So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Well folks, the time has finally come for me to depart...and I can't help but feel a mixture of emotions!!! Again, I just want to say THANK YOU to all of my friends and family who have helped support and encourage me over the past few months! I am so thankful for each and every one of you! Know that I love you all and will miss you guys like crazy!! (so YOU better get Skype!)


p.s. I won't have any internet access for the first two weeks that I am in country, but as soon as I get settled I will make sure to update everyone!!!! See you on Skype!

Update: T-Minus 7 Days!!

It is starting to really hit me now...in 7 Days I will be moving to Gulu, Uganda for 11 months! So crazy! I can honestly say that I am so excited, humbled, and blessed for this opportunity to work with Remnant Uganda! I know that this year is going to be one of great transformation, refinement, and growth...not only for Remnant, but for my personal life as well. That being said, I would really covet your prayers throughout this journey! I know that nothing will be able to come to pass without God's grace and favor. Therefore, please pray for:

-Remnant Uganda: Pray that this would be the year for Remnant to become self-sustaining and successful. Pray for numerous partnerships and screen printing clients. Pray that we are able to get quality control up to US standards and that we would be able to purchase all of the necessary supplies to do so. Lastly, please pray that we can effectively begin to implement social development programs that help empower and rehabilitate our beneficiaries.

-Remnant Uganda Beneficiaries: Pray that their lives would be radically transformed by the hope of Jesus. Pray that wounds from their past would begin to heal as they root their identity in Christ. Pray that they would then be empowered and compelled by God's love to be agents of change in their community. Pray for protection over their families and for their health. Lastly, please pray that through Remnant, they would learn how to provide a substantial and legitimate for their families.

-Me: Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom beyond my years as I step into the role of Country Director of Remnant Uganda. Pray that He would give me discernment when making tough decisions. Pray that I would be sensitive and receptive to how the Holy Spirit is moving. Pray that I would be able to present each day and not get caught up in what tomorrow holds. Pray that I would have patience and joy in all circumstances and that I would never forget the One I am truly serving. Pray for sweet time with the Lord each day. Lastly, please pray for protection from spiritual warfare, as well as physical protection (i.e. health).

If you are interested in finding out more information about Remnant Uganda, you can visit our website at: www.remnantuganda.com
Thank you all for your continued love and support!

Daily Routines

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." -Matthew 16:24-25

Lately, I have been really challenged by this verse. While I have read it numerous times, I honestly don't think I truly understood what it actually meant, until now. Living and working overseas is an amazing learning experience and I find myself being stretched daily. But if someone were to tell me a few months ago, that I would one day find myself living a "comfortable" life in Uganda...I would have thought that they were crazy! How could someone, ever find themselves comfortable...when you are so far out of our comfort zone??

However, recently I have found just that. It is easy, no matter where you live, to fall into the daily routines of life: Get up, go to work, go home, and go to sleep. When you work in ministry, it is especially easy, to just focus on pouring into the people you work for or with. But somewhere down the line, I believe that we have forgotten that God has called our lives to be a ministry. We need to be open and receptive to what the Lord has in store for us each day...even if it means not accomplishing everything on OUR "lists." We need to completely die to ourselves and be fully surrendered to what Lord has in store.

This is not always easy and so each day I find myself asking God to help me walk in everything He is calling me to do....and each day I am blown away by things that are happening. I am so blessed for this amazing opportunity and I can't wait to see what Lord is going to do over the coming months!

A Much Needed Update!

I don't have to much time but I wanted to post a quick update...

As many of you know, last week a pretty crazy but I am doing much better! Work is amazing...I absolutely love these girls and I am blessed beyond words to work with them. A few weeks ago the staff at Purse of Hope began meeting every Monday morning to pray and intercede for the girls...and we are already seeing huge breakthroughs in their lives. It amazes me how we will pray for things, and literally that same day, those things will already come into fruition. The Lord is incredibly faithful and I know that these visible changes in the girls, are only possible in and through HIM!!

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

But as we rejoice in God's faithfulness, I ask that you all continue to pray for these girls! I know the Lord has big plans in store for Purse of Hope and that this is just the beginning! Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Assurance of the Lord's Help

“But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My friend.
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,

‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

“Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them—
Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

“Fear not, you worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the LORD
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
“Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.
You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the LORD,
And glory in the Holy One of Israel.

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the LORD, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it."

-Isaiah 41:8-20

Gulu University Field Trip

I have officially started my job and...I LOVE IT!!! Last Saturday we took the girls from the Total Impact House on a field trip to Gulu University. Our tour guide, Nelson, gave us a wonderful tour of the campus and told the girls about all the different areas of study offered at the school. We had an amazing time and ended the day drinking sodas and discussing our dreams for the future!!

Apwoyo Matek!

Ever since the RH team left, I have been helping the Tabers watch their 3 amazing girls: Toby, Tristin, and Timory. During this transition period, Tracy and I thought that we would try to embrace the culture and become Acholi.

Step 1: Riding a Boda (side saddle): Check

Step 2: Balancing a jerrycan full of water on my head: Still haven't mastered this quite yet

Step 3: Learning Luo: Auntie Susan from Purse of Hope quizzes me every time I greet her but I still find myself saying "APWOYO" or "Rabbit" instead of "apwoyo" or "thank you"

Step 4: Trying to wash our clothes by hand in basins. Easier said than done! Word to the wise...before attempting...one should work on their upper body strength. Tracy and I took our 2 big bags of dirty clothes over to the 31 Bits compound to do laundry. After an hour and a half of scrubbing and washing and scrubbing and washing...we had only done 1/3 of laundry and we are pretty sure that the clothes were more dirty than before. However, we were a huge source of entertainment for the ladies.

Now all I have to do is kill a chicken and I am officially Acholi!