Rattins living Coram Deo

Uganda unit study - foods

2020-04-09T05:35:00.001-04:00

Every tribe in Uganda has different food preferences, but they tend to revolve around these basics. Boarding school students (i.e. the vast majority of secondary school students) generally eat posho and beans daily except for a Sunday portion of meat. Imagine eating the same food for every meal!

"Food" is the starch while everything else is the "soup" that goes with the food. Generally a large quantity of the starch is portioned out with a smaller quantity of the soup. "Foods" include:

White sweet potato (peeled and boiled)
Cassava/manioc (as chips)
Irish potatoes (peeled and boiled)
White maize (posho - as a loaf of sticky "bread")
Millet (atapa or kalo - as a loaf of sticky "bread")
Matoke/green plantain (best when steamed in banana leaves)
Rice

The "soup" includes a wide variety of ingredients in these categories:

Greens
Beans
Cabbage
Peanuts - ground into flour or paste depending on the tribe
Meats (generally reserved for special occasions) - chicken, goat, beef, pork
Fish (regionally) - tilapia, Nile perch
Boiled pumpkin (not actually a soup - perhaps more of a side dish)

Snacks would be:

Chapati (can also go with a meal)
Rolex (yes! Look it up here)
Fruits off the trees (mango, papaya, banana, pineapple, guava, jackfruit, oranges)
Peanuts/groundnuts
Porridge (maize or millet or cassava mix)
Chai (any black tea - with or without milk or spices but always with sugar - to be taken most definitely around 10:30am every day)
Popcorn

Here are some very interesting pages from a book about the social aspects of Iteso eating.

Uganda unit study - facts

2020-04-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

Uganda facts

Kampala is the capital of Uganda.
The Ugandan shilling is the currency used here (currently 3800 UGX to 1 USD).
The official languages include English and Swahili, but people also speak Luganda and various other languages (like Acholi).
The life expectancy in Uganda is 50.4 years.
Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by Kenya in the east, Sudan in the north, Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west, Rwanda in the southwest and Tanzania in the south.
Uganda’s total land area is 241,559 sq km. About 37,000 sq km of this area is occupied by open water while the rest is land. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which it shares with Kenya and Tanzania.
Uganda is located on the East African plateau, averaging about 1,100 meters (3,609 ft) above sea level. The plateau generally slopes downwards towards Sudan explaining the northerly tendency of most river flows in the country. Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform since the altitude modifies the climate.
Uganda’s elevation, soil types and predominantly warm and wet climate impart a huge agricultural potential to the country. They also explain the country’s large variety of forests, grasslands and wildlife reserves.
Uganda has a total population of about 32 million people.
Nicknamed in the late 1800's: "The Pearl of Africa"
https://www.gou.go.ug/content/facts-figures

Vulnerable children in Uganda - definitions

2020-04-01T05:43:00.000-04:00

Please read this post as a means of introduction to this series.

What is an orphan?

In the west, an orphan is generally viewed as a child who has neither mother nor father. In fact, dictionaries define an orphan as a child without parents or a child deprived of parental care. Therefore, sponsors, prospective adoptive families, philanthropists, churches, short term volunteers, even many mission boards are convinced that when they are supporting or adopting "an orphan" the child must surely be a true orphan. It has been shown that the majority of the world's orphans have families and the majority of children in orphanages have families.

The word orphan has morphed in much of Africa to include a much broader category of child.

When a child is "an orphan" here, his mother might be bringing him to the office as an orphan to see about getting assistance with his school fees.

An "orphan" might be brought to an orphanage by an "uncle" (who turns out is actually the father) because the family cannot (or will not) care for the child due to stigma from the mother's death.

A child might be admitted to an orphanage because she is young and very vulnerable and the family is so impoverished that the child is suffering from malnutrition. She might still have two parents and extensive extended family.

For this reason, I will seldom use the word orphan except when the child is a true double orphan (no parents alive). I will otherwise use the term "vulnerable child" which can clearly encompass all of these cases without causing so much confusion. In fact, a child who is being trafficked is CLEARLY a vulnerable child.

Definitions:

Maternal orphan: a child who has lost his mother

Paternal orphan: a child who has lost his father

Single orphan: a child who has lost one parent

Double orphan: a child who has lost both parents

Social orphan: a child who is functionally orphaned by illness or other extenuating circumstance

Vulnerable child: a child under 18 years of age with a very high risk of lack of care and protection

OVC: Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Child-mother: a mother who was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and gave birth to a baby in the bush. The children from the bush had much stigma when they first emerged from the bush due to the manner in which they were conceived and the assumed atrocities that the mother may have committed. That stigma is fading now and a child is no longer automatically labeled and stigmatized as a child-mom-child by peers, teachers, and the community.

Child trafficking: recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation could simply be financial. Example: uncle puts child up for international adoption and receives money. NO MONEY or benefits should be given to families or orphanages when it comes to adoption. If the orphanage that you are adopting a child from is asking for money, the answer is NO. It's a red flag and it's illegal.

Parents of missionaries

2014-02-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

We are in a new era of missions.

Facebook, Voxer (our current favorite), Skype, Google Hangouts, Magic Jack, blogs...

We can stay in touch with our families in real time. They can be here in 30 hours (best case scenario). We could be there in 30 hours (you know, if all our children has passports and stuff - little details).

In the past year, nearly every missionary that I know has had a parent visit.

This is a different era of missions.

Parents of missionaries live a unique life. Their hearts are partially in a country they have never inhabited. Their grandkids are growing in a culture foreign to their own. They take a month off work and cross the globe with the goal of LITERALLY snuggling their grandchildren for 3 weeks straight.

They drop their life to rush to the aid of their children in crisis - not unlike any parent in the West, except that such a selfless act costs thousands of dollars instead of a drive to New Hampshire.

They encourage YOUR missionaries like no one else can. They provide insight that no other person is qualified to give. They watch for red flags of burn out, disillusionment, and self pity and they alone can be so completely honest that your missionary HAS to listen. They see the progress and can encourage like no other.

How can you support the parents of missionaries who are in your midst? Are they grieving the small losses? Not being there on their grandchild's first day at the village school? Are they grieving the big losses? The death or significant health concern of a loved one overseas? Would your missionaries be exceptionally encouraged in dark times by a visit from their family?

The mission field is all around you. Don't miss out!

Absent from flesh - what joy that moment brings!

2014-02-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

I know I promised a blog series... oh four months ago... I WILL write it. But life is so hectic here and blogging is emotionally stressful... My mental, physical, and emotional energy went elsewhere.

Last week, missionary friends here in Uganda were in a devastating car crash on our horrible roads. Their one month old baby died in the crash. The mom has significant injuries and is in a Ugandan hospital trying to recover and find her way through the veil of grief.

Today, I got a phone call (I'm a doctor) asking for advice on a little girl who was caught in a brush fire. She is burned over 100% of her body and fighting for her life.

We prayed for both situations with our children. And I hugged them a little longer at bedtime and prayed over them again. And kissed my special needs daughter more, memorizing her smile and her lovey eyes a little longer.

The children's favorite song is "ashen bla blesho"... or, to translate from their gibberish "Absent From Flesh." I groaned (inwardly) as we started to sing it tonight in family worship time and the kids started bouncing all over the room at 7:38pm. And then, at my dear husband's request, I sang with him. And the powerful words hit me in light of these tragic events.

Let them wash over your soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5DbEMyFv_Q

Words: Isaac Watts, 1606 (ad. Jamie Barnes)
Fourth verse (and chorus ad.): Tim Johnson
Music: Jamie Barnes
Arr: Tim Johnson and Matt Patrick

lyrics

Absent from flesh, O blissful thought
What joy that moment brings
Freed from the blame my sin has brought,
From pain and death and its sting.

Absent from flesh, O glorious day!
In one triumphant stroke
My reckoning paid, my charges dropped,
And the bonds 'round my hands are broke.

I go where God and glory shine,
To one eternal day
And this failing body I now resign,
For the Christ has made a way
For the Christ has made a way

Absent from flesh! Then rise, my soul,
Where feet nor wings could climb,
Beyond the sky, where planets roll,
And beyond all keep of time.

I go where God and glory shine,
To one eternal day
And this failing body I now resign,
For the Christ has made a way
For the Christ has made a way

Absent from flesh! Then see thy God,
With eyes unveiled and free
We’ll face to face His glory laud,
And radiance ever see

I go where God and glory shine,
To one eternal day
And this failing body I now resign,
For the Christ has made a way
For the Christ has made a way

Vulnerable children in Uganda - part one

2013-10-14T12:10:00.004-04:00

"Abby gets a little excited when talking about orphans." My dear friend spoke with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips. Her words struck me. "Isn't everyone passionate about orphans and vulnerable children?" I thought.

I am immersed in the "African orphan crisis."

I live it, breathe it, sweat it, feel it, speak it, hug it.

The "crisis" is inextricably woven into my family.

I have kept silent for long, as we have sat back as observers and learners. But as our two year anniversary in Uganda approaches, I have decided to put down some thoughts for others to read, hopefully to help our supporters and friends get a better sense for what it means to be a vulnerable child in Africa.

As a means of introduction, we adopted one special needs child from Liberia 7 years ago and are adopting one abandoned total orphan from Uganda where we live (we've already been a family for a year and a half). We have three biologically birthed children mixed in between. We inherited a children's home here in Uganda which was filled with vulnerable war-affected children who have been slowly reunited with their families.

We adopted our firstborn daughter before we understood much of the complexity of the African Orphan Crisis. Now that we understand it better, we would still adopt her, one hundred times over, knowing that she is one of the many vulnerable children whose lives have literally been saved because of international adoption. Having done assessments on special needs children eligible for adoption, followed their stories, and stood by as 40% of them passed away before they could be adopted... we know that our Gracie's adoption was right, was ethical, was pleasing to God, and met the need. International adoption has its place and we LOVE adoption!

But international adoption is not the first choice. We view it as third choice in a string of options...

The African orphan has options?! We thought the African orphan was destitute, unwanted, dying in the gutters!

Some are - please understand that I am not diminishing the weight of this problem.

But WHO is the African orphan and what are her options?

To be continued....

Belonging (or lack thereof)

2013-10-13T23:09:00.000-04:00

Today I ate a feast of goat meat with my fingers, encouraged my children digging in the dirt and told them to stop bothering the goats, caught a chicken to show Gracie, and laughed about rats while sorting through dusty books...

I've been pondering "belonging."

I grew up to be a third culture kid - an American missionary kid who didn't belong in America. I looked American, but wasn't. My passport said I was American, but my heart didn't.

Over the years, through college, medical school, residency, I drifted into becoming more American. I started to belong to America.

Then I moved back to Africa. And I don't belong in Africa. I will never be Acholi, no matter how hard I try. But now, after two years of living in Africa again, I certainly don't belong in America.

So... where do I belong?

My children will (hopefully) struggle with this very question. Yes, I pray that my children feel that discomfort of belonging (or lack thereof). Because this struggle is essential to the Christian life, as we live as "aliens and strangers in this world" (I Peter 2:11), looking forward to an eternity of belonging to Christ (II Peter 3:3-18).

Within our own culture, within our own family, surrounded by friends who understand us, it can be too easy to slip into a false sense of belonging. We DON'T belong anywhere in this world. As Christians, we are NEW creations in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).

Take comfort and find joy!

A bittersweet anniversary

2013-10-05T02:18:00.002-04:00

This day marks a bittersweet anniversary. An anniversary that my older sister is very good at remembering - for very obvious reasons! This photo (above) was taken a day or two before the anniversary... maybe you can guess what happened!

Two years ago today, we left Pennsylvania, left my family, and I haven't seen them since (except for my little sister who visited us in June!).

Two years ago today, we anxiously delayed leaving Pennsylvania as long as we could... waiting for my baby nephew to make his grand appearance! He finally obliged, at the last possible minute, and we got to hold him for a precious hour when he was just hours old... and then we said goodbye.

Happy Birthday, Matthias!! (My mom with her 6 grandkids on that day.)

Two years later:

- We have five children (two of whom have never been out of Uganda).

- My mom has 9 grandkids (two of whom she has never met in person).

- We have two more nephews (on Josh's side - who we have yet to meet).

- Matthias is turning TWO years old! Talitha (another niece that we last saw as an infant) turned TWO just over a month ago.

- My children are more accustomed to living in Uganda than in the USA.

- My children view Skype as the only way to see our family in the USA.

- Three of our children only know Uganda - they talk of the USA as a far-off wonderland where Mimi, Papa, Mama Mac, and Papa Mac live.

- Boxed cake mix no longer tastes good (we're used to making everything from scratch now!).

- We're 20-30 pounds lighter without all the cheese in our diet. ;-P

"When you are young..."

2013-09-28T02:22:00.001-04:00

We visited our colleague and friend, Rose, and her brand new baby girl, Lakisa, this week. This adorable healthy newborn was an answer to prayer as mama and baby are both healthy and thriving. This is not a given in this area. Child and maternal mortality rates are high - very high.

But what struck me was a comment that she made as we sat in her tiny sitting room with her husband (unusual!), her two sons, a maid (usually a young lady from one of the families who needs domestic experience as she waits to get married), and the two grandmothers. Yes, both grandmothers came to help. This is a little unusual, especially since Rose and her husband are from different tribes. But the happy grandmothers were both sitting there, together, loving on their grandbaby.

"The baby is doing so well because the mothers are here to help. When you are young like us, you can't have a healthy baby. You need help from the mothers."

Rose is probably around 30 years old and has had two children already. She's educated, her husband is educated, they both work for NGOs. Yet, she readily acknowledges her need for someone older and wiser than herself to help her take the best care of her children.

We have a lot to learn from that attitude in the West. In North America, we believe that only we, the parents, can possibly know what is good for our children. Grandparents are token people in our lives, there to babysit and spoil the child. Other people have no say. We don't want to hear anything about parenting - it offends us for someone to bring up parenting - it's a sacred topic that you can't talk about. We are all-sufficient when it comes to parenting. We've read the books, gone to the seminars, quietly observed what we don't like other parents doing, and come to our own conclusions, i.e. the Right Way to parent.

Conversely, everything here is communal. Any stranger on the street can tell you how to raise your child, clothe your child, or feed your child. Your child is not your own. In fact, your child is "owned" by the father's side of the family.

There are good and bad aspects of both cultures. But I think we could take a cue from our Ugandan friends as they seek advice and wisdom from those older and wiser. Can we humble ourselves and take unsolicited advice? Can we humble ourselves and solicit advice? Can we let others speak into our lives?

Heavy reality

2013-09-15T10:07:00.001-04:00

My heart is heavy. I'm facing the reality that I'm giving a very serious diagnosis to an orphan.

If this was a child in North America, his parents would be grieving, angry, and reaching out to find resources and support...

If this was a child in North America, his future would be full of plans for transitional care, skills training, adult living options, surgeries, medication after medication after medication, specialized diets...

Here's a reality about orphans worldwide, but specifically in sub-Saharan Africa: this kiddo has relatives. But, for reasons that I will keep private, they have rejected him.

So, he does not have an advocate. He does not have a mom to stay up at his side all night watching over him. He does not have a dad who will run into town to get his medication before it runs out. But he also does not automatically have the option for adoption because he still has relatives.

The good news? He has us! Praise God that he is a Home of Love child.

The diagnosis is still difficult. His prognosis is still uncertain. But at least we have a broad support network that gives confidence that we will find the right placement and options for his care. Pray that the relatives will understand and make the right decisions about his care. Pray as I seek 3rd and 4th opinions regarding his diagnosis!

God is bigger than a caterpillar

2013-09-10T14:08:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I'm sitting under my mosquito net, Googling "stinging caterpillars." I'm always learning something new - usually out of necessity. This evening, I narrowly rescued Baby from a "bad" caterpillar that was making a bee-line for him. This is the prickly caterpillar that people here fear greatly. Fear almost as much as snakes... but not quite... nothing tops a snake.

After I kicked the prickly caterpillar away and snatched the baby to the sound of Christine exclaiming about the dangers of that caterpillar, the caterpillar kindly obliged and curled up into a ball waiting patiently until I could find something to kill it with. I then scolded each of my other children for not wearing their shoes outside (again) and made baby play next to me for the rest of the day...

As if I am in control....

Yesterday, I lost him twice. And silently freaked out. And got silently angry at the teenagers and adults in my household for letting him get out of their sight. And beat myself up for the near-death experiences that he surely had when he wandered away from me...

As if I am in control...

Today, I lost him (only once!) to the bathroom (i.e. yucky danger room) while I was occupied feeding Gracie. And I then strapped him to my back for the rest of the day...

As if I am in control...

But here's the good news: I'm not in control.

Although I forget this daily, my children's survival in this dangerous world does not rest on my shoulders.

I live for a God who is BIGGER than stinging caterpillars, bigger than snakes, bigger than yucky danger rooms, bigger than roads, water, cars, rocks, trees... bigger than all the things that can harm my children. In fact, He's IN CHARGE of all the things that can harm my children. In fact, He CREATED and SUSTAINS my children.

This is particularly significant for those of us who have children with special needs. Me being awake all night will not keep Gracie alive if God decides that it's time for her to be home with him. Me being asleep at night will not surprise God and cost Gracie her life prematurely.

This is significant for moms of any number or age of children. GOD IS BIGGER, BIGGEST, CREATOR, and SUSTAINER.

Let that be our hope, our glory, our peace, our joy, our satisfaction.

In the meantime, pray that I will survive Baby's new found independent streak, find myself trusting more in Christ, and being wise!

First world problems in the third world

2013-07-16T09:53:00.000-04:00

My sister introduced me to the term "first world problem."

I've been gnawing on this concept all day.

We live in the "third world" or whatever the politically correct term is these days... I call it "low-resource setting."

But we still have what I would classify as first world problems.

I have to make my own cheese to make lasagna. 'sigh' (I have figured out how to make amazing lasagna here AND I have an oven!!)

60% of the time, there's no running water from my kitchen tap so I have to do dishes from a tap that comes from our water tank. 'sigh' (I still have running water 80% of the year!!)

I can't do laundry when the power is out (because I have a washing machine!!). 'sigh'

But, additionally, our community has "NGO-world problems." It's really the same concept. But created by the presence of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who have given hand-outs for a decade (or longer) due to war and crisis in the region.

You're sponsoring my child to go to school, but I want my child to go to the most expensive school in the region.

You gave me a cow last year, where's my cow this year?

The home that you built me two years ago now has a leaky roof.

I don't mean this as a criticism of individuals but more of a real-life reflection on the worlds that we create for ourselves and the problems we then have to live with.

If we cater to our children, shelter our children, or have extraordinary standards for how we feed, clothe, educate, and amuse our children - they end up with first world problems. Is it wrong to do any of those things? Not inherently. But we have to know that we're going to have to live with and deal with the first world problems that we have created.

If we give hand-outs, clothe other people's children for them, feed them without requiring any participation or contribution - they end up with "NGO-world problems." Is it wrong to care for the poor and those in crisis like that? Not inherently. But we have to know that we're going to have to live with and deal with the NGO-world problems that we have created.

There is discussion now about how to curb the first world problems facing our generation and our generation's children. There is also discussion now about how to curb what I am calling "NGO-world problems."

For more reading on this topic, read "When Helping Hurts." It's a MUST READ for anyone going on a mission's trip OR living in the real world. Please don't take it to the extreme. The Bible commands us to care for the poor, the widows, the orphans. We ARE to be God's hands and feet to a hurting world. But let's be thoughtful and intentional!

Missionary mom of special needs

2013-07-14T08:45:00.003-04:00

"Mama, when Gracie's in heaven, she won't need a wheelchair anymore, right? And she'll be able to talk to me, right?" (5 year old Ana, this week)

Our Gracie is our first-born child. We've been a family for nearly 7 years now. We couldn't imagine life without her. God has used her to shape us in so many ways.

But being on the mission field with a growing nonverbal daughter with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, epilepsy, significant development delays, GERD, constipation, and a swallow disorder is not always easy. God had it all planned out, though. He directed me to medical school so that Gracie could have her own personal doctor!

(She LOVES her HOL friends and is very popular!)

Our daily challenges with her include:

- No special education so she's homeschooled. She much prefers that someone BESIDES Mama teach her, so this summer I hired a dear friend who is in university for education. I've trained her to be Gracie's one-on-one tutor (and do some stretches with her too!).

- Limited therapies available in this region - and, to be honest, I know a lot more than many of the local therapists because I had the opportunity to study rehab medicine under top experts and amazing therapists in a very HIGH resource region of the world.

- No specialized medical supplies available here - youth diapers (yes, she's now a youth size!!), thickener for her liquids, durable medical supplies. God has been so gracious and we have not run out of thickener yet! I also have found various supplies from various sources and an amazing lady sewed Gracie dozens of cloth diapers before we moved to Africa. But, that doesn't mean that I'm not always calculating, in the back of my mind, how many more days of thickener I have until we run out. When she's having a good day, I'll challenge her with sips of un-thickened milk.

- She's STILL nonverbal and struggles to communicate. We backed up back to picture exchange and she seems to be doing very well with that. Her IPad skills are still too inconsistent for communication - but we keep trying! We're so blessed that Gracie's "team" in the USA still stays in contact with us and even sends us stuff to help her along! But on days like today... it's difficult. She fussed all night until I finally took off her AFO's (ankle foot orthotics) and gave her tylenol and laid with her for hours. Today I examined her more carefully in the daylight and (honestly, much to my relief) it seems that one foot is painful to her. But she can't communicate pain or location of pain - which is so challenging and painful to Mama!

- No regular check-ups. I have to be her doctor. I don't get to sit back and be Mama and let other doctors advise me on my children's health. I'm painfully aware that her hips are slowly dislocating and will likely require surgery. But I can't rely on regular ortho appointments to monitor them for me. It's just something that nags at me and even torments me on a bad day. There's no easy way to monitor her health. There's no way to check a depakote level, so I just have to watch her for any signs of bone marrow suppression and keep track of her seizures. I did get a complete blood count done last year and I'll probably do this same in December again.

- No easy way to get around. This child is getting BIG! Getting her in and out of our car is near to impossible for me. (We're buying a different van with sliding doors on both sides, needless to say!) I am able to push her around villages in her Convaid (thank you, Ebay!). But I can't really take her to the market, so my dream of being around the community with my daughter cannot be realized. She goes to church, to Home of Love, on walks around our neighborhood, and, on rare occasions, to the "big" store in town (but only if I don't need to buy soap or toilet paper because those are up stairs). Someday, we hope to live out of town a bit, in which case she should be able to be out in the community more.

- I am her wheelchair tech. Um... yeah. I watched very attentively and asked hours of questions at every one of Gracie's wheelchair fittings... but... there's only so much I can "grow" her chair without additional parts. After adjusting it all that I can, she's still about 2 inches too big for it. The kid won't stop growing! ;-P Her AFOs STILL fit (two years in the making!!) thanks to careful craftmanship by her orthoticist who made a soft foot insert bootie inside the AFO. When the AFOs were getting too tight, I just removed the bootie and got an extra year out of them!

- The insurance that we have is hardly paying for anything. It's really okay, until she needs some major equipment. We budget an extra amount every month JUST for Gracie's needs and God has provided abundantly.

I'm describing all of these challenges (and there are many more that I haven't shared) for several reasons:

1) There may be another missionary family out there who made the choice to move to a low resource setting with their child with significant special needs - I'd love to hear from you!

2) Pray for us and for Gracie! Pray that God would give us wisdom and discernment. Pray that God would keep her healthy and delay her need for surgery.

3) These are the challenges that I (a doctor) have with my Gracie (the most joyful, engaging, delightful child you may ever meet!) in the context of an entire fan club of knowledgeable people in a high resource setting in the USA, after 5 years of the best medical care in the world getting her "tuned up." Imagine what it is like for a parent here who is struggling to feed their family each day by gardening. What challenges face that family? What would you do if faced with the decision to either care for your disabled child (it's more than a full time job!) OR feed the rest of your children? Would you be able to hang in there if your community, friends, relatives were insistent that your child was disabled because of demons? When your child became too big to carry on your back, how would you keep her safe from snakes, fire, aspiration, heat, cold? These are the families that I feel compelled to support. Families who are in that impossible position.

When I'm discouraged, I allow my mind to wander and dream about the day that I can start this ministry to special needs children. Everything that I am learning now is equipping me to better love these families and their children. The more I understand Acholi culture, the more I tap into the resources that ARE available, the more that I shower my Gracie with love, the more prepared I will be when God opens the door to that ministry.

How do you spend your money?

2013-07-14T00:16:00.001-04:00

Money is a difficult thing. Anywhere.

"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me" (Mark 14:7, ESV).

On many foreign mission fields, a missionary who is living on a salary well below the poverty threshold in their country of origin, is viewed as wealthy in their host country. Since they are foreign, they surely have immediate access to unending streams of money.

Giving money in these settings is simply a bad idea. I can write more about that later.

Even giving THINGS is often a bad idea.

So, here we are, trying to be responsible with our money, trying to live sacrificially, trying to demonstrate to our children that the riches of this world hold nothing for us... but we have to wrestle daily with how to spend our money.

YOU have to wrestle daily with how to spend your money.

As I boiled it down, it came down to one principle: am I spending my money to invest in people?

I host a lot. I mean, A LOT! And I'm thinking it's time to upgrade from market plates and hand me down mismatched utensils. These work fine for our family - our children are in the training years. They break dishes. But when people come over... does this convey respect and honor to our guests?

But it sure feels wrong to think about buying new dishes when our friend, "M", is currently parent-less because her father was put in prison over a land dispute and her step-mom stayed in the village to try to smooth things over. New silverware seems trivial when "P" has lost not one but two nephews this week. "J" sells milk off the back of his motorbike rain or shine in order to send his children and orphaned nephew to school.

We drive people around a lot - visitors, teams, volunteers, staff, children... Our car has proven faithful BUT way too small - it barely fits our family and severely limits our ability to be hospitable and pick people up at the airport (comfortably), carry luggage, or even get Gracie's good wheelchair out with us to the village. So, we've been looking for a bigger van.

The "answer?" Make intentional careful decisions.

Maybe that means new silverware - is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to have a pretty table? Or is your heart's desire to have a pretty table to bless those who gather around it, to make it comfortable for them, to show them respect and give them your best?

Maybe that means a new car - is your heart's desire to turn heads, to drive in comfort? Or is your heart's desire to be able to reach more people, to show them love and compassion?

Maybe that means NOT getting the new car. Not getting new plates. Not eating meat this week. Not having a soda or a fancy coffee. Maybe in this season of life God is calling you to deny those earthly desires and use your money for something else.

Many people did exactly that two years ago - they chose to give up something that they wanted and instead gathered their money and sent it to ACTION - and here is the result in Gulu, Uganda at our home for vulnerable children:

(YUP! We got two pregnant cows!!!)

I don't have the answer for you - that's between you and God. Let's trust God to guide each of us to make decisions with our money that show love for others and concern for God's glory. Otherwise, what is the use of money?

Carte blanche: "the student"

2013-06-04T08:44:00.002-04:00

"I'm just a student."

Oh the beauty of that statement! You'll never know until that season is over... but the carte blanche that comes with the title "student" is truly once in a lifetime. You can go, experience, taste, see. As a student you are clearly there to learn. No other expectations are placed on you. Everyone knows that students are poor, have little influence, and are nomadic in nature.

When you cease to be a "student" (by title), expectations and hopes are raised by your presence. Cultural blunders change from being funny learning opportunities to dangerous offenses.

This has become increasingly clear to us as our opportunities for learning are curtailed by our roles and responsibilities within our organization. When we go somewhere, regardless of OUR motivation, we are viewed as ambassadors of Action International Ministries.

We are so grateful that we had the opportunity as students to sleep in Masaai huts 'on the goat skins,' get bitten by scorpions in the bush without having to worry about orphaning a small herd of children by our impending deaths, watch funerals and weddings wide-eyed without wondering when we would be called upon to give a speech on behalf of the entire mission board, hop into matatus (crowded taxis) without concern for how to get our daughter and her wheelchair from point A to point B.......

Student, don't miss out on a great time of life. Travel. Learn. Encourage others with your humble learner's attitude. You won't change the world on your summer missions' trip, nor should you try to. Come under the leadership of missionaries on the ground and just focus on learning and being a humble, quiet, gentle blessing. Swallow your fears and ask to go on every possible outing. Discreetly take your pepto bismo and eat that rat, swallow that wiggling insect, drink that horchata. Ask questions of your hosts and (...brace yourself...) LISTEN to the answers. When at all possible, put yourself under the leadership of trusted national leaders - those who have the endorsement of your missionaries.

Students, go!

This is your chance.

Strength that God supplies

2013-06-02T23:59:00.001-04:00

We're tired.

Plain and simple.

The amount of work that needs to be done far exceeds the capacity of one pastor and one full-time mom.

But we struggle onward. We see God's hand in bringing us here, in placing us here at this time with these needs. We never doubt that this is exactly where God wants us. Even on those days when we long for a few hours of being anonymous and having people watch our children who are comfortable with our special needs daughter.

But we're tired.

"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (I Peter 4:7-11, ESV).

This passage puts it all in perspective. We might be weary but this is why we press on: "in order that in everything God may be glorified." The end of all things is near, so I'm grateful that God has removed many distractions from my life so that I can focus more steadfastly on loving others.

But what struck me the most is that we are called to serve by the strength that God supplies! Some days I feel so bone-exhausted that I'm not sure how I will have the strength to serve my family lovingly, let alone our staff, houseguests, neighborhood children, our interns, supporters, teammates, our missionary community here, ACTION co-laborers worldwide... the list goes on.

But guess what! I don't NEED any strength to serve! GOD WILL SUPPLY!

I didn't sleep last night (training a baby to sleep the night involves sleepless nights for mom). I didn't rest this weekend (weekends here just mean more activity since HOL children are home from school). But my attitude is so much better this morning after reading this passage.

May this strengthen and encourage you. Drop the facade. Stop trying to find strength in yourself to serve and love. It won't work. But God will supply the strength that you need to serve and love to his glory!

Exhausting rest

2013-06-02T14:00:00.002-04:00

Sunday... not a day of rest when you're in ministry, but today was as close as we get...

Josh got up at his usual 5:30am to spend time with the Lord and work on his sermon. I couldn't get the kids ready in time for 8:00am service at Peter's church, so Josh went to the service for a little bit while I finished getting the family ready. By 10:00am, we all piled into the car to go to Home of Love where we participate in worship service each Sunday.

It was still breakfast time, so we got some maize porridge with odi (peanut-sesame-paste) - yum!

Eventually, the worship time started, with fantastic singing and dancing led by the Home of Love children! I will never tire of it! Josh preached. Noah wiggled and rolled around on the floor. ('sigh!') Micah tried to sleep and couldn't commit. Ana read her Bible. Moses looked at the pictures in his Bible.

After worship time, we had a wonderful time just hanging out with our two interns and Bosco. We seldom have time where we're just hanging out. We intentionally did not talk work. We talked, joked about cultures, ate lots and lots of mangoes. The children played with their friends, got really really dirty, ate lots and lots of mangoes.

This day was perhaps more what we imagined life would be like for us - relationships, eating mangoes, playing with children. It was sweet relief and simple joy.

We praise God for such exhausting days of rest!

Is Boston more dangerous than Uganda?

2013-05-03T02:21:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the long silence - between a broken thumb, an out-of-country husband, a baby having serious medical issues... I got behind in pretty much everything!

The Boston Marathon bombing hit close to home.

As a resident physician, I worked the medical tent at the marathon. I expected heat/cold injuries, tendon injuries, dehydration... I would never have expected the medical tent to be transformed into a war zone medical tent. I would have been shocked... traumatized... grateful to be present and helpful... my family would have been so worried about me... my family might have lived through a certain portion of grief just imagining what life would be like if I was several yards closer to the blast zone...

When we moved our young family overseas, some people objected. How could we put our children in danger by moving to AFRICA?!

We argued that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will.

No, not physical safety necessarily. God doesn't guarantee physical safety. But He does promise to take care of His children.

On the day of the bombing in Boston, we were physically safer in Uganda than we would have been watching a friend run a foot race while sipping an iced latte in clothes that fit and pushing our children in the best strollers and bicycles known to mankind.

Might I lose one (or more) of my children on the mission field? Yes.

Might I lose one (or more) of my children safely tucked in a quiet New Hampshire community? Yes.

Might I gain the whole world only to lose my soul?

If the only thing holding you back from going where God is sending you is physical safety, think again. Yes, we need to be responsible - I don't send my children out walking alone. I even watch them walking to the trash pit (even if they don't know that I'm peeking out the window at them). But God is teaching me to loosen my grasp on what I cannot control and trust the sovereign creator of the universe to care for my little ones.

Is God calling you to the inner city? Is God bigger than drive-by shootings?

Is God calling you to a farm? Is God bigger than horses and farm equipment that can harm your child?

Is God calling you to Uganda? We serve a big and sovereign God who already knows the numbers of our days!

The gospel and disabilities - resources

2013-03-30T00:32:00.004-04:00

Sermons
The fellowship of his suffering - Conrad Mbewe
Desiring God collection - John Piper has preached extensively on suffering
Works of God conference - November 2012 - Desiring God

Books
Disability and the Sovereign Goodness of God - John Piper
Disability and the Gospel: How God Uses Our Brokenness to Display His Grace - Michael Beates
Why, O God? Suffering and disability in the Bible and the church - Waters
Just the Way I Am: God's Good Design in Disability - Krista Horning
Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disability and the Lessons of Grace - Greg Lucas

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God - John Piper and Justin Taylor

Blog post
How I should live with disability - Krista Horning - by Justin Taylor

Resources
Joni and friends

Please comment if you have more resources that I should add to this list!

Empty of self

2013-03-27T08:30:00.001-04:00

I think in the USA I could convince myself that I was something. I could fake it pretty well.

I only had to clean my house when company was coming over because no one pops in unannounced.

I could plan dinner on my way home –buy frozen meatballs or a jar of tomato sauce.

I could take my child to every specialist “just to make sure.”

I could find babysitters so I could go shopping alone or see a friend.

But here, God has brought me to a beautiful place of emptiness. For several months, that emptiness was nearly despair as I slowly let go of trying to make things happen, be a good mom and wife, get things done, keep the house that I want others to see, keep the ministries afloat, be in control of something…

Just in time for Josh’s month long absence (between multiple trips to various regions of Uganda and culminating with a two-week trip to another continent), God filled me with an understanding that I am and have nothing to offer. And it’s BEAUTIFUL! God wants my best, but, in a world out of my control, I know that I am secure in my relationship with the ONE who is in control.

Do you want peace?

Do you want comfort?

Do you want joy?

Stop trying to gain it yourself. You will fail.

God brought me to this lovely place of complete humiliation, complete emptiness, the end of myself and then gave me some tests. Little tests while Josh was out of country. Tests that brought me joy. Tests that he used to show me that HE is great!

The power has been out for… weeks… I lost count!

Our water filter stopped working.

I broke my right thumb.

My computer stopped working (it miraculously revived when Josh got home!).

The car got a flat.

The children got sick (never something we take lightly here).

God challenged me to live more sacrificially and tested my willingness to take in a child for emergency medical foster care – I found myself willing, much to my delight, as I single-parented my five lively children. This is Africa, so the medical foster care didn’t happen, but instead, I got the greater joy of helping to equip our Ugandan staff to care for this child.

Gulu has been out of… well, pretty much everything you might want to purchase… cooking gas, petrol, cheese, meat, yogurt...

But, when I’m empty of myself, I am not fearing these challenges. I am not surprised by these challenges. I am not rocked. In fact, these challenges are kinda fun!

When I’m full of myself, I cannot control the way things happen here. I cannot hide behind the predictability of the North American lifestyle. I cannot pretend that I’m on top of things by buying a quick meal and fresh flowers. When I think I’m something in and of myself, those things can drive me crazy.

Instead, I rejoice that I can be a broken empty vessel, filled to overflowing with God’s grace, used as an instrument in my redeemer’s hands to minister to the broken.

Where is the end of yourself? What journey will God have you travel to reach the point of emptiness so that you can be filled with much greater joy, peace, and grace?

Missionary blessings: daily adventures

2013-02-25T12:17:00.002-05:00

No, our life is not a daily exotic adventure... but every day brings the unexpected.

My day is much like yours - feed the family, clean the family, toilet the family, get the family places on time, and somewhere in there try to make the right choices about my priorities.

But in the midst of attempted routine, every day brings a flare for the dramatic. You can count on nothing - will there be power? will there be water? will there be ink for the printer, petrol for the car, gas for the stove? will someone you're counting on to show up actually show up and show up when you are expecting them? who will show up at your doorstep right when your child decides to disobey?

I can't even describe all the things that "go wrong" in a given day - it almost sounds unbelievably ridiculous some days. No one would believe us.

And yet these adventures are such a blessing, such a gift. If I ever thought I was in control before, now I KNOW that I am not. In the past, I may have deluded myself into thinking that I was sovereign. There's no delusion now. I am in control of nothing. I can make nothing happen when I want it to happen. Nothing is "ideal" (especially when it comes to treating patients on my front porch or trying in vain to refer them somewhere).

What a blessing, my friends! I am called to be faithful, and here, on this mission field, and that is all that I can do. Be faithful to what God has called me to be. Minister to the needy and pray that they better understand the gospel after seeing me. Minister to my family and pray that they better understand the gospel after experiencing the raw unfiltered me. Encourage my husband when he, for the 8th month in a row, fails to get this one certain task done (by NO fault of his own!).

THIS is a blessing!

Missionary blessings: touching lives directly

2013-02-13T04:29:00.000-05:00

We get to be on the front lines.

Even in our role of equipping our Ugandan counterparts to minister, we're still much more on the front lines than our sending churches.

We have the privilege of figuring out how to help that starving child and his family directly. We have the opportunity to pick up the snotty child and share dirt. We get to pray with that woman as her husband dies of AIDS. We get to choose, quite literally, if we will eat meat this week or instead feed meat to the orphans under our care.

For most of you who read my blog, you live vicariously through us. And WE get the privilege of having a very direct effect on our community, on the community that you pray for, that you give financially for, that you teach your children about.

What a blessing and immense privilege for us! I'm not saying it's easy to be on the front lines. In fact, historically, missionaries have been so moved by the desperate situations that they face, that we have created worse situations. Handing out food is not the answer. Taking in vulnerable children is not the answer. Paying a child's school fees is not the answer.

Only CHRIST is the answer for this world's brokenness. Pray for us to have wisdom when it comes to relieving physical suffering and need - that we would understand how best to proclaim Christ and his gospel!

Missionary blessings: seeing God work

2013-02-12T04:21:00.001-05:00

You can see God's hand anywhere AND everywhere.

But on the mission field, you find yourself more dependent than ever on God and his grace. We have the privilege of seeing his work first hand. His protection, his grace, his mercy, his providence, his blessings, his sanctifying processes...

We have less things in our lives to distract us from seeing his hand. We are totally immersed in ministry - as an entire family. We try to have social events with people outside of our ministries, but most of our time is spent with our co-workers in ministry. Most of our friends are our Acholi friends who minister with us. Most of our conversations are about ministry and about how God is working. As we talk nonstop about things of God, it becomes so very apparent that HE is a great God!

There is nothing predictable about life here. When there is power, we praise God! When there is water, we praise God! When there is not, we praise God... or seek to see God's purpose as we fight for joy! When something happens smoothly, we see God's hand. When something happens in the usual non-smooth way, we see God's sanctifying work in our lives. When things seem to be falling apart, we thank God for revealing an area of weakness or an area of danger in our lives or the ministries.

God is active and powerful. God is bigger than any of our circumstances. God is victor in the spiritual realm and the earthly realm. THIS is who we serve and seeing his hand at work is an incredible blessing, not only available to missionaries - but available to all of his children!

House help - what?!

2013-02-06T04:38:00.000-05:00

Many missionaries around the world hire house help.

WHAT?!

It can be very uncomfortable, at least for Americans.

How can I ask someone else to wash my dishes and mop my floor? How can I ask someone else to do things that I don't enjoy doing, like hanging the laundry in the hot sun and cleaning bathrooms?

The reality is that hiring house help is often the right thing to do. Here are a few reasons:

1) The requests for financial assistance are unending. Not a week goes by that our gate man doesn't let someone in to ask me for money. By hiring a trusted person to help in my house, I'm giving her an income and contributing to the local economy. In some communities, it's almost expected that the missionary will hire someone(s) as a contribution to the community.

2) Discipleship happens in the home. My helper is a born-again Christian and is eager to talk about things of the Lord. She's interested in how we raise our children and train them, instead of letting them run wild. Although the two of us stay busy, we usually have at least one conversation a day that points to the Lord. As our relationship deepens, we've been able to talk about God's role and view on marriage, family, orphans, schooling, church, health and wealth teaching (prominent in Uganda), etc. Her son spent much of his "summer" holiday with us, playing with our children, doing homeschool work with us, etc.

3) Everything is a lot of work here. Everything is made from scratch, the water often has to be hauled in buckets to do the laundry or dishes, the floor is always dirty from the desert sand/dust that is blowing our way, 3 children in cloth diapers have a way of producing more and more diapers... If Christine wasn't helping me, I couldn't do any ministry. Last week, she was away. I was very pleased that I not only survived, but the family ate well, and the house stayed clean. (This was only my second time without help since the baby was born.) BUT, no homeschooling happened and I didn't leave the house. I still fielded medical phone calls, up to my neck in crying children, and I still had lots of people pouring through our home. My administrative tasks fell to the wayside and I didn't see Home of Love all week.

4) Learning. I have learned so much from Christine and from my other helpers over the last year and a half. I intentional spend time asking questions about how they view things, about how they do things, and about language. We laugh together over the strange ways that us mzungus do things. As my priority is on the home and making the home a place of peace and rest for my husband, I have my own culture and language teachers right here with me.

5) I am still responsible to run my household. In fact, having someone else help me with housework requires me to be much more intentional about running my household. I have to plan ahead, think through schedules, and not just randomly keep house. It's up to me to run the household smoothly and prepare it for my husband and children. I DO struggle with guilt in not doing all the work myself and my goal is to get to the point where I can ask Christine to watch the children while I study the Bible - there's something about having someone else do what I am "supposed to be doing" that makes it difficult for me to focus, rest quietly, and meditate on God's words. There is a sinful pride in me that wants to be all and do all for my family. But, as I work through these aspects, I also work through what it means to run the household, plan meals, plan cleaning, plan teaching, plan shopping. I'm able to focus more on meeting Josh's needs rather than running so hard that I don't even notice when he comes home.

I've had Christine teach my children some things, like how to "pick" bo (pick the leaves off stems of a popular edible green leafy), shell ground nuts, and even do dishes. I lurk around while she's teaching them and coach the children in listening, follow her instruction, working hard, and being respectful. It's a great opportunity for them to interact one-on-one with an adult besides me in a controlled and teachable situation!

There are so many things about this culture that are so very different from Western culture - and this is one of them!

Missionary blessings: where to begin... the people!

2013-02-06T04:13:00.000-05:00

I've written about some missionary struggles. They are not unique to missionaries, but will give you some ideas for how to pray for your missionaries.

Now, the blessings... but WHERE to start? The blessings of obeying God are infinite and beyond our imagination...

Being a missionary is about bringing people to God. It's not about a project, although there can be projects. It's not about numbers, goals, or accomplishments. It's about people and relationships and, ultimately, relationship with God.

So, I start with the people - these are the biggest blessing, for sure.

Josh's days are spent pouring into those that God has put under his leadership. He has the privilege of equipping Ugandans to lead the ministries and lead their churches. These men encourage Josh tremendously with their hunger for God and for the TRUTH of GOD's word. I'm blessed to be able to serve them cookies and coffee when they meet at our home!

We get to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ in a different language and a different style - worship our same Father God in a different culture. The first time it struck me so deeply was when we worship with the Masaai in a bush church... talk about different culture! WOW! Their gutteral throaty singing was to worship our same Father!

God demonstrates his love to us through people like this sweet friend who loves on Gracie - even kneeling in the dirt to be at eye level with her, talk to her, love on her, and let Gracie show her love to her!

Our sphere of influence is HUGE (frighteningly!) and it is such a privilege to have the opportunity to live and preach the Gospel to so many children, families, pastors, lay leaders, etc., etc.!

And, of course, our Home of Love children are a blessing. 63+ vulnerable lives... I could write forever on the blessing and privilege of being in these children's lives!