One Year.

It has been one year since my feet have been on that red dirt.

I miss it.

One year since stepping out in obedience to take women to serve in Ug@nda.

I am sitting here not feeling very well [cold/flu go away!] and thinking back to that trip.

Reminisce with me, will you? 

The day before we left I was up on the Mt. with my treasures.  What a thrill to be standing on a snowy mountain, knowing I would be standing in Africa 30 hours later!

Love KLM.

I could not sleep for like 4 nights it was crazy and nearly did me in so I thought I would watch the sunrise and praise the Lord in that land.  Sun rising over K@mpala.

 First day out.

 Day ? Watoto interviewed Jennie because she was meeting her sponsor child.  Can I just say that sponsoring a child changes their lives but also changes yours in the midst.  It really does matter.  I had no idea until I spent time in Africa.  Our kids at RH pray for their sponsors all the time, by name, and think of them as parents, in a sense.

 I just love this pic.  Pure joy on both sides.

 I miss chapatti.  mmmm….

 I wrote about this lady once already, she reminded me of my Gma.  I know God sent her [both times] in Africa to freak.me.out (in a good way).  I want to be like her when I grow up.  She is 70 and serves for weeks at this orphanage every year.

Pretty sure this pic is one of my all-time-favorites.  ever.

I love these two girls.

 Meat on a stick!

 Pretty.

 Hangin' out with the cutest kids in Ug@nda.

 This was nice.  Ahhh...

 I ate so much pineapple that I had sores in my mouth.  and it did not stop me from eating more …that pineapple is crazy awesome.

 I love this program.  Christ-Centered!  This was just a fun day.  A hot day, but I love heat.

 Church with my sis in Africa will forever go down, in my book, as a little kiss from God.

 She was my biggest cheerleader through our adoption of #5.

 I drank Nile water.  No, I did not, but it's still a cool pic.

Sarah gave me a heart attack.  but the pic is kinda cute.  just be glad, miss sarah, that you survived! I am sure someone will use this pic as a "what not to do on a mission trip in Africa" . ;)  good thing I love you to pieces and take pictures fast!

 On the last day my MIL and I went all around Jinja and looked at land pieces for the orphanage.  We were sure this was a prophetic sign that this was the one because of the coffee plant. ;)  [hehe and it wasn't but I will still ask for that nice feature :)]

 pretty, hu?

Then, on the last day, (same day as our flight) 3 hours from the airport….we ran out of gas!  It was a little nerve racking!

But we made it, safe and sound.

Well, somewhat sound, Africa has a way of wrecking you forever.

A beautifully broken kinda wrecking.

There were crazy hard parts but there was much joy.

I saw the hand of God in many moments along the way.

I had no.idea what I was doing leading those women.  Some moments were more than I could handle and I only had the Lord to cry out to, but you know something?  He was so stinkin' faithful.  He spoke to my heart so many times in the midst of the hard stuff.

I also knew without a shadow of a doubt along the way that He was strengthening me and giving me pure gifts from Him.  Gifts and moments that will forever be cherished in my heart.

I am so glad I obeyed.  I am so glad I did not miss the awesome parts and the hard parts.

God is so faithful and worthy, worthy, worthy!

I miss that place.