Storm clouds

That saying "the calm before the storm", has been my life for the last couple of weeks. After the work at "Works" was finished, I had a lot more down time than I'm used to. I have streamlined my teachings so my study time needed is a lot less than it used to be. At first I wanted to start looking for new projects but knew that soon the calm would give way, and now I'm seeing that happen.

Starting this past Saturday we thought we would have a killer time for the Easter weekend. We began with watching the Passion and having communion. Our church had almost the whole youth group watching with tears in their eyes as they recognized what Christ did for them and His love for them. After the movie, we had a time of communion and one kid came back to give his life to Christ, it was pretty awesome! Then we headed out to the area of Works to do a youth outreach. It was a beautiful evening and it was definitely a time where it was all God. I had a great team helping me out, including some of my student leaders, and a lot of people heard about how God loved them and calls them to follow Him with all they have.

Yesterday, we celebrated Easter with over 200 people coming to celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive!

Then today we set out for an outreach to another local "slummish" area. At 7:30 a friend came and helped me make 45 PB&J sandwiches for our students. After a flat tire and literally our whole youth group of 45 students coming to serve with a visiting youth team, we headed out to the area. It was crazy as we had over 300 kids at our first location and trying to help the kids stay organized while they took part in all the different activities possibly took years off my life. One of which was face painting, and I learned the hard way what happens when you allow your students and your friends to get a hold of paintbrushes and some paint. We took our que from Jesus in His feeding of the 5,000 and got the students in circles of about 10-15 students as we handed out juice and cookies. Afterwards the sugar I think got to them and they were getting a little on the rowdy side, to try and get them away from the vehicles, some of my guys started running to the other side of the field. I will honestly never forget that scene as Richard and Davis (both rather tall) were sprinting and acting crazy with seriously 300 kids following them. We came back to the church for lunch and get ready for the next location. Our next location was smaller and so it went a lot more smoothly. By the end of the day over 500 people heard the Gospel, and I am yet again in awe of both my students and the team of leaders I get to serve alongside and even more in awe of the God we serve answering a whole lot of prayers and allowing us to be a part of what He's wanting to do in the lives of those students.

This is just the beginning. Next Saturday, we're going to have a huge sport's day in the same area for the older kids. So that's going to be another doozy but awesome opportunity. Then the next week the school holiday begins and with that comes more outreaches, but this time to other villages. We will begin with the closer village of Iguluibi for the first two days, then to another area called Bugiri where we'll actually stay the night, and then the next week to an area near Pallisa where again we'll get some nice village accommodations :) And then that will be followed by a youth conference here in Jinja. It will be a rather intense time but I'm so stoked for all that God seems to be bringing about already and doors that have been opening.

Needless to say, the storm that's beginning to rear it's head is a doozy, but it's super exciting and we are in serious need of prayers in these next few weeks as these outreaches take place. First and foremost we ask that He would be our focus and our goal, and that in ALL things we would be walking in His Spirit and glorifying Him.

Bitter Sweet

This is my humble request for prayer right now. I have made so many amazing friendships over my life and they have only gotten stronger. I'm torn right now because part of me is so thankful for being blessed with being so close to so many amazing people, but the other part of me almost wishes that I wasn't because the thought of me leaving just keeps getting more and more difficult. I KNOW I am called to go, there is no doubt in my mind about that, and I know that relationships can be things of this world if I allow them to get the best of me and in the way of where God is calling me to go. More and more I'm realizing how tough these next few months are going to be, and how I just have to cling to God.

My First Real Breakdown

So I'm using this blog to be totally and completely honest and transparent about all that I'm going through in hopes that it will allow you to get a full grasp on what this process is like for me. Well...tonight I honestly have to say I broke down. I just felt so overwhelmed with getting my apartment ready to move out, my car breaking down, trying to figure out what I'm going to do with school and getting ready to move to move to Africa. All of these things have kind of mounted up and I've never really had an anxiety attack, but this is probably the closest I've ever been to having one. I deffinitely am feeling attacked and feel as if Satan is targeting my joyfulness I've been feeling about this whole thing, I know God has me in the palm of His hand, but it's just really really difficult right now to keep a joyful attitude when I feel so overwhelmed.

I think I need a bomb shelter

These past couple of weeks I honestly feel like I'm getting attacked from every side, and I just kind of want to curl up, close my eyes, and wait for it to be over, but I know that's not what I'm supposed to do. I know God doesn't give me more than I can handle and that through these times of being attacked, I'm called to cling to Him and grow in my faith, and to realize that He's preparing me for this next step in my life, but it's still tough. I'm facing issues with school, friendships, and my grandma being in the hospital. This is a humble prayer request asking for prayers for strength and for me to remember He's got me in the palm of His hands through these tough times.

Blessed are the flexible...right?

Ok, so I just found out that the training I have to go to in July was pushed back to be about two weeks later, which then means that I have to leave for Uganda about a week later than originally planned. I know it is just a week, but I want to be out there so badly that it honestly makes me so sad that I have to wait even longer than I thought. I know I just have to keep trusting in God and His timing, but it's times like this when I feel like asking God "are you sure..?" Anyways, just be praying for me that I will be able to not get discouraged about this little change and that I would continue trusting in Him and Hist timing.

My revelation for the day

So as I mentioned in the previous blog, it's basically exactly 9 months away that I'll be heading down to Jinja. At first I thought to myself "9 months! That's too long!!!" but then God opened my eyes to something: 9 months is length of time the baby must be in the womb before it's born. Yes, I know this is a weird illustration, but bare with me. Finding out that I was officially approved was the beginning of this process of me being formed into a missionary. As with babies, if they are born prematurely they are not as healthy as if they were born full-term, in that way if I go prematurely to Africa I will not be as effective as I could be if I were to wait until it's time. As I was sharing this idea with some dear friends of mine (the ladies at the front desk of Calvary) they elaborated on the illustration saying that while there is a pregnancy, there is discomfort, emotional roller-coasters, and morning sickness. During these next 9 months I'm going to go through so trials, attacks, doubts, and fears, but the good thing is that if I keep my focus on God in the end, I will be in Africa doing what I love. My receptionist girls also brought to my attention that Satan wants me to "miscarry" he will do everything in his power to keep me from going, so please keep me in your prayers throughout this "incubation period".