Please keep praying for Tim! Really nothing has happened today working with the clinic here. We saw some signs of improvement but now he is back to what he was again. I really want to see them in Kampala. It looks like they will go first thing in the morning and Jennifer will monitor him tonight. He is getting the meds he needs but he has a fever again and his blood pressure is down again and he is not urinating. He has had IV too. It is so hard to know what to do. We are praying!!!
Please pray with us for his healing! Thanks,
Shaarda's Story - It's God's Story! Life & Ministry in the village of Obule, Uganda. 1 Thess. 2:8
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Pray for Tim
For those of you who don't know, Tim has poked by the thorn of a cactus about two months ago and has had a lot of pain since then. Last night it became much worse and Jennifer (our teammate and nurse) said it looked like there was an infection and now it went into the blood stream. Tim was in a lot of pain, he had a fever, and his blood pressure was low. This morning his pain and fever are better only because of pain killers (and everyones prayers I am sure) but he still needs a strong antibiatic, an IV, and his elbow to be drained. Jennifer is helping Angie figure out what to do. They have talked to doctors in America and Kampala to make sure it is the right diagnosis. Right now they are getting the medicine in town and an IV I think. They thought they would have to go to Kampala to drain the elbow but through an expat doctor found a capable doctor in Soroti who is going to do it this morning.
Wow, how quickly life is through upside down and we are falling to our knees desperate for God's help. How we need Him. Last night as Josh and I prayed I was so thankful we have the Lord with us. Thank you for praying for Tim and Angie. We will try to keep you up to date. Be asured God is here taking care of Tim.
Wow, how quickly life is through upside down and we are falling to our knees desperate for God's help. How we need Him. Last night as Josh and I prayed I was so thankful we have the Lord with us. Thank you for praying for Tim and Angie. We will try to keep you up to date. Be asured God is here taking care of Tim.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Prayer Request
Thanks to all of you who prayed for the training two weeks ago in Katakwi. We had 26 participants successfully complete the training. The road was rough (I had to replace 13 spokes on my back wheel over the course of the week) but the week went well. We had good discussions and people were successfully trained in how to teach the Christian faith to people of different ages.
This coming week I will be leading a training in Amuria, one hour Northeast of Soroti. The topic this week is "Preaching Biblical Sermons." This is not my favorite topic (I think partly because I have no training in this area) but believe it is important since people are preaching every week. Please pray that those who attend will successfully learn to prepare and present a sermon that is Biblically sound.
Next week we will be going to Kampala. Mandy and Luka will be flying to Nairobi for another check-up with Luka's kidney specialist. Luka's urine still has excess protien. They will return to Uganda 20 minutes before Josh's parents arrive. That's right, Paul and Carole are coming for their first visit! Please pray for them as they make that long journey and as we spend three weeks together.
This coming week I will be leading a training in Amuria, one hour Northeast of Soroti. The topic this week is "Preaching Biblical Sermons." This is not my favorite topic (I think partly because I have no training in this area) but believe it is important since people are preaching every week. Please pray that those who attend will successfully learn to prepare and present a sermon that is Biblically sound.
Next week we will be going to Kampala. Mandy and Luka will be flying to Nairobi for another check-up with Luka's kidney specialist. Luka's urine still has excess protien. They will return to Uganda 20 minutes before Josh's parents arrive. That's right, Paul and Carole are coming for their first visit! Please pray for them as they make that long journey and as we spend three weeks together.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Answer to Prayer!
The street boys were released from jail yesterday! I don't know the whole story yet but I do know they were arrested for doing drugs and sent to court and later released. Thank you for praying with us. Now join us in thanking God and asking Him use this to draw the boys unto Him. As one of my team mates pointed out in prayer, they are still released to no home, no family, no hope. Pray for the street kids here and around the world.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Pray Request
August 28
I just had to write and ask for prayer. I don’t know all the details but a couple of the street kids were put in jail. Our teammate who works with the street kids noticed that a couple of the regular kids didn’t come to play soccer today. Later he found out that the police arrested them. I have heard two different reasons: 1. they were being idol or 2. they were doing drugs either way there are no charges pressed and two kids are sitting in jail. Kids! Our teammate brought them food and we are working with other Ugandans to figure out what to do.
Really I am furious. I can’t stand injustice. After living in third world countries, I now know why God hates injustice. It is wrong! What do you do about it? I, a white, wealthy (compared to my neighbors here), American, feels helpless in the face of injustices. How my Ugandan neighbors and friends must feel. You are trapped and can’t do anything. Power is a dangerous thing. No wonder people just give up and hopelessness abounds.
As always, I run to Jesus – my source of help and peace. He is bigger than these big things we face. He knows all about injustice and loves to defend the cause of the helpless. He is the Father of those boys and loves them far beyond our love. He also has more mercy for those we want to be angry at. I can trust in my God. Please pray for the street boys in jail, the other street kids, those causing the injustice, and us as we see and deal with injustices everyday.
I just had to write and ask for prayer. I don’t know all the details but a couple of the street kids were put in jail. Our teammate who works with the street kids noticed that a couple of the regular kids didn’t come to play soccer today. Later he found out that the police arrested them. I have heard two different reasons: 1. they were being idol or 2. they were doing drugs either way there are no charges pressed and two kids are sitting in jail. Kids! Our teammate brought them food and we are working with other Ugandans to figure out what to do.
Really I am furious. I can’t stand injustice. After living in third world countries, I now know why God hates injustice. It is wrong! What do you do about it? I, a white, wealthy (compared to my neighbors here), American, feels helpless in the face of injustices. How my Ugandan neighbors and friends must feel. You are trapped and can’t do anything. Power is a dangerous thing. No wonder people just give up and hopelessness abounds.
As always, I run to Jesus – my source of help and peace. He is bigger than these big things we face. He knows all about injustice and loves to defend the cause of the helpless. He is the Father of those boys and loves them far beyond our love. He also has more mercy for those we want to be angry at. I can trust in my God. Please pray for the street boys in jail, the other street kids, those causing the injustice, and us as we see and deal with injustices everyday.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Follow Jesus Where?
August 27
After a powerful time with God in prayer with our team and with Josh teaching each day in the village, it is not too surprising that satan tries to bring a little discouragement our way. This week we are all weary, our kids have mild sicknesses, Grace has an ear infection, Josh’s motorcycle had a flat tire and our van, and our house help hasn’t come all week because she is sick. A few years ago when this kind of week would happen I would be a crabby mess. Thankfully I have grown in the Lord and know how to handle things better. My peace is in Him. Yes, home schooling was a bit hairy this week with Luka in the classroom and our house is a bit dirtier than normal, but the discouragement is not getting to us. God is our strength and we know we can pray for His help and healing. I pray the teaching Josh does this week rocks the village for God’s kingdom growth. Satan is defeated! Thanks for praying for us.
I am doing another Beth Moore Bible study. This one is on John called Beloved Disciple. It seems each day God speaks His truth to me in some way. This week I was touched by John 18:15 and 19:17-27 where John remained through the nightmare of Jesus arrest, trial, and death. He followed Jesus in His most glorious hour and His darkest hour. He knew the extremes of Jesus. John didn’t run away or cover his eyes. He beheld Jesus – in His torn, bloody body. It wasn’t what John wanted or expected. He didn’t understand. But he loved Jesus. We cannot behold what we are not willing to see.
We cannot claim to know someone until we have known them in the intensity of both suffering and celebration. Anyone truly willing to behold Jesus will at times be confused and shocked by what he sees. I we are willing to be taken to His extreme glory we will gain intimate knowledge, and be unable to explain the His work and ways. Will we stay with Jesus when human understanding can’t explain or when Jesus is looked at as defeated, weak or not there? When the world betrays Him – what will we do?
Will we remain with Jesus? Will we follow Him – anywhere? To places of danger and death? To the unjust? Into the darkness? To the sick and broken? Or only into the temple (church)? Jesus is in theses places or hurting and suffering. Will we be with Him? He is in the third world countries where children are abandon and dying of hunger and sicknesses. He is in the hospitals, the dumps, jails…the places of places of greatest suffering. Or do we only want to be with Him in our nice, orderly churches? Yes, Jesus is there too but He wants us to go deeper with Him and behold Him in His suffering. Our answer makes all the difference. Are we beloved disciples?
On that note, my sister told me about a ministry in Kampala to children in government rehabilitation homes there. The stories are nothing less than horrific! No child should ever know the evils done to them or live the inhumane way they have to. The children are kept in a home with bars to keep them in, they have no or little clothes, and are given no or very little food. Some of them are babies. When they arrive they are kept in a room for days with nothing. A lot of the kids are street kids put there to be “rehabilitated” some are just unwanted children. One child is blind and disabled because his grandma put acid in his eyes and broke his legs so he could get more money begging. Another child the parents gave him to the witch doctor to be sacrificed but while he was being killed he escaped and now is disabled and brain damaged. What is this?! Evil!!! I can hardly stand it. How can these be parents and grandparents? There is something very wrong with the family here. It is all too common for mothers and fathers to abandon their own children. That is not normal. They should want to protect and help them. I am wrestling with what to do with this. How can I help? I know about it now and cannot just turn away. I really feel the government needs to take responsibility for what they are doing. There is no need for a place like this. There are good homes for kids. So how do I get it to be addressed? Pray with me for these kids and for away to being them justice and freedom. Oh Lord, I can only imagine how many places like this there are around the world. God hear our prayers and comfort your children! (for more information visit sixtyfeet.org)
After a powerful time with God in prayer with our team and with Josh teaching each day in the village, it is not too surprising that satan tries to bring a little discouragement our way. This week we are all weary, our kids have mild sicknesses, Grace has an ear infection, Josh’s motorcycle had a flat tire and our van, and our house help hasn’t come all week because she is sick. A few years ago when this kind of week would happen I would be a crabby mess. Thankfully I have grown in the Lord and know how to handle things better. My peace is in Him. Yes, home schooling was a bit hairy this week with Luka in the classroom and our house is a bit dirtier than normal, but the discouragement is not getting to us. God is our strength and we know we can pray for His help and healing. I pray the teaching Josh does this week rocks the village for God’s kingdom growth. Satan is defeated! Thanks for praying for us.
I am doing another Beth Moore Bible study. This one is on John called Beloved Disciple. It seems each day God speaks His truth to me in some way. This week I was touched by John 18:15 and 19:17-27 where John remained through the nightmare of Jesus arrest, trial, and death. He followed Jesus in His most glorious hour and His darkest hour. He knew the extremes of Jesus. John didn’t run away or cover his eyes. He beheld Jesus – in His torn, bloody body. It wasn’t what John wanted or expected. He didn’t understand. But he loved Jesus. We cannot behold what we are not willing to see.
We cannot claim to know someone until we have known them in the intensity of both suffering and celebration. Anyone truly willing to behold Jesus will at times be confused and shocked by what he sees. I we are willing to be taken to His extreme glory we will gain intimate knowledge, and be unable to explain the His work and ways. Will we stay with Jesus when human understanding can’t explain or when Jesus is looked at as defeated, weak or not there? When the world betrays Him – what will we do?
Will we remain with Jesus? Will we follow Him – anywhere? To places of danger and death? To the unjust? Into the darkness? To the sick and broken? Or only into the temple (church)? Jesus is in theses places or hurting and suffering. Will we be with Him? He is in the third world countries where children are abandon and dying of hunger and sicknesses. He is in the hospitals, the dumps, jails…the places of places of greatest suffering. Or do we only want to be with Him in our nice, orderly churches? Yes, Jesus is there too but He wants us to go deeper with Him and behold Him in His suffering. Our answer makes all the difference. Are we beloved disciples?
On that note, my sister told me about a ministry in Kampala to children in government rehabilitation homes there. The stories are nothing less than horrific! No child should ever know the evils done to them or live the inhumane way they have to. The children are kept in a home with bars to keep them in, they have no or little clothes, and are given no or very little food. Some of them are babies. When they arrive they are kept in a room for days with nothing. A lot of the kids are street kids put there to be “rehabilitated” some are just unwanted children. One child is blind and disabled because his grandma put acid in his eyes and broke his legs so he could get more money begging. Another child the parents gave him to the witch doctor to be sacrificed but while he was being killed he escaped and now is disabled and brain damaged. What is this?! Evil!!! I can hardly stand it. How can these be parents and grandparents? There is something very wrong with the family here. It is all too common for mothers and fathers to abandon their own children. That is not normal. They should want to protect and help them. I am wrestling with what to do with this. How can I help? I know about it now and cannot just turn away. I really feel the government needs to take responsibility for what they are doing. There is no need for a place like this. There are good homes for kids. So how do I get it to be addressed? Pray with me for these kids and for away to being them justice and freedom. Oh Lord, I can only imagine how many places like this there are around the world. God hear our prayers and comfort your children! (for more information visit sixtyfeet.org)
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Beauty of Prayer
August 23
Hi, we returned from a few days in Kampala (the capital) last week. We went to renew Lydia’s student visa which needs to be done every August. We saw God answer our prayers again. We started the process on Monday and by Tuesday at lunch we had the visa. That is amazing. God can do anything. He also provided a friend in immigrations that has been so helpful. We also were able to relax and enjoy our time away. We did do the normal shopping/stocking up, but we also were able to spend fun time together as a family. Lydia got her ears pierced which she is very proud of. She did great and looks so pretty. It was a big deal and special time. Our friends from Soroti were also in Kampala and stayed at the same guesthouse so the kids loved playing together and the adults even got to play games together. We decided to take one extra day and spend it at the pool as a family. The weather was great and everyone had fun. I was also thankful for some quality time with Josh. Things have been busy in Soroti with him teaching and even with me teaching. This gave us time to talk again.
God has really been teaching me about prayer the last six months. What a challenge. I realize that I pray but not with the passion and heart that I believe God desires. Let me explain how He has been teaching lately.
The other day I listened to a message on prayer. I was so touched by it. It was based on Hebrews 10:19-22. We are invited by God to come into the Most Holy place and experience Him! Prayer is not a discipline of the Christian life – it is our life. Prayer is fellowship with God. Relationship. Through prayer we can know God’s heart and be in the center of His will. We will know what God wants and do what He says. God doesn’t want our options when we pray but to share His heart with us. Building His kingdom is God’s will for this world. Pray in line with His will. Do you love God? It will show in prayer.
How I mourn for the way I and the church have failed in prayer. We too often think about it so casually, as a thing we are suppose to do. It is routine. We have not taken the invitation of our Father to come into His presence and fellowship with the One True God. What an awesome privilege. You desire to have a relationship with us. Why do we not long to be with you? We have not taken time, grown tired, selfish, lazy, and failed to pray. We have put our desire and will above God’s. So many Christians who claim to know and love God but don’t pray. It is not right. How can you love Him and not be with Him? You don’t know Him. What joy and power there is in prayer and we don’t even use it. God is our life. I pray He will teach us to be with Him in prayer!
As God teaches me, I have been praying for the Muslims for 30 days in this time of Ramadan. I have been challenged but the number of people who don’t know Jesus. There are 20 million people in Sudan who do not have one believer among them. Twenty Million! People of God this should not be. There are billions of Christians in the world why aren’t we sharing God’s love with them? I hear the Muslim call to prayer each night here in Uganda and wonder how can I reach out to the Muslims here and around the world? I have been praying. I appreciate the focus and passion it has brought to my prayer life. We need to enter God’s throne room and pray about the world, Muslims, and the lost. It is praying according to God’s will – to build His kingdom – His heart.
Then last night our team had a day of prayer and fasting for wisdom about a possible grant our team could receive. We wanted to know what ministry God wanted to use the money for. In the evening we gathered to pray together. We began with the message on prayer God had used in my life, praised God in song, then began to pray. It was a beautiful evening in the throne room of our God! What a beautiful experience. A place you never want to leave. Oh friends, God is here, alive, and active. I will never forget the picture of our team bowing before the Lord in prayer. What a sweet time. The God of the whole Universe was with us. There were tears and heartfelt crying out to God. We were all moved to pray for the people and the suffering here. How exciting it is to know you are praying God’s heart. We didn’t leave with any answers. We didn’t see any great visions. But we knew God had done something in our team. As Josh put God was telling us to keep the posture. Our team learned how to pray last night and it was a lesson we never want to forget. We want to trust God, follow His will, and love Him. I am so proud to be apart of this team. God is at work and that is where I want to be.
Praise God!
Hi, we returned from a few days in Kampala (the capital) last week. We went to renew Lydia’s student visa which needs to be done every August. We saw God answer our prayers again. We started the process on Monday and by Tuesday at lunch we had the visa. That is amazing. God can do anything. He also provided a friend in immigrations that has been so helpful. We also were able to relax and enjoy our time away. We did do the normal shopping/stocking up, but we also were able to spend fun time together as a family. Lydia got her ears pierced which she is very proud of. She did great and looks so pretty. It was a big deal and special time. Our friends from Soroti were also in Kampala and stayed at the same guesthouse so the kids loved playing together and the adults even got to play games together. We decided to take one extra day and spend it at the pool as a family. The weather was great and everyone had fun. I was also thankful for some quality time with Josh. Things have been busy in Soroti with him teaching and even with me teaching. This gave us time to talk again.
God has really been teaching me about prayer the last six months. What a challenge. I realize that I pray but not with the passion and heart that I believe God desires. Let me explain how He has been teaching lately.
The other day I listened to a message on prayer. I was so touched by it. It was based on Hebrews 10:19-22. We are invited by God to come into the Most Holy place and experience Him! Prayer is not a discipline of the Christian life – it is our life. Prayer is fellowship with God. Relationship. Through prayer we can know God’s heart and be in the center of His will. We will know what God wants and do what He says. God doesn’t want our options when we pray but to share His heart with us. Building His kingdom is God’s will for this world. Pray in line with His will. Do you love God? It will show in prayer.
How I mourn for the way I and the church have failed in prayer. We too often think about it so casually, as a thing we are suppose to do. It is routine. We have not taken the invitation of our Father to come into His presence and fellowship with the One True God. What an awesome privilege. You desire to have a relationship with us. Why do we not long to be with you? We have not taken time, grown tired, selfish, lazy, and failed to pray. We have put our desire and will above God’s. So many Christians who claim to know and love God but don’t pray. It is not right. How can you love Him and not be with Him? You don’t know Him. What joy and power there is in prayer and we don’t even use it. God is our life. I pray He will teach us to be with Him in prayer!
As God teaches me, I have been praying for the Muslims for 30 days in this time of Ramadan. I have been challenged but the number of people who don’t know Jesus. There are 20 million people in Sudan who do not have one believer among them. Twenty Million! People of God this should not be. There are billions of Christians in the world why aren’t we sharing God’s love with them? I hear the Muslim call to prayer each night here in Uganda and wonder how can I reach out to the Muslims here and around the world? I have been praying. I appreciate the focus and passion it has brought to my prayer life. We need to enter God’s throne room and pray about the world, Muslims, and the lost. It is praying according to God’s will – to build His kingdom – His heart.
Then last night our team had a day of prayer and fasting for wisdom about a possible grant our team could receive. We wanted to know what ministry God wanted to use the money for. In the evening we gathered to pray together. We began with the message on prayer God had used in my life, praised God in song, then began to pray. It was a beautiful evening in the throne room of our God! What a beautiful experience. A place you never want to leave. Oh friends, God is here, alive, and active. I will never forget the picture of our team bowing before the Lord in prayer. What a sweet time. The God of the whole Universe was with us. There were tears and heartfelt crying out to God. We were all moved to pray for the people and the suffering here. How exciting it is to know you are praying God’s heart. We didn’t leave with any answers. We didn’t see any great visions. But we knew God had done something in our team. As Josh put God was telling us to keep the posture. Our team learned how to pray last night and it was a lesson we never want to forget. We want to trust God, follow His will, and love Him. I am so proud to be apart of this team. God is at work and that is where I want to be.
Praise God!
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