Teamwork to Spread Love

Karamojong children -- grateful to receive a meal, courtesy of Smile Africa.

This past Saturday we had a mission team meeting to get details about our trip and we packed some bags with supplies to take to Uganda. Each of us will take one bag of supplies in addition to our one personal suitcase. These bags are filled with stuff that generous people have donated that will spread some love to so many in Uganda. We have lots of flip flops, scarves, tons of beanie babies (amazing what this little gift will do to brighten the faces of the orphans on the other side of the world), clothes, books, puzzles, etc.

During this meeting we were asked to commit if we were interested in spending a night in the “bush” (aka jungle) in a mud hut with the widows. In the past when I had heard this I thought, “No way! There is no way I could do that!” But, I found myself signing up. I just know that I will regret it if I go all the way there and do not do this. One night -- I can do that. Right? I will not be alone. We do have to pay a little more for this experience. This cost covers the expense of a mattress and a mosquito net and possibly a lantern (not sure about that one). The next day after our stay we will donate our beds and bedding, etc. to a widow. I imagine that in our one night there we will be sleeping in luxury compared to many there.

We also talked about the daily itineraries and tasks at hand. We are going to be busy! I am going to be working with teaching reading to women and also in leading Bible studies. I’m sure I will get my hands in a few other areas as well.

One of the days that we are there, we are going to put on a Valentine’s day party for the Karamojong children (I encourage you to read about this tribe and these children on the Smile Africa link below on this page). We are going to decorate cookies that we are bringing (praying they all make it there without breaking into too many pieces) and playing games and just loving on them. I am going to lead some time with some of the widows during this party. I am hoping to have lots of supplies for them (approximately 100 women) to each make at least one card for another woman to encourage each other and build one another up. I am really looking forward to this! If you have any stickers that would be appropriate for this activity (keeping in mind that many are illiterate, so pictures – hearts, etc. are good) that you would like to donate, please let me know.

1 John 4:11-12 -- The Message Version

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

Planning for Uganda

Here are some women I can't wait to meet (and Rachel Eggum-Cinader -- one of our mission team leaders and one of my personal heroes :-))

It is less than four weeks now from when I will leave for Uganda. I am excited. I am consciously stopping myself from saying, "I am scared" or "terrified", etc. There is no turning back and I need to remove those words from my vocabulary in regards to this trip and just let myself enjoy the planning and anticipation of what lies ahead.

I don't know exactly what I will be doing there. I am going to teach something. What will I teach? I can teach reading or writing (I just hope I have more patience with them than I have with my children!!!). I have been praying about it in a panic that I want to know what I am going to do or teach. Of course, I want an answer NOW so that I can plan, but things don't always work out that way. I have felt an overwhelming feeling though that I am going to be used to help the widows that I meet strengthen their community. I feel like I need to impress upon them the value of coming together (not living in isolation) and supporting and encouraging one another. That is the seed I feel that has been planted in me. We shall see how this develops.

So, for now I am making lists, updating a master calendar for Darrin. Making emergency contact lists, buying a SIM card for my phone for Uganda and hoping it works there!, planning my workload distribution at work.....trying to make sure that all my 'bases are covered'. We have a team meeting this Saturday and I get to meet many others that I will be traveling with and serving together. I so look forward to this time. Many have been before, so I can ask my list of questions to help me to prepare. Although, my friend Laverne has been to Uganda at least 2 or 3 times now and will be joining me on this trip. She is super business oriented and more driven to planning than I am (she is a Six Sigma expert for those that know about that -- so SUPER process driven!!). She laughed at me when I told her that I was trying to put together a plan for my time there. She told me that I can't plan this time. It is out of my hands and most things in Africa never go as planned. Talk about a challenge for me....NO planning.....out of MY hands? Sheesh...Okay, God, I get it! I give......it's all Yours! :-)

I hope that I am able to update this post while in Uganda. Please check back or 'subscribe' and if I can get to an Internet cafe or access to someone's computer (I don't have a laptop to take), I will post some updates.

Counting down the days, Jodi