The Poor in Spirit

Excerpt from my journal, January 26, 2013

I see their "apparent" material poverty, and I immediately want to give them more. I want them to have more, plenty even! But what a consumerist view. Of course I think more stuff is better, because I have more stuff. But Lord, should I not first think that You are the Most more I could give them? They may be richer than I am. For I have poverty of spirit in thinking that my "stuff" makes me safe.

But even if they do have you, I still crave to meet them in their need. Help me understand what this means. Please put people in my life to help me understand. And please continue to wreck my heart with this, because I am fairly certain that my longing for everyone's wholeness and provision is a manifestation of my heart longing for heaven.

This type of shack lines the roads everywhere. Sometimes they are just the
stand where the family sells produce, and sometimes the shack is also their only home.

So, since before I arrived I have been praying for the Lord to prepare my heart to see a greater level of poverty than I've ever seen. I've been praying for him to teach me how I should see it, and how I can help. What good I can do. So I'm not there yet, because I still feel clueless as to what I should exactly be doing. But he has faithfully been teaching me how I can see poverty. He has been teaching me how to see my own poverty as well, and recognize that mine is not better or worse. As long as I don't allow this to become an excuse not to help, I think I am on the right track. So, just to sum this up a little:

Psalm 109: 22-23

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

Read: Just because I am not materially poor, doesn't mean I'm not poor. I'm poor and I shouldn't look down on others for being so as well.

Psalm 82:3

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

Read: The fact that I may be poor in non-material ways does NOT negate my need to care for those who are poor and oppressed. I still get to help!

Just my musings on one of the many things God has started to do in my heart. Thanks for all the love and support as always. I am certainly not poor when it comes to love!

SForbes

David, Uriah, Anne, Daniel I., Me, and Belinda at the top of the quarry overlooking Lake Victoria!

Mzungu Diaries- Week 1

I feel like I could fill a thousand pages with all of the things I have seen, learned, and experienced this week. Things about construction and designing methods, about life and poverty, and about the Heart of God. I can't image how much more ill learn in six months!

I heard that Kampala was a large city- and so when we arrived last Tuesday night I expected a city. I got dark streets lined with shacks. A lump of fear grew in my throat as we drove from the airport in Entebbe to our neighborhood of Kampala, called Kansanga. The lump started the minute the plane door opened and the cabin filled with moisture and mosquitoes. The lump of fear firmly lodged as we struggled for 30 minutes to get visas, locate our bags, and walk out to the crowded terminal with hundreds of Ugandans looking curiously at us and wanting us to get in Their taxi. Our ride was no where in sight. After a kind stranger lent a phone and we called Phil, I realized this was my first run in with a culture that is not schedule oriented. Phil was late because his hired taxi showed up an hour late. Oops. After an hour ride in the car to our apartment, and an hour of flipping between, "What am I doing here? What was I thinking?" and "Yay! I can't believe I made it to Africa!", I laid down for a long nights sleep. Under a mosquito net.

The next morning, I woke up to the red dirt and green foliage of Uganda outside my window. I immediately recognized my fear and doubt from the night as a lie from Satan. I was in Uganda!

This first week has been SO full that I will try not to bore you, and stick to general events and highlights. Anne, Daniel, and I met the other interns David (from Michigan), Uriah (New Zealand), and Belinda (Australia). Meggie and Paul are interns that will arrive next week. They are currently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as an Engineering Ministries International (EMI) fundraiser. We have been doing general office training, cultural training, and city training every day. Every night one of the sweet staff families has had us over for dinner and shared their family and stories with us. PS The food is GREAT. I've had everything from beans and rice to ratatouille to meatball subs. And there is always fresh fruit! All awesome.

Some highlights:
- Our apartment is just two doors down from the boys house and probably less than a mile from the office. These are all on rutted red dirt roads lined with fruit stands, convenience stores (loosely termed), and houses. The apt is great! Minor issues like a constantly clogged kitchen sink, a locked back door without keys, a gas oven without a gas tank, and only few working light bulbs are being worked on...but things just take a little longer here.

- Our neighborhood of Kansanga is so convenient. All staff and intern housing and the EMI office are here. It is walkable and friendly and not too crowded! We took walks a few days this week, saw some great views of the Rock Quarry and Lake Victoria.

-The staff and other interns are awesome! Belinda and David were here last semester, so they are awesome to help us newbies figure things out. Also, Daniel Nyongesa is another intern who just got back on Friday from being on site in Rukingiri, and he is lots of fun. And so many families on staff have awesome kiddos. Looking forward to hanging with them more!

-Kampala actually is a big city! On Friday the experienced interns (Belinda, David, and Daniel N.) ferried us newbies around a scavenger hunt through downtown Kampala. We hailed a taxi (translation: a large van converted into a bus with strangers sitting VERY close to each other) a few miles from the office. It took us to Taxi Park, where around 600 taxis mill around one giant parking lot. It's amazing to me that they all get customers somehow? But anyway, it is a big city. The city has tall buildings, offices, restaurants, shops, churches, and lots of street vendors. The streets are jam packed and sidewalks (where they exist) are always broken. Walking down here is where I heard the phrase "Mzungu" called out for the first time. Not an insult, just a comment. "Look! White person!"

-In downtown Kampala, which was full of life and so fun, there was a down side. Our team witnessed a pickpocket caught red-handed just outside a line of street vendors. Retribution was brutal. The woman he tried to steal from retrieved her stolen phone, and the crowd immediately turned into a mob beating the thief. We moved away quickly as things escalated, but Daniel N. told me that they may have even killed the man. I was glad of our cultural training- because I was able to see God's image and heart through the event. Every culture has pieces that are reflective of God's creation, and pieces that are reflective of man's sin. Justice and protecting a woman's honor are great and noble! But to equate a phone with a man's life are gross inequalities. It was difficult to witness, but I've heard that most people witness this type of event sooner or later.

-Internet. So not exactly a highlight. It's pretty intermittent at the office, albeit better than I expected. (Although currently I am on the internet for the first time in about 3 days...) And I'm hoping soon to unlock my iPhone and turn it into a wireless hotspot, with pay-as-you-go data. Wish me luck!

-Saturday= the BEST. We visited three current/existing eMi projects in Entebbe. I can tell that the best part about our work is learning about the ministries we serve. My favorite was Cherish Uganda, which is a home, school, and soon to be medical facility for children with HIV/AIDS. (CherishUganda.org) The children taken in by Cherish Uganda have been abandoned or otherwise not cared for in their situations, and are now alive thanks to this ministry. It was beautiful.

-Sunday we went to a local church with Semei. He is on staff with eMi, and also a leader in his church! The english here is not quite the same as what I'm used to, so even though the service is in english it doesn't mean I can understand it yet. But many of the songs were old goodies and the message preached from Acts 14 still reached my heart, though maybe only in part...

Prayer Requests:
-that I quickly settle in to my life here. I need courage for things like boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) and trying to speak Luganda...
-for my role in eMi to be valuable and engaging! We haven't done any real work yet, but will this week I think.
-for communication to flow easily between me and you, despite internet struggles. I miss you!

Praises:
-my health has been great since I've been here!
-my team is so fun, we're all getting along very well, and I also LOVE all of the staff kids! Little five year old Corrine told me just yesterday, "I like you." Melted my heart.
-my prayers are so quickly blessed with an answer.

(This section is adapted from my dear friend, Heather. Thanks H!)
You may be in Kampala if:

-You shower by the light of a headlamp and one candle.
-Cockroaches are HUGE. So are grasshoppers, though I've yet to eat one.
-Walking down the road, any road, is a normal and life-threatening activity.
- "Mzungu, mzungu!" is heard regularly downtown as you walk by. "White person."
-Sometimes the power is out. Other times the internet is. Many times it is both.
-Visiting 4 stores may still not be enough to find something you are looking for...
-(being white) children stare at you constantly. If you smile and wave, they often giggle and become suddenly shy...

PS More photos to come later! I can't upload most of them until I get back to the office Monday. k

PPS I LOVE IT HERE. Apparently I am in the "Honeymoon" stage of culture shock.

SForbes

Travel Update

I am not sure how frequently I will be posting these blog updates yet, but I just had to share this update!

I am currently on the second flight of the 3 flight trip to Kampala, Uganda. Anne, Daniel and I were chauffeured to the Denver airport this morning (or whenever that was...time gets a bit confusing when you are chasing the moon) by our fellow EMI (Engineering Ministries International) interns from the Colorado Springs office. After successfully getting our massive amounts of luggage checked (and +$400 to do so...), we flew from Denver to Dulles, in DC. We are now en route to Brussels from DC, so goodbye 'Merica!

Two things. 1. I am sad to lose the ability to connect with you all constantly and instantly via my precious iPhone and social media, BUT I made the most of it those last few hours! I loved the influx of tweets, phone calls, texts, and precious picture texts of Saxton. THANK YOU. And I am toying around with a few apps (Viber, Textme, Textplus...) to hopefully still employ my phone when I have wireless coverage in Kampala. I will also have facebook, twitter, email, and this blog so I don't think I am going to suffer from withdrawal. (Although I may suffer from early frustration as the internet connections will not be quite as dependable as I'm used to.)

2. I want to share about my new friend Maggie! While Anne, Daniel, and I are traveling together, we are not seated next to each other on any of our flights. Not complaining, because this means we all get window seats. On this 7 hour flight from DC to Brussels, I have three seats to myself (hello nap time!) But on our first 3 hour flight I sat next to Maggie. She was coool. She was on her way to Miami, coming from Hawaii, but lives in Australia. She is both a massage therapist (I think?) and works on ships for the Coast Guard as a Merchant Marine. Cool, right? We just talked a bit, sharing about our trips, etc. She is on her way to Miami to spend a month off from work with her Dad. So I asked her if I could pray for anything, and she said her Dad is sick, and she hasn't seen him in two years (hence the visit.) She said they haven't always had the best relationship either, which makes this time especially tough. I don't know much else, but I told her I would be praying for her and she said she would be praying for me, too. So if you get a chance, please pray for Maggie and her Dad during this next month.

Lastly, we are flying over the British Isles right now, I think. I look out of the window and see golden pockets of light all over. The low hanging clouds above the cities are illuminated with the golden hue. The spider web of cities intermingle with vast stretches of darkness making a beautiful pattern. And then, when I look up, I can see the stars. I cannot capture it with a picture, but it is SO PRETTY. Thanks, Lord.

And Thank You!

SForbes

(PS wrote this a while ago on the 2nd plane ride. It is now Wednesday, Jan 23rd at noon in Kampala when I am finally uploading it with our wifi! We got in late last night and are now at the EMI office learning the ropes. Updates to come soon!)

Orientation Recap- Departure in 2 days!

Hey all! So here is a little recap of what I've been up to during the last few days! I arrived in Colorado Springs on Saturday with Mom and Dad. We spent some quality time together and met some friends in town before they dropped me off on Sunday for Orientation with Engineering Ministries International (EMI)! Kissing little Saxton goodbye, and saying goodbye to everyone else was pretty tough, as expected. But thankfully I have still been able to call/skype/text so I don't have to miss anyone too much yet.

Orientation. Wow. This week has been so full and so blessed. I am here in Colorado Springs with all of the new volunteers, new staff, and new interns to begin this semester. There are about 16 interns here, and 25 of us all together.

We have been staying in a beautiful place (as you can see from the photo below we have a great view of Pikes Peak.) We have also packed the days full of group bonding activities, cultural training, a few engineering related trainings, personality and strengths profiles, meeting EMI staff, and sharing our testimonies with each other. It has been so FULL.

I have loved every single team member, despite the fact that most of them will be serving in other offices. I have met some of my Kampala team, though! Matt and Kayla Horne, and their 11-month old Micah will be joining the Kampala office in March. Matt will be doing construction management, so I may be working with him on projects. They are also expecting a baby girl in May, which is so exciting! Anne and Daniel are the other teammates here this week that will be flying out with me on Monday. I am so glad that they are on my team and I look forward to sharing this time with them both!

For group bonding we went rock climbing one day (photo below) and each took turns climbing blindfolded with a guide on the ground. FUN but a little nerve wrecking. One of my favorite cultural training activities has been taking on the roles of other cultures and acting them out as teams. And the most amazing cultural activity was studying how to share the Gospel with other cultures that are not as justice/guilt oriented as ours. In summary, many cultures are more power/fear or honor/shame motivated and, so the Gospel needs to include the full story of God's power and glory and not only his redemption. Very eye opening.

We have also spent time taking personality tests, spiritual gifts tests, and discussing our Strengthsfinder2.0 results. In case you are curious, the DISC profile test says I am an Id (Influencing, dominant). My spiritual gifts are listed as Giving, Faith, Administration, Leadership, and Craftsmanship. And my strengths are Communication, Activator, Woo, Positivity, and Arranger. Also, I think a am a Myers-Briggs ENFJ, but we did not do that this week. We have discussed how to use all of this information to best work and communicate others, and to have a clear understanding of how God has called us to serve him best.

We also spent time sharing our testimonies with each other, which was such a wonderful experience. There was a 7-minute time limit on everyone's testimony! That made it tough! This post is awfully long now, so I am going to cut it short. Ill just share that my testimony follows a path through scripture of:
Psalm 23
Isaiah 55:3-5
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Colossians 3:23
Job 38-42

Lastly, I want to start including praises and prayer requests with you all. I know I have the most wonderful support system- so I want to make sure you are able to pray for me as effectively as possible!

Praises:
-Wonderful teammates in Anne, Daniel, Kayla, and Matt
-Thought provoking training- especially on culture and dealing with culture shock
-Refreshing time with fellow believers before leaving!
-God faithfully speaking to me that this is really where He wants me!

Prayer Requests:
-Travel! We leave Monday to Denver, Dulles, Brussels, then Entebbe in Uganda on Tuesday!
-My stomach :( It is historically weak, and I ask for the Lord to bless me with health as I try new foods, etc. (I hear from Daniel that we should expect to eat well...)
-My nerves! I am not gonna lie- I'm pretty nervous! But also very excited

Thank you all so much... And next time I blog, I'll be in Africa!!

Training in One Week!

Quite a few things have happened since my last post! I have now...

graduated college (FINALLY!),
turned the big scary 23,
seen my nephew turn 6 months old (so fun!),
spent time with great family and friends over break,
AND...
raised all of my support for my internship with EMI!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited to share that with all of you! I received a support update in early December that I was around 80%, and then did not have any updates for a few weeks due to the holidays. This past Friday, I got the update that showed I was over 100% in support! Thank you SO MUCH for taking part in this adventure EMI (Engineering Ministries International) is sending me on! I am so overwhelmed by your support, prayers, and encouraging notes/emails/calls! Raising support for this volunteer experience has been such a blessing from both you and the Lord!

In the last few weeks, life has been a little different for me. I have slowed down A LOT from my typical busy college lifestyle. I moved out of my sweet Lawrence house and said goodbye to my wonderful roommates. Aside from moving my things to storage and preparing/packing for my adventure, I have not done much except spend quality time with loved ones. I have spent lots of time with my family (living with them has this effect), especially due to all of the special occasions and birthdays we celebrate this time of year. I already had to say goodbye to a few of my favorite aunties, and that is tough! And I know it is going to be especially hard to kiss little Saxton goodbye for 6 months!

This break has been a great chance to see friends, too! I've had my fair share of lunch, dinner, and work out dates to catch up with people. I have been praying that God has a good support system of people in Kampala ready for me, because I am going to miss everyone here! I am still counting on seeing quite a few people in my last few days this week.

The last few weeks have been a strange departure from my world of engineering. After my last final, I put away my calculator and all my codebooks and have not given them a second thought. Hopefully I will be able to get right back into the swing of using my engineering brain when I arrive in Kampala! I think I may need it there.

Training in Colorado Springs starts next Sunday, the 13th. I am so nervous/excited/ready! I leave leave for Uganda on the 21st! Yay!