It can only be...

God.


Following a blurry week (see previous post), something incredible happened yesterday. A (God-given) inclination to visit a completely different church brought with it a divinely appointed reunion with an old friend, Wendy Ward. A woman of authority, wisdom and knowledge, she was like cold water to my thirsty soul. A coincidence? A chance happening? I don't think so. I think God knew what I needed and shifted me to get there. 

After all, how many friends do YOU expect to bump in to in Africa?

... Especially when you've been challenged to the core with Biblical truth on gender and exactly what this means for a single gal like myself. Wendy is the number 1 person in the world I'd want to ask, and here she is. 


... She is a connection to the life-before-Africa, and one with insight into the past and able to ask poignant questions. 


I'm very thankful and humbled to realise God knows where I am, what is happening and how I'm feeling, and He is more than able to provide a specialness to make remind me He cares.

Blues and blue skies

Well, life has begun to throw questions my way once more. I still have 11 months in Uganda but it doesn't seem long. Assumptions have been shattered and new ideas birthed, as always happens, and between the computer screen and my heart, it's unnerving and causing me some un-peace. 


It's an odd time at the moment. Feeling unsettled, sleepless and discontent and yet enjoying each day. Waking up feeling blue and pinning the 'feeling' on somehow lacking enough solid time with God to make me 'feel' better... a thought now hits me: perhaps the feelings are supposed to be a bit grey at the moment. Feelings must bow the knee to truth and can be based on lies. Truth lifts the heart and head. 


Perhaps God is re-emphasising a truth learnt and treasured in times gone by... this day, in the haze of grey skies and sleepless nights, what will be the foundation?

• Feelings which drag me down but are without depth... a simple exploration corrects the balance
• OR God's truth 

I've learnt, forgotten and remembered the correct order: Truth, Believe, Behave, Feel. Seek the truth, choose to believe, behave accordingly, and over time 'feel' it. 


Dark and cloudy feelings are put there by our own forgetful minds and by Satan who pulls our attention from God and sinks us into the big, springs-sticking-out armchair of wallowing. 

Truth brings peace like a mug of milky hot chocolate brings comfort and warmth. Aw, that's better. 

March's Musings

... and the rains came down and the floods came up...

Not only in Japan (God help our brothers and sisters there)... but also in Uganda. The end of the dry season heralds rain and it’s wonderful. Dampening the dust, bringing green back to life, and relieving pressure headaches. Sadly Emma is not here to enjoy it but is back in the UK embarking upon a new adventure with Urban Expressions.

Emma’s Uganda

Emma and I loved the second half of her time in Uganda. She led a 2 hour Bible study for the teenage girls who are on Oasis’ Skills Training Programme, using rings as a visual aid for God’s value of us. A few weeks after, rings are still on!

Using Luke 19 as a guide, we hosted an Election Banquet for friends who work at the compound, and some neighbours. We had around 30 people in total on Sat 19^th Feb, and had great fun decorating the compound and learning how to make Ugandan food from Mama Julie and Mama Florence who catered. It was wonderful to see people ‘outside work’ and to serve them for once. Emma had great fun with the kids, and Elspeth, the neighbours and I fussed and pottered!

22^nd Feb was my 28^th birthday, and Emma and neighbour Elspeth went to town. I had a wonderful surprise gathering a few days before, with a home-made banana cake c/o Karen next door, and then the day before, the girls made a surprise treasure hunt and afternoon tea! The actual day was celebrated in style as Em and I went for 3 days to Murchison Falls.

Murchison Falls national park is a vast area of 4000 square kms and houses all kinds of animals. On safari, we were delighted and blessed to see 4 lions, 2 herds of elephants, scores of hippos and crocodiles, millions of warthogs and deer-like creatures (Emma learnt the names of them all; I did not) and 2 distant giraffes. We met people from Holland, USA and France, and thoroughly enjoyed Red Chilli’s facilities overlooking the most glorious view of the savannah.

Highlights include dancing in the rain, crossing the Nile at sunrise, absorbing the vastness and beauty of African countryside, cruising the river on the roof of a boat, and seeing elephants in their natural state. Low points included warthogs snuffling around our tent looking for a way in, and sleeping in a damp bed. Why damp? I don’t know.

On our final morning at ‘Murch’, we clambered over rocks to the top of the falls, and really loved seeing the crashing torrents of water cascading down their valley to the river. It was incredible. The amount of water passing through such a narrow space (6 metres at its narrowest) was breath-taking and beautiful. There was at least 3 rainbows down the falls where sun met water spray which provided relief from the BAKING hot sunshine. Emma was in her rock-climbing element scrambling up and down and wow-ing at the water. Ooh and for all twitchers out there, we saw 3 types of kingfisher.

Oasis

Things are going well at Oasis Uganda, and starting to get busy for me. On 5^th April, 4 girls arrive from the UK for 4½ months in Uganda as part of their gap year. They will stay and work at 2 fantastic placements in villages near to Kampala, and will come to Oasis each week for training and off-loading time. And possibly some chocolate biscuits.

There are also 2-3 other teams arriving over the next 3-4 months. Quite often a church group will come and spend time either in Kampala or Mbale (or a bit of both), and run a holiday programme or a sports week, or do some much-needed maintenance work with us. Hooray!

Health

Health has been a little ropey this month, most recently with a case of bilharzia (google it... urgh) which is a delightful illness caught from untreated water, in this instance, the glorious rainbow-topped Sipi Falls! Coupled with another infection, it’s made for a couple rough weeks, but hopefully I am on the mend. 

Frontline

Frontline’s Joseph and Richard are now at school in Entebbe, both of whom have recently started thanks to generous Britons! Frontline acting as a school-agency is a fairly new thing but hopefully this system will soon be smooth so that boys and families can be quickly coupled up and boys can begin benefiting straight away. 

Homeward Bound!

Between 6^th-29^th May I will be back at home for a mid-point visit! I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing family and friends, and meeting a few babies who were inconsiderate enough to be born whilst I’m away! I’ll be in Devon for the first and last week, popping by Nottingham 12^th-16^th and browsing Brentwood 16^th-24^th. Hope to see you all.

Godly musings...

Last Sunday, whilst worshiping at church, God plonked this thought: If we are the Bride of Christ, adorned and beautiful for our Groom, what makes up our decoration? God Himself provides the wedding gown, pure and white, and the gems and crystals which beautify the Bride are not merely glass. They are generous, self-less deeds done for the benefit of the poor. We are adorned with the good works we perform in this life. Good works do not save us (God alone drags us from the pit and stands us on the rock) but they do beautify us and relieve some suffering in this life; the only life where we CHOOSE how to live. So my question is: Is the Bride of Christ adorned? Today, how can we add jewels to her gown, rings to her fingers, diamonds for her tiara?  

 

(Elspeth’s) Memory verse:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7

Thank you so much for reading, and thanks again to all who email, I really appreciate it and love hearing from you. May you know each of God’s blessings,

Lindsay x