Joan and Derek

I got a friend request on Facebook from my dentist's wife, whom I've known since I've lived in Birmingham and used to babysit for. She said she had seen my picture on the Turner's blog and said they were adopting from Uganda, too. Turns out, they are using the same Social Worker the Turner's did (which is also my foster Social Worker) and she had recommended that they follow the Turner's blog while they were in Uganda. They don't go to Brook Hills and don't know the Turner's so God totally orchestrated all these connections. 

I was so excited to hear that they were adopting. We talked later that night and she told me about the kids they are adopting. Joan is 6 years old and is deaf. They wanted to adopt her but she had a 4 year old brother and the grandmother did not want to split them up. After they "met" Derek, Joan's brother, over Skype, they realized they could not separate siblings so they agreed to adopt both. They live with their grandmother in the slums of Kabalagala which is ironically in Kampala, where I'm going! 

Amiee said, "I would love for you to meet Joan and Derek while you are there." She told me to friend request this guy that is helping them who works at a home for orphans there. Please be in prayer for this opportunity. I would LOVE to meet Joan and Derek and take them some food, clothes, or whatever. Also, this would be a great opportunity to share Christ with their grandmother and with their neighbors in the slum community. Also please pray for Todd, Amiee and their two kids Laurel and Coleman as they begin the long adoption process. They are not adopting through an agency and are not at all familiar with the adoption process! You can follow their story at http://ourraysofhope.blogspot.com/. 

The Shirley Family

This post is especially for Brook Hills members....I know it's 3 months away, but well, I'll be busy for the next month and a half so while it is on my mind I'm writing this...

I'm going to take 50 lbs of "stuff" to the Shirley family in Kenya. I would LOVE to take letters from their faith family. You don't have to know them personally to send something (I don't even know them personally and they are welcoming me into their home in Kenya!). Please take a few minutes and write them an encouraging card for me to take. They have 3 small children so if you would like to send a small gift for their kids please feel free. 

Also, they do have a list on their blog of items they miss from home, if you feel led to get them something off this list for me to take that would be awesome, too. What a great opportunity to show your love and support for our brothers and sisters serving the least of these! 

Who Knew...

....That God has been preparing my heart for a solo trip to Africa for over 10 years...

Ten years ago (age 20) I left the country for the first time. I was by myself on a plane with other Samford students that I did not know. My sister was on a different flight, and we were each headed to London. We met up at the airport in London, stayed with her friend for a few days, then we backpacked throughout Europe for 2 weeks. We slept on trains and in hostels and we pretty much "hit" a different country every day. After that we returned to London where she flew back home and I met up with more Samford students I didn't know and took a class (well, did sight seeing) through Samford for an additional 2 weeks. I never really tried to "make friends" on this trip, so I guess you could say I was by myself. If I had not had this experience I would NEVER have the confidence to consider going to Africa by myself.

Last year when I finally decided to go on a mission trip. I really wanted to go to Africa but people kept telling me to go somewhere "closer" for my first trip. All of the Africa trips were two week trips (and I was not willing to "give up" two weeks of vacation for mission trips at this time) and they cost a fortune so I reluctantly took their advice and went to Guatemala. I may have the opportunity to do some outreaching in the slums in Uganda. If I had not been to the dump in Guatemala I would probably be terrified to go to the slums without J.T. Turner, Greg Brown and Danny Lopez!! Don't think I'm being naive and stupid for saying this, but I'm completely comfortable going to the slums in Africa if God leads us there. I don't think it can be much worse than the destitution I saw in Guatemala. 

Isn't it neat to see how God uses various experiences in our lives to prepare us for the next thing He has planned!?

Kenya, Confirmed

Some of this may be a repeat but I wanted to get it all out in a post...

 

So last week I sent a check for my flight for Africa and then got word from Tonya, the girl I was planning to spend my second week with that she wouldn't be there then. What?!?! What in the world was I going to do in Africa for week two? I wanted to panic, and well, I did a little, but I knew that God had something else planned and I just had to trust that He would reveal it to me. I had a few other contacts in Uganda, none that I knew well, but great ministries I would love to work with, but God just didn't give me a peace about contacting them. I waited and I prayed.

 

Rewind to two Sundays ago during church a video played showing pictures of all of Brook Hills missionaries and we prayed for them. I was in all three services so I saw this three times. A picture of a family I helped with their taxes last year came up. I was convicted when I saw their picture because I had not been praying for this week family. They are serving in Kenya with three young children. They NEEDED prayer! I contacted him the next day about helping with their taxes again and they were very grateful for my help again. A few days later is when my original Uganda plans fell through. The next day God laid on my heart to come to them. They don't know me. I don't know them. (Other than tax related correspondence). But I wanted to be obedient so I contacted them about coming.

 

Several days later (felt like eternity to someone who likes to plan every minute of her life) they responded that they would love for me to come for a visit. They said that I didn't need a specific "reason" but that a visit would be great. Thankfully I learned from JT Turner how to be flexible on the mission field. As a planner I really want to know what I will be doing in Kenya but that's not always how God works. He wants us to be open to whatever comes our way. In Guatemala that meant going to Jerusalem instead of Tabitha House one day and working construction in the dump In Africa, who knows what He will want me to do.

 

I contacted the travel agent about changing my flight and found out she had already booked my flight to and from Uganda. Oh no! I had no idea she had booked it, as the $1,800 was still in my checking out! So, basically I had to pay $100 to change my departure flight from Entebee to Nairobi. This isn't terrible news, though, because my original return flight required an overnight stay at Heathrow Airport which would run me between $120-$150 plus food (depending on currency conversion). Now that I will be leaving from Nairobi I will still go through Heathrow but no overnight stay. Praise the Lord! So the only real added expense is my flight from Entebbe to Nairobi. This will be $355. I have not booked this flight yet but will in the next week or so. I will be staying with the family so I won't have any "guesthouse" or hotel expenses. I will give both "hosts" money to cover my room and board, though.

 

Sorry for the novel. I just wanted to give the full story. More to come...

Urgent Prayer Request

I am home for lunch and saw that Rebecca posted on my FB page to pray for Ruth. She tested positive for malaria. Please lift this precious girl up in pray. She has been through SO much!