Every Bitter Thing is Sweet

   Building a school is hard and it takes a lot of time and effort from many different people. There are so many things that can go wrong while at the same time there are so many things that can go right. Every day we have to rely on the strength of the men out at Garuka to get the work done, despite the lack of food and water, despite the poor weather conditions and despite the fact that they haven’t been home with their loved ones in over a month. We have asked a lot of these men and they are still pushing through with perseverance. They are tired, the evidence is in their eyes and their bodies are weak with exhaustion, but they keep on pushing.

   Garuka Primary School sits on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and is at least a 1.5-2 hour drive. The roads are perfectly filled with potholes and there is so much mud that our trucks often get stuck and cause delays. Our car, the Noah has been working hard and he is also worn. We have had to work on both of the ball bearings in the front tires, replace the radiator, and fix some things under the hood. Both of our motorcycles have needed maintenance as well: new batteries, new brakes, and new power packs. All of our people, and all of our vehicles reflect the exhaustion that has set in the last 2 months of building this school. Our hearts have even grown tired and weary. There is always something we have to buy, and things we run out of and they need more. Recently I found out that the men hadn’t eaten in three days, and I was disheartened and disappointed that something like this could happen. All of the truck drivers don’t want to drive to Garuka because it is so far so we have to pay them money for transport and time. We are all tired, and though the enemy would love to see us give into frustration and anger we are choosing to cling to hope and find the joy in every little thing. In having this attitude like Christ, we have seen and experienced his goodness, and last night God showed us that it is all worth it.

   Last night I was invited over to the Bishops house for dinner to congratulate the Bishop Elect and just to say thank you to everyone that has supported Bishop Patrick and Mama Eva over the years. The hearts of Bishop Patrick and Mama Eva were overflowing with love last night and it was the kind of love that you cannot resist, but just rest in and be filled. There were other muzungus there, Bob and Sue from Australia, and Jane from the UK. We all do different things here at the diocese, Sue teaches a variety of workshops to the people about marriage and children’s workshops, and Bob comes to support his wife and their relationship is just wonderful! They are a couple one can look up to. Jane comes and teaches the children how to sing and works with the choirs. Then there is Unified in Mission, and our focus is Garuka.

   There were so many questions about the school and the progress so I took my phone out and started showing the pictures to the people there and that is the moment when building this school became worth it. Theses people didn’t know about the struggles and frustrations that have come with constructing this school. They just saw the transformation and they were filled with gratitude. One thing I have come to love about Ugandan and the people we get to work with is that they don’t look at Collin and I as 20 something year olds who are beneath them, they don’t look at us as young people but they truly see us as a brother and sister in Christ seeking God’s kingdom. They look at us with a loving kindness and respect. 1 Timothy 4:12 comes to mind, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity.” They don’t think less of us at all but encourage us and love us because when we are out here, we are en example of Christ’s love and because of that love, this place has become home, in more ways than one. I needed that last night because this school has been a burden and a blessing. I showed them pictures of the children and you can tell the pupils are happy! These kids really do know what a gift this is and I cannot wait for them to step foot into those classrooms.

   As I was showing the pictures Bishop spoke up and shared the story about Garuka, and how God had laid it on his heart. From the beginning of Garuka we have wrestled with it. The original organization we partnered with was too busy to help us build the school so Collin had to find another partner and that’s when he turned to the Church and that’s the story Bishop chose to share last night. He began talking about how he had heard about the conditions of Garuka and decided to visit the school. Garuka is a church school and it is not part of the government. So when Bishop saw the poor conditions of the school his heart was very heavy and he declared that day that he would pray for this school. A week later is when Collin walked into his office to talk to him about Garuka. At this point Collin didn’t know that Bishop had been praying about that school so he walked into the meeting not knowing he was in fact an answer to prayer. Bishop explains that when they both realized they were meeting about Grauka he was filled with joy and they were both excited ready to begin this project. Bishop was quick to get behind Collin and Unified in Mission and he has also continued that support through me. Yesterday we exchanged phone numbers and he told me he would save my contact as “The Bishops Daughter”. That story made it all worth it, God had ordained this school and he brought the right people together to make this happen. I have been questioning his sovereignty and his goodness and he revealed to me last night that he hasn’t forgotten about me but he has surrounded me with love and family and all of the support that comes along with that.

   At the end of the evening Godfrey, one of the reverends at the diocese was giving thanks for the dinner and thanking everyone who came. When he got to me, he said that it was a good work we were doing at Garuka and we need to magnify those pictures to show the transformation of Garuka because there is a history there. He was so thankful for the love that has been poured out over this school, much like everyone else there. I am sharing this because as it was an encouragement for me and I pray that it is an encouragement for you too. God is way ahead of us and he in his sovereignty is weaving together the fabric of our lives in ways we could not possibly imagine. He is good, and he has shown me recently that every bitter thing is sweet, we just have to look for the sweetness and keep on pushing through, especially when life becomes difficult.  There is always a lesson to be learned in the struggle, we just have to be open to the work God is doing in us and through us to receive his truths.

   We still have about 3 weeks left with the school, which means we are 3 weeks behind schedule. With that we are choosing to adapt an attitude of grace and reflect patience and peace. We are striving to imitate 1 Timothy 4 :12, “…Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, in your faith and your purity.” Pray for us as we continue to work on this school and as we prepare to have the World Race team arrive on the 22nd! We are excited for what God is doing here and we are eager to see the work he does in us and through us!

Motorcycle Accidents. Blood. Bruises. Joy.

         Do you know how triumphant and big our God is? Do you know that Satan will do almost anything to make you believe that our God is weak? I once heard this quote that was something along the lines of “if you are walking in the will of the Lord, Satan will try to make you miserable while you do it.” You know what? This couldn’t be truer. Since being in Uganda I have had so many good things happen like meeting Martha and learning how we can fight sickle cell anemia, along with things that have been painful and exhausting. For instance both of my flights were delayed. This really isn’t a big deal but it does at first make you think, “seriously?, now I have to hang around this airport even longer…”. Then upon arriving in Uganda the radiator in our car was cracked and needed to be replaced. The damage was so bad that we could only drive about 20 kilometers before we had to pull over and pour more water into it. To get it fixed we had to wait about 3 hours just to get to the mechanic, pay him to find the part and have him fix it. Situations like this are just little stumbling blocks that try to make us miserable. I had just traveled 25 hours with little sleep and all these little things were going wrong. Things in Uganda are not always easy and that is why community is so important. Here in Rukungiri we have an amazing community of people who love us so much and take care of us! These people truly are a blessing and they are family.  

          To continue…in Rukungiri I have had a cold, every single day and because of the time change I have not been getting good sleep at all. Again, this is not a big deal but it does distract you because it is an inconvenience. Then here is the best part. Yesterday Seth and I were riding on the motorcycle to get lunch after church. We were riding in town and there was another man on a motorcycle in front of us who was just kind of sitting in the road. He did not indicate if he was going left or right, then low and behold he went right, directly in front of us. I saw what was about to happen, grabbed on tight, closed my eyes and said “oh God”. We collided. Luckily Seth and I made it out with little injuries and the bike had minor cosmetic problems that were easily fixed. When we collided the other bike scrapped Seth’s hand and his shin hit somewhere else on the bike. For me, the mans helmet hit my face right in my left eye and I wasn’t wearing a helmet so now I am sporting a black eye, and my knee also collided with the bike and it is pretty bruised up. The other guy unfortunately got his foot pinned by the bike and it ended up taking off all of the skin on his right heel, down to the bone. They took him directly to the hospital and he is going to make a full recovery and he is actually a really nice guy with a loving family!

         We were all so lucky to have not been injured worse than that and here is where the joy comes in. Seth and I were talking about the accident later that day and he said God protected us today, every morning I wake up and pray for protection and he was with us. This is such a huge confirmation for me that God is in every moment of every day and no matter what Satan throws our way….God is bigger and it won’t matter. When you are walking in the will of the Lord with a fully surrendered heart Satan will fight his hardest to make you miserable. For me, it had the reverse effect. The accident showed me how desperate Satan is and how he is fighting a losing battle. We as Christians get to wave a banner of victory, because we are no longer slaves to sin or victims to Satan’s attacks. Yesterday we were able to rejoice in God’s protection and give him all of the glory. If Seth and I didn’t have such a strong and confident faith in Christ, we could have easily sat and questioned God, “why have you called us to do your will Lord?, then to have us be put in harms way like that..”, but that is the farthest thing from our minds.

         Satan’s attempts to make us miserable should only show us that we are walking in the will of the Lord. They are there to deter us and challenge us to walk away from God because how could a God who loves us so much allow so many bad things to happen? This is the lie that Satan wants us all to believe. That God wants to see us suffer and that could not be any farther from the truth. Lamentations tell us, “for he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” (3:23). God definitely allows things to happen and he could have prevented that yesterday but he didn’t. That event encouraged Seth and I both. We both left thanking God for his protection and it confirmed to us that no matter what, God is with us and that means so much more than any pain or suffering we might experience for Him. God allows us to become miserable because he is planning to reveal something even bigger through us.

“And the Glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together….” Isaiah 40:5a.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28

            So after all of this…am I actually miserable? The answer is no, because in every situation I am choosing joy. Let’s be real though, Satan is trying pretty hard and he is putting up a good fight, but I am choosing to see God’s miracles in the mess of this life and I will not allow Satan’s lies to convince me otherwise. Living in God’s truth has transformed my life, mind and heart. Every day I am choosing to operate out of fullness and I am living loved.

God is on the move!

            I have only been in Uganda for 3 days and have already been blown away by God’s goodness and provision for Unified. A couple of weeks before coming to Uganda a mutual friend put me in contact with a woman named Martha Brown. She and her friend have founded an organization called Lighthouse Community Centre Uganda. They are actually an extension of The Lighthouse Community Service Center of Lynchburg Virginia, which is so wonderful because Lynchburg has been a very pivotal place in my own walk with Unified and Uganda. We started talking and realized we would be in Uganda at the same time so we organized a time to meet and I conveniently was able to attend the grand opening of their clinic in Entebbe Uganda.

            What they do is simply amazing. They have partnered with a local church called Cornerstone Newcity Church who is pastored by a man name Daniel and is he an amazingly passionate man who wants to make a serious change in the lives of Ugandans. The clinic they opened is mostly focused on fighting sickle cell anemia, diabetes and asthma. They flew in a man from Kenya named Dr. Jack Kaguu Githae who works at the herbal research clinic in Nairobi Kenya. He is such a wise man and he has been able to create medicine that is affordable and actually combats the effects of sickle cell anemia. While I was listening to the testimonies of some of his patients I really truly saw the hand of God working through this man and this ministry he has. He is a very strong Christian and gives all of the credit to Jesus and it is so evident in the smiles of these children and the joy these mothers have to know that their children have a chance at a healthy life.

            In Uganda 25,000 children a year lose their lives to sickle cell anemia and most of those children are under the age of 5 years old. The symptoms of sickle cell are almost impossible to communicate because these children are so young, and so many of them die because of the lack of affordable medicine. Dr. Githae wants to change all of that and Lighthouse has made that a possibility. Their dream is to have Dr. Githae come to Uganda monthly so he can treat these patients and teach other individuals his methods so they can spread all through out Uganda. After speaking with Martha she is just as passionate at making a difference not only in Entebbe but places like Rukungiri. I will admit that I have been blind to that kind of suffering and I truly believe God brought this to my attention so that we could maybe one day have Dr. Githae come to Rukungiri and have a clinic to help the sick and lead them to Jesus.

            Dr. Githae told us that he doesn’t even need a clinic because he just wants to meet the people where they are at so he can help them find healing physically, and spiritually.  When God wants you to meet someone, or places someone on your heart to get to know, you must always follow through. I don’t really know if anything will come from this but I have learned that God is always on the move and he is orchestrating things we could have never thought possible. I plan to keep in contact with Martha and Lighthouse because we may one day be able to partner with them and have them come to Rukungiri and change the lives of these people whom we love dearly. I know that everything that happens is no accident and I can’t wait to see what God does in these three months because he has already done so much in just these 3 days. Hoping to keep you all updated as much as possible! Thank you for your support, love and prayers! God is seriously on the move and it is so exciting! 

I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS -God

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be a little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

Haggai 1:3-9

                 WAKE UP! Wake up and realize that it is no longer about you! The money, the cars, the houses, the money in the bank, the prized possessions of this world mean NOTHING in comparison to being known by our Lord and Savior. How often do we fail to recognize the true importance, bliss, and adventure of walking with the Lord? How often do we get caught up in the world…striving for the next best thing, the next new car, the next iPhone, the next $1000? We come to God and we ask Him to change us, to motivate us, to move within and through us. We come ready to make a refreshed commitment to walk humbly and obediently with Him. And then before we know it, we find ourselves back at square one…lost, broken, hurt, empty, and searching for any sort of satisfaction. Whether we recognize it or not, we are spiritually hungry, always looking for something, someone to satisfy the cravings of our soul. We search desperately for meaning, for a purpose, we search for love. These desires, these emotions, the pain, the hurt, the questions, and the search is nothing new to mankind. Even thousands of years ago, the Jewish people failed to recognize that it was God and God ALONE that could satisfy them. They planted (invested) so much of their time and money, and hardly saw a return on any of it. The Jews put on clothes to keep themselves warm and protected but they failed to feel comforted and secure. They would eat and drink and somehow it would never satisfy the need for more. How often do we find ourselves in this same predicament…..the Lords house sits in shambles as we rest comfortably in our paneled houses, spiritually blind to the world around us? Right now God is calling you to WAKE UP!  Read Paul’s words and listen to His soul cry out:

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in His death.

Philippians 3:7-10

            “I consider it all a loss for the sake of Christ.” Paul gets it. He realizes that there isn’t a big enough house, not enough money in the bank, or enough brand new up to date gadgets that will satisfy his soul’s cry. Nothing in this world can compete with the reality that Christ is the greatest gift known to man. The author of this world, the creator of joy and bliss, the ultimate romancer, and our Heavenly Father is so much greater than what we THINK we need and want. Paul’s cry and deepest desire was to know and be known by Christ, to feel the power of his resurrection, to know His endless love for His children. Nothing of the world had dominion over him, rather he was committed to Christ and the journey of following Him.

Look back at what Haggai called out amongst the Jews. The Lord uses Haggai as he declares that the lack of return on investment, the continual hunger, and the depleting savings accounts are due to the fact the Lord’s house sat unfinished and a wreck. The Jews were too self centered and narrow minded to stop and realize that the Lord was failing to get any recognition in their lives. Wow, how often do our busy lives, crazy schedules, and technological devices keep us from consistently giving God recognition and glory? How often do we spend our money and time building up our inheritance on earth forgetting that the Temple is in ruin? That Temple is US! We carry the Holy Spirit and walk as a Holy Temple where the Lord dwells. This is when the Lord comes in and boldly states, “Give careful thought to your ways.” That is a powerful yet simple command from our Heavenly Father. My beloved son, my beloved daughter, what are you doing and why are you doing it? Have you stopped and reexamined the past few weeks, months, or years of your life? Do you ever draw the conclusion that you were not truly sure what you were doing or why you were doing it? Confusion and lack of certainty can be quite discouraging. Do you ever feel like you invest copious amounts of time, energy, or money into something or someone just to feel like you are moving backwards or completely stagnant? Feelings of remorse, depression, or even anger can stem from a lack of progression in life. Here, the Lord is requesting us to stop, stop from the craziness of life, stop from the daily wrestles and issues to take a breath and examine our purpose and our walk with Him.

The challenge is here, the time is now, and the Lord is knocking. Are you tired? Are you frustrated? Do you need rest? Do you need comfort? The Lord declares in Haggai:

 “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord Almighty. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace.”

Haggai 2:6-9

The time has come to build back the Lords house and watch it flourish. He declares in His word that we will not take this journey alone, rather He is with us through it all. Do you believe it? Is it worth laying down all your selfish desires, your constant striving for more, and your pride? Are you ready to reach out and grab ahold of a loving a powerful Heavenly Father who is ready to take you to new levels?

“And in this place I will grant you peace”

Do you see what I see?

The man in the mirror has a story to tell. Every emotion, action, and thought wrapped up and presented: a mere reflection stares back waiting for a judgment and reaction. The hurt, the pain, and anxiety have been suppressed for years, but the veil has been removed and true colors will be revealed. What do you see? Do you see flaws and imperfections? Do you see a heart that longs for a new beginning? Plaguing thoughts and lies latch on to insecurities time after time, adapting to any defense mechanism formulated. Memories flood in faster, emotions arise stronger, and lies and deceit hold more weight than ever before. It is no longer an assurance and a knowing that Christ is alive, rather it’s an uncertainty in believing that people and lies define who we are.
What do you see? Go beyond the smallest of your own thinking to a place of innocence and bliss. Do you see the flickering glimpse of joy emanating from the child within? You bear an image of someone far greater than man can describe. No longer will oppression shield and dim a light meant to shine so bright. Fleeting thoughts knock at your doorstep, no longer welcome, no longer in control. Anxiety and fear creep in, but all cease at the whisper of truth. These lies that have become so familiar no longer have domain, they no longer define who you are. Listen more intently to His still voice as He, our creator and Lord, answers the question for you, “What do you see?”
My child, stop and remember! Remember the love and compassion revealed every step of my existence in heaven and on this earth. I never needed a reason, but it was my image bestowed upon you that compelled me. You are worthy my child; worthy to be loved, worthy to be set free. Everything that comes against you, the anguish, the oppression, the fear, I took it all and I nailed it to the cross. I was chained and shackled so that you no longer had to be. My love and my grace have set you free here and forever more! Do you believe it? Is it possible, that a love so scandalous, a love so incomprehensible, a love so vast, and a love so deep, would be all-inclusive? Beloved, when I see you, I see someone worthy of love. I see joy in abundance stemming from the creator Himself. I see authentic beauty from the inside out. My child, I was tempted, I was beaten, I crucified so that the whole world could see my love for you. My blood was shed for you. The tomb was empty for you. My Spirit I leave with you. I never stopped and I never will stop my onward pursuit of you.
These truths will forever reign, and my glory will continue to be poured out afresh. There is no earning involved, just faith and receiving the gift of life I present before you. As a child adopted into my family, you have access to all that I have as your Father. I have redeemed you, I have restored you, and I have given you access to life and life in abundance. Here is my word spoken for you.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” Isaiah 43: 1-3.
Lies and deceit will still be on the offense. Passing thoughts will try and infiltrate your mind and consume you. Your worth will be attacked. But rest easy my child and let my truths be sealed upon your heart. Let my sword protect and defend your inheritance. Let my love saturate your heart and let my joy be your strength. I will always be with you for I am your Heavenly Father, your Creator, and your Savior. Now tell me, do you see what I see?

What has God been up to?

So a couple of weeks ago I mentioned on the Facebook page that we have had a lot of good things, big things, happen for Unified in Uganda. So here is just a little sneak peak of what God has been up to.

            In January of this year we were able to purchase 4 acres of land in Uganda. Talk about a huge, huge blessing! When we were in country we would tirelessly look at different pieces of land, constantly getting our hopes up, getting super excited, then something would fall through. After some back and forth communication with the banks here in America, we were finally able to do a wire transfer and now we have some land to begin building the foundations for this organization. God has provided everything, down to every last detail and we are so excited to get back and begin creating a home. Our plans and vision for the land is to build a permanent residence, piggery, chicken coup and farming/gardening. These are some of the community projects that we want to get started so we can start providing some jobs for the locals and also create a way of income for us while we are out there.

          Paul, the greatest missionary we know, even had a way of making money while on mission. In Acts 18: 1-3, we learn about how Paul partnered with some local Jews and began work as a tentmaker. “Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.” Paul has laid such a wonderful model of what it means to be a missionary and we believe it is important to follow. If you research more on Paul and his job as a tentmaker you will learn that it was crucial to his ministry and God truly did use the skills that Paul already had to further the kingdom. That is such an encouragement because it just shows that God will use all of us in ways we never could have expected or imagined.

          The next big thing for Unified is that the church of Uganda has given us permission to use 25-30 acres of church land for the airstrip, child support center, primary school and more community projects. In January they had a meeting and presented our proposal for the land and it was approved. We are so blessed to have the support of the North Kigezi Diocese and I honestly don’t know where we would be without our “African Father” Rev. Enoch Karamuzi. God has weaved so many lives together for this ministry and it brings so much peace to know that He is with us. Once we get back in country we can begin mapping out what using that land will look like. We have some big hopes and dreams for that land and we pray that God will continue to provide the funds and support to make those dreams a reality.

          Right now I would say that those are the two big things that are directly related to Unified. Some of our partnerships on the other hand..we have some exciting news! When we were in country we had the opportunity to do some school visits with our friends over at LADA. LADA is a Ugandan run organization in our home village of Rukungiri. LADA took us to one school that is located on the boarder of Queen Elizabeth National Park. They took us there and shared their concerns for the school, the elephants in the park often destroy the buildings and they constantly have to patch them. The conditions are pretty rough so we have decided to partner with LADA to build a new school. The school will cost approx. $12,000.00 USD so we are currently trying to fundraise for that as well. This falls under our vision of community projects and we are so excited to be able to partner with our friends to make this happen.

         Another great partnership is with Adventures in Mission. In September I (Amanda) had the opportunity to work and partner with a group of girls that were on the World Race. The World Race is an 11-month discipleship program where they get to travel to 11 different countries in 11 months doing a different ministry in each country. Really, just such an incredible organization with a great commission. While they were in Uganda a part of their ministry was to find local organizations and get them in touch with Adventures in Mission in hopes of creating partnerships for future teams. Needless to say all the girls and I hit it off and they were more than excited to share Unified with AIM. After some back and fourth emails with AIM we were told that we would be hosts for a team in October to November. Seriously this is so cool and we are pumped to be able to partner with such a huge organization. These are just some of the ways God has continued to show favor over Unified and we are constantly just blessed by all of the things He is doing. If you want to check out AIM and the WR here is the link: https://www.worldrace.org/.

            Well we just wanted to give you all a quick update on what God has been doing. We hope to continue to be apart of the work God is doing in Uganda. Thank you all so much for your support, love and care! 

Finding God in All Situations

SITUATION THROUGH UGANDA ELECTIONS 22ND FEB 2016

(Presidential Elections specifically)

Brief background of Uganda political life

Uganda gained independence from British influence in the 1962, under the leadership of Dr. Milton Apollo Obote, he became the first Prime Minister of Uganda and also the head of the government. Some years later, in 1971 Idi Amin over threw the regime of President Obote (Idi Amin still lives to be the most feared dictator in Uganda), and Ugandans suffered greatly. During his 8-year period in power, his regime killed an estimated 300,000 Ugandans. However, in 1979 Obote II overthrew Amin and the regime of Obote II reigned for five years.

During Obote’s second term a liberation struggle began and 500,000 Ugandans lost their lives. In 1980, in response to the liberation struggle, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni created the National Resistance Army (NRA) and the war for liberation began. In 1986, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (current president of Uganda) was officially sworn as the president of Uganda.

From 1986 Museveni has been the president of Uganda leading his regime and the government. He came into power not because he was voted in, or because he was selected by the people, but by the power of the gun. However, there have been elections every five years since the beginning of his term. Not one of the elections were considered to be free and fair by the opposition and the masses (general population), in most cases the elections do not present the will of people because they are influenced by money, vote rigging, intimidation from the government and many other problematic characteristics that should not be in an election process where democracy and rule of law reign.

Myself in present elections:   Honestly as a Christian I consider this to be challenging.

As a Christian I think I am obligated to learn from every situation that is in my hands and use it for the glory of God (which is more easily said than done) this is a heavy task as Christians who are dressed in flesh, but this is what makes us different from non-Christians, we have the ability to fight because we are empowered by the Alright God through his son Jesus.

On the voting day I spent my transport, i.e. from poor pockets of a student to vote for my candidate. Being a sunny day and many people wanted to vote we spent hours in lines (on an African hot day a white person would not stand in this sun for 30 min) because we had the passion to vote which we successfully did. Now what’s the most challenging? Why would I need God in this situation? Why would I even post it in a blog?

The answers to these questions are that God is amazing and he can be seen at all times, it doesn’t need to be heaven falling from the sky to say that God is great, because he jus is. Now on the other hand if you follow political trends in America, Donald Trump said that Ugandans are cowards because Museveni needs to be in prison not the state house……this is wrong, no, we are not, I am not!! Violence is not the only solution when democracy fails but God can be. Matthew 11:11 says, “truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of haven is greater than he .”

I am very much challenged that what I invest in in this world does not benefit me some times, I fight, feel envy, sometimes (in our minds) we kill each other but all we fight for ends in vain!!! Our place is not here but in heaven where I am meant to enjoy the heavenly kingdom.

Now after the voting as the culture votes were rigged in the process transmission from district level to national tally center. Museveni wins again!!! This is the president I have seen for my whole lifetime (I am 23 now). After three days, the votes were casted  and in some of the places he won, people were reported to have died of hunger. There were 11 people that died in the karamonja region alone. For me the question is – Do you still have the favor of God even when you have used the wrong means to be in power ? Everyone has a different perspective to this question.

What encourages me is Heb 6:19-20 “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and sure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus is the high priest forever, he reigns no matter what may come, he can also have bad leaders serve in my favor, he has the power to displace, he is the overrule King, and I pray every morning that he takes charge in my home country of Uganda.

Eph 1:21 “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is evoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come”

Finally this does not mean that I don’t get hurt, it’s true my view/ our views were not respected and as a Christian would use more prayers (I hate being in human flesh its disgusting, the cause of every gap between me and God, causer of every sin I find myself in)

Thank you

Omweta Seth

From Death to Life, Confessions of a Walking Corpse

          Abba? Abba! I cry out. Lord where are you?!? Please help me, ABBA SAVE ME! Cold. I feel so cold. I keep trying to breathe, trying to grip onto life before it escapes me but I can’t. I’m being held back by something….or…..someone. I look up to the heavens with tears in my eyes, reaching up both arms towards you. But I can’t touch you, or feel you. I am lying here, broken before you father, asking that you would save me. Its quiet. So quiet. I feel as if I have been lying here for years. This fragile, broken thing. A walking corpse. I slowly start to believe that I. Am. Worthless. God won’t even save me? ABBA WHERE ARE YOU!?!?! I begin to get so angry, just so angry….he has abandoned me. This is not that life that I was created for.

           I think a lot of us feel like this at times, that God is so distant from us and that he doesn’t believe we are worth saving. But the truth is, somewhere, deep down in our hearts; we don’t believe we’re worth saving. We begin to believe the lies that our worth is found in what we do. What job we have. How many friends we have. Volunteering at church. You get the idea. When these things are stripped away from us we wallow in our own pity. I lost my job, my friend said they don’t want to be friends anymore, and my church has fallen apart. We get so focused on being saved, that we feel entitled to it. I believe in you Lord, save me, we demand. Pull me out of this situation and have mercy on your child. God wants to save us, he really does, but sometimes he has to save us from our selves and that’s when it becomes difficult.

            In this situation we have to face our demons and come to terms with the sins we’ve committed and no one likes seeing this dark side of themselves. Our attention is focused on a thing that keep us distracted and that is when Satan creeps in and holds us there. Recently I have had to face some demons in my life and believe when I say it is not easy. I want to believe that I am blameless and without sin, but the truth is I am not. I need this relationship with Jesus I NEED HIM. WE NEED HIM. We all do. With Christ we are made new, we are saved from ourselves and that is where our JOY lies.

            What does it mean to be free? For me, I think it means being free from myself. Throughout my life I have played the part, I’ve gone to church, I’ve read my bible, but I still held onto things that I WANTED. There is a verse in Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” We often misinterpret this scripture because we believe God will give us the things we want. The spouse we want. The job we want…..we make it all about us. This verse is not really about us at all though. The more we surrender our lives over to God and give him control our wants and desires, the more those wants and desires become aligned to what he has for us. God gives us the desires of our hearts because they are the desires of his for us. The Bible isn’t about us, its about Jesus. Once we face that reality we are bound to experience Jesus in a whole new way. God renews our minds, Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” None of it is about us, its about what God gives us. We have to receive him every day and his will, surrendering our own.

            This is something I have been trying to put into practice in my own life, and because I am human I fail, I am in desperate need of a savior, and I have to believe I am worth saving. Operating out of my own strength has never really gotten me any where long term and life has shown that to me time and time again. I am currently re-reading a book by John Eldredge, Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive. This book is so powerful, seriously go pick it up and read it. The book has got a lot of heart, in fact the whole book is about our hearts. The main focus from my reading today was about God intending life for us. Well I don’t know about you but sometimes I’m pretty frustrated with my life and the situations I constantly find myself in, so I found myself reading this thinking, some life. I am 25 years old, unemployed, and living at home with my parents….what is this life. Then Jesus said, that’s the lie Satan wants you to believe Amanda. You are so much more than that, you are love, you are beauty, you are grace and you are mine. Wow. When I received that truth it opened my eyes to life that Jesus is talking about in the Bible

            Jesus came that we may have life and have it in full, John 10:10. God does intended life for us, and the kind of life he is talking about is ETERNAL life, a life with him rejoicing in his presence waking up every morning with so much joy we can’t help but smile and proclaim our love for our Father. When Jesus died on the cross he gave us this new life and man, what a life it is. When our eyes are opened to his majesty, to his glory, we lose focus on the situations and the circumstance and we fix our eyes on him. Peace always comes to me when I surrender my life to Jesus, every heart break, every confusing thought, every question that I will ultimately never be able to answer, every worry, every concern…EVERYTHING. This is a step by step process and in no way is it easy but narrow is the road that leads to life and few will find it, Matthew 7:14. The road is narrow, so narrow that we can’t allow our insecurities, our doubts, our fears, or our desires get in the way of Gods plan for us.

            I constantly ask myself, Amanda, what is the condition of your heart? Today I can tell you that my heart is good. Believing that truth is the beginning of change, a change I am in desperate need of. I recently had a vision spoken over me and it was sweet and beautiful and a little whisper straight from Jesus to my desperate heart. The woman told me that she envisioned me walking, my footsteps, you know like that footstep poem we have all heard before, but this time it was different. She said she saw the footsteps and its not that Jesus was carrying me but that I was following his call on my life so passionately that my steps were completely aligned with his. PEACE. I have no clue what I am doing, and I know I mess up and fail at times but I am exactly where God has called me to be and no matter what people think, or the world. I am happy being a unemployed 25 year old living with my parents because I get to go to Uganda and spread the gospel, pour out the love that constantly fills me up and I get to fall more and more in love with my savior and that is the truth I choose to cling to. Bottom line, we have all been in the pit, the cold, dark, depressing place that keeps us from God but there is a light, a small but precious light, our way out, and its Jesus.

…….what is that? Wait….WHO is that? I have felt this presence before. Abba, is that you? Papa you are HERE!!! I am so sorry that I was so distant from you for so long!! I AM SO SORRY JESUS. You have given me everything and in my selfishness I took it all for granted and never once thanked you for the favor you have given me. He said to me, “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life(Luke 18:29-30.) As the tears began to fill my eyes I spoke, Abba I know that I have traded temporary pleasures for a life of eternal pleasure with you and I know in my selfishness I have caused you pain. Can you for…..and before the words even escaped my lips I felt no more pain. No longer broken. No longer a slave to the desires of a lost soul. I. Am. New. I reached up towards the heavens and a hand came to greet mine. A warm wave rushed over my body and my chains were gone. My God never abandoned me, I abandoned HIM. With that realization I wept tears of JOY, because though I believed I was worthless and not worth saving God had already forgiven me, God has already saved me and he was just waiting for me to realize, how beautiful, how loved and worthy I am……

Tears. Exhaustion. Dead Batteries. HIS provision.

            Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since I have written anything, I have been traveling so much, its crazy. I don’t even know where to start. I recently went to Europe to visit a friend that I met who has an international ministry called Ameurasia. Her name is Amelia Baumann and she has set up some pretty cool stuff. Her non-profit is based in Davao City in the Philippines and she lives in Germany. While I stayed with her I got to travel to 4 different countries which was so incredible, but also very exhausting. I am now back in Rukungiri settling back into things and it has already been very adventurous!

            Mind you, this may sound like I am complaining but I’m just laying it all out there so you can see how great God has been and how much he has provided for me while I have been here. So my flight traveled all night and for the life of me I could not fall asleep. I had a couple of transfers so by the time I got to Uganda I was just so exhausted looking forward to resting. When I got to the hostel my room wasn’t ready yet so I decided to go the mall to go and buy some groceries. I got in the car, all ready and excited to be back even though I was so tired, I went to start the car and it was dead. Just totally and completely dead. WHY?!? My first reaction would normally have been to be like why me, this is the worst. But God has been opening up my heart a lot more to seek his joy in all circumstances. I went inside and asked the hostel if they had a jumper to help me start my car, they didn’t but have no fear, Ugandan’s are super creative and can use just some random wires that are lying around.

            Here is one of the reasons why I love Uganda so much. Just one of many. The manager of the hostel was sleeping so he was unable to help me but the owner of the hostel, Frank, was there ready and willing to help. Frank stopped what he was working on and came to help me with my car. He worked on my car for about 3 hours, and finally there was enough juice in the battery to drive it, he told me to take his phone number just in case. This was good he did that, as I was driving the car, I got 10km away and it just completely shut off. I cried. Just exhaustion and everything that could go wrong kept going wrong. I went to go call Frank but I didn’t have any airtime (minutes), so I had to go and walk to the nearest place that sold minutes, got some then got back to the car. I loaded it called Frank and he was there in like 10 minutes. Because the battery died I couldn’t get the windows to roll up so we unloaded everything from my car to his, then he had a friend come over and watch the car for me.

            Frank spent the next 1 to 2 hours with me looking for a new battery and a mechanic to help install it. He took me to only people that were his friends so I wouldn’t get over charged and he did all of the negotiating for me. After everything was all settled and figured out he didn’t ask me for anything, In the beginning of the day he referred to me as a client, by the end of the day he called me his daughter. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for people like Frank. People in Uganda are incredibly loving and will always go above and beyond to help you. I just keep thinking that I don’t know any hostel owner in the states that would spend their whole day with someone renting a room at their place. To make it even better, Frank is a Buddhist so we got to have a really good conversation talking about our beliefs and our lives. I learned a lot from Frank and I can only think that God had all those things happen so I could meet this man and grow to love this place even more. Being here alone as a woman can be kind of scary at times, especially in those circumstances, I don’t know what I would have done with out Frank, he was truly a blessing and a good reminder to always seek the good in all circumstances, even in the bad ones.

            There is so much peace to be found when you rest in God’s love for you and that’s what I have been learning out here. God loves us so much and we don’t even have to try. Satan comes at us with little things like being tired, and a battery not working, or not having minutes to call someone for help. We just have to claim the name of Christ and just rest in the love he lavishes upon us. I have a friend that verbally tells Satan to back off all the time and at first I was like man that’s silly, but I have slowly begun to do that and it just fills me with joy. Not today Satan, not today. I know that is does kind of sound silly but Satan is about and around us every day, he tries to rob us of the joy that is freely given to us through Christ. We do have to arm ourselves everyday and learn to operate on Gods time not our own because its in that frustration when things don’t our way that Satan sneaks in and slowly takes our eyes off of Christ. That day did not go how I planned but I guarantee you it went better than I could have hoped.

            Living here is a very simple life, I go to bed around 8:30 or 9 then get up around 5:30 or 6 and then just go with it. That day that all the terrible happened I got a email from this thing called All Devotion, some how somewhere I got signed up for it. That day the message was that you are not alone. And that was so true for me that day and everyday. We are not alone and when we begin to believe that we are, Satan focuses on that and makes us believe we are isolated and there is no one there for us. All lies. As I prepare to leave this place to come back to the states I know that I have made everlasting friendships here with these people. 2 years ago if you had told me I was going to be living in Africa I would have said you’re crazy, but look at me now. I’m not perfect, I have made lots of mistakes but God sees past that and sees this heart, the people here see this heart. I have grown to learn about a type of love that is fueled by Christ. Just resting in his love for me, letting it fill me up, then taking everyday as it comes, the good and the bad.

            I guess what I am trying to say here is, you’re not alone, God is right there beside you loving you. When we hurt, he hurts with us, when we are experiencing so much joy, he is right there with a huge smile on his face, no matter what the circumstances in this life we have to rebuke the lies from Satan and cling onto the truths given to us through Christ. If things don’t go according to our plan, its okay, because we are on God’s time and his plan, which lets be honest, is much better than ours anyway.

        Things to be praying for, we are currently in the process of purchasing land for Unified and we need to fundraise $5,000.00. We know that God will give us this money so if you could support that with prayer we would be so grateful! If you feel God leading you to donate, even if it’s just a dollar that’s awesome and we feel the love! We have some children that still needs sponsors so be praying for that as well. Last thing just pray that Jesus continues to work here in this place. Rukungiri is such a special place and if you ever get the opportunity to come here, take it. God has moved so much here and he will continue his work here. I have grown to love this place, as Enoch would say, “A home away from home.” I can’t tell you how true that is. Well thanks for the love and prayers!

WE are CLEAN

            Living in Uganda I have discovered that there are many different kinds of dirty that we get the joy of experiencing. Whether it’s the new foundation of dust on your face from driving with the windows down, or just the build up of dirt on the tile floor that gets all over your feet, even though you just swept. Having a puppy doesn’t make it any easier when you wake up to the sound of vomiting and when he decides to bring things into the house and you’re not quite sure of what it is. Though these are just some of the ways that our lives can become dirty, just your average everyday things, God has also been revealing to me what it means to be spiritually dirty and how our sins and actions can separate us from God.

            I see people here and it just makes me realize how much we all need Jesus and how important it is to share Jesus with people in every opportunity that we get. Walking in town you can see a man, wandering drunk; he probably has a family at home that he doesn’t feed because he is too preoccupied with his alcohol addiction. Or you have a teen mother who is pregnant having a child out of wedlock whom is outcast from society because a moment of weakness. The thing is, we all sin, sometimes its just more visible than others.  For the mother she bears her sin everyday, caring this child in her growing belly. The drunken man isn’t even aware of what’s going on to see the damage his sin has caused. When I look at these people and their lives, I see a robbing of innocence. The enemy prays on our innocence and that is how he gets into our world. For the man he could have had just one drink, and that one drink caused a chain reaction that has led him on the path he is on. The young, innocent girl could have been told how beautiful she was, and being innocent and insecure the enemy took advantage of that and now she bears weight of her sin everyday. To get something clear, the child is still a gift from God but the act of sex before marriage is the sin. The baby may be the product of sin, but God, in his infinite grace can always extract good from a bad situation and that child will bring so much joy to that mother, and God can redeem her choice.

           Sin has a way of coming into our lives and slowly changing us from a pure, innocent child of God, to a tainted and fractured version of ourselves. The sin almost becomes an addiction for us and it begins with a small, meniscal choice that grows into something much bigger, creating a divide and a separation from God. Satan can be so subtle, like with Eve in the garden, and because we are not aware of how weak we actually are, we give in. I know that for myself this blog means a lot to me because in God making me aware of the people around me, he has also brought to light the parts of myself that I try to hide. I believe the more intimately we grow closer to Christ the more he reveals the dark places of our heart and he brings them to the light. 1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”  Psalm 90:8 says “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” The more we pursue him, the more his light illuminates the hidden corners of our hearts and he exposes the dark secrets we keep there.

           There is a since of freedom in that illumination but we don’t really realize it until we confess it and surrender that sin to God. When we have that kind of openness and vulnerability before God it doesn’t give Satan the opportunity to have a foothold in our lives. Satan likes to use our shame and guilt against us to keep us in a place that inhibits God from moving in us, because all we can focus on is our sin. Being open in our sin invites God to speak truths into our lives and that is what we need to move on. Sin can be crippling and it can slowly become our identity and that is not what God wants for us. Our identity is in Jesus Christ and our sins do not define us. The drunk man wandering around town has a name, and a story, he is not just the town drunk. The pregnant teen mom has a name and has a story, she is not just a mother to be. The beauty about Jesus is that while he is watching us sin and seeing the damage we do to ourselves, he is hurting with us because he loves us. What an amazing love to be able to experience, unfortunately more often than not, we are so blind that we don’t even know that love is there.

           There is a song by All Sons and Daughters that I absolutely love, Your Glory/Nothing But the Blood. The part that I like specifically is when they sing:

“Glory, glory hallelujah Jesus you are good, we sing glory, glory hallelujah Jesus you are good. What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus, what can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus. O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

The blood of Jesus is our gift and freedom from sin, which was bought at a price. There is nothing in this world that is more cleansing than the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter what we have done in this world or what we will do, because he knows when we will sin, his blood still covers that sin and showers us with love, grace and forgiveness. Christ has made us holy with his sacrifice, how crazy is that? I know the beginning of this blog was kind of dark and hopeless but this part of the message is to bring you hope. Romans 8:17b-18 says, “We share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” You have a glory in you that Satan fears. He will try his hardest to keep that glory contained because once it is unleashed there is no stopping it. “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:25). Waiting for our glory to be restored can be a long and difficult process because God operates on his own time. But like most things in life, HE is ALWAYS worth the wait.

            In no way is it easy to resist the Devil and that is why it is so important that we have Jesus and we share him with one another. Taylor swift has a song called “Clean”, and oddly enough it has inspired me to write this blog. There is a lyric that says “Just because you’re clean don’t mean you don’t miss it,” in the song she is comparing this to a break up, and how she is clean from that love, finally healed. For us as Christians that kind of healing can only come from Jesus and even though we have repented of our sin, been cleaned be the blood of Jesus Christ, it does not mean that we are strong enough on our own to resist temptation. Choosing Christ means a daily decision to glorify and honor him with all of our actions, thoughts and words. He didn’t die on the cross so that we could live and be control by our sins. Christ died so that we could be free and so we could know what it means to be completely healed. Sin divides our heart, and a divided heart means we are serving two masters and until we are single minded towards Christ our glory will not be revealed. That is exactly what Satan wants. Though you surrender your sins to God, you’ll miss them, but he is there right beside you to encourage you and lavish his love upon you. I’m praying that we all continue to be honest with Jesus because even though we try to hide our sin from him, like Adam and Eve, he can still see it and he longs for us to be open and honest with him. He wants your heart, surrender it and all the dark places you like to keep in secret, you wont regret it.