A Time to Remember

Some seasons in life meander. Some just come crashing in.

Both speak Him, when I listen.

Faith Quest: God brought me to Revelation 3 and the church of Philadelphia just before Faith Quest began. The church in Philadelphia was few in number. Weak. Bearing wounds and constant persecution from the “religious” and “righteous”. The “righteous” who had more money and more “solid” history. But were missing something.

“I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.”


This was God’s Word to His people. Not greater success. Or less struggle.

His love and adoration for his enduring people. Will be acknowledged.

What sweet, sweet assurance. What we see isn’t It. How He loves, Is.

We welcomed youth from different parts of Uganda and a team of 6 American visitors to this year's Faith Quest.

The theme was 'Under Construction.' And it was a great year. Learning. Prayer. Celebration. Worship and New Life.

All because of His Love for us.

Thank you to everyone who prayed us through this endeavor. Your prayers were answered in remarkable ways—good weather, open hearts, Glory to God.

May 5th, 2011: I never expected to feel this way, but I was dreading turning forty. Four Zero. (pause) Still not too happy about it. I can not explain it or analyze it or even apologize for it. Just wasn’t ready for those numbers on my cake.

So my dear family and sweet friends creatively spoke the truth (the number '35' was on my cake with five tiny candles hid behind) and it brought my heart such joy. My sweet girl works hard each year to mark my day with beauty. This year she baked my cake in an outdoor brick oven. The smiling faces of exuberance of my family made me so grateful that I have been graced another year to know them. Even if I’m not so thrilled with the actual numbers. Another year is a very good thing.

Keeping Moment: I was born on this day a few years ago but now share the birth day with my third born. Third born from my womb—third born-again in the Lord.

Nothing compares to sweet, simple faith expressed in the words, “I believe.”

“Jesus is the Son of God.”

He really has always known this but with frightening joy we will see it proven in his journey. As I hear his confession, experience his resolute decision and celebrate with the angels over his covenant love with Christ, I know the years ahead will rock him more than he could ever know. But this anchor holds.

He ponders deep and long over everything. And every so often, when I least expect it the depth bowls over and spills out into our awareness leaving me breathless and grateful.

I know my offspring well but only God knows their inmost beings. And He is there. Ever there. Loving, knowing, guiding and saving. Precious Savior—thank you.

Broken Hearts: Home from Faith Quest with exhaustion weighing heavy and a Facebook status alerts us to sorrow among our Tyler, Texas family. A fatal car accident has taken the life of dear friend.

I remember the first time we met. Jeff M. was carrying Cade in a baby carrier. Alicia was carrying food. I was pregnant with Isaac. We were at the Burnett’s for care group. I thought Alicia was beautiful. And she immediately began asking questions. About my pregnancy. About Uganda. About my life.

She asked me if I needed anything.

Tears.

She always asked if I needed anything.

We talked about baby needs and she said she would get some stuff together for me.

Boxes and boxes of clothes and blankets and toys.

Playgroups. Lunches. So many hugs.

Shopping. Packing. Watching my kids.

Laughing. Crying.

We are blessed when friends come along side us and, despite our frequent and long separations, open their lives and hearts to us. Jeff and Alicia were such friends.

She sent an email just after we arrived back in Uganda this time. Letting me know she missed me. Asking if I needed anything. (smile) And saying that she loved me.

I responded to her email. Lots of news from here. My love and constant prayers.

It was the last communication we would have. If I had known that, would I have said something different?

Our hearts are with Jeff, Jeron, & Cade daily as they walk through the grief of losing Alicia. We long to do more.

Valley of the shadows: In the wake of grieving with the Morrisons we hear of other friends and families facing loss. A young man passes quietly in his sleep, a Dad placed in hospice care while the family gathers, traumatic accidents shattering hearts and hopes.

Tornadoes. Earthquakes. Volcanoes.

A woman is assaulted just outside our fence.

Weighty. Heavy happenings.

And that empathetic weight makes the daily walk more cumbersome.

The daily facts of no electricity. The unused washer and dryer that would make it all so much easier. Homeschooling three active boys, on my own. Pre-algebra with Kinley.

The assaults on ministry here—lies. Deception. Brokeness.

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May YOUR UNFAILING LOVE rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:20-22

Each moment reminding me—
Beauty and pain coexist.
I should fear neither. Embrace both.

For everything He can make them.

“I know the plans I have for you,”

“To give you a future and a hope”

Precious Lord. Come quickly.

Faith Quest

When we began the preparation stage for this year’s Faith Building experience, I wondered if we would have the stamina to pull through. It’s been a tough few months for us. We are weary and tired to our bones.

But, alas. Faith Quest came. It went on. And…it was sensational.




God was there. So, of course, things happened. Fifteen precious ones put on Christ in baptism!



The youth listened, praised, shared and grew.


For several years now, I have been in throes of it all. Sensing it. Feeling it. Experiencing it.

This year, I was more in the Faith of it all.

Believing. Hoping and Trusting that He would do all He has promised whether I’m up to the tasks or not.

We gave it all we had…and He managed to redeem that for His glory.




He is good like that.

Many thanks to the Faith Quest Team who are blogging some of their thoughts and pictures here and here and here (sorry MT…I may have just upped your blog traffic!)



Many thanks to the missionaries in Uganda who support this effort.




And many thanks to the wonderful youth who came, laid down burdens and fell deeper in love with our Lord. May you never outlive your love for Him. He is All.

Smore Fest 2008

We praise God for all the amazing people He brings into the lives of our children. Here is one great example. You may know him by his regular ‘ole practical name…but around here, we call him “Uncle Smore”.

He brings the goods.


We build a fire.


We cook.




And we eat.



A good time is had by all.



Thank you, Uncle Smore, for investing in the hearts of our kiddos and our family. We love you! (And we can’t wait to share some of the fun with Auntie Smore around a campfire too!)

At Last...

Faith Quest Moments...

Pausing for Thanks

Before we get too far away from it…

Let me just pause and say…

What a pure delight it was to welcome Ben Wall to our home and ministry in Ft Portal.

It’s no surprise… he fit right in.

He and Trisha have been a part of this work for years now.

They are story telling, laugh-festing, sorrow bearing, dream sharing, soul-trusting friends.

And those are hard to come by, in this life.

The only thing that would have made his visit better…

Trisha’s presence. ☺ (Have I said that enough, Ben?)

God spoke mightily through you, brother. At Faith Quest, in Ft Portal church, in our yard, on the drive to Kampala and during all those late night talks…

Our brothers and sisters here were challenged, blessed and fed...

Our children were thrilled to hang out with "Mistuh Ben"...

And Jeff and I were...again, rejuvenated...by the presence of a "point us to God" friend.

Sweet Trisha, I’m sure you had the harder job. Your willingness to sacrifice your husband’s time and presence is a tremendous gift. Thank you for single parenting with your hands very full. You are my hero.

We love you deeply in Christ…and are overwhelmed with joy every time we get to share in ministry with you.

How sweet it truly is!

Come back and see us “Mistuh Ben.” (but bring Trisha!)

Questing--Uganda Style

20 tents
179 kids
17 Missionaries
7 Missionary Kids
1 Incredible Friend from the States
5 Fort Portal church leaders
15 Ugandan Sponsors
A Brother Whose Purpose was to Become Like us…then save us.
A Spirit Whose Comfort, Conviction and Power never cease to amaze.
And A Father…Who Never Quits...

Faith Quest 2007

We prayed. We praised. We cried. We laid down burdens. We Rejoiced.

And sent all back to their homes, yesterday…asking the Father, the Son, the Spirit…to go with them. Enable them. To be different. To stand firm. To cling to the Truth and the Promises that never fail.

Thank you for your prayers.

The Quest just gets better every year.

(Stay tuned for more details…when my tired brain can function or I’ve made a dent in the laundry . Whichever comes first.)

Faith Quest Update

Ben has arrived!

Tents are up!

Kids are packed!

Food is cooked!

I am tired...

And it all REALLY begins tomorrow...

Faith Quest 2007.

Your prayers for this endeavor are a blessing.

Rejoice!

The Quest is coming!

Faith Quest Uganda has become one of the high points of our year and one of our biggest projects.

This camp for 200 youth from towns all over Uganda requires many ''ducks" to be "in a row". And Uganda "ducks" can be cantakerous sometimes. :-) Sleeping quarters, tents, food, water supply, latrines and covered meeting areas are some of the details to be dealt with over the next weeks.

Our team is up for the challenge and excited about the outcome.

The theme is Rejoice in the Lord. And that is what we plan to do.

Already brilliant things are happening. Two of which are:

Jamie Swift and Ben Wall!

We are thrilled beyond words that these two warriors for God will be leading the Quest with us this year.

We can't wait to see all that God will bring about.

Please pray for these men as they prepare to serve the youth here.

Please pray for safety for all participants: good health, safe travel and NO SNAKES!

Pray for this Faith Quest to bring the youth into a closer relationship with Christ than they have ever experienced before.

Pray for ease of journey through the logistical mire...

Pray for energy, stamina and

His Presence...which we surely don't deserve...but so desperately need.

Here's to the Quest! May our Rejoicing glorify Him and increase the Faith of all!

(PS Many thanks Trisha and Ginger...for sharing your warriors with us...you are champions to me...I wish you were coming too!)

Circle of Chairs

They were camp chairs. Three of them. Sometimes four. We continuously had to re-situate the chairs to stay out of the equatorial sun.

Before us was a stack of requests. Prayer requests. From the Ugandan youth.

We read them, one by one. And prayed.

Some of the requests were expected...school fees, success with exams and further education, healing for physical problems...

Some of the requests stopped us in our tracks.

"Pray for my father to accept Jesus. Now he is not saved and he wants me to have sex with him in exchange for my school fees."

"Pray for me. I have a problem with looking at pornography."

"Pray for me...I have problems with lust."

"Pray for my family. They chased me away when I chose to follow Jesus. Now I have no where to go."

"Pray for me to have courage. I am attending an Islamic university and I am a Christian. I am treated badly. Pray that I will have courage to share my faith with the Muslims in my school."

Everyday, for three days, I was honored to sit around the throne of God, in His glorious presence, and interede for these precious Creations of His.
He already knew what we were going to talk about in these moments. His Perfect Heart has already broken over the atrocities these youth have faced in their young lives. And in the midst of governing the Universe...our amazing Creator allowed us access to...Himself. His Ear. His Heart. His Compassion. His Able-ness.

I was intereceding with powerful warrior friends. Mike. Judy. Phillip.

All believers. Witnesses to God's healing hand. God's presence in the midst of pain. God's victories. They are survivors of Satan's attacks and reign on this earth. And yet they remain, firmly in God's protective hand. It was an honor to stand with them in the battle.

Last week, many things happened. Many things worthy of Praise. But for me...the highlight of the week was the circle of chairs.

I was in the circle to lift up others. But in the process, I was brought before Him too. All my angst, joy, stress, blessing, victory, defeat...all is laid open before that Holy, safe throne.

His Throne. Our camp chairs. His availability and promise. Amazing.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matt 18:19-20

Quest of Faith

The house is still relatively quiet this morning. Integrity's Christmas Cd is playing. Veggie Tales entertains the first children up. Silas has had his morning cereal...which actually means he has eaten two bites then spent 20 minutes pouring the milk, doing milk art and then rubbing it in his hair. I am too tired to worry about it. It's milk. And he was occupied for 30 minutes. Everyone else is still crashed....Graul's in the guest room, Cashes in their respective bedrooms, Samuel in the playroom. The living room and hall are littered with the after effects of a camping trip. The washing machine and dryer are working away already on a very large pile of laundry...

This week was spent camping out at Lake Saaka...with nearly 200 youth and counselors from all of the churches of Christ in Uganda.

The idea for this Quest was born in the Northwest. And created in the Northwest. (United States, that is.) Many lives are changed, convicted, refreshed, and renewed during one Labor Day weekend retreat at Camp Yamhill in Oregon.

Jeff wanted to bring this Quest into the lives of youth here in Uganda. Jeff's dreams are usually so big I can't get my emotions all the way around them in the beginning. And this was one of those dreams. But with his Vision, God has also granted Persistence. And Faith Quest Uganda has become a reality.

Every year gets better. The first year, the campers hardly had tents. They slept on the ground in the bush....and LOVED it. The meetings were held in a banana leaf/bamboo structure. About 100 youth attended. The topic, was appropriately...Faith. The campers departed asking for more. They loved the entire program. We were encouraged.

The second year, four Quest leaders from the Northwest came over to help lead. Most campers had tents. No one had toilets..."use the trees, my friend" and Prayer was the topic of discussion. Everyone was dramatically changed by the events of the Quest...and God was shown to have ALL power and authority again.

The third year, five Quest leaders from the Northwest came over to help. Everyone had tents...and ants. (Yikes!) Mark Long built us a make-shift toilet in the woods. We talked about Worship. And we did worship. Alot. The ampitheatre was cemented for the occasion and the gorgeous view across the crater lake inspired, motivated and charged the passion in the young people and older people too! :-)

This, the fourth year, five more Quest leaders have come. Two of them are adults. Three of them are children. Yes, you heard me right. Isaiah (5yrs), Mali and Michal (3 yr old twins) have made the very long trip across the ocean and are here. Handling it. (all you who have said you could never make the trip...I'll hear you no more! I, M and M have set a high standard, my friends!)
We all had tents. We staff had our own "village" and kitchen with a cook making omelets in the morning. (Yes, Steve, omelets). We had a bricked and plastered bath house with warm showers available if requested. AND...we had real sit-down toilets. Pretty nice.
The topic was Sharing the Love of Jesus. The worship times were more intense this year. The prayer times...amazing. Sins were confessed. God was sought. Burdens were laid down. It was BLESSED.

On the last night, as I sat in the ampitheatre and watched the faces..my emotions "wrapped around it all". Young people, from turmoil and stress beyond my comprehension, have gathered to learn how to trust...in Him. And there, on that last night, their worship together was inspiring. On the faces around me, I saw, peace. Joy. Sincerity. Need. Blessing. And I realized that this Quest of Faith CAN change not only these young lives...but also whole villages...and even this whole country. One desperate soul at a time.

The Quest is a worthy one. And it will continue in Uganda...hopefully, not just for four days in December. But every day.

God bless you as you Quest for Him wherever you are today...