Last Man Standing

This past tuesday evening I took a bittersweet 3 hour matatu (public taxi) ride to Kampala. It was bitter because I knew I only had about 24 more hours to spend with my dear friend Amber, and it was sweet because we had one night to eat good food and relax away from the every day life in Jinja. Wednesday evening Amber left Uganda to head back to the states. For those of you who don't know, Amber was my roommate for the past 3 1/2 months. She came to Uganda in September and after her 3 months were up, she decided to extend her stay for another 3 months. The Lord put us together for a reason. Right when I thought I was going to be living all alone for my last 6 months here, I went to coffee with Amber. We sat and we talked about life in Uganda. It was clear we both had a heart for this place, and that the Lord had called us here for a reason. We were both stuck. Not sure what He really wanted us to do. Since I was done teaching for the Fisher's I had the option to go back to Michigan, but I felt I had to stay. Amber was done volunteering for her 3 months and she had a return ticked for the beginning of December, but she felt she was supposed to stay longer too. We talked about what it would look like for her to stay longer. It wasn't what she expected financially since none of us really have paying jobs while we're here, but the Lord works in beautiful ways. He provided. We found a wonderful 2 bedroom home for the 2 of us, and we began searching for where the Lord wanted us.

Amber and I playing 'Red Light, Green Light' with the children in Tororo

I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to serve along side of Amber during these past couple of months. As I continued my teaching in Naigobya with Every Child Ministries' Afayo Team, I still had time to serve with Amber in various places. Some of our favorite places to serve were at Sole Hope, The Street Child Project, and Arise Talents Uganda.

Every Thursday we would usually make our way over to the Sole Hope Outreach house. This compound is located just right down the road from our house. Thursdays are the days that Sole Hope does an outreach jigger clinic. I don't want to go into much detail about jiggers since I've blogged about them before, but a jigger is a type of flea. It burrows under the skin and lays eggs. It is important for people to learn how to take care and protect themselves of jiggers. We usually drive out to a neighboring school and set up each station. There are many jobs during a clinic. They need people to wash feet, hand out sweeties & stickers, remove jiggers, taking footnotes, carry people from place to place, handing out shoes, and education. Amber and I loved going on Jigger clinics. The sole hope crew has become some of our closest friends. When you get a group of people together, serving the Lord and helping others, it creates a special bond. 

Amber carrying a child from station to station, at a jigger clinic

Consoling this cutie while he has jigger removed. (Photo Credit: Jordan Kelly)

Another place that Amber and I liked to serve at is The Street Child Project. It's located right across the street from Sole Hope Outreach house. This project has a special place in my heart. On this compound live 16 gentlemen and 2 uncles. Uncle Fred and Uncle Eric are the 2 men that make this project happen. They love these boys and it's very apparent. All of the boys that live in this house used to live on the streets at one point in their lives, some longer than others. This house serves as a place for these boys to become accustomed to living in a home again. When you live on the streets, you get a freedom that does not making living under an authority figure easy. On the streets you get to do whatever you want, eat whatever you can get your hands on, and hang with whoever comes along. Living on the streets is not easy for anyone. Along with the freedom comes a sense of fight over flight response. You have to be on your toes at all times. There seems to be a hierarchy on the streets, so you never want to be on the bottom. If you blink your eyes for a minute, something could make you loose your spot in the hierarchy. 

The boys who live at this house have lived that life, but are now learning how to take the things they learned on the streets and use it in a more positive and productive way. They all attend schools nearby, and on holidays they get to spend time with their families. The boys range from ages of 5 to 17. You can imagine how loud a house of 16 boys can get. Some may find it hard to handle, but Uncle Fred and Uncle Eric have it down. I love walking past the compound and hearing the boys playing in the yard. When we go and visit the house you most likely will see a little rough housing, sporadic dancing, some football in the yard, and cards being played, but what you are guaranteed to see is joy. The joy on these boys' face will light up a room. If we had any free time, Amber and I would walk over to the street child project and just take in their joy. Some of my favorite memories with Amber and the boys are our infamous dance parties. I would bring over my computer and speakers, set up a playlist, and there would be lots and lots of dancing. One thing we did before Amber left was enjoy a bonfire. It was a bonfire the African way. We got 5 kilograms of meat and chicken and roasted it on sticks. Added some salt, and the meat was ready for eating. Get 16 middle school boys around a bonfire and you would expect no good, but we enjoyed a night of fellowship. Two of the boys led us in some worship, and then we followed it by a question time. We discussed different questions they had about the bible, we prayed and enjoyed some laughs. A memory I will never forget. 

During our night of fellowship. Notice the meat roasting on sticks :)

Last but not least, is Arise Talents Uganda. This is where Amber spent most of her time. I would tag along with her if I had the opportunity. These children are amazing. They are the most kind, loving, selfless, and most God fearing children I know. Our friend Dickson started this organization on his own. Now at the age of 24, he helps 25 children, and houses a few of them. He helps all these children get into school, and with the help of a couple special people, they teach the children art, dancing, music, and bible. By teaching these children alternative talents, it gives them an opportunity to succeed past their schooling. These kids are talented. Amber and I had the opportunity to help them create and film a music video for their already recorded song.

Tell me these kids don't have talent, I mean wow! After watching the finalized video Amber and I both teared up and said we felt like proud moms. The kids did great! The smiles that are shown in this video are on their faces 100% of the time. You walk into the compound and there is pure joy from wall to wall. You are always greeted with a, "You are most welcome Auntie!" followed by a hug (or 2) from each child. It's amazing what a hug and smile can do to your day. There were countless times Amber and I were exhausted, but we still made the 10 minute boda ride out to Mufubria to see these kids. And each of those exhausted days, we would walk out of the compound and say, "I'm so glad we came today, these kids have a way of making everything so much better."

Aunt Amber and some of the Arise Talents girls

The Arise Talents kids and I 

I am so thankful for all of these times I got to serve along side of Amber during her extended stay here. I'm not sure I would have made it out to all of these places without her. Now that she is back in Washington, it's going to feel strange going to these places alone, but the memories will always be cherished. Watching her say her goodbyes was hard, and I know I have to do the same soon. Now as I sit in the house alone, I can only sense that the Lord is creating silence for a reason. It is helping me have the opportunity to reflect and pray as I end my time here in Uganda.
My time is dwindling in this place. Some days I feel like I just arrived, and others I feel like I've been here forever. This transition is not going to be easy. Trying to put my all in to serving and also trying to figure out what the Lord has planned for me next can be stressful sometimes. I know the Lord has a plan, but I ask you all to pray for me and also Amber during this time. She is back home, but adjusting back to the American culture, missing all of our new friends/family, and also getting back on our feet is going to be a challenge. Pray that I can remain stress free about ending my time here, and finish serving His people as He wants me to.

Grace & Peace

Love,
Kendall

***If you want to look at any of the organizations in greater detail please visit their websites or look them up on facebook.

Sole Hope:
Website
Facebook

Street Child Project:
Website
Facebook

Arise Talents Uganda:
Website
Facebook

"Naigobya, the land I call my home"

'Oh Uganda, how I love you.' 'Oh Uganda, why do you do this to me?!' These two phrases are often found in my daily vocabulary. Nothing goes the way as planned here in Uganda. The Lord has really tested my patience, in ways I never thought would be. This last month has been trying - but in a good way, if that even makes sense. The people of Naigobya have my heart. The children of St. Paul's primary and the neighboring village have brought such a love to my eyes that I haven't seen before. Every time I set foot in Naigobya I hear little voices calling my name. As I search for the face to the voice I often see those smiling faces through the fields, within classrooms, behind buildings, or even at the highest point of a mango tree. There is something about the way they say my name, never is it pronounced Kendall. It always comes out sounding like, “Kendo!” And I love it. Besides basic greetings it is hard for me to communicate with the children, but one language we have in common is laughter. Laughing is a language with no boundaries. Through their actions I learn so much from these children each and every day I spend with them. They teach me how to work hard and how to willingly do something you really don't want to do. The children here are put to work so much earlier than children in America. They even seem to skip the crawling stage and head right to the walking. It's truly amazing! The greatest thing they have taught me is love. It may sound cliche, but it's true. These children barely know me, they definitely don't understand me, and yet they don't seem to care. Even when I dance like a fool they still love me. It's things like this that remind me of how often the Lord speaks about becoming reborn in Christ - becoming a child of God. Children are more loving than any other creature on earth. They haven't been calloused to the world around them. This is why we need to remind ourselves to live like these children. They are my role models. They've definitely got it goin on! 

Some of the Top Nursery kids playing

Some of the cutie pie Baby Nursery kids playing

Ruth, some of the village kids, and I

My boys enjoying porridge during break

The lovely and crazy P3 class 

Adrian & Baby Mark

My little buddy, Gerald :) 

I have had a couple opportunities to teach some of these children in the classroom. Their bright smiles and big eyes just stare at me, waiting for me to say something funny. They laugh and laugh, but I'm pretty sure it's just because I sound different than them. It's exciting to play on the playground with the children, but it's even more exciting to see them in a classroom setting. After all, the classroom is where the magic happens! Watching a child learn is exhilarating. As a teacher,  when you see the light bulb turn on, it makes all the repeating and redirecting worth it. Although I don't get to spend too much time teaching the children, I am excited to try and help make these light-bulb-moments happen for the teachers of St. Paul's Primary. Children have so much potential, after all they are the future of country. Going to a village school does not always promise you the best education. St. Paul’s Primary is a young school, and they are in the process of being something great. If you give the children a chance, they can really pursue. In order to make it out of the village, into a greater city, they need to know English. Of course, everyone still uses his or her native language even in the city, but most work requires knowing how to read and write English. For the past couple of weeks I have been working with the teachers, teaching them English. I have also been sitting in their classrooms co-teaching and helping come up with new creative ways to teach the somewhat *coughs* boring *coughs* country based curriculum. It's a work in progress. The hardest part for me has been a lack of materials. As most of you know, I didn't come to Uganda to teach teachers. This has been a little bit of a road block because there is a huge lack of materials - no books, internet is slow, and printing is expensive. Not to mention, the children have to write everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, for themselves. In America we have it made because on a break we can go make copies of worksheets for every one of our students. Here, the children literally write out their own worksheets, leave blanks, and then have to go in a fill in the empty spaces. They write all day long - can you say hand cramp? This has made it tricky for me to be creative. Everything I try seems to lead me to a road block. Slowly, but surely I'm finding the means. It has definitely made me appreciate the resources we have in the states. 
Naigobya is a place I could call my home. I feel comfortable there, the people have become like family, and it has a quaint beauty. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have arose for me there. They have tested me and stretched me more than I thought possible, but it's all making me into a stronger person. I'm so thankful for the kind and loving people there. I am also thankful for St. Paul's Primary school. 

My favorite sign at St. Paul's Primary Learning Center. Love God.

Taking the Step

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martian Luther King, Jr.

I can't believe I've been in Uganda for 6 months already - half of a year! Somedays it feels like I've been here forever and other days it feels like I just got here. I came to Uganda initially to teach for the Fisher family. I planned to teach for a whole school year, knowing that there was a possibility it could be shorter depending on the Fisher's adoption process. Once I finally touched down on African soil I found out the family was going to be leaving Uganda sooner than I thought. I will admit I panicked a little. Here I was, in a foreign country - knowing no one except for this family I met via Skype a couple months before I arrived. I had about 4 months to settle in, teach, and figure out my next plan. Was I going to leave when the family left? Or was I going to stay? As time went on I didn't even question leaving early. I knew the Lord wanted me to stay. My return flight was set for the end of May and I didn't want to change it.
The past two months have been a roller coster of emotions. Within this time I finished up teaching with the Fisher kids, said my goodbyes to them, searched high and low for a place to live, and visited many different organizations to find a new ministry to put my heart into. Coming to Uganda alone was hard, but when I got here I immediately felt comfortable calling the Fishers family. They welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much about putting all my trust into the Lord. There is no way I could have survived these months on my own without having them along side of me while I took my first steps into this new culture.
As time went on, and the Fishers were putting together their final days here in Uganda, I frantically ran around Jinja trying to find where the Lord wanted me to go. I needed a place to call home and also a ministry to pour my heart into. Soon, I began to doubt my decision in staying. If I couldn't find a home and a ministry...did the Lord really want me to stay - or was it just a selfish desire? I struggled with this for some time. The search for a home was a long process, BUT right in the knick of time I found a home. The Lord came through with the perfect house for rent. It was the sign I was praying for. I then felt confident that Uganda is where I was supposed to be.
Home - check. Ministry - well, not quite yet.
So, it's the beginning of January and I have a home...but what am I doing here? This is the question I asked myself for many many days. I tried my hardest to venture out to at least one organization in Jinja every day after the Fishers left. I would pray before I left asking God to tell me where He wanted me. That when I walked into the place He wanted me, I'd know as soon as my foot set into the compound. After countless tears and angry pleads, I finally found where He wants me to be. It has been in my eyesight every since I've been here. For the next 4 months I will be working with the Afyao team out in the village of Naigobya. If you recognize the name of this village it's probably because I often mentioned it in my posts from the beginning of my journey. This is the village where the Hillcrest team, the Fisher family, and I helped build the playground at St. Paul's Primary School. This school is made up of many caring teachers. I have the opportunity, over the next 4 months, to work with the teachers in teaching them English. My hope is to teach the teachers in a way that they can bring the skills into their classrooms to help aide the students. In Naigobya the main language is Lusoga, but all schooling is to be done in English. Every exam is written in English, there for the students must be fluent in reading it to be able to understand the questions. There are only a few teachers at this school that fluently speak English, the rest can speak the basics. If the teacher can't speak it, then you know the students aren't. This is why it is so important that we get the ball rolling on phonics training. School starts next week monday [February 2], which is when I plan to go and meet all the teachers. I will hopefully start teaching the following week, once I sit down the headmaster to make a schedule. I will be out in Naigobya 2-3 days a week. As for the other days, I will use them for preparing lessons, cleaning, running errands, and visiting other organizations within the area.
I am so excited for this new journey. Thank you all for standing behind me through this time of transition. Your prayers have been a huge blessing!! If you have any further questions about my time left in Uganda, please ask! I would love to share.

Grace & Peace,
Kendall

Achy Breaky Heart

Something hit me this past week. I've noticed it before, but seeing it again really hurts. I've never been one to be afraid of going to the hospital. When a family member or friend of mine is admitted into the hospital, I'm the first to get in my car and head over to see them. The good Lord did not give me a gift of words, and that's okay, I am more of an action type of gal. If you are in need I will be sitting next to you holding your hand, but please don't ask me to give you words of comfort/encouragement...I will open my mouth and you will probably wish I never did. Maybe I'm exaggerating little, but you get the picture.

The other night I heard news of a friend being admitted into the hospital here in Jinja. She is a guard at the compound of an organization that I often visit; she's always opening the gate with a smile. Amber, Job, and I decided that we would go to the hospital in the morning to pay her a visit. Now, the last time I went to the hospital here in Uganda, it was very hard. It was when the Fisher's brought sweet David to the hospital a few months ago, and he ended up passing away before we could say goodbye. Seeing his suffering made my memory of the hospital dismal. He was a patient in the nicest hospital in the Jinja district. Ever since then, I decided that if I could avoid going to another hospital while I'm here (especially if the others were worse than this one), I would. As I put my shoes on to go visit our friend, I thought to myself, "Oh, we're going to the hospital today. WAIT, we're going to the HOSPITAL!!" I instantly began to panic. With every step we took, my heart began to beat faster and faster. What has gotten into me? I even asked Job if he would make sure I didn't run into anything because I couldn't lift my head once we entered the hospital gate. This is not like me. What was I so afraid of? When Jesus was on earth, he was constantly surrounded by the sick and he never got sick himself. But it was then that I realized I wasn't afraid of becoming sick. It was the amount of suffering that goes on in the hospitals that really makes my heart ache. In America, you walk through the hospitals and rarely see people suffering, and I mean really actually SEE them suffer. For every 2 people there is a room behind closed doors. And for those sharing a room, there is even a curtain to block each other from seeing. 

Here in Uganda, there is no curtain. There is no closing of the door. Yes, there is a wall, but it's only about 4 feet high - almost any human being can see over to the other side. In these 'rooms' there are about 3 beds. Most of the beds I have seen are worn and torn. You have to provide your own blankets if you want to be covered and stay warm. Also, if you want drinking water - your best bet is to have someone bring you some from the nearest super market. The water available is not clean. Can you imagine that?! No clean water in the hospital, of all places. In American hospitals you can get fresh ice cubes all day long, if you want - can you say luxury?
After all is said, I guess providing your own blankets and drinking water is not too hard. I think it's manageable for most everyone. The thing that really strikes me as odd is the fact that everyone who is admitted into the hospital is advised to bring along a caretaker. Like your own personal nurse. Most of the time in America we tend to have our family members along side us through our suffering, but usually they come IF they are able to get off work for the day. In Uganda, there are no nurses available to aide everyone, so a personal caretaker should be there to help with any needs. Also, if the doctor prescribes a prescription, you have to go get the medicine from the nearest pharmacy. They don't store anything but the basics at the hospital. You even have to provide your own bandages for any wound that may be healing during your stay. Bringing a caretaker is almost a necessity since you are required to provide all these things yourself.
I'm sorry this post is a little depressing, but I think it's good for everyone to get a picture of what health care is like in a 3rd world country. Please pray for the sick and suffering, especially our friend J. I'm not sure what is in the air these days, but it seems like this is the season for the sick around these parts. And I'm sure the cold temperatures back in the Michigan is not helping anyones health either.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. Since the Fisher's are gone, and I'm not teaching anymore, I'm sure a lot of you are curious as to what I've been doing. I will fill you in in the next couple of weeks on what the Lord has been doing in my life. He is ever present in my daily life. 

An African Adventure

As many of you know, my sister came to visit me here in Uganda for about 3 weeks. The first week she was here, we were busy running around Jinja. Over the 2nd two weeks that she was here, we were busy running all around Uganda. Last weekend we had the opportunity to venture up north to Soroti. I was SO excited for Maddie to get to Soroti and meet our brothers and sisters there. After a weekend north, we then headed to western uganda for a Safari!! It was so exciting! We headed out to Murchison National Park on Thursday morning. It was a three day adventure. We booked the safari with a organization called Red Chilli. We stayed 2 nights at their rest camp in the park.
The first day we drove about 6 hours from Kampala to Murchison National park. We finally reached the park and went straight to the top of Murchison falls. During the reign of Ida Amin in the 1970's the name of the falls was changed to Karabrega Falls, after the King Kabarega of Bunyoro. Since the fall of Amin, the falls took back the name of Murchison but is still sometimes referenced as Karabrega falls. It was so beautiful! We took a small hike to a couple outlooks, then we walked back up to the top of the falls. It is said to be one of the fastest moving falls in the world because if it's small gorge.

After our hike, we all loaded in the van again and headed for the Rest Camp. At the camp Maddie and I shared a tent. It was a permanent tent with actual beds inside [pretty luxurious for camping!]. We went to bed quite early since we were tired from the travels. At about 3:30am I woke to some sort of animal outside of my tent. Slightly freaked out, I sat up slowly to look out my window... It was a giant hippo! He was RIGHT next to my bed, gnawing on the grass - very loudly, I might add. I so badly wanted to take a video to show you all proof, but I was afraid the light would shock him and he'd charge into my bed. Hippos are not known to be the nicest of animals, they actually cause many deaths here in Uganda. It was quite a surprise, there had to be at least 5 of them around the camp that night. I finally fell back asleep for a couple hours, but then had to get up to go on our game ride! This is what Maddie and I had been waiting for all week! We had to load the van early so we could make the ferry across the river. If we missed the river we'd be really delayed for our day.

Our van for the 3 days

The ferry we took across to the other side for our game ride.

We finally got across the river around 8am, and hit the trails. As the sun was still rising over the plains, we saw many different animals. Many different species of antelopes and birds.

Then we saw the infamous buffalo. As we were driving, our tour guide got a phone call - it was his coworker informing them they spotted the lions. Many people go on safaris here in Uganda and never see a lion. They are a rare sighting. There are rules on having vehicles off the trails, and the lions tend to stay far from the tracks. As we kept driving, we spotted the lion, but not just one we saw 2! They were brothers, and soon they were to be the leaders of the pack. As time goes on, they will have to fight for the leader position, but for now they are loving brothers. [I imagine that's what Scar and Mufasa were like before Mufasa received the big man position] It was all so exciting. They were literally right next to our van, just playing and lounging around.

After we saw the lions we kept venturing - all I really wanted to see was an elephant and time was a ticking. We saw some beautiful giraffe. They are really such an amazing creature - the way they walk is so magical, actually everything they do seems magical to me. Even the way they eat.

Maddie and I

As time went on, we finally had our first elephant sighting! There were 4 by the water. Since it's dry season, they spend most of their days by the water; bathing and soaking to stay cool. We were nearing the end of our game ride through the park. We headed back to the camp for a lunch break. After lunch we then headed out on our boat ride. We road the river for about 3 hours and saw many many hippos. And we saw more elephants! I can tell you all, hands down, the African elephant is my favorite animal on this planet. They are so majestic. We seemed to be very lucky - besides from seeing the lions, we saw an elephant laying down and we also watched one swim.

Overall, the safari was such an amazing experience. I can now cross "Go on an African safari" off my bucket list!

Yesterday we traveled to Entebbe to drop off my sister at the airport. It was a sad day, though I am so blessed to have had her visit me for the time she did. Now I will have someone at home who can relate some with my life here in Uganda. 

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I want to leave you all with a couple prayer requests: 

-Safety for everyone traveling during the holiday season. When we traveled to the airport yesterday, traffic was awful and people were driving crazy!  

-The Fisher family. Pray that their adjustment back in the states goes well and they can feel peace during this crazy time. 

-Everyone away from family during Christmas - whether it be missionaries, those in the armed forces, the street children, or those who simply can't make it home for certain reasons. For me, being in a completely different culture and climate during this month has been a challenge. Please pray that the Lord can wrap his comforting arms around all of those separated from family. 

-The Calvery Chapel family, Mamma Bev, and all my brothers as Pastor Jesse passed away last week. A loss is never easy. He was loved and admired by many. 

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I want to thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I appreciate every one of you. I pray that you all have a blessed Christmas and New Year! May your holidays be filled with joy and laughter. 

Sending my love to you and your family.

Grace & Peace

Jigger Clinic

I finally had the opportunity to go on my first outreach jigger clinic with Sole Hope. I was very excited to see what exactly went down at one of these. The best thing about it being my first time, is that I got to share the opportunity with my sister! Yup, my sister has joined me on African soil for about 3 weeks. I could not be more happy and blessed to be able to share these experiences with her! - We have a lot of exciting things in the coming days, but I'll post about that later :) - So back to the jigger clinic. We set out for the Sole Hope Outreach house around 9:30. On top of the regular scheduled staff, there was another family who was volunteering for the day. We all crammed into 2 vehicles and hit the road. We went to a village about 20mins away, still in the Jinja district. We arrived and there were people of all ages surrounding us. We set up the cleaning area, removal area, and the shoe giving area. Maddie and I, and our friend Johnson took foot notes, while Amber helped transport kids from the cleaning area to the removal area. We sat behind the jigger removers and had to record where each jigger was taken out. Each person had a sheet with their name on it and it had a picture of two feet and two hands. We had to put a dot for each jigger, in the end we would count them all up and record any other notes if needed.

Maddie taking footnotes for Duncan

Me taking footnotes for Lillian and Peter

Johnson taking footnotes and talking with little man [whom Johnson named Robert VandenBerg :)] 

The man who I was taking footnotes for in the picture above (far left, in the brown) is 18 years old. On this day he had 237 jiggers removed from his feet, hands and his left elbow. 237! That is a lot of jiggers to get removed in only a couple hours. Lillian did a great job removing. He was one of the worst cases in a community based clinic. They have had some cases at the outreach home that have had more than 400 jiggers. When a case becomes any worse than the man on this day, they bring them back to the Outreach home to live and monitor as they remove and let the wounds heal. This man will be staying in the village, but Sole Hope plans to check up on him this week and they also plan to spray his home for jiggers. He has had a constant battle with jiggers for a while now. If you were to look at his feet you can see scars from previous jiggers. We pray that with a spray of his home and an education on how to protect himself, he can become jigger free.
I am so thankful to have such an awesome God lead organization right down the road from us. It was an honor being a part of the organization for a day. If you want to learn more about jiggers and what Sole Hope does, click on the link below. It will take you straight to Sole Hope's website. Happy learning!

Click here to check out more about Sole Hope

Conquering Jinja

After a few weeks of riding a roller coster, I have finally come to some flat ground. About 3 weeks ago, I packed up all of my belongings and was ready to hit the road. The Fishers are nearing the end of their time here in Uganda so it was time for me to get out on my own and find a place to settle into.

I took one of my bags, and headed over to Sole Hope Guest house. This is where I resided for about 2 weeks. It had been a great accommodation for me during the transition. I am very blessed to have a place like this right down the road from the Fisher's compound. Although I would have loved to move into my 'new home' instead of moving to a guest house first, I had no choice at this time because - well, I had no home. I was going through many emotions. Some moments I was feeling very confident in what God had planned for me, then other times the devil snuck in and made me doubt. It was frustrating, because the whole time I knew God was with me, but when the devil attacked I just couldn't fight the feeling of defeat. Over this period of searching, I've had about 4 different living options, but all of them seemed to fall through right at the moment I thought I had found 'the place'. One house in particular, seemed like a perfect match. It is a small, 2 bedroom house, on a walled-in compound. A quaint house with a big yard, perfect for just a couple people. It was the 'perfect place'. BUT, as soon as I seriously inquired about the place I found out it was taken :(. I was crushed, but not even 24 hours later God worked His magic and the house was available! I am so excited to start this new journey, in a new home. I must admit - I am very excited to decorate! I am so blessed to have found such a perfect place, and I am so happy I waited for the right opportunity. Here are just a few pictures of the new place.

The new humble abode 

The compound 

Living room

My bedroom

Not only have I acquired a new home, I have also gained a pretty sweet roommate. One of the girls I had befriended over the last 2 months has decided to fulfill her calling to stay in Jinja a while longer. Amber has a gentle spirit, and I am so excited to learn from her over her extended stay! Serving along side of her is going to be such a knowledgeable and rewarding experience.

I want to thank you all for praying for me during these changes, I could not have made it through without them. As for ministry, I am not quite sure what I will be doing over the next couple of months. I will still be serving for the Fisher's for the next week and from then I will be praying that God opens up doors for ministry.

Prayer Requests:
- My sister, Maddie, is 'leaving on a jet plane' tomorrow to visit me in Uganda for a couple weeks! :) Please pray for safety and easy traveling.
- The Fisher family. Pray that the adoption process can get finished up this week. They plan to fly home in 2 weeks, but that could create problems if the adoptions are not complete by then.
- Amber needs some prayers as she is talking with the airlines trying to change her return flight home, being in Uganda (with slow internet) this makes things very frustrating. Pray that she can get that all figured out soon so she can have peace about staying longer. Also, for guidance as she decides where the Lord wants her to minister during the next 3 months.
- Ministry opportunities for me. I have no doubt that this (Uganda) is where I am supposed to be, but I just want the Lord to direct me and put me where He wants me. I want to serve where/who He wants me to. Pray for listening ears and open eyes.

I hope you all enjoyed your Holiday weekend with your families. I am so thankful for the family and friends I have here in Jinja. For the first time ever I enjoyed a Thanksgiving outside under the blue skies and sunshine. Thanks to our dance party with the kids, I was even sweating a little. It was a wonderful day, full of laughter and memories.

May God bless all of you as this crazy holiday month continues. Slow down and enjoy the season.

Love you all!

Grace & Peace