I tried to stay on, I would only cause more damage! So I decided to jump. I landed on my feet, and it was no big deal. Elegance. Grace. Class. Three things that did NOT happen today! Once again, Brittany is in town and we were on a boda. This time, she was in the skirt, but when she tried to ride sidesaddle, the boda man made her "sit properly". When it came time to get off, Brittany wanted me, who was sandwiched between Brittany the boda man who sat on my lap the whole ride, to get off first so she would have more room to modestly get off the machine. I was grateful I was not the one

Since coming to Uganda, I have been able to witness so many beautiful sights. Uganda itself is the most beautiful place I have ever seen; the green and lush forestry, the Nile, Lake Victoria, the red clay dirt all make such beauty that my heart swoons after God, the Creator of it all. Yet, I have also witnessed beauty in the lives I come in contact. The most beautiful of stories involves a boy with the most beautiful smile, Eddie. Eddie has three brothers, who are already in America waiting for him to come home. When the others came home, Eddie was unable to join them. However, the prayers never stopped. Eddie had a family waiting for him in America, and he believed God was big enough to bring him home. Tonight, we are praising God because Eddie will be able to go home! We had a bon fire, music, dancing, a pinata, cupcakes, and Russian candles to celebrate. The Redeemer House family was joined by four other adoptive families, and together we soaked in the glorious work of God as