Saying Goodbye

Today was a special day. Today, because of the blessings we received from God, we were able to buy 11 goats and give them to people in need. The joy that radiated from each persons face as we handed them their very own goat was so special and so heart warming. We asked each one to tell us the story of when they became born again and each was very special. Also, while we were giving out goats, Jenny and I had the pleasure of running into Jajja Agnes. As we turned the corner her face was full of delight and she welcomed us with warm hugs. It was such a blessing to get to see this beautiful woman again before returning home. Finally we stopped by Gods Grace again to play with the children and love on them some more before leaving. To my disappointment, Jeremiah was not there. He is in the hospital and is very sick according to Maria. If you are praying with me please say a prayer for him. Saying goodbye to these children was very sad. Not knowing if we will ever see them again was also very heartbreaking but I know that if I do not see them again on earth, I will see them in Heaven. I cannot believe that I am leaving this place in the morning... I am very sad to be leaving but also excited to see my family. Only God knows if and when I will come back but I hope to return one day. Praise God for the blessings I have received and for the experiences I have witnessed while here.

Mzungu Hannah

Gods Creation

Today we visited an orphanage in Jinja about 2 hours out of Kampala. This orphanage is run by Americans and houses 47 children; all with HIV. We had a few things planned to keep the children busy while we were there. First, Martha told the children about the creation of the Earth and all the things within it. Next we gave them creation coloring books to color. Stephanie then told them how we are Gods special creation and we did a craft to make crowns. We also gave the children some toys and toothbrushes and then just played with them and loved them. One in particular was a new baby girl who had been at the orphanage for about 3 weeks. This little girls name is Gift. She is 18 months old and weighs 11 pounds. She is beautiful. With small hands and frail body she had a warmth in her eyes. Gift is getting stronger each day and we will continue to pray for her. Now, Jinja is beautiful in many ways. One of these ways is that it is host to the source of the Nile River. We had the privilege of eating lunch on the Nile. To take in all of the beauty that lay before me was breath taking. God, my God, is an artist. The finest. To witness such beauty; to see it, to smell it, to step foot in it was something I will always remember. The creation story came alive today as I stood before this massive body of water that reminded me of bible stories that I have learned my whole life. God is good. God broke our hearts for the children this morning and then made us smile with the scenes of his artwork just a few minutes later. Praise God for his beautiful creations. From the 10 pound HIV positive baby Gift to the wonderful Nile River, my God is a big God. He is a creator. He had this plan for me to have these experiences today and he has a plan for Gift. Please continue to pray that God will continue to grow in us and use us for His glory while we are here.

With love,
Mzungu Hannah

My God is Big

Today my heart is full. So very full that it's hard to describe the things that happened today. We continued our bucket ministry this morning at Pastor Dickens church where we distributed 10 buckets. My group had 2 visits. Visit one was to Margaret. She was very thankful for the gifts and so loving as to welcome us into her home and allow us to pray with her. Our second visit was with a woman names Agnes. Oh, Agnes. This woman was one of the highlights of my day. She had a smile on her face the entire time we were there. She was more anxious to talk with us then to even receive the gifts but she gladly took them all. Agnes is a grandmother and her granddaughter was there taking care of her. Jajja (meaning Grandparent) Agnes offered to be Jenny and I's Uganda Grandmother. I will never forget her. We then did some evangelizing and 11 year old Rachel is now my sister in Christ. Since we had a lot of time on our hands when we were done we got the opportunity to go back to Gods Grace. This was so exciting! To be able to love on those kids for a second time made my heart warm. Today I met Jeremiah at the orphanage. Jeremiah, who I saw crying and decided to pick him up in which he immediately stopped crying, is a precious little baby with beautiful eyes. But, as I learned from Mariah the owner of the orphanage, Jeremiah is not a baby... He is actually 2 years old. I was shocked. He was a baby in my eyes. But besides that his story is what broke my heart even more. Jeremiah was found in a dumpster. He had been there for 3 days and has bite marks all over him from the flies eating him during those days. Two months ago they were not sure if he would live. Today he is getting stronger but he is still so small. I love this little boy with all of my heart and it pained me to let him go. Please pray for Jeremiah and all of Gods Grace. Pray that God will bless them abundantly with the supplies and workers that they need to love and support their 90 something children. Tomorrow we visit a different orphanage in a village an hour or so away. I am anxious to see what the Lord does.

By His Love,
Hannah

All the Glory to Him

Today was another awesome day here in Kampala. We started our bucket ministry today and visited 9 AIDS victims. The buckets that we give contain; bed sheets, towel and wash cloths, soap, tooth brush & paste, socks, gloves, chap stick, lotion, multi vitamins, and the bucket is a wash basin. The joy on their faces when they receive this gifts is so amazing. For each person we had to demonstrate the use of the lotion and got to rub it on their hands. This was a special moment for them as well as us. Loving on them and showing the Gods love is exactly what we are here for. Since we only did 9 of our people today we got to do street evangelism after lunch. Two by two with a translator we entered back into the same slum we had been in all morning, Kibuli (pronounce the K as if saying chip), and began speaking to any one who welcomed us. My team had the privilege of leading 3 people to Christ and we now have 2 sisters and a 1 brother in Christ. :) praise Jesus for giving us the opportunity to minister to these people. I am anxious to see what tomorrow brings and what God has in store for us to do.

Welcome to Uganda

I'm finally here!! After 3 planes, a day in London, and no sleep for over 24 hours I have finally arrived in Africa. I'm settling down for the night to catch some sleep but wanted to share what I experienced today.
First, I learned something completely new about Africa today. It's not all open fields and villages of hut houses and wild animals all over the place. Here, in Kampala, it is more like a city. It reminds me a lot of Mumbai in India...just quieter. After we got settled in to our home for the next week we ventured out for food and our first ministry day. As tired as we were we loaded a van and headed for Gods Grace orphanage. At first I was skeptical of having energy to play with these kids or even what to do with them. But as we turned onto the street children started running from everywhere. They were chasing the van and waving with the biggest smiles on their beautiful faces. This scene literally brought tears to my eyes. Here I am, tired as can be in a country I've been dreaming of for 3 years and God is showing me his blessings right before my eyes. How blessed I am to be here, to be loved on and to love on the children of this orphanage. As we got out off the van, 5 kids hanging from each arm and leg, we were surrounded by children. They each wanted to hold our hands, touch our skin and hair, ask our names and tell us their own. Many I do not remember or could not pronounce. I know Edward because he gave me a fake name when he first introduced himself. Grace because we talked about how my name means Grace. And Mary because we talked of how Jesus had a mother Mary. And Eli, who is 2 years old and just got a name last week. We danced with these children and sang songs with them. They sang and played drums for us and I even got to teach them "Rise and Shine". The rain made it to where we couldn't play our game we had planned for them so we read them a bible story and will go back Friday to play with them some more. I already love it here and it's been one day. But, I'm beyond tired and must put down my phone and sleep. Continue to pray. We begin our bucket ministry tomorrow in the slums.

With love,
Hannah

Today is the day that the Lord has made!

I cannot believe that this day is finally here! In just a few more hours I will be getting on the first of many planes on my journey to Africa. This trip has come so fast! I cannot begin to thank the Lord for all He has done for me an through me for this trip. In less then 3 months He has provided the team, the funds, and the prayers needed to make this trip possible. Praise God for blessing me and my teammates so so very much! I am not afraid of this journey, I'm actually anxious to hurry up and be there; to be in the beauty of Uganda, the pain of Uganda, the ministry of Uganda! I am a little nervous about the plane rides. Turbulence always freaks me out. But I know that I am in the Lords hands. Also, there were some terrorist threats in London the other day and I will be there tomorrow so... Praying for safety while we are there. If you're reading this and you would like to join me on this mission, please pray for my team and I. Build a wall of prayer around us for protection, for our words to be Gods and not our own, and for peace.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

Not about me but All about You

I am reading through Crazy Love again for my summer small group. I don't remember much from the first time that I read it because it was almost 3 years ago. This time around, God is teaching me new things. My eyes are more open and I am focused on Him and Him alone. In the chapter I was reading last night I was encouraged to read Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. I read through them once and then again with my little brother Caleb. The connection in which I felt with Isaiah warmed my heart and made me even more anxious to leave and be in Uganda already. But, even so, with all of my excitement, I am questioning my own behavior and commitment. I long to be a missionary & fully live my life for the Lord & yet I do nothing while I am here in the states. Sure, I go to church, spend time in the word, & discuss the Lord with friends but I have yet to minister to my neighbors  here in the way that I did in India or in the way I will in Africa. Why is that?? The question asked in Crazy Love is simply: "Are you ready?" Am I ready? I surely like to think that I am but on the honest side, I am not. I can do just fine in a foreign country with people I may never meet again but when it comes to ministering to people whom I know here in america, in my city, scares me to death. But why? I should never be fearful of spreading the love of my Father! Ever! I should never worry about what God is telling me to do or where I need to go and yet, I do. These are aspects of my heart that will take time and prayer to resolve. According to the picture painting in Crazy Love, I am a lukewarm Christian because I have a fear of ministering to people I know and I definitely do not want to be lukewarm... ever! Here is what I read in Isaiah 6:8-13:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" He said, "Go and tell the people: 
         " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." 
The I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered:
         "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave  stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the Land." 


I want to be ready. Not only for the foreign lands that the Lord is sending me to but here, in the place where I was raised, for the time that I am here waiting. Ask yourself if you are ready.

With love through Christ,
Hannah