The Crazy Adventures of an American Mzungu

Some people know that I am heading back home on December first. God has revealed things deep in my heart that I get the pleasure of doing for the rest of my life. Going home will mean preparing myself to come back to the mission field as soon as possible. One thing I am still uncertain about is my education. I never graduated from Boise Bible College, and am looking at possibly going back to finish. I do not know how that will look like, but I am trying to accomplish whatever possible before going home. I am able to use my last few months as an internship for school, so I may graduate as fast as possible and get back into missions. Part of the internship is a book report. I cannot explain how many times God spoke to my heart while I wrote about this book. One of the most heart felt passages went like this: When we get caught up in ministry, it is so easy to get caught up in numbers. How many people came to the Lord? How many patience did we help? How many children did we feed, cl...

Through the past ten months, I have learned a rather large deal! The funnest has been living in the culture of Uganda. Now it is true that some of my learning moments were not fun in the moment, but great stories as I look back on the scenario! If anyone is planning to come to Uganda for any amount of time, believe me when I say I am no where near being an expert, but feel free to learn through me. Cut down on some of your own stories (because no matter how prepared you are, you will mess up and it will be funny... eventually). For this first story, I need to explain a few things to get the full picture. Neighbors know when a mzungu lives near by. Even if you never left your house, they would know all there is to know about you. Yes, it is creepy... especially for an introvert like me. Also, you always leave the house looking decent. No such thing as a Walmart outfit, which requires effort on lazy days. Finally, kneeling is a sign of respect. Women and children kneel when greeting ...

The past ten months brought me through some of the most difficult challenges I ever faced. As I served in Uganda, I witnessed life far different than I ever experienced. Death became a reality. Poverty surrounded me. I became accustomed to dirt, trash, and an abundant lack of garbage cans (seriously, I miss sidewalk trashcans!). True, I still found joy in what I witnessed. Nothing brings greater warmth to a heart than serving the Maker. Even though I seemed to battle more sickness than I ever dealt with before and had to quickly become accustomed to a whole new culture, I loved the life I was made to live. With such a choice, came a great desire to stop the gospel from spreading to people who needed such a hope. I was knocked down to my knees more times than I can count during the most challenging spiritual battles I have yet to face. So many times, I felt like just staying down and giving up. But I stood up once more because my Savior never gave up on me. With His nudge, I came to my...