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.
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.
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,
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
