Days 4 – 7: Amani Baby Cottage & “Precious”

GOD IS SOOO GOOD!!!

This was our first 4 days at the Amani Baby Cottage. It has truly been a few great days. I think about Pastor James and Russia team – how their first week was very smooth, and then it hit them their 2nd week. My prayer is that our entire trip continues as smoothly as our first week – we truly appreciate your prayers (and pray that continue!) for God’s purpose to be accomplished and especially His protection over us. God has opened up the hearts of the children to us immediately – they all refer to us ‘Uncle’ or ‘Auntie’ and sometimes to the men as ‘Auntie’ anyways J. As many of our secondary bags that held mission supplies are now empty, many of us are tempted to fill that bag w/ a child that weighs less than 50 lbs….

“Precious” – God’s favored child:

This little girl was aborted at 7 months and then her parents tried to kill her 2x after birth. Her grandparents adore her and desire to bring her back home once she is healthy. She is currently living at Amani and, as you can see, has the hand of our almighty God covering her life. She truly is ‘precious’ – sooooo adorable. She will have a mighty purpose in the Lord’s kingdom. After holding a child like Precious, it is a beautiful reminder and proof that God is able to work out of horrible tragedy. I can’t wait to see what the Lord does in her life. It makes me reflect on a conversation I had with a physician friend of mine – there may be an extreme case (one in a million) where a baby is born without a head and the chance for survival for the mother is extremely low, otherwise, I feel that we should preserve the life and let God work out the outcome.

Colgate or Food?

We gave the quilts on Thursday – the quilts that the WOW (Women of the Word) labored in love over – in addition to the formula, food, educational materials, etc. that many gracious friends & donors gave. It didn’t take too long before we had drool, grass, and runny noses all over the quilts – but it wouldn’t be a babies home w/out that experience every single day. We didn’t have much left over to give to the mamma’s (there are 20+ of them!), so we decided to give them some of the hygiene kits we brought over. We initially felt that the gifts might not be adequate, but one of the women was soo thankful. She said God had brought us in the ‘brisk of time’ – and that she had recently run out of toothpaste and literally debated about buying toothpaste or food. We got it on film. I love how God meets our needs – often when we don’t even ask Him. “Birds of the air and lilies of the field….”

New Kitchen, paint, walkways, and a little medical research:

By God’s grace, w/ the help of a few Ugandan locals, we’ve already finished rebuilding the kitchen, re-stoned the patio around it, and painted the laundry facilities, bunk beds and other aspects of the orphanage. By our last day of painting, I think the fumes were getting to us – so they might not ask us to paint anymore in the future! African ‘time’ can be a little frustrating at times – but its always a good lesson to learn to slow down and allow God to coordinate schedules. We have begun our initial baseline medical research on 10 of our children. We’re using a U.S. based development tool (Denver Development II) and assessing its level of appropriateness for a cross-cultural setting and have implemented some metrics that the W.H.O. uses in some of its software that assesses the child’s development compared to others. Some of our findings are startling – w/ some of the children excelling in most areas (fine & gross motor, social/personal, linguistic), and others extremely delayed – sometimes in many areas, other times in an isolated area. Some of the research is hard to assess as the child might not be as compliant or they are so far delayed. Some cultural issues have been the mamma’s and their sensitivity to utilizing a commonly accepted tool to ‘monitor’ the child’s progress – which may cause them to question their ability to care for the children. Please pray that God continues to guide this process in particular and if he wants us to continue the study or not. The director of the orphanage is completely on-board and the mamma’s say their aok w/ it – but we want to make sure they are speaking from their heart. On Saturday, we met a woman at the guest house where we are staying who is a nurse that is involved in pharmaceutical research (Phase 1 – 4 trials) and is excited to, Lord willing, help us administer our study and provide some professional input tactically.

Healing Hearts – “God is speaking to me as I hold the children…Brigette Ray”

We have had great devotion time each morning, both individually, and as a team. Saturday morning’s devotion was very powerful. The Holy Spirit facilitated a time of more open sharing and allowed us to go through Romans 12: 6 – 12 on spiritual gifts. Each member shared about what they feel their gifting is and then allowed the entire team to encourage them and give direct feedback in how the team saw him/herself operating in his/her giftings. It was an emotional experience and the Spirit continues to bring deep areas of healing to many of us as well. I remember in the spring when the good Lord shared w/ me that by serving in this capacity, it would accelerate the Healing that the Lord wants to bring to my heart as well.

Brigette is our 2nd youngest team member and is only 14 years old. She had the choice to go to either Europe (safe, clean, known, comfortable) or Africa (perception of unsafe, dirty, unknown, hard work). Brigette has experienced things that no other 14 year old should ever experience –but her quite strength and maturity has encouraged us all. She shared with us that she feels like we are family for her.


Vision of the Womb:One of the visions God shared with me for the team was that of us in a womb – and that the umbilical cord is God’s word, directly feeding our hearts and souls and that the Holy Spirit is the liquid surrounding us, soaking into our skin and deeply penetrating deep into our pores.

I remember a discussion I had with Dr. Diehl (formerly the chief Anesthetist and partner at S. Towne Surgical Center). He and I talked about conducting a study that took PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) patients and measuring their nor-epinephrine levels pre-and post mission/service. I’m interested to see just how our team’s hearts change from this experience.

TIA (This is AFRICA!) – Congolese “Worship” Lines, “Don’t Stop Believ’in!”, Poolside, & Bonfires:

We believe that hard work needs to be balanced with appropriate rest and fun. After working in the hard sun, we take an hour to sit by the pool to swim/nap, before we head back to play with the children and help put the little rascals to bed – there is nothing like the energy of several toddlers after a clean bath & clean teeth feeding off each other and trying to show off – and getting them to stay ‘under’ their mosquito netting w/out trying to pull it off continually J. I am proud that I put on my first cloth diaper (fortunately for me, the toddler was already clean so all I had to do was slide under the diaper and snap a few buttons) – perhaps the Lord is preparing me for more in the future!

Christmas in July & Bonfire:

Jinja seems to be NGO (Non-governmental Organization – basically a non-profit based out of the U.S.) central for Uganda. There are several Christian ministry teams in town – with many additional missionaries volunteering or living full time at the orphanages. Thursday evening, the volunteers staying at Amani Baby Cottage had ‘Christmas in July’ w/ glazed cookies, a white elephant gift party, music, and a bonfire w/ spiraling marshmallows and amazing fire-side worship (by an Australian woman w/ a lovely accent and the gift of prophetic worship) to end the evening!

· Congolese ‘Dove’ Performance: Friday evening, we went to “The Keep” to watch a Congolese Men’s group perform. The Keep is a restaurant in town that I’m pretty sure is owned by Christians. Many of the mission teams meet up there on weekend evenings. It’s truly hard to describe, but picture a restaurant downtown, w/ 9+ refugees from the Congo that sing like angels, dancing and praising the Lord w/ original African style music. A few of us were invited up to dance w/ them – and then a Congo line began in the middle of the concert! I pictured the Holy Spirit creating this beautiful circle/hedge of protection around all of the Christian missionaries – where the love and joy of Christ filled the room w/ laughter, song, and dance!

· Karaoke: After wrapping up our painting projects on Saturday, we headed into town that evening to do a little shopping. As we were waiting to eat our first amazing ‘Rolex’ (it’s a tapata cooked w/ egg & tomatoes) by a well-known street vendor, we had the opportunity to play a little volleyball w/ the street children that lived in an abandoned building nearby. We were fortunate to trade ‘dancing’ for candy as well. It’s soo beautiful how God immediately develops bonds through the simplest encounters of playing with a ball. I held a mini ‘setting’ clinic and the kids seemed to love it! We headed back to the Keep for the evening and had a splendid time singing w/ our many friends in the restaurant. I think the favorites for the night were “Free Fallin”, “I’ve got friends in low places”, and “Don’t Stop Believ’in!” Asians in Africa (AIA) singing Karaoke…funny.


Who would of thought that God would meet us in Uganda how He has. He is such a gracious God. I don’t think our hearts could be in a better place at this moment – serving our Lord, spending great time with Him, working hard & completing some great projects, loving on His children and fulfilling His commandment to care for the orphaned, and having a lot of fun along the way.

· Vision on the mountain top: God shared another vision in a roller coaster (which I personally think is fun!) on top of a high mountain peak….any my heart is light and having a blast. Like any roller coaster, it can be a little scary at times, but a thrill none the less. Knowing that we’re safe in God’s arms makes the ride that much more fun.

As many of us reflect on what is most important in life, much of those things that don’t matter so much (beyond what is most important – our relationships) loses so much significance. Right now, I personally wouldn’t trade this time with the Lord for anything.

A letter from one of our intercessors – we truly appreciate these words of encouragement – thanks Tiffany!

“For I know the plans I have for you. My plans are to prosper you and NOT to harm you. My plans hold HOPE and a bright future. I am able to keep you from stumbling and to present before you My glorious presence WITHOUT FAULT and with GREAT JOY. Through me is glory, majesty, power and authority. Trust in Me at all times, pour your heart out to me, for I am your REFUGE. Wait for me. Discipline your thoughts to trust me as I work My ways in your life. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHINGS. Leave outcome up to Me Do NOT FEAR MY WILL, for though it will accomplish what is BEST for you. Take deep breaths and dive into the depths of absolute trust in me. Underneath arm, EVERLASTING ARMS. I am your Director of your ship on these high seas, my breath fills your sails. I am calling you to a golden shore. There is no uncertainty with me. Time is my hands. I saw you formless in all your days are written in my book. TRUST IN ME and do not lean on your understanding. I make everything beautiful in my timing. I will work all things together for your good and my glory. You must walk by Faith of the unseen. I hold all things together. Your enemies are defeated. I am appointed head over everything. There is great purpose in this. I care for you, cast all your cares upon me.

Team Prayer Requests:

· Healing – for Duy’s lower back, Linda’s elbow, Matthew (one of the children that has HIV) and the other children that have HIV at the home.

· Protection – continued physical safety, stomach/food, Malaria

· Redemption – continue to spread the Gospel to both the local people and others that we come into contact with – may His sword be effective in hearts for Him and ‘casting out demons’ if necessary.

· Uniting – continued uniting in the team – for us to become not just a team, but a family in Christ – selfless & loving.

We luv Uganda!

Blessings,

Day 1 – 3: Chicago Dogs, Washington D.C. tour & Safely in Uganda!

Hey Family & Friends!

Thank you for your prayers thus far! Our travel has been pretty smooth. The blessing at Good Shepherd was splendid and Pastor James’s message was so applicable. “Hearts of Grace” seemed to be the key takeaway for the team. After the service, we had an hour to weigh our bags at the church and redistribute weight before loading them in. Brigette’s mother and her boyfriend graciously had a truck to carry all the bags and a 15-passenger van to take the entire team. We arrived at the airport w/ plenty of time and hearts at ease. Every bag made weight and I think it surprised the woman at the ticket counter (who didn’t seem to be in the best mood) – our check-in was near seamless.

The Heart of our Nation

Our flight to Chicago brought us ‘Chicago Dogs’ (hot dogs w/ all the fixins!) and our connection to D.C. arrived early. Once in, we had to check-out our bags and re-check them in (due to the 11 hour layover and Ethiopian Airlines not being open at 1 a.m.) but Rey’s friend had a truck that allowed us to keep the luggage in overnight, so it wasn’t much of a hassle. Most of the team checked into the hotel (which we got very inexpensively) and a few of us received a Hawaiian home-cooked dinner and breakfast and got a quick tour and pics in front of D.C.’s finest (Iwo Jima Memorial (we had 3 Marines present), Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery, and Washington Monument) and got to see the city prepare for the 4th of July. What a blessing – To be in our Nation’s capital at the beginning of its Independence Day! In the future, it would be an honor to celebrate the 4th out here at least once. The fireworks are displayed from ‘the mall’ and people around the entire city can see them.

Sudanese Woman & Unclean Spirit…

As we were waiting to board our flight to Addis Ababba (Ethiopia), a couple of us had the opportunity to encounter a woman that had a severe spiritual attack. She was from the Sudan and got lost trying to find her gate. She had an infant in her arms. Both she and her child had a severe skin condition – it appeared to be the same condition for both. It looked like they both had scabs on all of their arms (and the infants tummy and legs) and bumps on their faces. The woman immediately opened up to us, in tears, and felt that she had been ‘cursed’ – that she had a ‘mental condition’ that has caused her to be unstable for the last year and a half. Linda asked her if she ‘believed that Jesus could cure her.” Her response was ‘no’ – We had an opportunity to lay hands on her and talk/pray and let her know of Jesus love for her…she didn’t seem too receptive to prayer, but did really want to share about what she had been through. The image of her still resides in my mind. I wish we could have done more – if you think about her, she could use a lot of prayer and it would appear that there is an unclean spirit that resides in her. I think she will be just the beginning of what we see on the mission. Her name is Emil and her child is Elizabeth. I ponder now – we administered her love, but her ‘spirit’s ‘ condition did not change during our time together. Was it lack of receptivity/faith on her part? Or not praying and fasting enough on our part? Or God simply choosing to work in a different way and time?

As we were walking away, Patricia Burris made one last call to send her love to the team and share a message, “The walls of Jericho fell when the leaders of Israel worshipped….” What a beautiful message – the war was won in worship. It definitely made my heart sing!

A brush with the President of Uganda, the mighty Nile river, and safely in our accommodations

Our flight was on a big, new 777 (the team wasn’t sure what to expect as we had been told that Ethiopian Airlines had some shady planes), so our flight had good meals and plenty of movies to keep us rested. The customs agent was very pleasant and loved our ‘American Women’ – his cordiality made it nice to go through this process. We received everyone of our bags and our driver was waiting for us (dressed nicely I might add) as soon as we exited with our luggage. On our way into Kampala, we actually had to pull over our shuttle because the President of Uganda’s police and military escort drove by us! What an experience – and then the Minister of Agriculture came by as well! We went to a nice marketplace w/ plenty of foreigners to exchange our money, get drinks, and use the restroom. We had a nice drive across the country – saw sugar cane & tea plantations, drove through the Marange’ (?) rain forest, crossed the mighty Nile river, and arrived at our lodging. Our accommodations are wonderful! Many of the teams’ hearts seemed to finally come to a place of rest when we arrived here. We met the gentleman that is launching the worldwide college ministry for Young Life – wow! His family is here and we had an opportunity to pray for one another. As his words ring in my heart, “God was here (at this guest home) before we were.” God’s spirit is alive in this ministry and we are looking forward to watching Him work powerfully at the babies’ home this week. We have a full agenda with both our construction project and medical research. Please pray for zero jet lag and strength for the team as we tackle the upcoming long days. Please pray that the children’s hearts open up to us quickly and we are able to minister and be ministered by these little ones.

Spirit’s Agenda

Previous to leaving and in assessing the trip and looking for improvements for our next (Lord willing), I told myself that I would book our flights early enough so we could miss the Washington, D.C. delay. But we would have missed the relationships and tour of the city and the Sudanese woman. God has affirmed to us that we need to look at this trip as not just a mission trip, but a ‘great adventure’ and truly allow the spirit to lead this trip and not ‘abide’ by a regimented agenda. Our Ugandan-Tanzania trip now has these great pics in the city of Jazz, our nation’s capital, and beautiful Uganda so far! I can’t wait to see what additional surprises God blesses us with!

Blessings!

Darnell