A New Year, A Life Changed Pt 1.

A simpler way of life.
Photo credit: Ernest Armendariz

It's been a little over a week since Michael and I returned from leading a Visiting Orphans team of 25 to Uganda and Kenya. I am finding it incredibly difficult to reconcile the emotions and the moments that I experienced. I can't seem to find the words to really relay what this team went through.

I go on lots of short-term trips, it's part of my job title. But this trip was unlike any I have been on. It has been the hardest one for me to adjust back to normalcy...when really I don't want things to go back to normal. God is doing a lot in my heart right now and it will be a little while before I really work through that process. 

I believe many hearts were awakened, identities in Christ revealed, the tangible love of God renewed, and there was a bond created with the team that was orchestrated by God. I was singing this song in church today and it really spoke to what I experienced:

"Spirit of the living God 

Come fall afresh on me,

Come awaken me from my sleep.

Blow through the caverns of my soul,

Pour in me to overflow, to overflow."

We experienced the reality of poverty and the tension between culture and Christ. We felt darkness and were physically stretched in major ways. And yet we encountered the joy of the Lord, the hope of Jesus, and love that never fails. We met Jesus in a new way and God used this team to demonstrate what a community of Christ looks like. 

The team started on a high note at the Atlanta airport. One team member said it best: 

"It was the craziest feeling as soon as we arrived! Everyone was hugging, laughing, shaking hands, and swapping stories. "Fellowship" is what came to mind instantly. This is the body of Christ in action. We knew of each other from a distance and had heard of the things each person was involved with and/or doing, but we didn't officially know them until that moment. Still there was a kindred Spirit whom I call the Holy Spirit. What else could bring together so many strangers so quickly?" (Conrad Meier)

 We were family from moment one. Seriously, it was like meeting long lost friends. I truly love each of them. Every person had a significant purpose on this team.  

God took strangers and unified us.

The Holy Spirit broke us of our entitlements and control.

We laid this trip at the feet of Jesus and said, "Your will be done...this is Your trip, not ours."

So that is how our trip began. This is the atmosphere that continued with us everywhere we went.

Now I'll share about Uganda :)....

Day 1
Photo credit: Linda McKinney

Ekubo Ministries: 

So this trip started off, after 24 hours of travel and a short night of sleep, by driving a few hours north of Kampala to the small village of Bugabo. We were working with George and Christie and their ministry, Ekubo ("The Way" in Lugandan). These 3 days broke me of control. I threw the itinerary and 'agenda' out the window. Any expectations we had, we let them go. We experienced what it means to simply 'be'. 

Part of living in the bush was the amazing opportunity to sleep in the village. The team stayed in an almost finished baby home. We packed some sheets and we slept on mattresses on the floor. We strung jump ropes everywhere so we could hang mosquito nets. It was the ultimate slumber party, snoring and all ;)

The walk to our house

But seriously...it was magical
photo credit: Carol Duarte

Our bathroom was an outhouse (hole in the ground) near the baby home. But you had to be escorted at night because the path to the bathroom was next to the start of a septic tank, i.e. a hole so big you would get seriously hurt if you fell into it. We even had guards in the bush with bow and arrows guarding us at night. What an adventure! And we loved it!!

The team listened as George and Christie shared about the work they are doing in the village - and they are doing big things. We got a glimpse of the hardship of ministry. Working for Visiting Orphans, I am aware of the reality of ministry, but it was good for the facade and glamour of missions to be removed. Ministry is hard. People disappoint. We need God. Our hope is found in Christ alone.  This is where we receive rest and strength. 

-We had the opportunity to minister 1-on-1 with the youth in the village.

-Provide and serve a feast to 200+ kids

-Walk through the village and meet with the community. Hear their stories and pray with them.

Ernest praying with 2 youth.
Photo credit: Christie Magera

Michael singing and dancing with the children.
Photo credit: Carol Duarte

Abby, Sarah and Katie hanging out with the little ones.
Photo credit: Abby Kraft

Teryll and Chelsea learning the art of Chapatis
Photo credit: Teryll Sacks

Peeling potatoes.
Photo credit: Carol Duarte

The team had a day of doing whatever we felt called to do. I sat on the front steps of Christie's home and watched as the team: sanded bed frames, hauled water, served in the baby cottage, went on walks through the village, made chapatis, peeled potatoes, played soccer and simply talked to people in the village. 

It was a day of being. We had a small taste of what life in the village would be like: the good, the hard and the beautiful!

George and Christie from Ekubo Ministries

Return Ministries:

After our 3 days at Ekubo, the next two days were spent at Return Ministries. Return is a community-based ministry working with over 300 children in Kampala. It is run by the amazing Samuel and Sarah. We were the first team to stay at their guest house. It was luxury compared to the bush and we had a little whiplash at first.
The team served alongside the ministry by providing and serving meals and loving on the precious kids.

Samuel and Sarah

My highlight of this ministry was our 'holy ghost' moment. The team got up on stage and started our VBS program. We were singing a song with an average amount of enthusiasm. When all of a sudden two of the team members jumped on the drums and something happened. Conrad, our team Christian rapper, started rapping, drums were going, Michael does the worm, and a dance off ensues. We spend the next 3 hours dancing and singing with the kids. They taught us a song and we sung it on repeat: "Whatcha gonna do when you get to heaven? I'm gonna have some fun! Fun, spiritual fun!" Joy, dancing, laughter - a glimpse of heaven. It was unbelievable. I have never experienced such pure joy. A really special moment.

Right before the party broke out!

I could have danced all day!
Photo credit: Sarah Crawford

We adore these children!
Photo credit: Carla Geiser

Michael made new friends. 

Cleaning dishes after lunch.
Photo credit: Carla Geiser

The Haven:

The last bit of Uganda was spent at The Haven. A day of rest. It is so important to take time to process and recharge when in ministry or you will burn out.

This place was breathtaking. It was on the Nile. Absolutely gorgeous. We had some quality team time here.

Photo credit: Conrad Meier

These guys got engaged!!!

Chelsea and Aaron officially "official" :)

And this special girl shared her testimony and got baptized in the Nile. One of my highlights!

Praying for Abby right before being baptized.
Photo credit: Ernest Armendariz

This trip was an ebeneezer for so many people. It was a moment in their life that signified a change. This trip was covered in restoration and redemption. God brought a bunch of sinners and people with pasts and revealed His love for us. Lives were transformed forever. Our time at The Haven was a time to reflect on that change and the way God is working in our lives.

We spent time around a bonfire worshiping, basking in God's presence and praying off entitlements. It was a mid-trip prayer to lay this trip back at God's feet. This trip is God's for His glory, not ours. We continued to experience fresh revelations of God as we prepared to drive to Kenya.

Our trip was only half way done and we were full (or so we thought). 

And there was a baby bush back named Milo...be still my heart :)

Part 2...to be continued....

The Thrill of Hope

I love holidays. And I especially love Christmas. 

As tradition goes, the day after Thanksgiving is the day to start Christmas songs, to decorate and get the Christmas tree.

I am pretty sure I was so happy that day I cried. 

The last month or so has been extra stressful for me.

A lot of changes, disappointments, and situations out of my control. 

I started this holiday season listening to Joy to the World. I've heard this song so many times. It is just 'part of tradition'. Most people probably listen to carols this way - as sort of the soundtrack to the month of December. But I stopped and really listened to the words. I had 'a moment,' as I sometimes do. The lyrics really spoke to me, the way scripture would. It was very poignant. I was brought to tears thinking about what joy really is. It is not affected by circumstances. It is God-given. It changes your perspective and attitude. And when you really take the time to acknowledge the gravity of what God did on Christmas...whoa..how can you not be full of joy? 

I love these lyrics from Joy to the World:

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come,

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing."

 source: salvagedgrace 

After my Joy to the World moment, I started to listen to all my favorite carols with a different ear. I was so struck by the amount of hope and peace this holiday sings about. I have always loved the way I felt at Christmas but I never really attributed it to the fact that the world (whether recognized or not) is celebrating a holiday of joy, hope, love and peace. 

Some of my favorite lyrics from O Come, O Come Emmanuel:

"Oh come desire of nations bind

In one the hearts of all mankind

Bid thou our sad divisions cease

An be thyself our king of peace

Rejoice, Rejoice

Emmanuel shall come to thee..."

Yes! This is my prayer. That one day our sad divisions will cease. 

And I then I listened to O Holy Night. I never know the last verse of carols. I know the first verse, no problem. But I really listened this time to the whole song. 'Jesus taught us to love one another... His gospel is peace.'

This verse in O Holy Night put me to tears:

"Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace. 

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother.

And in His name all oppression shall cease...

Christ is the Lord! Then ever we will praise...

His power and glory ever more proclaim!"

source: etsy

And I also hear the nativity story every year. But I really listened this year.
To imagine the moment when hundreds of angels appeared before the shepherds and sang: 

"Glory to God in the highest,

and peace on earth to those 

whom God is pleased" - Luke 2:14

 source: tumblr 

This is the God I worship and serve. 

A God who entered this earth as a baby, so that God may dwell with God's people. 

A God that desires peace and joy on this earth for every person. 

God, who is Emmanuel - with us. Now and always.

May you take a moment, lay traditions and celebrations aside

 and really ponder the gravity of what Christ did.

May you be filled with the joy, hope, love and peace that comes from God this Christmas. 

source: viewalongtheway

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

A table and some bread

We love having people at our house. 

We love food.

And we love cooking food for people! 

Our current dining room table can seat 6-7 people but we wanted to have a place to fit more of our friends. Michael decided he wanted to build a huge table for the deck. 

He had to build it on the deck because there is no way we could get a 10 foot table up there. 

This is before we stained the benches. I love the lights! 

We can now seat 14 people around the table!

Here is the first big group of people enjoying the table. 

Our one regret is making the table right before winter! It is a little too cold to enjoy now but come spring, we will be out here all the time!

Another recent project for me is bread making. 

I, by no means, have a clue what I am doing. I have friends who are becoming experts in the bread making world. They know all the tricks and secrets. They can make bread that is gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, vegetarian, pescatarian...(Ok, a little sarcasm ;) I am not one of them, maybe one day. I just wanted to see if I could make a simple loaf in the oven. So here is what I did:

- Package of Yeast

- 1.5 Tablespoons of salt

- 3 cups of water

- 6.5 cups of flour (I used all purpose, but I have also blended this recipe with whole wheat and bread flour)

1. Mix all the ingredients together. I mixed it all in a big pot because I needed something with a lid and big enough for the dough to rise. 

It will look something like this...

2. Place the lid on the pot/container but make sure you have a little gap to let air out or a lid with a hole in it.
3. Let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

(This is in the refrigerator. After I let it sit out for 2 hours I refrigerated the extra dough - just showing you how I loosely placed the lid)

This was the texture of the dough after sitting for a few hours. If you use different types of flour it won't  look like this!

4. Ok, some websites say use scissors and cut a big piece of the dough. I found it easier to use my hands. Pull/Cut off about 1 pound of dough

5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. While it is preheating, spray a pan and place the dough on the pan. It is suggested to let the dough sit on the pan for 40 ish minutes before cooking.
7. You can cut knotches on the top if you like.

8. I placed the pan on the top rack and then put a brownie pan full of water on the bottom rack. 

8. Cook for 30-35 minutes

Ta-da! Some tasty bread. 

Here is my first whole wheat loaf. I used a loaf pan for this dough. I also added honey to make a honey wheat loaf. It was not as 'slimy' as the all-purpose dough so it as a lot easier to cut the notches at the top. You could also brush egg whites on the top before backing. Or dust some flour on top. 

So now it is time to experiment with honey, wheat flour, all-purpose, bakers flour, rosemary, etc. 

It is amazing that all you need is flour, yeast and water to make bread. 

We'll see if I can perfect it.

It is so simple. 

Go make a loaf and your house will smell delicious! 

The Helper

I recently took a gifting test and discovered that I have a gifting in "helps". This gifting is described as assisting others by freeing them up to do what they need to do. Typically someone with this gifting can see when someone needs help before the person in need sees it. One website calls my Myers-Briggs personality "The Caregiver" and "The Nurturer" (ISFJ/ESFJ). I find so much fulfillment in helping others. I don't necessarily have a service gifting, I am not the first person to get a job done. But if I see someone in need I would jump up at the opportunity to help.

One of the most important days of my life was October 6th, 2010 - the home birth of Henri Cooper (my dear friends Sarah and Stephen's little boy). Since that day my life was never the same. One of these days I will put into words that experience and the shift it created in my life, but it is still a moment that I am trying to process. I have participated in two other births since then, March 2011 and March 2012. I was the role of a doula. Doula is Greek for "female slave". It is someone that walks alongside a mother in labor, like a birth partner. It is a long and laborious process (and I am not even the mother) and yet one of the most rewarding things to go through. I've found that to be true about all things I do...the most rewarding tend to be the most trying. I absolutely love walking alongside women in labor.

Sweet, new baby - March 2011

Timing contractions - March 2012

This last week I had the amazing opportunity to go with my coworker and close friend, Autumn, to Ethiopia to pick up her son Mihretu, after 15 months waiting for him. It is interesting that the process of adoption is similar in many ways to pregnancy, especially in the 3rd trimester. Waiting for Embassy clearance is like waiting to go into labor. When you pass that due date it just gets so hard to wait any longer. I remember Autumn saying, "I am ready to induce" ;). In this adoption I functioned as a doula, on call, ready to walk alongside a new mother.

The email came from the Embassy Tuesday, October 23rd and we were on a plane to Ethiopia on Friday, October 26th, just three days later. The four days we spent in Africa with Mihretu were incredibly special. Autumn got to take part in so many firsts with her new son. It was magical and I feel so honored to have witnessed such a miracle. This little boy whom I met twice in the last year, that I prayed for every day for 15 months was now in his mom's arms. It was like witnessing a birth. It was holy and precious. And let me tell you, Mihretu is amazing! That boy is so smart, brave, funny, and he knows who is mother is. I really love him.

We also got to see couples meeting their babies for the first time at the care center. It was intimate, like being in the ultrasound room as the parents hear the heartbeat for the first time or discover the gender of their child. One dad that joined us with their little girl at Embassy was sharing his heart for their children. He said, "All my children, both biological and adopted, are gifts from God. God has entrusted us to raise these children. My biological children are no more mine as are my adopted children. I love them all the same." What a beautiful picture! Adoption is a glimpse into the heart of God, that God chooses us to be sons and daughters. Michael and I definitely want to adopt - after working in orphan care, I can't imagine not choosing adoption.

(Side note: Today is Orphan Sunday. If you haven't experienced what it feels like to have a heart for the orphan, I highly suggest going on a short-term trip. It will change your life forever. Consider what sponsoring, fostering or adopting might look like in your life. Yes that was a plug for Visiting Orphans ;)

Then it was time for the flight home or to continue the analogy, active labor. I was helping Autumn here and there in-country but she really was doing great with the transition. She could still 'walk through the contractions'. But boy, 40 hours of travel is another story. One of the hardest things I have ever done. Confine a toddler to a seat for three flights, one of them lasting 11 hours. Now add the fact that this child does not speak your language, barely knows you, has hardly left his care center, experiencing so many new things, time change, jet lag, and pure exhaustion. This was the final stage of the adoption pregnancy. This is when Autumn needed me the most. And at one point I didn't think we would make it...but we did. We landed in Nashville and Autumn and I lost it, emotionally and physically we were done. We did it! He is now home. Such an emotional moment.

Although there were a few trying moments, Mihretu did great!

He is perfect :)

And now Autumn is starting the path of parenthood as all parents do after birth. I am so incredibly proud of her. When she saw her little boy the 'mom switch' turned on. She is a natural and I just loved watching her care for Mihretu with such patience, love and grace. It really was inspiring. Waiting for court, paperwork, Embassy, the ups and downs, all prepped her for this new season. God gives parents 9 months (and a lot more for adoption) to prepare. It is a long and hard journey leading up to coming home and that is just the beginning. But it is in our weakness that God is made strong. I don't know if we are ever really ready for parenthood but I think this is part of entrusting our children to God, to lean in for direction, strength, grace and peace. It is a partnership with God. And I absolutely love watching and sitting at moms' and dads' feet as they "figure it out" one day at a time.

Michael and I hope to step into this season of our lives in the next year or so. Whether through birth or adoption, I am grateful to have experienced that intimate moment of transition when a family is formed. I am so excited to experience that moment for myself and to share that with my husband. But until then I plan to continue to walk alongside others in this special time of their life.

Welcome home dear Mihretu. You are one loved little boy!