26 October 2012

Mail Call

We have four little girls four and under only 8 more days! Elsie Jayne reminds us multiple times daily she will make 5 soon!!!
The reality of these wee ones is that I am asking Jesus daily how to walk with Him and share His love from our home...He often answers in unique ways.
 
When some of our friends went for Home Assignment in the UK 6 months ago, they asked us to help with a ministry they had been a part of for friends in South Sudan. We gladly agreed. We collect mail for a mission compound a two hour flight north of Arua. They have a post box here in town. We hold it until a flight is coming and then we go and meet the plane and send their mail up every few weeks.
 

The mail was stacking up and we heard they were looking for some things, so we organized this week to meet the plane... only the day we were to meet the pilot, our visitors were also scheduled to be in Nebbi for a pastors training. That meant, four little girls, one mama, a stack of parcels and no transport to the plane.
The girls DELIGHTED in finding the solution to our problem!
"Let's all ride on bodas to the airfield mom!!!"
 
There are a lot of things I do allow my kids to do that many might think crazy depending on your context, but riding on a motorcycle thru town is not one of them! I have taken both big girls to clinics this way when no vehicle was around, but it's not the way I thought we should spend our morning this past Tuesday. Rather, Uncle Simon was roped into the mission to ride with the parcels to the airfield and Lucy was THRILLED to be chosen to go with him to hire the two bikes and bring them to the house!

We watched the men load the parcels and Uncle Simon went with them. He met the pilot to hand over the goods and our friends have reported to us that they are delighted with their mail!  The girls and I are thankful to be a link between our friends in South Sudan and their post box here in Arua!



18 October 2012

Birthday Blessings




One Year...WOW!
What a year it has been!!!
The girls have five teeth between them now!
Chloe loves to CLIMB and Sophia loves to SHOUT!
They make a great pair!
We are so thankful to Jesus for His DOUBLE BLESSING!!!


Chloe Catherine with her birthday cake--she stuffed.


Sophie ate bit by bit and licked up every sweet taste.
                                                                                                   



OUR BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS!!!

16 October 2012

Do NOT tremble; do NOT be afraid. Have I not proclaimed from ages past what my purposes are for you? You are my witnesses--is there any other God? No! There is no Rock--not one!
Isaiah 44: 8
 
While Billy was traveling the last 8 days in South Sudan, the girls and I had lots of conversations, about WHY daddy had to go.  This verse, that I have found now after his return sums it up...Daddy went to be a witness (we talked about this lots!!!) to the One True God and our job was to NOT be afraid, but pray for him as he shared Jesus' love.
 
 
Jesus sweetly shared friends with us to encourage and bless us as we prayed for our witness who was far away (some we got photos with, many we missed)...Katie made Lucy's supper one night into a happy face!

 
For this journey...this was her happy face
(she had a hard week missing daddy).

 
Amelie (a new friend from GB) was a great joy
when she came to visit and play with us!!!

 
Beatrice came to check on us!!!  The twins were happy
 to pose with her while they chewed on their mandazi!

 
Jacob Wafler was a big help multiple times,
but the girlies especially appreciated his good night hugs
after his family came for dinner one night! :)
 
We got to be witnesses too (the girls were overjoyed!!!). They were delighted to let Billy know on his return that they had been like missionaries while he was away being a missionary! :)  Wish they could stay four and three forever...SUPER FUN ages! We got to share Jesus love with some friends in town and some neighbors near by as well!!!
 
Where has Jesus called you today? Are you afraid to obey? He has told us for ages His purposes...to be witnesses for Him...right where He has you!  There is no other Rock---not one!!!



14 October 2012

The Visitors are Visiting

No matter how many years we live here, in certain contexts we will always be quite obviously the VISITORS!!! This happened a week ago when we went on Sunday afternoon to visit our neighbor at boarding school.
 
 
Secondary school in Uganda is almost exclusively boarding, so it's SAD for my girls when their friends leave again for the new term. This week we heard it was visitation day at Ushindi, so we went to see our friend Sharon. (in blue)
 
As we walked up to the clustered groups of students showing their parents their work, discussing the term, receiving gifts from home, the group of probably well over 100 grew completely SILENT and all eyes were on us. Me, and my four girls!!!  We stuck out in the crowd and I wanted the ground to just quietly swallow us. Some moments like that are ok, sometimes I am ready for them...this one for some reason caught me off guard. It was odd to me to realize too that all four girls were completely oblivious to their differences (which most days I love!!!).

 
Eventually we found Sharon and sat down in our little circle to hear how she was. She laughed at herself as she showed us the shoes she had made to make it to visitation day...her sandels broke!

 
Her mom brought her new flip flops, but the girls and I were seriously impressed with her ingenuity!

 
Elsie Jayne and Chloe with a little Sharon snuggle!!!
We love this sweet girl!
See you at Christmas break, Sharon!!!



07 October 2012

Zacchaeus

The girls had "school" with a friend of mine the other day and
 she helped them do a dramatic retelling of Zacchaeus! 
Here it is for your amusement and amazement! :) 
 Love these little ladies!
 

Thanks Katie for a great break one morning and a really happy lesson!!!

The Fellas

Dawama holding Sophia Anne.
When we were down south a couple of weeks ago to have team meetings and get Elsie Jayne's big 5 year old passport, we got to see our two friends James Dawama and James Elnai!  We had a really fun breakfast together one morning!

Elnai showing his certificates...
he's a super gifted musician and won some awards...
including some scholarship for university!!!
Hallelujah! Praise God Forever!!!

Just to show their skills!!!
 The twins can now move around a room quite easily
while holding on and let go more and more each day!!!
Watch out world...here they come!!!