The Point of a Home

Home. So many people have different definitions for this word. Some that just make me laugh are...
A man's home is his castle
Home is where the heart is
A family makes a house a home

Now these are meaningful definitions, well maybe not the first one, but any way. The more I live out here the more I see the point of a home is fellowship. It is not about making a place were just a slect few enjoy its comforts. It is a place were doors are open, all are welcome, and where people feel the presence of the Lord. It is not a nice neat home with everything in its place. It is a place where the broken sit, the hurt find healing, and the weary know rest.

Countless beleviers see their home as "their space." The place their family finds rest and peace. But what if that is not the only thing a home should be use for?! I look at the scriptures and it clearly shows that Jesus used homes as one of the main places of ministry. He came for a meal or a place to rest His head but, so much more happened. People heard truth. He healed the sick. The broken were touch with the LOVE of their Father.

This concept, a home is a place of ministry, is something the Lord is teaching me. Out here people spend time together, they have meals together, and they come to check on you when you are sick. This all takes place in homes. It is a natural place people gather. It is a natural venue to speak truth to so many people around you.

Just look (a verbal look) at the complex I live in. There are four missionaries living in this building. Each of us have been called to a different role here in Uganda, but all of us use our home for ministry! My sweet neighbor across the hall has little ones from our neighborhood over all the time. They get to play, make cookies, and have her tell them how loved they are. Just today the little girls were in and out of her apartment. They were full of giggles and smiles. Daily these little girls help carry water, cook, clean, and look after their siblings. They love their times of just being kids in my neighbor's home and she loves having them over.

The couple that lives upstairs, open their home to any missionary traveling through Kampala. Just this last week they had someone stay with them because our AIM guesthouse was overbooked. They do this countless times a month. They care for the travelers, spend time getting to know them, and praying for them. Yes, the people coming through already know the King but they see their home as a place of ministry for traveling missionaries.

My door is always open! The Lord has touched my heart for missionaries coming and going and the ones that live right here in Kampala. This past week I had a missionary form South Sudan over for dinner. The couple upstairs came down and we all shared a meal. We prayed over our friend before he flew back up to South Sudan. Last month I had two sweet MKs over for a girl's sleep over! We had a blast! Watching movies, cooking, and doing nails. The other day a friend came over for coffee and to chat. She was thinking about a lot of things and it was a joy to sit with her and listen and then, pray with her. STer ladies are always in and out of my home. They come and enjoy a weekend away from ministry. They LOVE cooking and baking. The door is always open for them, and they know it.

I know this view of home and ministry was not there when I was in the States. God is teaching me, showing me, telling me through His word what a home is for. Daily I ask Him to show me more. I know there is so much more to learn. Daily I pray my home, the home He has blessed me with, would be use the way He wants it to be used.

What My Little Eyes Have Seen...

Oh, the things I seen living here in Africa. Yesterday was like most days for me office, getting things done in town, emails, office prayer times, emails, and so on. But, there was something unique about yesterday…allow me to explain.

The day before I got a package ship, which meant I needed to go down to the post office. So I was up and out of my flat by 8am the next morning heading to town. As I was walking down the road to the boda stage and I was praying one of my boda friends was at the stage. When going to town I prefer to have the same guy take me and bring me home. While walking I could see a few guys at the stage, normally they race up the hill and meet me, but not this morning. So I kept walking and then I was greeted by a man’s voice behind me. He said, “Eh, we go?” I turned around and it was my boda friend! He had been driving back to the stage from the other side. With a smile I greeted him in Luganda and we were off. We chatted a bit heading into town. Talking to the guys is my daily 411. They know so much about what is going on in town and all over. They also help me with my Lugandan vocabulary and Ugandan cultural questions!

Once we got into town we waved in and out of traffic to the post office. We got here and he waited for me across the street for me. Now, getting a package is a big deal! The package slip will tell you if you need to get it at the upper office or lower office, this one said it was in the upper office. Most people hate the upper office. You have to pay more to get your package and the customs guys have to look through the box. If the objects in the box are more than $50 (stated on the customs form the sender fills out) you have to pay taxes on it. But….I have made friends in the upper office. They greet me and I greet them! So it never feels like a task going to see them in the office. So, I paid for my box and was told to have the customs guy look it over, just like always. But, as he pointed to the customs counter his face looked confused. There was NO one there. I asked when they normally come in. He looked at the clock and said “by now.” At this time it was 8:30am. I said I would wait for them. What else could I do? I could not take the box home without them looking at it and I did not want to give the box back and come later. So I waited and I waited. Then I waited some more! An hour passed and I went and chatted with my friend. Asking when they would come. I told them I had a meeting to get to on the other side of town. They assured me someone was coming. Welcome to Africa I told myself. No hurry. So I waited some more. Finally the boss came. He saw no one at the customs counter…..lets just say he was MAD. He told me he is calling them. My Luganda is not that good but I knew he was not happy and they were going to have a hard time when they got in by what he said and his tone. The person did come and quickly looked over my box, as the bossed looked on, and let me go. As I walked out I laughed. I was over an hour late for my meeting, my boda guy was waiting for me, and I still had to get out of town (there is always a lot of traffic in Kampala)!

Once I got to the street and hopped on the boda I told whole story to my friend. He was laughing. “Well, you know” is all he could give as an explanation. I too laughed and replied with “Yeah, I know.” We were close to the end of the city and closer to being home. Soon after a round a bout I saw a boda that looked like there was blood on it. I told myself no, there is no way it was. Well the closer we got the more I was sure it was. As I looked at it I saw a cow head. Just the head! Then as we passed the bloody boda I was saw it was a whole cow in a bag with the head on top! You cannot get more African than this I thought! The guy was propably taking it to his shop to sell. Meat out here is call neyoma. I pointed and told my driver “neyoma” and he laughed and said, “YES!”

Town was unusual that morning so when I got back to the office and thought it was going to be a little more normal….I should have known nothing is normal out here! In the afternoon I walked over to the AIM Inn on the same compound as the office and saw a puppy sitting there. I took a second look. It was the same one I saw the morning before while driving to the office. He was so small and was going to be knocked (hit) by a boda. I kept driving because I told myself I could not stop for every animal I saw….I would never get where I was going if I did. Well, some how this little guy found his way up the hill and on to our AIM compound. The Innkeepers were talking about what to do with him when the cook, a lovely Ugandan lady, said she would take it. She had a dog put it was killed. She then took it and gave it a bath. One bath was not enough. This little guy was covered in bugs and dirt! I watched. She so lovely heated the water, rubbed him, and set him in the sun.

Now, I know God has called me to do “missions work” out here. But every now and then it is a joy to just LIVE a day out here. Truly just live a day where you see, hear, and do things just like your neighbors. That is what yesterday was for me.

Encouragement!

Missionaries come in all shapes and sizes. They all do different jobs. Some are in the bush working on church planting, Biblical translation, and more. Some are in the cities working with children, teaching about AIDS, teaching in local schools, and so on. Others missionaries are more in the background. They work with other missionaries, supporting them, and helping more missionaries (of all shapes and sizes) come out to the field.

I am the later of the missionary shapes. I work with long-term missionaries on getting help for their ministries through short-term missionaries. STermers come with AIM to many African countries; I help with 6 of them. This is the role I came to fill. Once I got here God showed me how to do my assignment. An assignment I thought was my main purpose but later God lead me to something else.

Yes, I am still coordinating the STer for the region but He has shown me how important it is to encourage and support the missionaries around me. Not just by getting STers to come help. God has given me a passion for encouraging missionaries around me with little things. We all love to get mail, have coffee and chat, go to movie nights, and so much more. Fellowship is so important.

Fellowship out here is not like back at home nor do we all have time for it like we did, back home. So that is where the passion for other missionaries comes in. My home is open to everyone. Movie nights, sleep overs (for the MKs), dinners, craft days, girl nights, game nights, coffee meetings, prayer days, so on.

Please join me in prayer for all the missionaries in Uganda and all over the world. Daily they try meet the needs of people in their communities, show the love of Christ, teach the Word, and give up the “comforts” of home in obedience to the King.

Please pray for me. I am asking the Lord how to bless and encourage these dear friends for mine. The ministries they are in are hard. They take toll on them and I see it. Many see illness, death, corruption, poverty, and hell on earth daily. God has brought me here to love on our Ugandan friends as well as my missionary friends. Please ask God to give me wisdom on lifting up these missionary brothers and sisters.

Boda Boda Ride

Do you know what a boda boda is? Well, I am getting use to them out here. They are motorcycles taxis. You can get one anywhere in city, around the city, and in most villages. Here is a clip I took on the back of a boda heading home from the office. Hope it helps you see what my daily life is like. Happy watching.

Crafty Becasue I Have Too...

Africa can be hot…most of you are thinking it is always hot. Not true. There are many comfortable days here in Kampala. The best description I have of Uganda is...Hawaii. Both are green and lush. Great fresh fruits all year long. Rain that comes and goes. The only thing that is different is Uganda is land-locked!

Some days are hot and Lack Victoria is close by it can be humid some days (some days not all). One thing I have learned is that body dusting powder is helpful.. Not the kind Grandma used. This is homemade and smells sweet!

Here is the recipe I use to make it. It is easy, smells great, and works amazing!

Dusting powder:

1 cup of rice flour (soy flour will work just a well)

½ cup of baking soda

½ cup of cornstarch

1 cotton ball

few drops of your fav essential oil (I use vanilla)

Sift all powders together into an airtight container. After all the powers are sifted together add some oil drops to the cotton ball. Place the ball with oil on it into the powder and keep closed for 24 hours. After the 24 hours shake the container and let sit for another 24 hours. After 48 hours use and enjoy!

We Are Sons and Daughters of The King

In the times of kings and castles there was a clear separation of royalty and everyone else. It was a world of upper-towns and lower-towns with the royalties in the castle looking down over it all.

The people of the upper and lower town made the kingdoms run. Farming, washing, cooking, cleaning, and so much more come from the hands of these “ordinary” people. After watching Merlin, the tv series on how Merlin and King Author became legendary, this separation became event. But, it all so became clear that I am currently living in this kind of world. We all are, just unaware of it.

Most of us think this way of life is extinct but in reality 80% of the world still live this way. It is so hard for the West to think people live like this because of all the comforts and nuances of their 20% of the world lives in the “modern-day.”

Making the move ½ around the world to a place called the Pearl of Africa that still function in a contemporary medieval sociality has echoed, the fact that we all still live in the separation of the middle-ages in one way or another. Let me explain….

Here in Africa people in power are there because they took power by force. Most of them were un-pleased with how these were being done so they made a change. This happens though war, a cue, or political unrest. The Western World has seen this with many Northern African countries in the last year or so. This may seem like the total opposite to kings of the past, power being passed down from generation to generation, but look again. Once someone takes power, here in Africa, they stay in power. If and when they leave that power someday, they pass it along to someone they trust to keep things the way they are. A round about way of doing it but still very much like the kings of old.

These countries run on the backs of the lower class. In fact there in only two classes…. those in power with the ones that want the power some day and those that do not have the power nor will they ever. Farming is done by the lower class. Fishing is done by the lower class. All things that are exported by these countries are created by the lower class, again no different then the days of King Author.

But, that is Africa you say. That is true Africa is very similar to the middle-ages, but so it the West if you look closely and are not blinded by all the “bling.”

Power comes from elections. Some say they are fare and true others say there is bloat rigging and demand a recount. The party that expected the power to be passed down and it was not, is hot enough to start riots in the streets. The only difference is in the West there are police officers that will stop them from doing it. Governors and other political leaders work on deals to keep the power in their hands or if not theirs at least their parties. I fail to see the difference between that and their-world power holders excepting bribes.

The people that hold the Western countries together are the lower class. The ones on the factory lines, working the graveyard shifts, the moms that work three jobs to support her family, and the brave people that live day by day trusting it will all work out some how. Without these people the live style of the West would quickly become existent. They, like the lower class of the old kingdoms, are under valued, over worked, and looked down upon. There might be some perks for theses modern-day lower class servants like union breaks, minim wage, and Medicare but not much else.

After living overseas so many things about my homeland have been made clear. Yes, the West is good and holds many opportunities. But, at the same time it is holding people down and living backwards if you really look at it. Now I am not writing this to say Down With the West. But, more to say to the Christians living in the West take the blinders off. Open your years to the separation and lack of equality in your own country.

I see it daily where I live, it is blatant, never hidden in the dark but it is in the West.

I pray you all have a chance to open your eyes and see how the price of darkness is holding this world in bondage. I also pray that God would give you His eyes to see how the world with all of us in it was created to be. May the power of the Holy Spirit break your bondage to this modern-day slavery we are living in.

Rain +Mud+Walking to Church+9 Children=God’s Love and Purpose

This morning it was raining, quite normal for the rainy season here in Uganda. But, this morning was a little different then most Sunday mornings.

Back Story….

My flat-mate (not the furry four legged one) is a Short-Termer that has been working with children at Dwelling Places. DP, as it is called for short, is a home for children here in Kampala. Many of these children have come for various reasons: orphaned, former street children, poor home environment, and the list goes on. Carolyn, that is her name, has been working on a puppet show with the younger kids at DP for the last few months.

This is no simple show! She is telling the main Bible sorties back to back with conclusion of the gospel! The kids have colored the puppets Carolyn has put together. Everyone has been working very hard on this show and is proud of it, as they should be. The aim of the show was to bring the children together, allow them to be creative (that is why there is a purple zebra on the ark), have them learn about the Bible stories, and to instill self confidence in them for their hard work. This aim was met and the other child and staff at DP loved the show. But God was not done…He had plans for the little show. Carolyn and the kids were asked to come to another local church and perform the show for the Sunday school kids for two services. God clearly wanted to use this show to have His word told to other children in Kampala outside of DP.

Back to Today…

Carolyn invite me to join today. I was excited to see the show and meet the kids she has been talking about. So, last night we made plans to have our boda friend come pick us in the morning and take us to DP to collect the kids. Well you’d you know….it was raining in the morning. We are very use to that this time of year but it does make life hard. We got ready and prayed for it to let up so we could make our way. We hung around the house for a while and then saw our chance and we made a run for it. Our boda friend met us and we were off to get the kids.

Now you must know that is part of Kampala is unpaved. Yes, that is right it is dirt roads and yes, it had been raining. So here are the two of us dressed for church on the back of a boda on muddy roads. Looking good and staying clean is short lived out here. Once we got DP we were greeting by sweet wet kids and we greeted them back just as wet and drippy as they were. In time, nothing is fast here in Africa, we gathered the kids and started walking to get a taxi to the church. Well you’d know there were no taxis at the taxi stage by DP, why would there be?! So, Carolyn, myself, and one DP staff with nine little ones walked down the muddy road to find a taxi at the next stage. By the time we got to the next stage everyone was as wet as could be! But by the grace of God we were able to get a taxi and head to the church…even if we were over an hour late. This is Africa after all.

Once we got to the church we stop on the side of the parking-lot where some rain run-off was flowing. We all took off our shoes and washed our feet, legs, and shoes. We were not about to walk in covered in mud even with our clothes dripping. After we were clean and in the Sunday school room we slowly got ready for the show. First service was ending and we would be all ready for the second one.

It was a blast! The kids were so proud of their puppets. It was a joy for me to be apart of. Yes, I work in the AIM Central Region Office and the work I do is to support others in their ministry...that is what I did today in the rain.

Carolyn did a great job with the show and the kids. It makes me understand my role when I see others thriving in theirs! No matter the role we play we are in this grand show called life. We have the option of going with God’s amazing script or writing our own. God’s is one of peruse and love. To understand His love and then to pour it out on others, even if one is wet and covered in mud!