For the LOVE of the doughnuts!!!

"For the LOVE of doughnuts!" This is a saying I often say. Well, today I am yelling it (in my head not out loud.....I am not alone in my house to do so.)!

Can't hide the feelings. There is no way to sugar coat the truth. Today I feel like I want to go "home," where ever that might be.

Our God is so big....but right now I am feeling like things are falling apart. He is a god of details, never forgetting to dot an i or cross a t. The role I work in, here on the field, is one of planing. If you know me at all......that is right up my allies! I love details. But today, everything feels like it is in pieces on the floor. And for now I am more than ok with that. (Ask I type this I can hear my sweet grandmother say, "That is how the cookie crumbles!" How true that statement is today!)

Really. I will not but on a fake smile and try to pick all up all the pieces. It is hard to believe it right now, but I know it is true, in His timing all of it will all work out. Not only will it work out but it will be His will and not my messed up one! For now I just pray I am able to love like He is asking me to and in all things give Him the glory that is due.

Not going to lie.....a box of these would be AH-mazing right now!

"For the LOVE of doughnuts God, I do not know what to do! You are the One with the best plan so show me what it is. God, until it is all made clear will you help me be still and know you are God? Would you please hold me in your arms and love on me, for today I feel I need it. You are good....I ask for you to show me each and every day something that helps me see just how GOOD you are. Too often my eyes fall away from you. If needed super glue them on you! Thanks for loving me, yes the broken, lost and tired me. -Amen"

Trying to be better...

Are you like me, rushing out the door and not having all the things with you that you need or  have not finished your A.M. to-do list?!

Well, if you are, you know the feeling. Something like you are ok with what you have on but not 100% sure what it is,  like there are some of the thing you need with you but not all, and the fear of thinking you will never get it all done in the back of your mind. Oh, yeah. I know that feeling all to well. When I moved to Africa, as a missionary, I assumed my life would be a little slower. You know fitting into Africa Time. I could have not been more wrong. No wonder there is a saying about making an ass out of you and me when you assume.....because it is TRUE!

I may live in a place that is event oriented and not task oriented but my role, the one God asked me to do, is more task then event. So, over the last year of being here on the ground I have kissed my "slow paced" dream goodbye. Trust me I love my ministry, the people I work with, and where I live...but that dream of slowness has faded!

With so many things coming up in my date book I need to do something! Something to help me feel less like a chicken with no head, if that is possible. So, I am trying something new tonight, yes it is night here in Uganda.

As soon as I walked in the door I started to look around and to see what needed to be done...and what things were not life or death. The list I came up with is below:

-Washing in off the line
-Washing put away
-Wash and dry veggies 
-Kitchen cleaned up
-Water filter re-filled
-Lunch made for tomorrow
-Plan something for dinner tomorrow
-Go through emails, personal and ministry related
-Feed the fat cat
-Get ready for tomorrow
-Nightly Bible reading
-Shower
-Bed hopefully before 11pm

Long list right?! And it is already 7pm. So here is the game plan I came up with!

GAME PLAN:
Kitchen- as I put the clean dishes away I would get the coffee pot ready for the morning. I would also let the water run to re-fill the water filter. Dirty dishes could be left for the lady who comes once a week to clean for me. While chatting with a friend wash and dry veggies. While SKYPing put everything in the crock-pot for tomorrows dinner. Call kitchen done.

Washing-as I listen to some worship music bring clothes in off the line AND put them away...otherwise they sit in a pile for a week! Make a pile of dirty clothes to be washed in the morning. As I pass done "dirty clothes pile" feed the fat cat, and trust me she is FAT!

Emails- While enjoying the sounds of the kids playing in the compund next door I will set a timer. Set it for 20min and work on as many Short-Term Emails as I can. When timer is goes off close email and take a shower. After shower re-set the timer for 20min. Work on as many personal emails I can. When the timer goes off close emails and computer for the night (this is a hard one for me). Once computer is off sit and do my nightly Bible reading. By then I pray it is not past 11pm.....even if so GO TO BED!

I wish I was this together by 6am!

So, that is the game plan for tonight. Lets see how much I can do! If you have any tips on time management or finishing one's to-do list let me know!

Colors of Hope

Africa is so colorful! Trees, flowers, people, and ever the fabric! Daily, I am blessed to see smiles as big an bright as the sun!

These bright smiles have become like family to me. I love them so much and thank the Lord I get to live among them! Some of my Ugandan family have the skill of sewing. They do it on the side as extra income. There is one lady that has made many lovely things for me in the past. The last time she made something for me she opened up. She told me how helpful it was for her and her family to have the side job of sewing. With the extra money she can insure there is enough for all her children's school fees.

After we had this conversation I thought for a while...."wish I could give her more extra business with sewing." I lifted her and her family up to the Lord with out a clear understanding of how I could be helpful to them. A few weeks later the Lord placed an idea on my heart. Something that only could come from HIM, I just love how He know the best way to plant His will into my heart and mind.

Just some of the fun and colorful fabric my friends will be working with!

Colors of Hope, the idea the Lord gave me, is just is the growing stage.....trusting in the Lord to lead it, as He sees fit.

The idea is that the ladies I know, who sew, will work on making African Tablecloths and Napkins. I will pay them a fair wage for each item. This will help insure their family can pay for school fees ( they pay school fees three times a year). Then I will turn around and sell the tablecloths and napkins. This will help me cover the cost I spend to pay the ladies and buy the materials. Also it will help me buy more fabric so they can make more table clothes.

Education is important, as we all know. But also it is so important to help people rise up, not just give hand outs. So, this is a way to support the ladies I have been blessed with getting to know while allowing them work for a better tomorrow! They will only make what they can, NOT becoming a sewing company or  NGO. Keeping it small, personal, and meeting needs.

Well what do you think?  If you are interested in buying a tablecloth and or napkins please contact me! It would be so encouraging to the ladies to know people are already interested.

All of us ladies also ask for your prayers. Prayers for wisdom and guidance. We are only looking to do His will and not our own. Thanks for your prayers and comments for Colors of Hope!

A helpful tool... Martha Stewart Funnel

So, before I packed up and moved 1/2 around the world I was blessed to spend over a week with my family in Arizona. Still totally confused why on earth they packed up and moved to the desert. But, hey the Lord works in funny ways right?!

While I was spending some good family time with them I also worked on my "bring to Africa list." One day all us ladies headed to Macy's I was excited because they where having a huge sale! Even with all my excitement I never thought I would find something "useful" for Africa....but low and behold I did!

Sitting on a table in the "home department" were some Martha Stewart cooking tools. Glancing over the table, something caught my eye. There were fun colored funnels. But not just any funnel mind you. They were 1/2 silicone...so they folded up! "How great," is the first thought that came to my mind. I mean really...how great!? They were light weight and  folded up. Prefect for packing only 6 bags to start a home and ministry in Uganda.

It has been almost two years from the time I bought two of the "how great" funnels and I love them. They do not take much space in my small kitchen and are so helpful. Truly! I have to filter my water or boil it before I can drink it. Also I have one with me when I travel, when I  might have to boil and pour water into a jarry-can or water bottle. They travel well and are so light I will even be taken one on my tip into South Sudan. Why would I not?! On those flights every Kg counts!! (It is a bush flight)

Now these is just some of the most common uses I have found for this great kitchen tool, but I could not even begin to think how helpful they would be back in the "West." Not only in the home but; office, school, classroom, and more! The fact they come in different colors is so helpful! My green funnel is the travel one and the blue one is for my home only. If you had to you could have one for each day of the week!

I know a funnel might not be on the top of your shopping list but if you are in need of one I say go with the Martha Stewart Kitchen Funnel (product number 7.678.271)!!!

Oh, how He loves us!

The ladies all piled in my car.....this is how we roll!

Yesterday evening I was blessed! Over 60 ladies got together to enjoy fellowship, worship, and prayer. It was so amazing to be surrounded "like minded ladies." Truly the Lord knows what He is doing, call each lady here to Uganda to meet an need, while loving and supporting one another.

A group from the States came out to "love on" us missionary ladies here in Kampala.  They brought goodies from the States, a amazing worship leader, tasty things for a meal, and Mama Kits. As great as it was to get some goodies the icing on the cake was worshiping an praying with these amazing 60+ ladies!

Lingrid and Kristen

We sang under the stars and moon on a cool clear Kampala night. Kampala is a very hilly city and as we worshiped the lights of the near by hills were all a glow (imagine it....city power was on for the whole night.) It was so powerful to stand outside and lift my hands to the Lord in the natural beauty of the city!

As the song "How He Loves Us" started tears filled my eyes. Tears of joy. Our God is amazing. There are so many people in the world and He loves each and everyone of them. He knows how much pain and suffering millions of people go through each and every day. He longs for many to come to know Him. To trust in His saving grace! And I was reminded of this while worshiping with other ladies whom the Lord has called to Uganda. Each one is working in a different area, facing different challenges, but all have the same goal. Each of us long with the Lord to many to come to know Him!

Janice and I

Thank you Lord for like minded ladies who have a heart for your people here in Uganda. You are so loving and show me daily in little ways how big you are yet how personal you are with me. Oh, how you love me! -Amen

T.I.A. (this is so AFRICA)

Today I ran around my house (after sleeping for about 4 hours extra in the morning, was not feeling so hot) and getting things ready for the  new week. Also tried a new workout routine. At the end I was dirty and in need of more rest.

I deiced to have a bath! (One must enjoy it while city power is on to heat the water and oh yeah, when city water is on as well!) Got everything ready and I heard the "almost daily click" of city power going off and battery back up kicking on. Thankfully I had a hot bath waiting for me.....so it was fine that city power went of, well that is what I was thinking. After my bath I saw city power was still off in my flat but lights around our building were on. Strange you say....haha NO! Often for some reason or another a switch flips and city power is cut in my flat alone. So I walked down stairs to look at the switch.....it was as it should be. As I walked back up to my flat I heard "EHHHHHHH" and I replied with "HMMMM" and raised eyebrows (the way you know when someone is hearing you and following you conversation out here.) It was one of our grounds guys. He said power was off. He laughed when I looked at him with a dumb founded look (we were standing in a very light hall way!). So he explained.

Something about the wire from the pole in front of our building and having a bad connection to one side of the building. Guess who's side of the building?! :) Yup, that is right, MINE!

Praying the guy who I was told will come tomorrow to fix it comes. Until then it is very little light in the house to save the precious battery power, who knows how long it will be till our side has city power again! Yup, T.I.A. home sweet home!

Playing in the Dirt!!!!

The Hippy, Green Lover, ECO Friendly, CALI Girl in me is coming out! I live in a second-story flat but that wont stop me from growing some yumm-o veg!

This evening I had some fun on my front and back patio getting my hands in the dirt, pulling some weeds, and singing out loud (sorry neighbors!). Before today there was a mix of want to be veg and flower on both patios. Taking some time to think, I do that some times. It made more sense to have all the veg in the back, right outside the kitchen door. So, all the lettuce, wild rocket, mint, rosemary, and tomatoes got moved around.

When things have sprouted, bloomed, and ripened I can not wait to taste their goodness. Even when living in a very green country like Uganda I miss Farmers Markets. Taking an early Saturday morning with good friends, thinking of you Miss Kari, while walking around and getting your shopping list knocked out. Oh, and the verity! There is a berry shape hole in my heart after moving out here! But I digress....

While having one of my "missing Cali" moments I realized I could grow some greens. It will never replace all the fabulous Farmer Markets but it is all one can do at this point.  Also I get to play in the dirt! So, fingers crossed! Here is to playing in the dirt and fresh veg!!!!