First off, thank you to all who have continued to pray for me and also have contacted me over the past several months. I know it has taken me long to respond to many of you, but I promise I was and am encouraged by your support, even when I dropped the ball on updates. Forgive me for that…but thank you to all of you for the loving patience in this long-awaited blog. To answer all the burning questions (and some that you didn’t know you had): Yes, the kids still call me Auntie Bananas and think I’m “somehow not normal”. No, I haven’t forgotten to take my malaria prophylaxis yet, but I’m awful at remembering sun screen. Yes, I love the year round Equatorial summer conditions, but I still miss the change of Indiana seasons. No, I haven’t quite eaten enough beans and rice yet, but I do enjoy a good snack of fried termites. Yes, I bathe regularly, but still scream every time I step into the frigid shower water. No, I can’t carry jeri cans full of water on my head, but I can ride a Boda sidesaddle in a skirt. Yes, I have a confused accent, but some call me “African Girl” and tell me I’m between 11% and 27% fluent in Luo. No, I still will not go to bed with dirty feet, but I will go to sleep knowing the rats, cockroaches and snakes are very likely hiding in my house. Yes, I did catch a little African mystery virus, but it was short-lived and praise God I am all better.  No, I am still not sure about my future plans and where this chapter is headed. All of that to say, I am still processing the past three or so months, but I am still alive, well and happily serving in Uganda 🙂

Now that you’ve ready my laundry list of fun facts, I’m going to try and put together a recap of highlights from the past few months. Since I am still in the processing stages for many of the events of the past three months, I am going to save the profound revelations for other blogs.

On May 12th, the cutest little black bean was born. Her tan is a bit more even, her hair a little thicker, darker, and curlier, her nose a slightly different shape, and her cheeks a bit chubbier, but her name is Lagum Kelsey, and she’s just like me! She has brown eyes, a pink tongue, two arms, ten toes, two ears, and a stubborn personality 🙂 All jokes aside, it is such an honor to share my name with her and be a part of her special family. Kelsey’s father is one of the RG guards and he and his family have grown very dear to me. I cannot express the kind of gratefulness and honor that I felt when the father told me the name they had given their little girl. All I can tell you is that her second name, “Lagum”, means blessing–what a fitting name that couldn’t be more appropriate! We’ve always wondered if the world could handle two of me…who knew we’d ever get the chance to find out?!

At the end of May, the McCalls graciously allowed me to take a week off during our school holiday. I hopped on a jet plane and made my way to South Africa to visit some other missionary friends. Fun fact, contrary to my prior belief, the whole African continent is not hot, and I was severely underprepared for the frigid conditions of such 60°-70° temps in the evenings and mornings…yikes! We spent a few days camping and touring around in Kruger National Park, watching lions roll around in their poop, scaring leopards, crying over zebras, and riding black rhinos. (I’ll let you you be the judge on which activities still have yet to be checked off the bucket list.) I also spent part of the week near Nelspruit, visiting their farm and experiencing their mission. It was great to see the similarities and differences of first world meeting third world in such a drastic way on the same continent, but yet, how amazing work of the Lord is universal. Huge shout out to all my wonderful hosts (Ben, De, Kelsey B, Darryl, Janine!) for taking care of me so well and making special efforts to give me a great week of rest, relaxation and refueling! Check out the good things going on in their part of SA at www. emoyeni.org.

Then the busy season of visitors was already in full swing when I returned to RG. We had almost 150 visitors come stay and serve with us throughout the past 3 months. It was a crazy, hectic time, but the Lord was undeniably present! This summer was incredibly tough on many levels for me. Many hard lessons learned; many of those exposing my own flaws and being humbled before the Lord. But as the Lord promises in Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” I found rest in this verse, and it was incredible to see our living God pouring out blessings and making changes that my human mind still can’t completely wrap my mind around. I am honored to be a part of His work. For every time I complained or chose disobedience, the Lord was waiting around every corner with forgiveness and a greater love than I deserved. I can’t describe with words the power of God I saw through the people who physically came to serve at RG this summer. What I can say, from all of us serving on the ground in RG, we cannot do the Lord’s work without you. Then to all of those who prayed, donated, and supported from afar, even with those who served on the ground, RG could not have had such a progressive and productive summer without you.

One of the biggest moments of motherly pride I have from the summer was the beginning of a youth group. As a teacher of the angsty youth, they had really been placed on my heart in a big way. I am not a visionary or creative person when it comes to thinking up grand plans, but I sure can execute the heck out of ideas that someone else comes up with. There was a church college group that came to RG in May, and they asked what I thought about starting a youth group for the kids. I was elated that they were going to light the fire and set this thing ablazin’! (Huge shout out to the New Heights team!!) For the rest of the summer, I set up a plan, using other groups and interns to help me keep fueling this fire. Once summer visitors started slowing down, I was putting a lot of effort in to keep this weekly event up and running. My dream was/is to see this be completely student led.  I wish for the kids to take pride in each other and work together to restore their own nation. I firmly believe the Lord will use these children to make leaps and bounds in building His kingdom on earth. I also firmly believe this starts with solid relationships with the Lord and each other in a safe place; therefore, they will stand together and support each other when we send them forth to inherit the nations. (“For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will possess the nations and settle in their desolate cities.” Isaiah 54:3)

One team from the summer, which happened to be my original team, brought a really special gift for the kids. A young man studying to be an engineer asked for a telescope for Christmas, just to donate to the RG kids. How cool is that?! These kids were obsessed with the telescope while that young man was here, and they were so amazed with God’s creation. The only catch was that he had to train someone here on how to assemble and use it, in order for us to utilize it while he is gone. What a great thing for the Earth Science teacher…oh wait–that’s me. I have yet to use it since the young man left a few weeks ago, but I am planning for that amongst activities for school break coming up. I’m grateful for the internet because I realized that previous to my move here, all I knew how to locate in the night sky was the moon and the Big Dipper. Fun fact: I live on a different continent and now all I can ever find is the moon…any star gazing junkies out there that wouldn’t mind hooking a sister up?! I’m all ears.

Another one of my favorite moments from this summer was an overnight trip to Kampala with the RG choir for a day of praise and worship with over 250 people. I thrive on quality time, and this was such a sweet and special time with my girls (and a few of my boys 🙂 ). It was such a blast–these girls know me so well, and they know exactly how to get my inner kid to come out to play! I was technically the chaperone, but had my whiteness and my sermon delivery not given me away, I would have easily been confused as one of the students. Sleep was scarce but snuggle time, laughter and smiles were in abundance; therefore, I shamelessly counted the overnight trip as my workouts for the week.

At the beginning of August, Park Place Church of God (Anderson, IN), sent a mission team to Kampala. I traveled down from Karuma for about a week to do a mission trip away from my mission here at RG. I was grateful to spend time serving with my uncle, along with many people I know from previous mission trips! It was a good change of pace for me to spend time with that team serving in other parts of Uganda. I love this nation and have an unexplainable love for its people. That time away was crucial for the Spirit to do a good work in me to rekindle the flame I have and refresh my mind and heart. I am grateful for the overwhelming goodness that the Lord is, when we choose to seek refuge in Him.

+ The team of young people (interns and long-termers) I’m currently serving with is a solid, cohesive group. God has a beautiful sense of orchestration for this place.

–  & + Continue to pray for my discernment and trust in the Lord for my future plans. As we are coming into the final quarter of the year, I pray that I listen to what the Holy Spirit is doing/saying.

– & +   I truly feel that big changes for RG are not finished; change is hard and can be disheartening, no matter how small the change. Pray for leadership unity and understanding–listening to the Lord for His purpose for ALL His children.

+ I absolutely love and adore my children. They mean the world to me and my heart is bursting at the seems with pride in them lately.

Thanks for continuing to pray and love on me, even when I’ve been so lost! Happy to now be found 🙂

-Auntie Kels