A New Road...

Jesus is opening up new roads for us to travel on...and we need you to come with us. Thank you for carrying us to Him in prayer so faithfully...don't stop now!  The new journeys begin early tomorrow morning!  

Billy will travel to Moyo along with Scott Rambo, James Ouma, and Joshua Friedeman to visit a pastor who is seeking to have some training through WGM...We don't know where this road will lead, but we feel the Spirit urging us to go forward at this point!  Will you pray for safe travels tomorrow, good communication, and clear expectations?! Will you pray JESUS comes and orders the day...that He might be high and lifted up and draw all men to Himself!!!





Also tomorrow, Billy's mama, Beth will meet with her oncologist in Lexington, KY to get some test results and learn the way forward for treatment.  This is a road that at points looks familiar, as we walked this way with my mom a couple of years ago...but on so many levels this is a completely new road...a way we have not walked before and we all need Jesus to lead as we walk this new road.

Beyond the horizon is not clear at all, but we are trusting the Creator of Life...that He might bring His Words of Life to Moyo, Uganda and Lexington, Kentucky, USA...both tomorrow but also in the days to come.
 Thanks for walking this road with us.

Ayikoru

Ayikoru is a Lugbara (the tribe where we live) name meaning Happy One or Joyful.

This is the name that three seperate friends came and bestoyed upon Lucy when she was first born here three years ago.

It is also the name of one of my dearest friends...

We are writing you tonight to tell you about both of our Ayikorus and ask you to pray for them!

Ayikoru Lucy has been learning Psalm 91 with us at the breakfast table! She's getting it!!!

The last three or four mornings she has very happily announced...

"I had a scary dream last night, but I didn't call daddy, I hid under the shadow of the Almighty!"

Praise Jesus...oh that she might ever find refuge there.

My dear friend Ayikoru Jennifer needs the same hiding place tonight.

Her father is not pleased that she and her sister have both said YES to Jesus!

He came and told them if they would renounce Jesus, then he would help them with school fees and care for them again...he has cast them away since they first met Christ.
Ayikoru Jennifer's sister is just about to start graduate school and the pressure is great!

Will you pray for these two sisters to hold steady...to hide under the shadow of the Almighty in these difficult days of persecution...and as she has requested...will you pray with us that their father says YES to Jesus!!!

Add to the Craziness!!!

Elsie Jayne's newest critter...a snail, also named Lilly Flowers (like her chicken).
This was her attempt to release the snail, who after five minutes of life without the lid, remained inside the jar and EJ pronouned, "She WANTS to live with us til Jesus comes back!" Glory! We love having a snail!

The past couple of weeks we have had the joy of having Meg Rambo's parents with us here in Arua! They have gotten to enjoy their newest grandbaby and the sweet big brothers too! For us that has meant having the Rambo's home, but life not quite normal yet...and having lots of fun meals together...But this week we had an extra blessing! Friends from Kampala, Jinja (both cities in Uganda) and The States were here for Community Health Evangelism training!  That meant that while the moms and dads were busy at training, our craziness was multiplied on a whole new level!

Monday and Tuesday we had 8 kiddos all morning and on Thursday...we were 11!!! 

Very fun times!!!

When the twins were awake, we kept them up, so they didn't get stepped on in all the UNDER FOUR year old fun!!!

The crew of early in the week...Burke kids from Jinja and Morse kids from the states...or Kampala currently!  Happy times enjoying lollies!

This is the crew that was at the training all week. Pray with us as they travel to their respective homes, the truths that they have learned might be burned upon their hearts and put into practice that whole communities might be transformed with the truth of the Gospel!

And just for fun...this was our delay as we headed home from the training center today after we went over to say good-bye!  These cows never cease to amaze us...they don't grow them quite like that in Kentucky! 

7 months

So thankful for precious Anna Leon who came to Africa to film some kiddos who need supported on Bavuma Island in Lake Victoria, but was also willing to photograph my girlies yesterday.  What a love gift to our family to have "real" photos of our kids! These are Sophia Anne and Chloe Catherine at 7 months!  Whatever talent God has given you, He can use it to bless others! Thanks so much for being a blessing to us, Anna!!!

Critters and Kiddos

A couple of fun kid stories from this week.

Went to pick up something at a friends house. Just walked through the neighborhood with the big girls. Coming home, the path where we were walking had sheep and goats tied to either side. It was funny listening to the girls try to identify mommies and daddies and baby goats and sheep. Lucy was certain they were all cows! (disappointing...i've already failed in her education at some level!).

The other fascination is that our chicken "Lilly Flowers" has had chicks and we LOVE carrying the chicks around.  Lilly Flowers technically is Elsie Jayne's chicken so she named the chicks... Cluck, Huck, Muck and Tuck. One day this week Elsie Jayne rushed inside super upset.  What's wrong, I asked her. "Muck mucked me!!!"  It seemed her little friend had spoiled her pretty shirt! Disappointing...

Lucy likes to pretend right now to be various different cousins and friends. She is particularly fond of being "Joshie Bear", her cousin, who is particularly fond of reptiles. While I was fixing dinner the other night she slides into the kitchen on her stomach..."Mama, I'm a nake, I'm a nake!"  At the three year mark that "sn" sound is still pretty tricky! :)

On a much more somber note our dear friend Jane had a nephew pass away yesterday. He was only one. We offered to help by carrying her and some of her family to the home of the burial in our car today. I didn't fully realize what I was walking into. When we arrived I had planned to drop off my friends and come pick them up this evening. That isn't so appropriate, so we were ushered over to where the family was grieving and asked to pray.  Jesus helped us but there have been so many questions this afternoon. Pray for wisdom in answers. The girls saw the dear baby with the mourners all around. A lot to take in at four and three...a lot to take in at thirty-two. Jane explained to Lucy while I was praying that the boy died of malaria. She asked if her babies (the twins) would die of malaria too. Will you pray with us for protection, peace, life and health and at some level wisdom to share hope?!?!

Praying for His Presence for our friends today while they grieve and opportunities to share Light and Life when we carry them home tonight in our car as well.