Kabaka Waba Kabaka (King of Kings)

Hello everyone.  I hope and pray this post finds you doing well wherever life has taken you.  I just went back and looked and I can’t believe that I’ve only posted twice since I’ve been in Uganda.  It feels like so many more than that.  But to fill you all in on a few things I am going to put up a few of my journal entries as well as add a few other things that I think you should know about.

June 14<sup>th


Alex</sup>

Alex was the name of our driver today and yesterday.  I met him yesterday, but didn’t truly get to know him until today.  I had a connection with him since the moment I got on the van this morning.  The Lord was already moving.  He knows very little English so we only spoke a little bit on the way to House 1, but by then we had a few jokes to make both of us laugh.  He drove us the rest of the day and we laughed and carried on a few very short conversations.  We had field day today out at the pitch (field) at Rays of Hope and it was an absolute downpour.  At first I was freezing and trying to hide under a tree, but then we all decided just to go for it and we ran around in the mud and played soccer in the rain; one of the best field days thus far.  He came with us to House 3 for lunch after the downpour.  We all ate together and then decided to have a time of worship.  I could feel the Lord tugging at my heart to pray for him and to speak to him.  Christina was already talking with him when I got over there, but as soon as I sat down I was overwhelmed with emotion to the point of tears.  I had to walk away and collect myself.  When I came back they were reading the bible and Auntie Dorah was translating.  The music was still playing so by the end he had asked me for some music.  I’m going to make him a CD with some of the best worship music I have.  I feel led to continue praying for him and I know the Lord placed the desire for him to know the Lord in my heart.  I want it so badly for him.  I’ve never felt this way about someone’s salvation until today.  He told me he loved me when he dropped us off this afternoon.

June 30^th

Thankful

Thankful for where I am currently.  Thankful for this opportunity.  Thankful for Sozo’s mission.  For God’s goodness.  For His sweet truth.  Thankful for these amazing kids.  For joy, and hope, and salvation in Christ.  For freedom.  Thankful for friends both old and new.  For family.  For comfort and grace.  Thankful for laughter and smiles.  For Daudi and Samuel’s dance moves.  For Wilson’s quiet spirit.  For Ronnie’s sweet heart.  Thankful for Auntie Dorah’s devotion.  For the never failing, unending love that can only come from one being.  Jesus.  Thankful.

July 14^th

21 Days Left

It’s hard to believe that today marks 3 weeks left in Uganda.  It amazes me how fast time here flew by.  Last time I wrote I was still living with Joel, Dorah, and the 4 boys at House 3.  I’ve since moved back to House 1 and being around other mzungu males has been more of a blessing than I ever thought.  Mason, Colby and Allen have been so encouraging to be around since I’ve moved here.  So many good conversations have sparked while here and I’ve been able to see so much growth.  Of course I love being around Esau.  There really is just something special about that kid.  I started a study on the book of James with him and Ibrah.  It is so encouraging and so humbling to see and hear just how much these kids know about the bible.  They challenge me to grow.  Esau has so much wisdom.  He asked me to read a children’s book on the story of Moses and that he would ask me questions about it when I finished.  I got so many wrong.  He knew every detail, down to the name of Moses’ sister.  When we finished I told him that I thought he knew more about the bible than I did even though I’m almost 10 years older.  He looked at me with the most serious face and said, “Do not talk like that.  By you saying that it means you don’t want to learn more.  If someone is asleep than you can go right past them and learn more.  So don’t think of yourself as asleep because you are awake.”  Excuse me?  WHAT?! So much wisdom in the body of a 13 year old.  I’ve learned so much from him and I pray the Lord uses me in some way to teach him.  Mason and I have had many conversations since the beginning of the summer about living together in Alabama once we get back from Africa.  But the more I pray about it the more I believe the Lord is calling me to move back to Wilmington.  I want Scotts Hill to get involved with Sozo.  So badly do I want that.  And though I hear of many things that I will be missing out on in Birmingham with everyone I have a sort of peace about the whole situation.  I am in His hands and He is guiding me and leading this journey.  While I still struggle with uncertainty in some areas of my life, I am confident in the power of the Lord and can trust in His faithfulness.  I feel as if the Lord is giving me more clarity. 

“And one day when the sky rolls back on us, and some rejoice and the others fuss, cause every knee must bow and tongue confess, the Son of God is forever blessed.  This is the Kingdom and we’re the guests so put your voice up to the test, sing ‘Lord come soon.’”

                                                                                    Josh Garrels

                                                                                    Farther Along

“Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

                                                                                    Luke 17:9-10

“For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

                                                                                    Romans 8:24-25