EMI Day of Prayer

So this past week EMI took a day out of the week for a Day of Prayer. It was so great and also super challenging. We studied Habakkuk during devotionals this week, and then took a further look into others in the bible who are examples of "striving" in prayer. The scriptures are loaded with examples of intense prayers! (Moses interceding for his people, Daniel crying out for the exiled Israelites, Jesus in the garden, any/all of the prophets...) It encourages me to be earnest and active in my prayers. I often think of prayer as a calm or passive activity. But it is not!

James 5:16b, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James does not describe a boring or calm prayer life...

So we studied a few passages, and prayed...and then we went out into our community to actively participate and pray! Just down the street from our nice, gated apartment complex is a neighborhood without gates or paved roads. I have been running through these streets a bit, buy some groceries from a nice lady (Katherine) there, and have also visited a primary school once to read stories to the kids. It's not a slum...but it is a much poorer community than I'm used to seeing.

One of the main thoroughfares through the area is a large pipeline across a swamp. Next to the pipeline is King of Kings Primary School. This school, run by a sweet woman named Florence, is not what you would expect to call a school. It is four "rooms" of boarded up walls and metal sheet roofing with a meager fence. I have visited this school before, and it is precious to see the kiddos (ages 3-7ish)! On our day of prayer, we put in some prayerful labor to help raise one of the classroom floor levels. It has had flooding issues (being in a swamp), so hopefully after raising the floor level this week about 6" things should stay a bit more dry!

The EMI office split into teams, so after lunch my team handed off the hard labor while we went around the community a bit to get to know the area and pray for people. It was great and it was heart-breaking. I'm not sure how else I can explain. Most homes have little or no power. No running water. In fact, they get their water from a nearby pipe that we tested. Not clean water. Thankfully most know to boil it before trying to drink it. I saw 3 dead dogs being dragged up the street. Kids were cheering because apparently they were the mean neighborhood dogs. We met with a local pastor and he explained that the community's greatest need was improved sanitation. But it was the children's smiles that were infectious. One child caught my eye on the walk... she was crippled and maybe 5 years old. She was playing in the dirt, just dragging her legs along. Oh, how I wanted to give her everything she would have in the states. Like a wheelchair! Or medical services that could probably fix her weak legs. Others tagged along with us the whole way. Godfrey was walking with us for a while before I even realized he was the son of an EMI guard! Godfrey later took me back to his home, where I said hello to his father, Patrick, and mother, Grace. Then Godfrey and his friends came back with us to Florence's school as we finished up the work. It was a whirlwind of a day.

Long story short: I now feel like I can strive in prayer for my own community here in Kampala. And I can't wait for heaven- when earthly suffering shall cease.

SForbes

Substitute Mum

This past week was full of great fun, unexpected blessings, lots of learning, and a fair share of challenges. On Monday night, I went over to the Jackson's house to begin my week of "substitute mum." (That's how they spell mom in Australia...) This week included:

-So much fun outdoor time! This awesome yard is a wonderful place for building dirt bike tracks, climbing trees, swinging, and kicking the soccer ball around. All of these activities were abundant this week.






-Movie time! We watched (and sang along with) the Sound of Music- the best. Also watched the original Parent Trap. Another gem. Watching movies with kids is somehow way more fun. You get to squirm and close your eyes if there is a kiss, squeal and laugh louder on all the good parts, and scream at any and all surprises and scary parts.

-A deeper learning about selfishness and selflessness. I thought God had broken me of my selfishness plenty before. But to be responsible for 3 other lives is a totally different ball game, folks! Trying to be there for others and meet their needs ALWAYS before your own? Tough. Because I am a selfish human being. Simply being a mother is one of the most selfless things I can think to do.

The kids picked flowers for me and set them in my room :)

-Lots of cuddling. Countless precious times my hand was captured by one of theirs, I found myself caught up in hugs, snuggling up during movies or lazy Sunday mornings. Talk about fun and heart-melting.

-A bit of discipline... So there are three Jackson kids (Brie-12, Madi-10, and Lachie-8) and then Evelyn, the Jackson's house help, has three younger ones (Jeremiah-4, Kevin-2, and Jacob-1). One time when we were all playing together Jeremiah disobeyed me, and so we had a little chat and he had to have a short time-out. Not ten minutes later, Kevin had misbehaved and little Madi was handling the situation so perfectly (with a chat and subsequent time-out). PRECIOUS. Watching the Jackson kids interact with Evelyn's kids was definitely a highlight.

-The realization that being a parent is going to be one of the toughest things I may ever do. On the first day, walking back from a store on the corner, the girls and I witnessed a bit of mob justice. A thief running away was caught and beat about 200ft away from us. Thankfully he was then taken to the police (not killed). This happened with THE GIRLS RIGHT NEXT TO ME! I could've cried then and there for feeling like I failed them. Mob justice is traumatizing for me, and I'm not 10 or 12. We talked it over the next day: to find out exactly what they had seen and heard, let them get it out and ask questions, and discuss justice and judgement. But obviously, I shared what happened with Jenny and Darren- and they will be the ones there for the girls to really process through what we saw. So I had to handle that for like a week- and was almost undone by it. I CANNOT imagine being the one responsible to help them process trauma longterm! Or to help them learn. Or to help them better understand the character of God. That is going to be so HARD! But it also gets me really excited that someday the Lord will equip me to take on that role.

-Getting tricked. Those kids probably had way more sugar this week than Mum and Dad ever let them. Oops.




-Fun girl time! On Saturday morning, when Lachie was at soccer, the girls and I had a baking day! We made some Australian staples (Lumberjack cake and Lemon Delicious) and had a grand ole time. Then, Saturday night Lachie went for a boys play date (watching Star Wars, playing wii...you know the drill.) The girls and I went over to another EMI family's house and we had a girls night! They had a tea party, got makeup and hair done in the "salon", got pedicures (courtesy of yours truly), and finished off the night with popcorn and movies. Total blast.



-Learning about good parenting. The Jackson kids are angels. Seriously. They look out for each other, catch themselves almost immediately if they disobey or are mean to each other, love to read and discuss their devotion book, are kind and loving to me and anyone else I've seen them with, and are so full of joy and delight. Jenny and Darren have done some great parenting! Though I know they wouldn't take any credit- they'd give it all back to God!



Praises:
-An awesome week with the Jacksons! I'm going to miss not seeing them as much!
-The last Burundi project trip returned this week! Praise for their successful trip and safe return to us.

Prayer Requests:
-Three of my favorite people are leaving me in a week! Christine (LTV), David, and Belinda (interns) are all leaving Kampala next week. Pray for their last few days here and for their next steps! (And pray for me, too, as I deal with them leaving me!)

You May Be In Kampala If:
-You have to worry about your children seeing mob justice...
-The kids beg you to eat with their hands. You know, to be culturally sensitive and all...

LOVE
SForbes

Hand to the Plow

So, guess what I'm doing this week? Taking responsibility for 3 kids... Scary, I know. The Jackson family (who I love and volunteer at Nsambya Babies Home with) trusts me to watch their kids. (Good decision on their part? I'm still not sure.) Jenny and Darren are going to be in Burundi this week for an EMI project trip- and so I'm going to be staying over with Brie (12), Maddy (10), and Lachie (8)! I am beyond excited because they are awesome! But, I think I will be exhausted by next Monday...

There's Brie and Lachie at Nsambya. Maddy and Jenny's faces are both hiding in the corners.

So... I know I told you all that I was coming here to do some engineering and construction management... but pretty much all I've blogged about is the precious children at Nsambya Babies Home, what God is teaching me, and some awesome African adventures.

But, from 8:30 AM to 5 PM every Monday through Friday, I am at work! If you're already bored, you should probably stop reading now. (Except to check out links to the ministries we're serving- because they are really amazing!) I have primarily worked on projects for two different ministry partners:

1. African Children's Choir- Music For Life LINK!

I have shared a bit about this ministry in a previous blog post. They are an amazing group that has taken many children from impoverished situations to give them education, music, and eternal hope for the future.

Since my time here, I have assisted with:
-a campus-wide rainwater catchment system estimating and purchasing
-site master planning
-architectural and some mechanical design, drafting, and 3D modeling for a new facility

Quantity take-offs, woo hoo!

Rainwater storage tanks...so exciting!

A 3D model ; whoopie!

Gutters!

Beautiful view!

2. Cherish Uganda LINK!

We visited this ministry in my first week here- and I immediately fell in love with how passionate the group is and the work they do! Last term (and finishing through this term) EMI has been master planning and designing a Health Clinic for the community.

The last few weeks, I have:
-helped create and maintain the construction project schedule
-refined a detailed estimate based on the permit drawings
-gone around town to do some landscape pricing

Rachael ,of Cherish Uganda, proudly standing in front of the EMI plans

The site for the Health Clinic!

Praises:
-Project work this week has been a blast! Cherish is a really cool project
-The community around me has been so helpful while I've been processing lots of lessons from the Lord!
-I have accepted a job! It has been a long and very challenging decision process- but I will be coming back to KC to start work in August!

Prayer Requests:
-That I would keep my focus on the present- not focusing much on August
-For the Jackson's this week! Pray that I don't break their kids!

You May Be in Kampala If:
-You are basically immune to people asking for your phone number. Or maybe are still really annoyed by it because it happens so often...
-Almost everything you eat is fresh and unprocessed (it's too expensive to add all those chemicals or something?)
-Monkeys live a few doors down from you in the empty lot. Seriously they do.
-You iron your clothes, not because you want them unwrinkled, but because you DON'T want mango flies to bury into your skin...(no worries; this hasn't happened to me yet!)

Thanks for everything!
SForbes

A concert at African Children's Choir that we went to. It was fun and very African :)

These are the 3 coolest EMI staff you'll probably ever see. Janet, Edith, and Stella (left to right)

Belinda and Oliver. More EMI love

Rice and Beans

Today, after a run around the neighborhood, I walked to the road just down below our street for a few errands. There is a sweet woman, named Katherine, who has a little store that I like to buy my eggs from. She plays Christian music, is so sweet that she even asked after me when I was sick, and also has a little gray kitten. Her niece, Florence, helped me today since Katherine was out. While Florence was bagging up my eggs, half kilo of rice, and kilo of beans, a woman came up behind me. The two guys behind me in line and this woman started talking to me a bit.

Woman: Mzungu (white person), how are you?
Me: I'm fine, how are you?
Woman: I'm fine.
Me: Gendi (good), ah. (Ah and eh are noises that I now add in to regular conversation due to the way Luganda is often spoken...)
Woman: Mzungu knows Luganda!
Woman and Men: (rapidly speak to me in Luganda that I can't begin to understand.)
Me: Neda (no), sorry. Eh, I don't really know much.

Woman: Take me to your country. (Yes it was this blunt. It often is.)
Me: Ah, nyabo (ma'am), you don't even know which is my country! I live here.
Woman: You're a citizen, no way. Take me home with you.
Me: Ah, no I'm not a citizen. But I live here.

Woman: (suddenly noticing my purchases) You eat RICE AND BEANS!?
Me: That's why I'm buying them! (All laugh...)
Woman: Ah, but I know you're mzungu. You eat Meat and Chicken, too.
Me: Ah...(awkardly trail off in conversation. She's right. I do.)

Woman leaves; men help me pay Florence since her English isn't so good. I buy a pineapple from the stand just up the way, and on the 10 minute walk back home, Jesus decides to teach me a hard-to-swallow lesson that I did not expect.

I eat rice and beans, and I eat meat and chicken. I eat seafood and vegetarian, and italian, mexican, german, indian, israeli, brazilian, and ugandan food. And until today, I've been pretty dang proud of that fact. I highly value being able to be flexible and diverse. I love being able to travel a lot and experience other cultures.

God asked me on the way back, "Will you eat rice and beans when you get back to the states? Would you ever feed your children just rice and beans? What about for the rest of your life; would you be able to just eat rice and beans?" Immediate response, "No, Lord. I want my kids to be flexible and well-versed and diverse like me." (Note: I'm referencing potential future kids. Not exactly sure why my mind was jumping so much to my kids today, but probably due to the fact that kids are on my mind from the Nsambya Orphanage this week..)

"Oh? So it's really important that your kids are able to eat lots of different kinds of foods? OR is it important that they know how to walk with ME?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry. You are the only important part, aren't you?" wide-eyed and chastised me responds.

And suddenly he brought to mind like 10 things that I highly value, from a cultural standpoint, that I realize are 100% not important. I really value and respect being flexible and well-rounded. I value looking presentable and professional. I value cleanliness ("My mother taught me that cleanliness is next to godliness"- Ever After quote...). I value having a nice home, because it will be a conduit for good hospitality, right? I value having a lot of varied experiences and being able to eat lots of different things. Seriously, I kinda highly value these things. Like, to the extent that I judge others when they aren't flexible, presentable, or clean. I judge others who lack much experience or accepting tastes. Yikes, right?

And I scoff at the thought of eating rice and beans for the rest of my life. I disapprove strongly of thinking of doing that to my kids. Don't want them to be weird missionary kids or something, right? I want them to be well-rounded and worthwhile people who are well-thought of by others. BUT GOD is the only important thing. Many things will flow out of that, but there is only one priority. There are no secondary priorities that fall in line after Him. Just Him.

The life of a Ugandan who eats rice and beans their whole life is just as valuable, respectable, and effective as the life of an American millionaire...if they both devote their lives to the Lord. The goal for my life and my children's ought to be a life that values Christ; that's IT. I know that, and you probably do, too. But I didn't realize until today how many secondary priorities I was trying to squeeze in close to Christ.

This is a poorly packaged summary of something God is teaching me. But I pray he will try to use my words anyway!

SForbes

He is Risen, Indeed!

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter. I know this post is over a week late now, but we had a great Easter celebration here in Uganda! It was so beautiful seeing how Christians in other cultures still celebrate our Risen Christ! On Palm Sunday we saw many walking to and from church with palm branches, churches all around the area were putting on Easter plays, and many of the churches in Kampala came together for one large Easter service on Good Friday.

The EMI office took a long weekend, both Friday and Monday were days off for Easter celebrations and family time. I joined in with an EMI kids Easter Egg Hunt and day of fun at the pool. Then I joined in on some more family time with the Breitensteins watching Brave that night!







I attended our church play, "Battle for the Soul!" (http://www.gabachurch.org/default/) on Thursday evening and then Sunday Easter service. Both were very powerful events, and Pastor Peter shared with us that over 200 people accepted Christ last weekend through all the services! Praise the Lord for his word! It was a beautiful thing to see people surrendering their lives to Him on Easter.

On Easter, the interns and the Horne's all went over to Doors for a celebration like no other. We had a giant feast: roast lamb (named Lambchop) with tzaziki (spelling?) sauce, cheesy potatoes, pita and chipati, pumpkin, basil pasta, deviled eggs...and THEN desert! I made chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, Alan made mango pie, Meggie made a beautiful Easter bunny cake, and Kayla made delicious sugar cookies! We were so FULL after lunch.

Then we all had the best time watching the boys die Easter eggs (and the chicken) for the first time, participate in their first Easter Egg Hunt, and then compete in all kinds of fun yard games. It was the most enjoyable afternoon.

I've spent lots of quality time with new friends lately, found a workout buddy (shout out to Hope Aparo!), enjoyed growing with friends at Doors Ministries (https://www.facebook.com/DoorsMinistries), and also gotten to know some of the EMI local staff better!

Praises:
-Relationships have been growing and deepening here in Kampala, and are the most valuable thing about my time here...
-God has been granting me clarity on my next step in life! I will update you more on this soon!

Prayer Requests:
-I have been wrestling fear a lot lately, which is somewhat atypical for me. Please pray that I will accept God's peace in things beyond my control.
-Soon, my fellow interns will be off on project trips in Burundi again. I am going to miss them- but pray for them as they prepare for their trips! It is a stressful time for many as they try to complete things before their trips.

You May Be In Kampala If:
-You meet a sheep one day, and eat it the next. But he tastes good, so it's okay.
-Your hosts ask if you are okay to walk to a nearby park. Thinking it must be close, you say yes. You walk there for the next three hours.
-You get unduly excited for finding a new market where there are fresh GREENS: spinach and cilantro and a new friend, Kate, who will throw in a lemon for free.

Thank you for living this adventure with me,
SForbes