Kisses for Katie.

Just finished this book, Kisses from Katie, and it was simply delightful and so very inspiring!  I have been reading as much as ever, but just haven't read too many things that I thought would be blog worthy.  However, this book changed things! It truly made me question how deep my love is for the Lord. It made me wonder about the plans He has for my life and if I really come to Him with open hands.  And ultimately, it made me yearn for more.  

I want to meet her.  

I want to be her friend.

I want to travel to Uganda.  

I want to live there.  

I want to adopt 13 children.  

I want to meet hers.  

I want to laugh with those children and love them till my heart bursts.  

I want to fill a need.

I want to be uncomfortable.

I want to serve the Lord.

I want...

The list could go on - I am sure you get the point.  There are so many things that I want, but ultimately, what I really want is the intimacy she has with Christ.  I want to come to Him with open hands and I want to hear His voice amidst all the noise and chaos in my life.  

So the book.  Goodreads blurb..."What would cause an eighteen-year-old old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends, and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda? A passion to make a difference. Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved, so broken by the people and the children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them.  Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, has gone on to adopt 13 children during her time in Uganda.

To further her reach into the needs of Ugandans, Katie established Amazima Ministries. The ministry matches orphaned children with sponsors worldwide. Each sponsor's $300/year provides schooling, school supplies, three hot meals a day, minor medical care, and spiritual encouragement. Katie expected to have forty children in the program; she had signed up 150 by January 2008; today it sponsors over 400. Another aspect of the ministry is a feeding program created for the displaced Karamojong people—Uganda's poorest citizens.  Kisses from Katie invites readers on a journey of radical love down the red dirt roads of Uganda. You'll laugh and cry with Katie as she follows Jesus into the impossible and finds joy and beauty beneath the dust. Katie and her children delight in saying yes to the people God places in front of them and challenges readers to do the same, changing the world one person at a time."

So after reading the book...what did I do?  I googled her of course, and this is what I found.

I found her blog - check it out, and I found all sorts of videos!

Some of my favorite parts in the book...

"During the first few months I lived in Uganda, in fall of 2007, I wrote, "Sometimes working in a Third World country makes me feel like I am emptying the ocean with any eyedropper."  Today, it often still feels that way, I have learned to be okay with this feeling because I have learned that I will not change the world.   Jesus will do that.  I can, however, change the world for one person.  I can change the world for fourteen little grills and for four hundred schoolchildren and for a sick and dying grandmother or for a malnourished, neglected, abused five year old.  And if one person sees the love of Christ in me, it is worth every minute.  In fact, it is worth spending my life for."

It sure is worth it isn't it??

"People often ask if I think my life is dangerous, if I am afraid.  I am much more afraid of remaining comfortable.  Matthew 10:28 tells us not to fear things that can destroy the body but things that can destroy the soul.   I am surrounded by things that can destroy the body.  I interact almost daily with people who have deadly diseases, and many times I am the only person who can help them.  I live in a country with one of the world's longest-running wars taking place just a few hours away.  Uncertainty is everywhere.  But I am living in the midst of the uncertainty and risk, amid things that can and do ring physical destruction, because i am running from things that can destroy my soul: complacency, comfort, and ignorance.  I am much more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy."

This is so very true isn't it...one my biggest fears is apathy and complacency.

"Peter is the rock on which God built His church.  But first, Peter was probably the worst disciple ever.  I am Peter.  Jesus tells Peter that he (Peter) will deny Him 3 times; Peter says, "No! I love you, I could never deny you, Lord."  yet we all know that Peter does in fact deny Jesus three times.  I know in my heart and my soul and the core of my being that I love the Lord, that I would do anything for Him, go to the ends of the earth for Him, but how often do I forget to give the glory to His name  how often do  take compliments without giving Him the credit?  Do I, like Peter, deny Jesus the glory that is His? (p. 38)".  

I, too, am so guilty of this.  I am so quick to take credit for things...for my own achievements, for my own successes, and in reality, it is all God's...He should be getting the credit.  But I, too, am so quick to deny Him the glory that is His.

"Not long after I arrived in the States, I poured out my heart about feeling like a stranger in my native land in my journal, and I came to a better understanding of why I felt I didn't belong there...I have often wondered since reentering the United States why I feel such great culture shock.  How can I feel such a disconnect with the place I was born, raised, and for eighteen years called home?  How can I feel that my real home is a place in which I have spent just over a yer?  I have blamed it on many things.

American extravagance.  The grocery store that almost sends me into panic mode due to the sheer quantity and variety of foods.  People who build million-dollar homes.  The lack of understanding and a lack of thanksgiving on the part of all of us.  The ease with which we receive medical care.  The amount of stuff that just clutters our lives.

All these things make it difficult to readjust, yet.  But what has been the biggest shock to my system, the huge disconnect, is that I have stepped out of my reliance on God to meet my needs.  I "miss" Jesus.  He hasn't disappeared, of course, but I feel so far from Him because my life is actually functioning without him.  By "functioning," I mean that if I am sick, I go to the drugstore or to the doctor.  If I am hungry, I go to the grocery store.  If I need to go somewhere, I get in my car.  When I need some advice or guidance, I call my mom or go pop on my roommate's bed.  If I want to feel happy, I get Brad, my little brother, or someone else to make me laugh.

I keep forgetting to ask God first to heal me, to fill me, to guide me, to rejoice with me.  I have to set aside "time to pray" in the morning and at night instead of being in constant communication with Him.  In Uganda, because I was so physically "poor," I was completely dependent on God and spiritually as wealthy as ever."  (p. 121-122)

It's so true isn't it...have you ever experienced a time when you were so physically poor that you completely relied on God?  Or a time when you were so physically rich that you found yourself simply functioning without Him? How do we keep ourselves from falling into that rut of comfort  and from believing the lies that we can function just fine without Him?   

Power Outage.

Yesterday started off like any other day.  I woke up, got ready for work, packed my lunch, and I was out the door!  Arrived to work around 8, gathered together at 9 for prayer, and started my tasks for the day.

And everything was going according to my plan, until the power went out about 11:15.  There was a big WHOOSH and everything just shut down...computers turned off, lights went off, and everyone gathered.  It was rather perplexing, and turns out the power outage went far beyond the CRISTA campus.  

I twiddled my thumbs for a little bit - I mean what's a girl to do when the majority of her job involves her computer?  Well, talk to her coworkers of course!  It was a marvelous time really!

But it made me think?  So many of my daily tasks involve my computer - I use it for the Internet, for email, for printing documents, for getting contact information, for inputting data, etc.  You get the point right? Think about it!  What do your work duties entail?  How much of it involves technology, a computer, electricity!?? Probably alot of it right?  

Yesterday, I was reminded of this beautiful thing called electricity and the power (no pun intended) it has over my life.  Electricity plays a huge part in my daily life - but I can't help but wonder what my life would be like without it?  Would I spend more time in relationships and less time on the computer?  Would I spend more time reading and less time watching TV?  

Think...what would your life be like without electricity?  Crazy to think about right?

But the reality is...so many people live without it.  And HAVING electricity is crazy for them to think about!

Electricity is something I completely take for granted, and it made me think...what else do I take for granted?

Master's Completed!

So it has happened....I AM OFFICIALLY finished with my masters program and I officially have my Master's from Northwest University in International Care and Community Development. It was a wonderful program with some really wonderful professors, and to be honest I am a little sad it's all over. I will really miss writing papers and working on group projects! Some may think it's tireless work, but I find it all exhilarating! I loved our discussions and being exposed to different and new ways of thinking.

A few weeks ago I presented my final project to my classmates and my main professor, and it was such a joy to be amongst such kindred spirits who are passionate about such similar things. The program truly was such an amazing blessing and as I was compiling pictures and information for my final project I couldn't help but reflect on the past 2 years.

I couldn't help but reflect on my time in Africa as well...it has been nearly 6 months since we left the African continent and I wonder what has changed in my own life from that month long experience? How are things different for me and the women I met? It is soo easy to forget...soo easy to forget their way of life, their lack of luxuries...and it is so easy to remember all of mine. But as I was putting together a video for my final project, I realized that these women, these people, these children and their stories are real and they will forever be a part of me regardless if I am in Africa, or here, in the states, or even in another country entirely!

My time in Africa taught me what it really means to live simply, to love abundantly, and to give graciously! I thought I had these things all figured out...but little did I know. I thought Peter and I already lived simply, but lo and behold to many Africans we lived lavishly - we had a car, even though we had just ONE car, we have a tv, eventhough we have just ONE tv, we tons of furniture, tons of clothes, shoes, eventhough we don't go shopping alot, we have money in our savings account..and I could go on, but I won't because I imagine you get the point. Well folks we do live lavishly and we are blessed abundantly whether we recognize it or not...it is ALL about perspective. I know it is easy to get caught up in the mindset that we just want more...more...more ..and some more, but the reality is we could live with so much less...less...less. So why don't we??? Who cares what kind of car you drive...or how many cars you have? or how new your clothes are...who cares if you keep up with the latest fashion?? Who cares if you don't have money to go out to eat?? Or to buy that new computer?? I mean really...who cares! What we should be caring about is our own hearts...and our own people. I mean seriously there are people in our own country who are struggling financially. There are people without jobs and without homes...we have homeless people in the richest country in the world...i think something is wrong with this picture people!! And then you look to another country...or an entire continent...AFRICA and you see that thousands, millions are struggling to survive each and every day. How can we as children of God help those in need...those who are also His children? How can we reach out to those less fortunate than us whether thats those down the street or across the water?

Well I will finish my little rant by posting the video of the culmination of my final project for school. I wrote a grant proposal for Children of the Nations' Widows Program, which you can read about HERE , and please if you are interested in donating to the program or the work of Children of the Nations development programs click here or here..please don't hesitate to contact me! We have the capacity to make a difference ...but the question is ...do you have the willing heart to do so??

check out the video here...and share it with others...tell them about Children of the Nations and the work that they do!!

The True Size of Africa.

I found this on another blog recently and thought I would post it here ...I have been trying for the life of me to be able to fit it on the actual blogger page, but I think my husband may have to help me with that. SO for now I will just post it with the link. CHECK IT OUT!! It is crazy and soo sad how distorted all of our maps are and how they always make Africa seem soo small when in reality so many countries could fit within it. Just goes to show you the true size of Africa and how important it is that we stand beside this continent as they move forward in the way of development and education. The growth of this continent has the capacity to change the world! So please take some time to check out the link.

The True Size of Africa.

Loans make a difference.

So when Peter and I were in Africa this past May, we had many conversations with people that revolved around the lack of credit. People in Africa DO not have credit cards or credit access for that matter. So then do they pay for everything in cash?? The answer is YES...everything is paid for in cash. Houses...paid for in cash. Cars...also paid for in cash. I know its not THAT foreign of a concept, but it is still crazy to think about considering I RARELY carry cash...and I CHARGE EVERYTHING!! (please note that I do pay off my credit card each month)

But then this whole lack of credit concept got me thinking...how do people pay for things they can't afford?? And then that raises the issue...well maybe they shouldn't be buying things they cant afford in the first place right? But what about school...especially university. It costs money...alot of money. And in the states soo many people are able to go onto college simply because they have access to money whether it is through loan, grants or scholarships. So then imagine what it would be like to live in a country that doesn't grant loans for university. Can you even imagine that?? Think about how many people wouldn't go onto college simply because they didn't have access to the funds. Think about how loans change a persons life...they give them an upper hand...they grant them opportunities they otherwise would NOT have.

Recently I ran across this website for an organization called Vittana. Vittana is extremely similar to Kiva - the website even looks similar and the concept is nearly identical. You can pick a person in a country that you can loan your money to and then they are responsible for paying you back so that you can loan again. However, instead of loaning money to start businesses people loan money to allow students to go to college. I have done a bit of research, but I still have many questions about how this all works out. I mean with Kiva the money is paid back within a matter of months, but with Vittana I am not too sure how long it takes for repayment to occur. I mean they are in college and I would imagine they would be there for a few years? And then I would imagine the repayments would start once they finished school and got a paying job - so then the repayment cycle would take longer. But regardless of all my questions and my lack of answers, I do know that LOANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! I do know that the lives of these students will be forever changed because someone decided to take a chance on them...to grant them a loan in hopes of granting them the opportunity to be educated. So check out the Vittana website and make a loan today!

Life and Death.

How many of you reading this have been to a funeral in the last year? In the last month? In the last week? How many of you have been to more than ONE funeral in the last year? In the last month? In the last week?

I am stating it here for all of you to read – I am 27 years old and I have never been to a funeral, well maybe just one when I was too little to even remember such events.

Although I have never been to a funeral, I understand fully that death is inevitable and a reality for us all. I hear about people dying here and there from old age or an illness. And don’t get me wrong it does impact me and demonstrates the reality of death. But DEATH has never felt so real to me as it did when we were in Africa.

Death is so common in Africa, it is nearly tangible. It can be felt around every corner and every bend. Just over the course of ONE month many COTN staff members were impacted by the death of a loved one. Some mourned the loss of a father, a daughter, or even a fellow coworker. It seemed as if people were always attending funerals. People frequent funerals as often as they may frequent a friend’s house.

Many of these people are dying due to malaria or HIV/AIDS. Malaria is as common in Africa as the common cold is in the states. During our time there many of COTN’s own children and staff members were admitted to the clinic to be treated for malaria.

These next few bits were taken from Peter’s entry on Upsidedownmotive.net. I want to make sure I give him credit for these beautiful words… “In Malawi, not only do many die giving birth or from HIV or from hunger but many are crippled by the scourge that is Malaria. Malaria in Malawi is so common that if you are sick you can nearly always presume it is malaria. Take one of the girls in the teen home in Chiwengo who has battled malaria 10 times, or the 6 month old child of a mutual friend who just lost their battle with malaria, or the girl from Chilombo who we drove to the ABC clinic. We met a COTN nurse who told us she sees a malaria sickened child at least one or 2 times a week. Death from malaria is one of the most tragic ways to die in Africa as it is avoidable at a very low cost. What would it take to cut deaths dramatically and in a matter of months? Nothing but nets- A simple mosquito net costing $10. Quinine, the drug used to battle malaria, costs $15 each time you have an outbreak. Do the Math yourself, nets are cheaper, nets are better, and nets are simple. COTN at Chiwengo is lacking nets. Some have nets, some do not, and some just don’t like them! Until we can have greater access to nets, Malawi will continue to struggle against malaria.”

Everyone in Malawi knows someone who has been touched by malaria in some way. It all kind of reminded me of a common disease we have in the states, a disease we like to call cancer. Everyone in the States knows someone who has been touched by cancer. Malaria or even HIV/AIDS is their cancer. And then it made me think why is cancer unheard of in Africa? Don’t get me wrong they have their own diseases and illnesses, but why is it that cancer is claiming the lives of thousands of people each year in the states? Makes you think doesn’t it…we may not have malaria, but we have our own set of diseases and problems that disrupt and destroy life. The only difference is theirs is called malaria while ours is called cancer.

Development.

We have been home for a few weeks now, and as you can tell it has been easy to adjust back into the life I left behind. Blog entries are few and far between or simply nonexistent. My life isn’t nearly as exciting, thus I can’t seem to figure out what to write about or what people would even want to read about. We wake up, eat, go to work, eat, maybe watch a movie or some TV and then go to bed, and then we wake up the next day only to do it all over again. Exciting huh? Don’t worry this blog entry won’t be all about the life of Peter and Malia since their return home to Boredom, oops I mean Seattle! Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it here and it was so wonderful to fly into the city and to see the rain, the clouds and to feel as though we were really HOME.

I feel as though I have so much to process and no time to do it, and to be quite honest I am slightly tiring of having to put my experience into words. I often wonder if people really care to hear about my time or if they are just asking questions out of obligation. Terrible way to think, I know, but a girl can’t help it! From my previous post you can tell that I learned a lot about a lot of things while there. I not only learned a lot about myself, but I also learned A LOT about Peter and the organization he works for, COTN.

All this new information is great, but the challenge for me is what to do with what I have learned. I figured the best place for me to start is right here, on our blog. So bare with me as I process my thoughts by writing about them in hopes of informing you about my experience, the work of COTN and Peter’s role within the organization.

Since back I have found myself inquiring about everyone’s May months in hopes of getting the focus off me. For some reason I don’t want to talk about Africa. Now I don’t know if that’s because my heart feels so heavy from the experience that if I don’t talk about it it’s almost as if I wasn’t there. If I don’t talk about it, then I won’t feel guilty for not doing anything. If I don’t talk about it….then….you fill in the blank.

Now that I have been home for a week or so I have had time to reflect on my time in Uganda and Malawi, and I must say I was sad before I left, but I am even sadder now that I am home. I went there full of information, statistics, stories that simply grieved me, and I left with a heavy, grieving heart. Let me explain. So many people have been asking me so many questions about my trip and I could respond with so many answers, but I am careful and considerate with my words. I want to share my experience without tainting their view of things. I want to share my experience without sounding like Debbie downer. I want to share my experience while allowing people to see that there is hope within these situations. A culture of dependency blankets the whole continent of Africa. This I had read about, this I had researched, this I knew, but to SEE it with my own two eyes made it all the more real.

I grieve for all that we have and have not done in Africa. I grieve for all that has been lost. I grieve because of the poverty, the unnecessary deaths, the short lives, and the lack of resources. I grieve for the vulnerable – for the women, the widows, and the children.

Things cannot continue as they are. Things must change because the people are in need of a new way forward. Organizations must rethink the way they do things in Africa. They must begin to focus their programs around sustainability and empowerment. They must begin to develop programs whereby nationals are empowered through education and ownership.

Sponsorship programs are important, but the scope of the programs can’t stop there. these kids don’t just need donors to pay for their school fees, medical bills, and food - these kids need to learn how to be self sustainable. They need to learn about the importance of a healthy diet and the importance of clean water, they need to learn about sustainable business practices and the possibility of microfinance...They need to be empowered to provide for themselves, considering the children and their parents can’t rely on donors forever, and there truly is an immediate need for a skills center and for income generating projects. The simple act of provision is such a time consuming challenge for countless African families, and it is the women that feel the brunt of the weight. However, even amidst all the challenges, the possibility of hope for these women sure makes me smile.

Ultimately, while in Africa, I simply realized the necessity and importance of Peter’s job! COTN was not founded upon sustainability and as you know they rely heavily upon donors to fund their various projects. However, Peter has brought a new way of thinking to the organization that has truly turned things upside down. He has challenged the way things are currently done and he is paving a new way forward for COTN – one that is sustainable, one that I am really excited about. Don’t get me wrong, COTN will always need donors, but at least these new practices will lessen the need, while providing people with skills and resources to transform their own lives. If you are interested in hearing more about what Peter does at COTN…please do NOT hesitate to contact me, I would LOVE to share!

Dreams.

I finally posted some pictures on Facebook last night. It took hours to reorder them and post comments, but it was so worth it, and I had to do it. So check them out if you want – Uganda and Malawi.

So much emotion poured forth as I sat in the coffee shop going through all the photos. It was a difficult task having to scour the photos and place the worthy ones in an album for all to see. I kept thinking gosh aren’t they all worthy of album entry? Aren’t all those kids smiles beautiful? How is a girl to choose? Do I have to choose? Of course you have to choose! I mean not EVERYONE wants to see ALL 4,000 of your photos.

I have recently been feeling as though my entire African experience was simply a dream. Perhaps one night I went to sleep and dreamt about Africa, and in my dream Africa came alive and everything seemed so real. The sights, the smells, and the people were all I had hoped for and more, and everything was all I had imagined it would be. And then after a LONG, deep sleep, I woke up reluctantly back in grey, rainy Seattle. Sounds like a beautiful dream huh? However, the reality is that our African experience was REAL, and we not only have less money in our bank account to prove it, but we also have beautiful pictures to serve as visual reminders of our time.

These pictures make the experience that much more real. Just by looking at the pictures the experience is nearly tangible. If I close my eyes tight enough all my senses come alive. I can touch it. I can taste it. I can smell it. I can see it. I can hear it. I can touch the hands of the children. I can taste the nsima. I can smell the red dirt of the land. I can see the beautiful smiles and the bright, beautiful colors. I can hear the sound of the drums and the stomping of the feet upon the earth. And I am reminded once again that my experience was real.

Wealth.

As I was driving home from work yesterday, all these thoughts were pouring into my brain and impacting my heart. I quickly reached for a piece of paper and fumbled through my bag for a pen and started writing my thoughts onto this said paper in hopes of posting them here for you all to read. Don’t worry all of this writing took place while I was stopped at a red light. I was on my way to pick Peter up from work and I was all ready to talk and pour my heart out…poor guy.

He listened to all of my thoughts and concerns…one of them being that he and I haven’t really talked about Africa since we have been home. Another being that I am tired of talking about Africa and feeling as though I have to filter my words and my thoughts in order to cater to the person that I am speaking to. Also, I can’t help but wonder if people are simply asking about our time in Africa merely out of obligation or if they actually really care. Terrible thoughts I know, but let’s be honest we all know they are real, and we all are guilty of this – of asking someone about their time away somewhere or how their weekend was simply because it’s the nice thing to do.

Well let it be known that I am tired of all those nice people out there!! Thanks, but no thanks! I want to talk to people about Africa who really WANT to hear about Africa. I can give an easy, generic answer… “oh it was great, thanks for asking!” but those simple answers do not do my heart nor the experience justice. I am tired of the short answers. The short answers are what people want to hear, the short answers are what people have time for, BUT the problem is I always want more time. I want more time to talk about the children, to talk about what COTN is doing, and to talk about how all of it has left its imprint upon my heart.

To be honest, I have found myself asking people about their months of May so that I won’t have to talk about mine – so that I won’t have to feel the ache that still remains in my heart. Short answers do not do my experience justice and the reality is all the time in the world wouldn’t do my experience justice. So I will save you all the time and instead give you the option of reading my thoughts here.

My time in Africa challenged my way of thinking. My time in Africa challenged my concept of equality and my concept of wealth. What does it mean to be wealthy here in the states? What does it mean to be wealthy in Africa?

So many people will have so many different answers to these questions, but the reality is wealth is relative. I may think that amongst our family and friends Peter and I would be considered poor. Now I don’t mean begging on the street poor, but I just mean we live very simply. We rarely go out to dinner. We rarely spend money on date nights. We have one car. I rarely buy flowers. I can’t tell you the last time I bought myself a new clothing item. And the list could go on…but it won’t because Peter and I have been blessed abundantly, and I don’t want those of you reading this to think that I am complaining about the way we live because I am not. I have realized that living simply has allowed us to find true joy in the small things, and it has also forced us to examine the extravagant lives of those in the states.

Even though I feel impoverished amongst our family and friends because of the simple way we live and our small sacrifices, it is all relative. Wealth is relative. We have a car which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. We are educated not only with bachelor’s degrees, but also with master’s degrees, which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. We have food in our fridge, clothes in our closet, pots, pans and plates in our cupboards, and money in our bank account, which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. The catch is it also makes us wealthy here, and I think we quite often forget about all the people that go without and the poverty within our own country. The Africans found it hard to believe that we had homeless people and beggars in the states…They would ask, but it is such a wealthy country? You have everything there? So many opportunities, why are people poor? And to be honest, I didn’t have an answer for them…why are people poor? Why is the system unequal and why are people continually being pushed down the ladder by those moving up? Why have we not done anything and why do we let things continue as they are?

So many questions to ponder…and so many answers I do not have. But I do know that
sometimes I feel ashamed of the wealth in this country. I even found myself feeling ashamed of MY own wealth in Africa – we have a camera, a computer, an itouch, ipods, tons of clothing options, multiple pairs of shoes, and back home we live in a brand new apartment FULL of THINGS, such as a few more cameras, a broken computer, a TV, couches, a comfy bed, snow skies, fishing poles, more clothes and even more shoes.

Even though we didn’t carry all of these things around with us and our tangible wealth was hidden behind the doors of the duplex, we quickly learned that the white color of our skin was enough to denote wealth. Our skin color alone carried the symbolism of wealth. At first these assumptions angered me and left me frustrated. I even found myself thinking… “if they only knew that Peter hasn’t been paid in months…if they only knew how poor we were and how little we have to give financially, then maybe they wouldn’t assume such things” (makes me laugh now thinking about my ignorant thoughts). But the reality is their assumptions are true. We, Peter and I, have SO much stuff!! If we were just basing our wealth on the accumulation of all of our things, we would be considered wealthy, and that doesn’t even include our levels of education or the fact that we were able to travel TO Africa in the first place.

It is easy to loose sight of ALL the things we have when they simply fill the open space in our apartment or house, but ALL of these things are made real when you move from one place to another – when you are forced to pack up ALL of your stuff. How long would it take you to move? How many boxes would you have? How many moving trucks would you need? How important are all of these items in the first place?

What is it you spend your money on? What could you go without? How could you live more simply? I have been challenged this past year to live more simply and God has blessed me abundantly. My hope and prayer is that Peter and I will continue to question our buying motives and our need to live up to the status quo and that we represent Christ with the way we spend our money and ultimately the way we live.

Chichere Farm.

I started this entry before we left...and figured I should post it anyways even though we are already home! So here goes...

We have arrived at Chichere Farm. This is our last COTN Malawi site to see, and I must say it is probably one of my favorite places. We arrived here yesterday (last Monday) in the late afternoon, just before the sun was to set. Me, loving sunsets as I do, dragged Peter by the arm to venture out beyond the gate to witness the unobstructed view of the sunset as it set brilliantly upon the fields. As my husband was attempting to capture the beauty of this place in a single photo, I casually turned to him and asked “So…tell me where is this 350 acre farm exactly?” He kindly replied by saying, “Umm…you are looking at it!” I felt just a little silly after that question. However, my silliness was extremely short lived because I was simply overwhelmed by the vastness of this place. Chichere farm stretched for acre upon acre upon acre. I wasn’t too sure where the boundaries of the farm started nor where they stopped. As far as I was concerned, ALL this land was Chichere farm. To say I was overwhelmed by the majestic beauty of this land would simply be an understatement.

We stayed at Chichere Farm for 2 nights, 3 days in the cutest, most comfortable little guest house. The first full day, the Farm Manager took us to see the boundaries of the farm, the river, the fish ponds, the vegetables, the cassava, the banana plants, the equipment, the lambs, and the offices. We saw the majority of the farm in just one afternoon, so Peter and the Farm Manager were able to talk business for the remainder of our time, while I simply basked in the beauty of this place.

One morning I sat out on the veranda drinking my coffee, reading my book, with no agenda for the day, and I thought now THIS feels like vacation. The view was amazing, except Peter kept informing me that they needed to cut down some trees so the view would be clearer from the veranda.

Every night and each morning we would find new friends in the guesthouse, whether it was geckos, spiders, cockroaches, slugs, etc. But truly the beauty of this place overtook the little creatures we found.

The sunsets there were simply magnificent. The sun blanketed the fields with its rays, and the ground glistened and sparkled in the sun’s final light. It was all beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but if you looked close enough, certain parts were just a little bit lovelier than others. The sun showed its favor to these parts by reigning down its bright rays upon the scattered patches of earth.

Roadtrips.

So we are on another road trip, but this one isn’t to the airport, this one is to Lake Malawi. The weather is a bit iffy today, and by iffy I mean cloudy and a bit cool, but still in the 70s. It was also sprinkling a little this morning. I love road trips. I don’t quite know what it is about them, but I just love them. I love seeing new terrain. I love covering so much ground and speeding down the road. However, there have been a few moments on this road trip where I wanted to jump out of the car simply to take a picture of something that I deemed picture worthy. However, car pictures will have to suffice.

Peter informed me this morning that we had surpassed the halfway point for our time in Africa. I didn’t really want to talk about it. Over breakfast he asked me what I would miss most about this place, and to be honest I told him that I would miss spending so much time with him. I mean we see each other every day, and we spend nearly every moment together and I will miss that. At home, life gets in the way, there are things to do, work to be done, movies to watch, people to see, tv shows to watch (is the Biggest Loser over yet??). I will miss the intentional time. However, Peter will be coming home with me, so I have to think of something else that I will miss. To be honest, I will miss the simplicity of life. I will miss the bright colors and the beautiful people. I will miss the heat. I will miss the double bed, fans, mosquito net and even bug spray! I will miss the uncertainty of hot showers. I will miss having my meals cooked for me. But mostly, I will miss learning about a country, culture, and its people.

So today will be spent at the Lake – we brought our bathing suits, one little towel, the camera, sun screen, sunglasses, and some snacks of course! I was just informed that the 2 hour journey to the Lake was quickly coming to an end.

Well we are on our way back from the Lake, and I can honestly say I had such a wonderful time today! My skin feels a little tight and toasty, so I am thinking I am slightly burned. We took TONS of photos and after much coaxing I got Peter to put his suit on with me and we went for a dip in the lake. The lake reminded me of the ocean because of the current and the waves. It was nice to see water again and it made me realize how much I LOVE living so close to water. I grew up in a house that is right on the water. My parents have another house on the Hood Canal, but even before that property we spent our summers on Bainbridge Island in another house on the water. When I studied abroad, I studied in Mexico, and lived in a place that was literally right on the water. Even when I moved to Ireland, I was still close to water. Are you getting the point? I love water – I love the smell of the ocean. I love the sound of the waves. I love the sand beneath my toes and the water on my feet. I have never lived anywhere that is entirely landlocked and I don’t know if I ever will. So it was wonderful to see water today!

On our way out of town we stopped to buy African treasures. Everyone bargains here, but to be honest, I have a really hard time with that. I mean Peter and I truly don’t have that much money (especially after this trip!!!), but these people have even less than we do, which is crazy to think about!! Our one purchase could keep them going for a whole month, so that’s why I have a hard time bargaining. So I let Peter do all the talking and all the bargaining. But it’s hard because everyone wants you to come into their shop and check out their items. Kind of reminds me of Mexico!

This afternoon we walked away with some elephant bookends, a wood map of Africa, and a drum. Love the drum, but I am going to need some drumming lessons from the locals before our drum makes it’s way back to the states! They had so many cool items like a chess board on a table, a big carved box, carved chairs, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy any of them because I am such a practical shopper. Before I buy anything I have to figure out where it is going to go, which is hard considering we are currently living in a tiny apartment that doesn’t have that much wall space. But some of the things we have purchased for the future – like the bookends – they are cool and I wanted them, but we don’t even have a bookshelf right now! But it’s for the future, when we have a bigger place with more space and tons of bookshelves for our endless supply of books. See this is how I rationalized that purchase.

Anyhow, we are heading home now and the sun is setting. I must say, I LOVE sunsets. Peter is always teasing me about my love for sunsets. Watching the sunset is truly a beautiful event for me, and I find it so very satisfying! Well lets just say the sunsets here are nothing short of spectacular…EVERY single night without faith the sun sets and the colors that shoot across the sky are simply magnificent! It was a beautiful way to end such a beautiful day.

One Uganda Photo.

JUST ONE PHOTO!! That is all I can upload on here because our photos are simply too big and the internet connection is just too darn slow! So this is me and Monica...or so I thought it was until I checked out my Blog post and realized it's just a picture of me. figured it was kind of funny, so I thought I would leave the photo on here.

Lately.

This past week, Peter and I met with the widows again and learned even more about COTN’s widows program. We were able to see two homes of the women involved in the program. One of them, Wezzi, was a graduate, and she was caring for her 5 children plus the child of a relative, so 6 children total. When we entered her home, my first thought was “this place is HUGE!” Of course it’s all relative, but her house had about 5 rooms – one for cooking, storing food, one for herself, one for the boys, one for the girls and then she also had a living room with one couch. Wezzi had saved enough money to build her home and put a metal roof on it to protect them when the rain’s came. Before the program her profit was 500 Kwacha per month (about $3.5) and after the program her profit increased to 2,000 Kwacha per month (about $14). It was amazing because she has been able to save money each month and she has even set aside extra for finishing the house. The other women that were there said that Wezzi’s story truly encouraged them and gave them hope for their future! Heck, the girl gave me hope. She showed me what strength, courage, faith, perseverance and determination could accomplish, and I felt extremely empowered through her.

The second home we went to belonged to Eunice Moses. She lived in this tiny house with her last born son. The house was truly two rooms - one room for the kitchen, living room, dining room, etc, and another room for sleeping. The roof was made of straw and during the rainy season rain comes in from all sides flooding the small space. And to top it all off, Peter said he saw a rat!

Their hope for the future is that the graduates will be able to loan money to the women who are just starting off in order to help them start their businesses. Thus both parties will benefit, the person loaning the money will get their money back with interest while the other person receives money they wouldn’t otherwise have received. Such a cool concept, one I believe they thought up on their own!

We bid them farewell and to be honest I was really sad to leave. Some of them hugged me soo hard, and I got a little chocked up! I will miss their beautiful singing, even though there were times when I truly thought it would never end, thus my questions would never be asked or answered. I will miss their willingness to talk to a stranger and their passion for empowerment and each other.

On Saturday morning we spent time with our family in Mgwayi. I always get a little nervous about our time because the family doesn’t speak English and they always have us doing interesting tasks! To be honest though, I love that COTN has paired us up with a family that we keep going back to. It has been such an amazing experience to get to know the mothers and the children in the village, and I love being involved in some of their daily tasks. So the moms name is Crissy and she has 4 kids – Ruth, Lute, Grace and Andrew. Her husband passed away awhile back and only one of the children, Grace, is sponsored through COTN.

So this Saturday we sat around with all the women and children and husked the corn and took the corn bits off the cob with our thumbs. I must say it was hard work sitting for that long and it was so hard on our soft thumbs! Peter got a little blister early on which prohibited him from continuing the task, but I kept on like a champion and pushed the pain from my thumbs to the back of my mind. I just kept thinking “gosh these women do this kind of stuff ALL the time – I can’t just give up!” Even when Dave and Pike (COTN staff that came with us) told me to give it up and kept checking on my thumbs I just said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine!” Well needless to say, I competed my task and all I had to show for it was a huge blister on my right thumb.

It was a great day and we sat around while the kids asked us tons of questions about America, such as what do the girls our age do? My response…umm?? Not chores like this! The girls here work soo hard and they help their mothers with EVERYTHING from cooking, to cleaning, to washing, to caring for siblings. Makes me feel as though we don’t do enough back home.

Sunday we went to church, which was of course longer than Peter and I are use to, but it was okay because we were expecting it! It wasn’t crazy like I thought it might be. The pastor spoke in English and then someone translated his words to Chichewa. We didn’t get home till about 2 in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing games with the COTN secondary students. All in all it has been a wonderful week and it is hard to believe our time will be ending soon!!

Villages.

Our time in Malawi has been soo busy and our schedule has been so very full! But I am finding bits of time here and there where I can write a little something for the blog. However, it is always so very delayed. So what you have in front of you is simply a brief description of the happenings from this past week, not including Friday, Saturday, Sunday – those will be for another post!

The past few days have been spent visiting people’s gardens and the various children’s villages. The majority of people in Malawi are subsistence farmers. Thus, many Malawians possess farming skills. So COTN is trying to build upon those skills by encouraging new methods and crop diversity, in hopes of improving yields, food security and profits. It was truly amazing to see all the things that can grow here. Most gardens have tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, mustard, papaya, sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, basil, pumpkin, bananas, sugar cane and beans. Tobacco and tomatoes are the most profitable crops here in Malawi. And we were even allowed to take a few treasures home with us, such as a spitting cucumber, mustard leaves and a papaya.

On Wednesday we visited Mtsiliza and 575 kids are involved in the feeding program in this village. I believe about 300 are currently fully sponsored. All the children gathered in one room with their bowls/plates and we were introduced to them, and then peter and I were able to participate in the daily feeding. Let me tell you the cooking pots that the food was in were HUGE!! They served them their staple food nsima and soy meat. Peter was in charge of making sure the kids washed their hands and I was in charge of serving the meat. The kids kept coming and I kept thinking oh no what if we run out of food? But these women do this EVERY single day so they know what they are doing! Wish I could help with that task every day really. The children are beautiful and it hurts to see their discolored hair, their distended bellies, and their hair loss – all signs of malnourishment.

Yesterday (Thursday), we visited Chilombo, which is another COTN village. While Mtsiliza is minutes away, Chilombo is a village out in the boonies. Well its not THAT far away, but it did take us nearly 45 minutes to get there by car. By bike it takes nearly 2 hours. COTN came into Chilombo only 3 years ago, and I believe nearly 300 children are involved in the program. The school building collapsed a few months ago during the raining season, so they have all of their classes outside and when the rains come class is canceled. It was a blessing to be able to visit another village, and the children are as beautiful as ever.

On Thursday we went to Chitipi again to visit the children’s home and to see the farm. I think I may have mentioned in a previous post that COTN has two farms, Chitipi farm and Chichere farm. Chitipi is a 12 acre farm, while Chichere is a 350 acre farm. At Chitipi they have chickens, pigs, maize, cassava, etc. We have yet to see Chichere, but plan on visiting it in the next week! There are two kids in particular that stole our hearts at Chitipi – Steven and Esther. Steven has been at the home since he was nearly 2, he is now 4, and Esther has been at the home since she was 4 months old I believe, and she is now 20 months. Their first memories will be at this home and they won’t remember anything before that. I met Stevens grandmother at Mtsiliza, which is where she lives and she remembers him of course, but Steven does not have any memories of her. I guess she has visited him a few times, but the distance is quite far without a car. Steven is a ton of fun and a ball of energy! And Esther’s mom died in childbirth, and her dad wasn’t able to care for her. She is still such a baby, but so beautiful. All of these children have such sad stories and it makes me soo thankful that they have a place to live!

Leaving Thoughts.

So we are on our way out of Lira and I am typing this in the backseat of the truck. Figured it would be easier to type than it would be to write in a journal! So here I am…reflecting on the past week and my heart is aching.

We had a wonderful day yesterday (Friday). Our driver, Jimmy, and the Sponsor Coordinator, Hardson, took us to see the medical clinics in town. The first one, Gift Life Clinic, is the clinic they take the children to, and there is only one doctor and he told us he sees 100 patients per day! Crazy talk huh? It truly has been amazing to hear about the number of children who have lost both their parents to HIV/AIDS. It is rampant, and everyone has been touched by the disease in some way. So many young lives lost, so many children left without parents, siblings.

While we were talking to the doctor, two men brought in a woman who was probably in her early 20s and laid her down on the hospital bed where she remained for the entire duration of our conversation. The room was soo small that there was no room for Jimmy and Hardson to sit, thus I was hyper aware of the sick woman lying on the bed. My heart yearned to reach out to her, but 2 men were literally standing in my way. I yearned to know her story, to hear her cries. I yearned to hold her hand, to pray for her. The conversation continued between us and the doctor while the woman laid there with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful, yet she was probably in so much pain. I wanted to break down right then and there and cry out to the Lord for this injustice. Instead, I said a quiet prayer to the Lord and briefly placed my hand upon the woman’s as I was walking out the door.

The Gift Clinic was seriously overflowing with people. So many babies were crying, people were sick with malaria, HIV/AIDs and they were so very tired. People were sitting on the ground outside waiting for their turn to come, waiting for a seat to open up inside, waiting for the doctor. Always waiting…It was a sad, sad place, but aren’t hospitals always?

The second place we went to was the clinic the children will soon be going to considering the Gift Life clinic is seriously overcrowded and the children have to wait ages to see the Doctor and some even get more sick just from simply being at the clinic. It truly was like night and day to be honest! According to Hardson, this second clinic was started and supported by white people. There were so many white coats, however, there is only one doctor, and more than 50 nurses. The facility itself is much bigger, thus they can accommodate so many more people.

In the afternoon we went to the Children’s Village for the final time. I was able to see the little 5 year olds…Pasca, Monica, Peter, and Patricia (AKA Grumpity Grump). Oh how I love them…oh how my heart breaks for ALL of them. They are so young. They sang us some beautiful songs, recited bible verses, and danced and laughed with us. Then came a time for Peter and I to share, while someone translated. Peter stayed composed while he shared and said everything I would have said, and then they asked to hear something from me. I couldn’t even bring myself to share and the few words I did share were said between tears and gasps for air. So many little eyes were staring at me while I shared my love for them, while I thanked them for their warm welcome and their love, while I squeezed the beautiful Pasca who was sitting in my lap. And I cried harder. I cried even harder when I saw the tears in Peter’s eyes. I cried for their loss…the loss of their parents, the loss of their innocence, the loss of a childhood, the loss of normalcy. These children have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS. They have lost their parents due to the LRA and the fighting. They have lost their siblings to HIV/AIDS and abduction. They have lost their innocence due to rape and HIV/AIDS infection. I cried for their joy amidst the loss. I cried for their transformation that has already occurred and will continue to occur. I cried for the Lord’s redeeming work in their lives. My heart ached as the tears streamed down my face, however, my tears were not only tears of sorrow but also tears of thankfulness. It truly has been such a blessing and honor to witness the beautiful hand of God and the beautiful work of Children of the Nations in Uganda, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Responsibility.

One thing I have realized while being here is that we are so blessed, but it truly is what we DO with our blessings that really matter. I will never forget the wise words from a guest speaker in my graduate program…you are responsible as far as you are response ABLE. He is saying if you have the resources and the ability to make a difference, if you have the ability to respond to a situation or an act of injustice, then you must respond, and you actually have a responsibility to respond. When we went to the mass massacre site Barlonyo, it didn’t seem right to take pictures, but they said take pictures and tell everyone our stories, tell them what you have seen so that it never happens again. Makes me think about all the tragedies, all the injustice that has occurred due to a lack of action, a lack of accountability, a lack of knowledge.

My heart aches, as I watch the luscious, green land race past my window. My heart aches at the thought of leaving this place. My heart aches at the thought of having a dream fulfilled. Although the dream to see Africa has been fulfilled, the yearning will forever remain, perhaps the yearning will be worse this time around considering I have finally experienced it. We have only been here a week, and I already know it will be so very hard to board the plane back to Seattle. Don’t misread my message, I will be returning to the states, perhaps reluctantly and I may be dragging my feet a bit, but we will be returning.

One calling I have always felt on my heart is the calling to share injustices in the world with those who are unaware. I love sharing stories and asking questions in order to make those tragedies and injustices a reality to those in the West. I love educating people about the ways they can impact others in other countries. I love building bridges and connecting people to a world they never knew existed. I truly feel the Lord has called me to be an ambassador for injustice…for the poor, the needy, for children. This African sojourn has simply confirmed that calling because I am DYING to get home to share all these experiences with people in person, and the tears come to my eyes when I think about the joy I will receive from sharing stories face to face.

P.S. none of these are our photos. for some reason we can't upload them on here. So i have resorted to stealing images off the internet. These are photos of Barlonyo.

TOMORROW.

So according to the countdown on the sidebar there...we leave for Africa in a matter of hours, not days, but hours! Its a little too late and Peter is already in bed, probably been asleep for an hour or so, but I wanted to stay up a little later when in reality I should be in bed. I am tired. Really tired, and I wouldn't admit that to Peter ever!

Ran around all day today like a mad woman. Can't remember the last time I ran so many errands. One of the absolute highlights of my day though was dress shopping with my dearest friend Alicia who is getting married in October! It was soo fun to sit down on the couch, while she came out in gown after gown looking so beautiful. How's a girl to choose when so many look amazing on her!! I also got to spend a little bit of time with my other dear friend Laura who just got back from traveling all around South america for MONTHS, and gosh it was soo good to see her. I had to say goodbye to my dear friend Bekah who I wont see till August 4th, gosh I think that's the date...I kept getting it wrong today.

So our bags are packed, last minute things purchased, apartment tidied, just need to go to bed and wake up so that it will be even closer. To be honest though I am a little scared...I have been acting all strange today, really emotional, maybe that's not soo strange, but still. And during one of my moments Peter just came over and hugged me and I just started crying and just confessed to him that I was scared. I have wanted to go to this place for soo long and I am just scared....and feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty creep up. I start to wonder why I am even going, what good will I actually do? And in the shower tonight I just thought...BE STILL and know that HE is God...just be still. Calm down, slow down, and rest in the fact that God has brought you to this place and He will not leave you...such amazing thoughts, and I think I should go to bed with those thoughts dancing around in my head.

Into Africa.

Dear Family and Friends.

I hope that you are all doing so very well! Peter and I have some big news to share with you, and I have been granted the privilege of sharing it. And for all of you out there who are giddy with excitement in thinking that I’m pregnant, you can dash that hope right now. As I type this letter, I can’t help but reflect on the past five years that have led me to this place. And I want to share some of it with you before we get to the BIG news! I just recently read an old blog entry that I wrote nearly 2 years ago about my unexplainable longing for a certain continent, and I wanted to share it with you.

The entry, written on August 18, 2008 goes like this – “I often ask myself how it is possible to yearn for somewhere you have never been? I get overly emotional every single time I hear people’s stories about this place and every time I see pictures, and I truly cannot explain it. This longing has been a part of me for so long, and quite frankly, I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t there. Why do I even have this desire in my heart? I have countless, unanswered questions that at times I go crazy with frustration! However, the one answer I do have is sufficient, and I know that this desire in my heart is from the Lord. And in His timing I will experience this place, this place they call Africa.”

So the BIG news! Well folks the waiting is officially over. The time has now come for my longing to be fulfilled. The time has now come for me to set foot on African soil, and Peter and I will be spending the month of May working with Children of the Nations in the beautiful, far away countries of Uganda and Malawi. Considering Peter is the liaison for these countries, we felt it was essential to start off our African sojourn there. Once we are there, Peter plans to meet with Children of the Nations staff, assess the various programs along with the future site of the Malawi secondary school, while I plan to assist and support him through it all. Our hope is that this trip will allow us to better articulate the work of Children of the Nations as well as demonstrate the impact of your support.

The journey to this place has been a long one, and after much prayer, many conversations with God, and careful consideration, we are confident the time is right. We would not be going if the call from the Lord wasn’t so loud and the tugging on our hearts so tremendous. However, it is and so we are going with confidence, faith and hope. Our confidence, faith and hope come not only from God but also from the knowledge that you are supporting us in so many ways, shapes and forms. With all this in mind, we ask that you take the time to consider partnering with us financially in this endeavor. The amount that we are striving towards is $7,500, which covers our flights and in country expenses. However, please do keep in mind that your partnership and investment not only touches our lives but it also touches the lives of the children and their families by bringing them one step closer to clean water, thriving farms, clean, reliable energy and micro loans.

Please consider supporting us prayerfully and/or financially. We would love for you to journey through this adventure with us as partners. We look forward to sharing stories of hope, transformation and God’s faithfulness. Thank you in advance for all your support and prayers. Also, if you would like more information about Children of the Nations, the work Peter does, or our trip plans please do not hesitate to contact us.

Many Blessings,

Peter and Malia Drennan