Day 4

With day 1 & day 2 being travel days, I was soooooo excited to wake up this morning and GO!

Saying that, I was up last night from 1am-4:30am, so I can't promise much for this blog post except that it might not make sense from the lack of sleep.

We woke up (again) to get ready for breakfast with our team. Up and eating by 7:30am. Goodness, gracious. Thank goodness for coffee and some reaLLY hilarious people in this group.

After several cups of coffee and what was a confusing ordering non-menu ordering system, we ate. Then came the waiting. Waiting is very popular here in Uganda. You hurry up, and wait. Then wait some more. Coming from someone who is most times a little busy, (HA!) waiting does not come easy. It is humbling. I am starting to love the peace that is coming from it. 

We went through the town of Iganda, this time during the day. Totally different that at night. There are people. Tons of people. Everywhere. Beautiful people. People full of life. People with the biggest smiles you have ever seen. Not like American smiles, totally different. Gosh. You know, I prayed for something that people who have been here talked about. They said the first couple days of ministry you are heart broken. That it takes a couple days to figure it all out...that you can not be sad for the people here because they do not have anything. They are so happy and joy filled because they have it all. They get it. 

After what seemed to be like 8 stops, getting this, picking up that, dropping off so and so, picking up one person and waving at another, we made it to our first ministry day. We went to a school sponsored by Tree of Life called Top Hills. Good night nurse. I can't describe it. The beauty in these kids faces. Our team had ants in our pants trying to get off the bus!!! The biggest and whitest smiles you have ever seen. Laughter and concentration, as they introduced themselves and asked us for our names. Again. and Again. Over and over. So much I can not put into words. Just pure Heaven really. Greeted over and over again, like you are the most important person they have ever met. Hand holding x 250. My name is...what is your name x 250. Laughter x 250. Oh gosh.

Turns out that I am terrible at chicken, chicken, dog, but the kids loved it. I was dog in the middle many many rounds. Then came the singing, the laughing, building the mercy bags, me making a small human cry, the fabulous hand made lunch, the bathrooms (terrible, terrible), more laughs, and just being. Being God's hand chosen people to love on his people. If you send a girl to Iganda to be a missionary, she will get blessed more than she ever knew. It's only day 1ish. 

We then got split up into different groups to go evangelize. Oh goodness....the main thing I am NOT looking forward to on this trip (that and the bathrooms. Ugh!). We were team Wilson, whoop whoop, and Sue was amazing. She has a gift straight from Jesus to tell his story, to people who do not understand our language (blessings to Pastor Wilson for being able to translate!). It was sooooo fun to see her in her element, witnessing to women and their children. Ohhhh. We were able to bless 3 different families with His word, and mercy bags filled with sugar, salt, soap and tea. Again, if you send a girl to Iganga to be a missionary, she will have a woman that she just met hand her her 2 1/2 WEEK old child to hold, love on and pray for. Come on people! HELLO! I can't make that stuff up. Me & a baby. Love me some babies. 

We ended up the afternoon with more dropping people off, transporting this, grabbing that, to have a whopping 15 minutes before we were to report for dinner. Dinner was with our team, our wonderful driver Haji, our missionary Phil, Susan, Scovia, Kenneth, Kaith and Raith (Susan's babies). We were also joined by 2 Elpis people that are up from Huntsville, Ken (who is adopting one of the kids from Hope Africa) and his friend Kevin. Very nice dinner with a great group of people. More laughter than one could ever expect from a group of church people. :)

That leads me to now. Time for a shower and hopefully a better night's sleep. Please pray for that. AND pray for a continuation of pure heaven as we get to go to Hope Africa tomorrow and I meet Moses and his 114 friends.

Look at these kids. No words.

 

This is the mama that let me hold her little bit of honey. 

We are finally at our destination...

FROM SUE-

Hi everyone... Yes, we are finally in Iganga. Seems like every year it takes longer and longer to get here. I do want to give a thumbs up to Delta. They were excellent from the start. They were so good to us all. Well except for one tiny detail. After arriving in Entebbe all our luggage arrived...except one of Liz's bags. Sadly, it was the one with ALL her clothes. It stayed in Kigali, which I'm not sure is any better than if it had remained in the States. So we went to baggage claim who told us there were "many" flights from there to here and it would be hand delivered to our hotel. Well as of tonight it still remains in Kigali! We did go into town today to buy her some undergarments (a highly non-spoken about item in this country). One of our Pastors took us and though I had told him what we needed he misunderstood and thought she needed a skirt. So his only question as we stopped at the first "shop" was if she wanted long or short! Needless, to say, this brought a few chuckles to our faces. When he finally understood what we were looking for he turned a few shades of red. I think we know each other better today than before!

We arrived here safely and have to say we are all exhausted but eager to go to one of our schools at Top Hills tomorrow to see the kids. It was so good for me to see Haji this morning and then be greeted by the Pastors this afternoon. I felt like I was seeing old friends.

I promise to blog more tomorrow but after a little more than five hours sleep since Tuesday I am too tired to think. Love you all. Sue

We made it!

After getting to the SA airport @ 10:30am Tuesday, a flight to Detroit, flight to Amsterdam, flight to Kigali, we are now about to land in Entebbe at 2:15ish SA time, 10:15pm . We will be staying at a place called Banana Village tonight in Entebbe.

Flights were nuts-o. I'm not a big traveler, probably been in a plane 5 times in my life. Big 'ol airport in Detroit, there was one section that I called club Detroit. It had a colorful crazy colored ceiling. I danced all the way through. :) the next flight to Amsterdam can only be described as L. O. N. G. And cramped. And long. No sleep. We tried to sleep on the floor of the Amsterdam airport. It didn't work, but we did manage to get some Starbucks, for $13 for a coffee & a muffin. The next flight to Kigali was much much better. Not as crowded, and by then, exhaustion set in and I think I slept for a couple hours. I've seen more movies in a day that I ever thought I could, but can't remember since it all has flown by. :)

I am a little sad to be getting here @ 10pm so that I will have to wait till tomorrow morning to get to see Africa.

Till then friends. Please pray for a good nights rest tonight in Entebbe, as I bunk up with 3 others.

Airport in Entebbe-we did well with luggage. Just lost 1 for now, and it was even a carry on! Sorry Liz. They made us check in at last minute and her bag is still in Kigali. They promise it will be here sometime before she leaves in 28 days. :)

The ride to banana village was an easy introduction into what we will see today. It was pitch dark, not much electricity around. People were everywhere. Since there isn't much electricity, people stand out side & visit. Some right on the street!

We got to Banana Village and found our rooms and headed to bed pretty quickly. It was after midnight, and we were all a little delirious. I don't remember much except for using Sue's deodorant. :)

We woke up to the sound of roosters in the distance at about 6:30am. I missed the call to prayer that most others heard @ 6. I was still in dream land. The hotel is beautiful. We started with a devotion from Sue, and a sweet song from Glenn. Breakfast was some star instant coffee, which was pretty good, scrambled eggs, a banana and passion fruit juice.

Oh goodness...about 8 hours later and we just arrived in Iganga! Too much to write and will write more soon!

Blessings,
Jen

-sent from my iPhone

1 day...

1 day...

1 day, I thought, "hey, I want to go to Africa...".
1 day, Blake looked at me and said "I want to go to Africa".
1 day, I watched my husband board a plane with several of my friends to go to Africa.
1 day, I knew my time would come.
1 day, my husband came back with a changed heart.
1 day, I heard about another trip coming up to go.
1 day, I very peacefully heard the Lord say it's not your time.
1 day, I longed and prayed for my time to come.
1 day, my friends Sue and Liz did a Mission prayer/poem for Uganda.
1 day, my heart will still. Still in prayer knowing He said it is time.
1 day, I had to figure out how to manage the next 9 months in preparing.
1 day is here.

I am 1 day away. 

1 day away from boarding a plane in SA, and landing in Entebbe, Uganda many, many, many hours later. 

1 day to settle my heart and prepare for the total unknown.

I can hardly think straight. So much on the brain.

Prayer partners, here are some things to keep in prayer:
-pray for peace for all of us as we wrap things up on this last day
-prayers for my sweet friend Charis' friend Reagon, while she is waiting for her lung transplant. 
-prayers for the now 12 of us who are preparing and going: Judy B, Sue, Liz, Jaimie (who are all staying for 1 month total), Glenn, Judy H, Vicki, Emily, Paige, John, Josh & I
-prayers for my husband as he becomes ALL for the next 2 weeks
-prayers for my kids, for them to remember what they need to do, and for them to have peace while their mama is gone
-prayers for my family and friends who are all taking parts of my life to help while I am gone
-prayers for smooth and easy transitions in the kids schedules
-prayers for easy mornings with the drop offs
-prayers for fun Dad evenings and weekends
-prayers for the basketball games, gymnastics classes, cross country meets, etc that I am missing
-prayers for my nasty cold/sinus/allergies to be gone in the name of Jesus before I get on that plane
-prayers for sleep and supernatural rest while I am gone
-prayers for the Lord to show me and guide me to His people. To be His hands and feet.
-prayers for all of you, who will keep me lifted up these next 2 weeks to go and be the best Jesus servant I can

I will be trying to update this blog while I am gone. We will also be updating Riverside Around the World and My Team Leader Sue's blog A Heart for Uganda 2013. 

Lastly, I wanted to share my Africa letter again. I am soooooooo excited to say that I was way fully funded, and even have some project money once we hit the ground. 

This tug on my little heart strings is singing praise this morning for every step. So many songs running through my head, I couldn't sleep past 3:30am. I can not wait till that is replaced my the songs of hundreds of children worshiping with all their might. 

1 day, friends. 1 day. 

To my dearest family and friends,

Wow. I don’t even know where to start. But guess what? I am going to AFRICA!

I am going to try my best to explain how God changed my heart for Africa. Several years ago, our Church was able to partner with another local church and bring in the Mwangaza Children’s Choir. Wow. Then, our church’s first visionary mission group went to Uganda. Tug...I wanted to go, but was not my time. Our church was able to build a well for a new school in Iganga, Uganda. Here we go. Not long after that, one of the missionaries that was on that first vision trip decided to sell all his belongings and move there. Bam. Phil, that missionary, was able to get a house and start an orphanage. What? The numbers grew from 20 children, to 60, to 100. How? Our church started partnering with Phil’s ministry to find sponsors for these beautiful children...to send them to school, give them a place to live, clothes, and food daily, to love on them from several thousand miles away. During one sponsorship weekend, Blake picked up a card of a 10 year old boy, named Moses Okere, filled out a sponsor form, and this sweet little boy became part of our family. Holy Moly. People started going...to visit these kids and act as short term missionaries there. Was it my time then? NOPE. It was Blake’s, and he was able to go 3 summers ago. When was it going to be MY turn?
Well, God has opened the door for ME to go this year, to share HIS love to HIS children in Uganda, East Africa, and to live out this dream I have been having for several years. I will be traveling September 17th- October 1st with a new group our church is partnering with, Tree of Life Ministry, who support schools and medical clinics in and around the community of Iganga, Uganda. (More info about their ministry can be found at www.utol.org.)

I will be traveling and working with an awesome group of people, from several churches and communities around the Boerne/Spring Branch area, whom all share a similar heart for ministry. We will spend about 11 days there on the ground in Uganda, doing a VBS, evangelism and discipleship training, and most importantly loving on these sweet kids, who come from totally different backgrounds. We get to work very closely with the Tree of Life Pastors and the children. A group of us from our church also get to spend some time with our missionary, Phil, and visit and love on our kids at Hope Ministries there as well. I am so excited to get to go love on kids (which you know I love to do) and let HIS light shine.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

I truly believe that we ALL have a purpose and part in this. Some of us go, some of us pray, while others of us send. Up until know, I was the one in prayer and the one at the airport waiving and crying as they left and holding signs and cheering as they came back. I am still in awe thinking that it is MY time to make the trip. This is where you, my sweet family and friends, come in. It is only by support from others that will make this opportunity possible for me. The most important need for our team is PRAYER, while we are preparing, on our way back, and especially while we are there. This is a huge step outside my comfort zone, and I can not do this alone. Please pray that I remain healthy, so that I can be a willing disciple while I am there. I have NO idea what awaits me, but I know that God has some exciting stuff planed.

Please join me in praying this scripture for me and our trip...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Lastly, we rely strongly on financial support from family and friends. The total trip will cost each of us $3000. The first $2000 is due to Tree of Life by June 30th, with the next $1000 due by July 30th. This is a LOT of money, and any and all contributions would be greatly appreciated. God willing, if I surpass the cost of my trip, all additional monies will be put towards projects and supplies for these sweet kiddos. Checks should be made out to Tree of Life Ministry, with “Jennifer Taylor” in the Memo line. Please mail the check to me (address below)and I will send them on to Tree of Life. All contributions are tax deductible.
I know that for many of us there are difficult times (including the person writing this letter). Please know from the bottom of my heart, if you can not help at this time, I totally understand. The Lord has had our own family in situations where sometimes we could help financially and other times where we could help only through prayer. I am trying to live in obedience and am so excited about this opportunity. The thing I most appreciate is your thoughts and prayers as I prepare & GO. If you would like to receive updates on my trip, please let me know and send me your email address! I can not thank you enough for supporting me in fulfilling God’s promises to the nations.

One last thing...let me tell you that this now 15 year old Moses (pictured below-loves the Astros and THAT I NOW GET TO GO MEET-WOOOHOOO) is now a Taylor through and through. Our boys love that boy and pray for him daily. Our Moses has no parents in Africa and was living on the streets, but is thriving in school and in LIFE! All because someone went on a mission trip and said YES to the tug of his heart strings to love on others.

Blessings to all of you,

Jen

1 year and 10 months later...

Turns out, when you don't post, blogger doesn't do it for you!

I am starting to THINK about thinking about what I need to do for the next 37 days. 37 days. In 37 days I leave for Iganga, Uganda. Hold please while I pinch myself.

Ok, done.

It is still hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea that I am going to Iganga, something that I have thought and dreamed about for 5 years. 

Lord, please guide me in these next 37 days as I prepare to be your hands and feet.

Blake! & a little weekend fun

Hopefully you are keeping up with Blake on the blogs that I posted last time...but here's a pic that took my breath away! This is him standing in the Jordan River. Incredible.

Sweet Cam almost got sick from the heat at baseball practice, AND...to finish up our weekend, a little trip to Urgent Care. Always a joy.

If you give an 8 year old a scooter, he'll try and do a wheelie. Then he'll fall, only to be caught by the handle bar in the face.

If you take that same boy to Urgent Care, the doctor will say, "oh, he's just too cute for glue. Let's numb him up and put stitches in that poor sweet face"

If you give that same kid numbing cream, he'll feel so good that he'll actually WATCH the doc put in his 3 stitches.

It's always an adventure around here. Love to you all!

slacker

So it seems as though someone on here hasn't blogged a whole lot. Hmmm...wonder who that could be?

10 for Tuesday:

1. Please go check out my friend Vicki's blog (listed below right as Marquez Family). Blake is on a Israel trip with her husband. (Another blog is http://gtitours.org/tour/2011-09-17-israel-with-scott-heare/)

2. Again, Blake was blessed with a 14 day study trip to Israel with our pastor. What an incredible experience!

3. Yesterday was our 13th anniversary. Blake got to swim in the Dead Sea! I got to take boys to dentist.

4. I just heard Lucy fart. Seriously. Made the poot sound. Blake always said she did it every morning. I never believed him. Until now.

5. Camron is playing YMCA baseball this fall. For all of you who know us, we NEVER play a fall sport. We are crazy.

6. Brandon is still doing gymnastics and is loving it.

7. I am in my 5th week of boot camp. I don't know what I was thinking on that one. I am still waiting till that "loving it" stage will hit.

8. I am on week 2 of our boot camp's Paleo Challenge. Google paleo. It's hard to eat that way. AND there's also exercise every night to top it off!

9. I miss my friend Brooke and her family. I miss them dearly.

10. I ALSO miss my family, both sides. Boo.

what to do...what to do...

What to do when your life sort of gets turned upside down? (I know...not really turned upside down in some people's priorities & life stories, but upside down in my life.) I decided to have a pitty party. If anyone wants to join me, it's been fun. Not the kind of party with cake and balloons, but more of a "it's my party and I can cry if I want to" kind of party.

Well...trying to again figure out what to do, I decided to check blogs. Not the best thing for me right now, but I did find this really funny post that cheered me up for just a bit. Seems like she could have been wearing a hat at my party the day she wrote this. Wish I had words like that sometimes! Wanted to share just in case anyone else needs it!

who are you?

Or who am I?? WHAT? It's been a long, long time. I miss blogging. Especially now that I've given up facebook. Yes, gave up. Cold turkey. It's been a couple of weeks, and I have to say, I don't miss it. I miss out on a little, but it does give me more to talk to people about. I get to catch up with friends in person. It's nice.

I have so much to write, and sooo many pictures to post, but I was just FLOORED by Brooke's latest post. So, you can click on her blog for your viewing pleasure today. It wiped everything in my head right out.

I'll catch up soon!!

Back to School-2010 edition

It's REALLY hard to believe that this is our 5th first day of school since kindergarten. Can't believe it!! The kids were very excited, up until we hit the parking lot.

We started with breakfast requests: Cam an omelet made by Dad & Bran some pancakes.

Then we moved to the hair spiking and the picture taking. I am a bit crazy with my camera on the first day of school, but that is another post between me & my psychologist. :)

Here they are! Handsome...I must say.

Again, they were co-operative until we hit the pavement. Then the "Mom, stop taking pictures you are embarrassing me" started.

And...the grand finale-the annual collage.