My BIG Mistake turned into a Bigger Blessing

(from February 2, 2012)  By the way, I know I am WAY behind, but I'm working on catching up....slowly.

Well, you remember Alice helping me make popcorn and roasting peanuts for the prison ladies for Christmas?  When I told Alice who it was for, she said, “Oh, I heard on the radio that they are asking people to bring food and clothes to the prisoners and not forget them.  D***** (a German company here that I’m protecting, because it’s not their fault) is collecting clothes for the prisoners, so you can drop whatever you have off with them.”

I was so excited, because I knew the ladies wanted a new outfit for Christmas…that is usually the one thing people get for Christmas (if they get a gift).  I had collected 15 dresses for the ladies (and I was way short), and on my last trip before leaving town, I told the ladies I had tried, but I didn’t get enough, but I assured them that D***** was bringing them clothes.

They were SO excited!

Crazy excited!

I went to D***** and took the dresses.  As I chatted with the lady there, she explained that the clothes were going to another prison outside of Arua.

Oops!

Big OOPS!

I wasn’t returning to the prison to be able to tell them, and I didn’t like that it looked like I lied.

I just prayed.

We spent Christmas in Mityana with some friends, and I mentioned this ordeal to my friend.  She told me that a visiting church had come with too many T-shirts last June, and after handing out all they needed to, they gave the rest to her…over 100 of them!!!

She gladly gave me 70!  (I got more than I needed because the experience at Christmas with the popcorn let me know, you never know how many will be there).

I felt so blessed. 

We left those shirts in Kampala, while we flew to Kenya. 

In Kenya, at the Student Camp, the volunteers from Florida informed us that someone who used to work for NASCAR had sent over 150 shirts of different sizes for all the kids to choose from.  Each student took 1 or 2 and some for siblings.  My family took 1 or 2 each, and they offered me ALL the little kids T-shirts and sleepwear if I knew anyone that could use them!

Uh….YES!

I took all 15 kids’ outfits/T-shirts, and I was hoping that with these, in addition to the other adult T-shirts, I could hopefully make up for my error and bless those women.

But the blessing wasn’t over.  The last day before camp was over, the volunteers started giving EVERYTHING away.  They didn’t want to take anything back that they had come with.  One of those “things” was 52 toothbrushes they had brought that had been leftover from one of their women’s retreats in Florida.  (By the way, the same lady who gave me her Kindle, was the same one who gave me the toothbrushes).

I took them with the hopes that I could locate a few more toothbrushes to add up to a full number for the prison.

Fast-forward to the end of January….our first week back to the prison…

The ladies asked about the clothes and told me that no one had come.  So I explained what had happened (but I didn’t tell them I had anything for them).

Fast-forward again to February 2nd (Groundhog’s Day).

Florence called and said she was suffering with malaria, and she would rather not translate today.  I didn’t want to push her, but I couldn’t stand it.  I really wanted to make things right.

I had saved the story for today about God being a provider, because I thought we could teach the verses in Matthew about how He provides for the birds of the air and how He clothes the flowers so beautifully, right before we "provided" them with some clothes, as a blessing.  I wanted to tell them how He would clothe them even more so than the flowers.  And I was going to bring out the clothes at that point, but even without Florence going, I couldn't wait.

Kylie and I went through our home supplies and found only 3 more toothbrushes in kits they give you when you fly overseas.  We went with only 55 toothbrushes with the idea that we would hold them back if it wasn’t enough for everyone to have one.

So, I hired two bodas.  One carried me and one of the Fusion girls, Abbie, and one carried Kylie and a BIG box of adult T-shirts from Mityana and tooth brushes and kids’ clothes from Florida (and Kenya).

For some reason, all 5 guards were there today at one time, and they already had the ladies in a “fall in” position (sitting in 4 columns on papyrus mats on the ground).

I asked how many ladies were there, and I was told…..55!!

God is so amazing (and in the details)!

I didn’t leave the items with the guards to be passed out, because I’ve been told that things don’t always get to the ladies when the guards get them first, if you know what I mean.

I greeted the ladies and told them about Florence, and then I told them why I had come. 

When I mentioned the shirts, they smiled really big, but when I mentioned the toothbrushes, they all screamed, about 20 jumped up off the mats and started dancing around in a circle, and me….?

I felt like I was Oprah and I had just given these ladies keys to their own vehicles!

I don’t know if they were more excited about the toothbrushes or if the delayed excitement on the t-shirts was because it took time to translate to each other what I had said about them.

And they screamed and danced some more when I said I brought clothes for the children.

I had 15 outfits and there were 12 children!

Abbie helped pass out the baby clothes.  Sweet Kylie passed out the toothbrushes, was ONE short at the end, and was SO concerned about one of the ladies who took two.  I assured her that she was collecting for a sick lady lying down inside, but Kylie was distraught.  She thought this lady had denied someone the privilege of getting a toothbrush.

After a little searching, we found the lost one back in the box. 

I handed out the shirts, and the women thanked me profusely!  Some immediately put it on over their prison uniform.

Let me stop here and tell you about this shirt.

1)    It’s white.  No one here wears white because everything is so dirty, it’s hard to keep white things clean.

2)    It has the name of a junior high school from Arkansas on the front in black letters.  It is not a specially, designed shirt, by any means.

3)    The back is covered with ads from businesses in Arkansas who supported whatever this T-shirt represented.

4)    They all got the exact SAME one!

They were so thankful for THIS!  They truly acted like those women on Oprah who had been given a car (minus the tears, because most of the time, these ladies don’t cry)!  Would you have jumped up, screamed, and danced over this?  Would I?  I think not.

I received hearty handshakes, big hugs, and blessings poured over me like never before.  I’m praying that this act of love (on several peoples’ parts) will bring more women into Bible study next week.

Anyway, I should have had 15 shirts left over…10 after I gave the 5 guards one.  And I should have had 3 kids outfits left over….

Nope.

One guard, who was on her way out, grabbed 4 of my extras, and pulled one more out of another guard’s hands.  Then she took all the remaining children’s clothes.

In the South, we would say, “Bless her heart.”  (Because we’re really trying hard not to “bless her OUT.”)

Anyway, I gave the “robbed” guard another shirt and rode home with 5.

When we reached home, I asked my boda driver, Jack, if he would like one for he and his wife each to have.  He said, “I think I need four.”

O…K…

One left…

and here comes a man walking up to me outside my gate with a t-shirt that is barely hanging on his shoulders because of the huge holes in it.  It would have been a rag in my house.

He said, “Are you selling shirts?”

I said, “No, but this one is for you.”

I tossed it to him, and he walked away smiling.

Jesus' Cousin: Prison, January 26, 2012

I really liked today’s story.  We talked about John the Baptist, his role in life, Jesus being baptized, and then Jesus being tempted by Satan.

Most of their questions after the story were about the temptations in the wilderness.  They really were bothered by the way Satan (sorry, I put "Jesus" earlier) was drawn in the picture, and I must say, I’m not too crazy about them either.  They, of course,  were bothered by his long nails and red skin.

I’m still not sure why we depict Satan that way.  Anyway…two of their questions…

*How did Jesus get down from the Temple once he was up there?

*Who are the mother and father of Satan? 

I had other questions about Satan for them, but it was my questions on baptism that were harder for them to answer

*Was Jesus baptized as a baby?

*Do you believe the Bible is true?

*Does it say in the Bible that to be born again, you must be baptized?

After that question, we had a long discussion, because they were SURE that it says in the Bible that you have to be baptized to be born again, when it, in fact, is does not.  I also told them to remember how Jesus was taken to the temple as a child to be dedicated to the Lord, but he wasn’t baptized until later.  So we got into the discussion of infant baptism, because there is no record of that in Scripture either. 

They really pondered these things.

The beautiful part of today was the welcome they gave me for my return.  They sang louder than I had ever heard them, and everyone that knew me hugged my neck, instead of just shaking my hand.

The four Fusion girls went with me today, and they got TWO "welcome to prison songs," in addition to all the praise songs they sang.

Some of the ladies we knew had been released, but there were eleven new ones that I met for the first time.

After the story, the ladies asked me to sleep with them at the prison for one night because they missed me so much.

I know you are disappointed, but I declined.

Then they asked if they could sing again at the end because they were so happy and wanted to rejoice some more.

Florence told me the words to one of the songs was, “My sister was gone, but You, God, returned her to us safely.”

I love the joy I see in these women!

Student camp in Africa?

A shot of the Great Rift Valley as we traveled to camp

 
We were blessed to be able to attend a student camp for some special people in Africa.  They are students, just like your students, in most ways, but they live on a different continent.  They are well-traveled, most of them know a second language, and they love getting together with their friends.

They see the other students at this camp maybe once or twice a year, not every day at school, so it's a special time to re-connect and just hang out.

Some other special people that were there were some volunteers from America who came to lead the camp.  Can you imagine packing up the day after Christmas, to get on a plane the 27th of December to fly across the ocean, without your family, and plan to give all you have (including New Year's Eve) to serve some people you've never met?

True Servants!

This camp took place in the "notorious" Naivasha, Kenya, where my backpack was stolen.

I don't want to knock on Lake Naivasha.  It is beautiful, but this picturesque view is not where I was when I was robbed.

A partial view of the country club/camp - never been to a student camp quite like this before :)

It was so cold, and my kids were under-dressed.   (Of course you couldn't tell during the day when the sun was out....barefoot as usual.)

That is why we went to the used clothes market in town where the car was broken into.


Anyway, enough of that.



We stayed in a cabin,

A view of our cabin tucked away in the woods

 

and every day, a wildebeest, my kids named Norman, would just eat grass and lay in the shade outside of our door.



One of the Massai that worked there offered to take Caleb for a closer look...















There was also a camel on the premises you could ride for a few shillings.  My kids named him Billy.  I had some great video of them on Billy as he rose up to his feet and knelt down on his knees, but that was in the camera that is now "missing."  (By the way, Doug, thanks for sharing your pictures...they surely make the blog a lot more interesting than just looking at my writing.)

Caleb and Karis just enjoyed the "getting up" part.

They look a little nervous about the "going down" part.

Caleb got to stay on for ride #2.

 

Walking away from a fun ride!

 

But the most exciting animals that hung out near the cabins (only at night) were hippos.

Kylie and Doug would stay up late every night for late worship, while I took the younger two to bed.  One night, Doug and Kylie couldn't get to our cabin because two hippos were grazing near the sidewalk in front of our cabin.

They waited and waited and finally had to call one of the night guards to come "do what they do."

The guard had a flashlight that also has a "noisemaker" on it.  When he turned it on, there was a clicking noise that came from it, and the hippos slowly moved away from the cabin so they could come inside.

New Year's Eve was spent worshiping right up until midnight.  It was a GREAT way to bring in the New Year...at the feet of Jesus.

At midnight, about half the students jumped in the pool, fully clothed to celebrate the New Year.  Have I mentioned how cold it was?

See?  They are just like the students you know.

Christmas Party (of sorts)

God worked out our stories SO perfectly.  I hadn’t planned it or looked at a calendar, but when our last day to teach before Christmas came about, we “happened” to be on the story of the birth of Christ.

God is good.

I had wanted to take all the ladies something, but I knew it would cost a lot if I was buying for 65.  They all wanted shoes made out of tires or they wanted new dresses.  I tried gathering hand-me-down dresses from expats here, but the number only reached 15.

My next thought was food.

Alice went to the market for me and bought corn kernels and raw peanuts.  She cleaned them all and picked out the leaves and sticks, and then, over two days, she made popcorn and roasted peanuts.

I bought little plastic sacks and I packed 75 bags of popcorn and nuts for every women, child, and guard.

A portion of the bags while they were being made.

I went through Caleb’s old matchbox cars and toys, and bagged up two cars plus some other small trinkets for the kids.  I also bought bananas on the way to the prison for the kids.

Doug drove Florence and I on this day because it was too big of a load for me to carry on a boda or walking.

I say, “for me,” because any national (including 5 year olds), could have stacked all that load on their head in a heartbeat and never dropped a bit.

This is the girls walking with Florence one day in December.  The prison chain link fence is to the left.  It's not maximum security like the men's.  But I'm not allowed to take pictures while I'm inside.

The Christmas story was as beautiful as it always is, and the giving of popcorn, nuts, bananas, and toys afterward was so much fun.

When I get a treat, I tend to hold on to it, save it for a special moment, but these ladies, by nature, have to live moment-to moment.

All of them were eating within minutes of getting their bag, and they were all visiting, having a good time, looking at the kids toys, and making sure everyone got food.

Problem!

What I didn’t know before I handed out bags to every person there (including children), is that 15 new prisoners had arrived the Friday before.

Oops!

I ran out.

I didn’t have enough for the guards or all the women.

Bad situation.

The women understood the problem without me saying anything, and they took the initiative.

Mothers with tiny, tiny babies, that I was trying to bless, simply gave up their bags for the new people.  And mothers with children who could eat the treats, starting taking half out of their bags and creating whole bags with other mothers. 

So, somehow, there was enough for the new 15 people AND the guards.  The ladies even saved some back for all the ladies who were at court that day.

It reminded me of the 5 loaves and 2 fish story, and how God ALWAYS provides!

Is anyone listening?

(From Friday, December 9th, 2011)

I know Satan is at work in the prison because I hear testimonies about his work:  dead family member’s spirits are visiting a couple of ladies; a handful are having horrible nightmares; and the spirit of discouragement is alive and well among all of them when families don’t visit and children go uncared for with their moms in prison.

But along with Satan, there is the added sadness of a Christmas not only without family but also spent in prison.  And since hot season has arrived, the sun beating down and the dust blowing is enough to make anyone a little irritable.

The ladies were still dealing with anger issues today, but I just prayed the story of Moses would speak to them where they were.

It’s a good thing I let them ask questions at the end, because it makes me aware of how much they are NOT listening.

*Why were the Egyptians killing Hebrew babies?

*Did Moses live with his mom again after he was found?

*Did she breast feed him or how did he get milk?

*Where did Moses go when he left Egypt?

*Did he have children?

*Where was Moses’ mom when Pharoah’s daughter found him?

*What was Moses’ father’s name?

*Did the death angel pass over the Hebrew’s homes?

*Did the Egyptians die in the Red Sea?

I had already answered four of these during the story, but their questions always intrigue me, so I’m glad to hear them all.

If I ever begin to think I’m in America, there is always something to bring me back to the present.  Today the ladies asked us to pray for the attitudes of the guards to change.  Apparently, guards can “add months to your sentence if they think we are being stubborn.”

And stubbornness is on the rise.  Stealing, hot tempers, and ugly words have been running rampant.  I was told that many of the ladies have been put in the “cold room” lately.  Apparently, the “cold room” is a room that is cement and water is kept on the floor to keep the room cold. 

In this weather, it sounds great to me, but apparently it is not so nice for a person who grew up in this hot climate since birth.

Never a dull moment.

Repentance and Forgiveness in Action!

Well, even though my brain doesn’t work the way it used to (as I mentioned in the previous blog), apparently my OCD  tendencies and small gift of organization have saved the day.

I knew I had a Word document called “Prison Diary” that I had been typing notes in, but I didn’t know I had typed as much as I had.

SO…I have a two more stories I can share.

On December 6th, Kylie went again with me to the prison.  The ladies were subdued and quiet.  My words for my Lugbara prayers have been limited, so God led me to the Psalms, to pray some of them in Lugbara.   I found great sentences to learn in Lugbara, “You are our rock and place of strength.  Help us because we hear the slander of many, but we say, ‘You are our God.’”

I didn’t realize when I prayed that, that they were, at that time, hearing the slander of many.

The story today was about Isaac and Jacob.  I added a lot to the picture book for this one.  I told some back story on Jacob and Esau:   how Jacob tricked him and later how Laban tricked Jacob (with the marriage of Leah).  In the end, the story concludes with Jacob returning home a little afraid, but he was embraced and forgiven by Esau.

After the story, I told them that even though forgiveness took place between the brothers, there has continued to be problems between Jacob’s and Esau’s descendants.

The ladies wanted to know if Jacob really went to meet Esau, and I told them he did, but since he was afraid, he divided his family and belongings in two, just in case Esau did something bad.  One lady said, “That’s just what a thief would do!”

Other questions:  “Why did Jacob sacrifice to the Lord?”

“Who worked at Isaac’s home if he was so old?”

One of the older ladies said, “Please pray for all the mothers here that we would not love one child over another like Rachel did in the story.”

Well, finally the ladies were ready to talk...and not necessarily about the story.  They had been unusually quiet.  They told me there is much anger at the prison, like between Jacob and Esau.  They are all fighting, stealing from each other, being over-sensitive, and she used the words “wanting to kill each other.”  They thought this story described them, and that is why they were so quiet.

They said my prayers must not have been reaching them.  Then…

One quiet lady said, “I am so angry, and I want to control it, but I don’t know how.  I stole a dress from this lady (and she pointed to the one), but I am sorry, and I want to ask her forgiveness.”

The wronged lady took some time sitting in silence, but she finally accepted the offer of  forgiveness.

Here I was, as I was telling the story, I was thinking that either I didn’t prepare well or the ladies just weren’t listening.  Little did I know (but should have known), the Spirit was working the whole time.

Thank you for your Word, Jesus, which is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

Beads under a Tree

 

Well, as you now know, my backpack was stolen, and one of the items in there was my notebook that I take to the prison to write the ladies’ prayer requests, their court dates, their stories, my prayers, and questions that they ask.

I had a few more days to fill you in on, but the notes were written in the book.  So, as my husband can testify, my brain doesn’t work quite like it used to.

I’ll just blame it on the heat.

Anyway, I do remember two “events,” but not their specific questions.

In December, we went one day to show them how to make paper beads, like Florence makes for necklaces and bracelets.

A little over half of the women always join us for Bible study, but ALL but one of them came for bead making.

Go figure.

They were so excited!

That same day, the prison had arranged for someone to come and teach the ladies how to make soap, BUT they were charged a fee to go to the class, so….only one lady attended…in the room where we do Bible study, so….the other 60 of us, sat out in the yard under a tree, on mats, to make beads.

Florence had cut a lot of magazine pages. (Thank you to all of you who send me TV Guides, etc.  After I read them, they become jewelry and a money-maker for Florence!)

I bought two bottles of glue and a container of toothpicks, and we were set.

At first, we taught in groups of 10, but soon, all of them had toothpicks and were making beads, and they wanted more and more paper. 

I walked around with the paper to give them, and Florence and another lady walked around with glue for everyone.

I felt like a school teacher again.  As I walked around, they would show me their work, so proud.  Some would run to show me what they had done, looking for praise.  Some came to show me their whole collection of colors after they had make 7-10.   One lady didn’t want hers taken, so when she came to show me, she had to dig them out of her bra.  They were all like small children in their excitement, and it was a great “friendship” time with them.

Florence wanted to teach them so they would have one more skill to make money with whenever they get out.  As a benefit, it also showed them we love when we aren’t in Bible study, we have time for them, and we aren’t there just to teach the Word of God and walk away, but to invest in them.

It was a really fun day for me, and I loved watching them walk off with their treasures.

And now...the rest of the story

Well, this certainly was a Christmas to remember….

Since I lost my photos, all I can do is remember it.

But all kidding aside, let me tell you how God has shown Himself in all of this.

When I returned back to the student camp after being robbed, Doug and I went about cancelling our credit card, etc.

Caleb told me twice in the car, “Mom, I can’t read.  You could have my Bible.”  (He received a Bible for memorizing 10 verses before he could read).

Life went about pretty normal for the next few hours except when something would jar me into reality, and I would remember something else that was in backpack.

That night, for the New Year’s celebration, I was missing the glow sticks for my kids that were in my backpack, but wouldn’t you know…a mom had sent glow sticks with her daughter to camp, and she shared with everyone!

THEN…

The next night, before we left camp, I was in the bathroom getting the kids ready for bed, when Karis heard a knock and went to answer the door. She came back with what looked like a black book and handed it to me.  She said, “Someone brought this to you.”

After further examination, I realized it was a new kind of Kindle.  I’d never seen one with a touch screen before.  I ran outside, and this couple that came as volunteers with the team from Florida, were walking away from my cabin.  I said, “What is this?”  They waved me off with a smile and said, “It’s yours.”

After getting the kids down, I went to find them with tears in my eyes.  When I saw her, I said, “I can’t take this.  Mine wasn't even this nice,” and she said, “Jesus told me to give it to you.  It’s yours.”

I went from this:

To this:  

I was a mess of tears…

I was overwhelmed by God’s love for me.

Never in a million years, will I get over that act of kindness.  Jesus is so good to me, even in the little things.

But God didn’t stop there… 

My birthday was two days later, and we were at a different location in Kenya.  We went to some training for our company, and a sweet friend of mine who knows me well, knew what else I needed replaced for my birthday… kleenex and a chapstick substitute.  If you know me, you know these are much-used and much-loved items!

 

I filled out a property claims report on my stolen articles, and in the meantime, I started shopping for replacements on-line.  I have a friend coming to Uganda at the end of January, and I knew if I could get things ordered and sent to her, she could bring them.

So…I ordered a new ipod and a new camera, new cases, new earphones, etc.

The trick was the Bible.  I wasn’t really ready to give in to a different Bible, but I was getting closer.  Since my Bible is out of print now, and it was listed for sale on Amazon for $400, I decided I probably could live with a different version…

I tried writing the company to ask about any they might have stuck back on a shelf somewhere, but I never heard back from them.

At the same time, my mom was hunting around on line, and she found one on ebay, and the sale was going to be over in three days on a Sunday morning right before our Sunday morning service.  I got up that Sunday, bought internet time, and waited. 

And do you know what?

God let me win the bid on that Bible!

(And it was less than $400, you’ll be glad to know.)

AND a lady in my hometown gave me money to buy it!

I am now the proud owner of my very same Bible, sans notes and underlines and highlights.  But I look forward to all the new ways God is going to show Himself fresh to me in the coming years.

It still doesn’t end there…

People were so gracious to me after reading my last blog.  I had so many people offer to help, but I knew that insurance would cover most of it (even though I’m still waiting for a reimbursement amount).   I’m really bad at asking for help or accepting gifts.

A friend in Mississippi bought me a new backpack, and another friend in North Carolina bought the kids two of the three card games that were lost.  A fellow missionary at youth camp gave me allergy pills to take to my training meeting PLUS her hand bag, as a replacement for my backpack.  (I think she felt sorry for me having to carry my things around in a plastic grocery sack.)

As a cool sidenote, the Kindle Fire holds music as well, so it has been a replacement ipod for the time being.

I got the sweetest note from the lady who gave me the Kindle Fire.  She told me that when she arrived back in Florida, someone had bought her a new Kindle Fire, and it was waiting there for her when she arrived! 

God blessed both of us, and we are both overwhelmed and grateful!

As a side note to the Kindle story:  While in Uganda, before this trip, I had tried to upgrade my older kindle.  When I did, it froze became of the lack of “whispernet” in Uganda (if that means anything to you).  I took it to Kenya in hopes I could fix it in another country, and I had already ordered a replacement, because that’s what amazon recommended I do.

WELL…my supervisor fixed my old kindle six days before it was stolen!  It was working fine.  But I thought nothing of it.  I knew my replacement kindle I had ordered was being sent to my friend in Houston to bring to me.  What I didn’t know was that there were strings attached.

I received an email a few days ago from amazon telling me they were waiting for the “broken” kindle to be sent back to them.

Oops!

I explained that the one they needed had gotten stolen, but for some reason, I don’t think they believed me.

Anyway, I had my friend in Houston send back my new replacement, AND JUST AFTER I DID…I received an email from a friend in Mississippi who told me she had 2 old Kindles she didn’t use anymore.  She asked if I could use them.

SO…she is sending those to me for the kids to use in school.  Since we don’t have a library here, a kindle will be great for the girls to be able to get some of the books they enjoy reading and my mom doesn’t have to pay to ship over books anymore.

Do you need any more proof that God will take care of you in ALL things in ALL ways?

“He gives and takes away.  He gives and takes away.  My heart will choose to say, “Lord, blessed be Your name.”

Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

We are in Kenya for a youth camp, and today is New Year’s Eve.  In fact, in 10 minutes, it will be 2012 here. 

Like most moms, I pack my purse with everything but the kitchen sink when I travel.  I want to be prepared for all situations.  My kids, on the other hand, think about nothing in advance.

So, today, we decided to go into town and find the used clothing market to get some of the things they need, since it’s so much cooler here.  Karis needed a couple of long sleeve shirts and some jeans that actually fit her.  Kylie needed some jeans, also, since her legs and feet are gaining on mine at a rapidly increasing pace.  And Caleb needed some socks because his feet have been freezing, and a belt for the new jeans I bought him last week in the clothing market where I live in Uganda.

This was one of the largest used clothing markets I had ever seen.  Aisle upon aisle of clothes EVERYWHERE.  I didn’t know where to start, but thankfully, we had hitched a ride to town with some friends in their car, and the lady we were with was a pretty confident shopper, so she led the way.

Back to my “everything but the kitchen sink.”  My purse is my backpack.  My dad gave it to me before we left America, and it can carry a ton.

In it is three card games that I carry because we do a lot of “waiting” for things in Africa, and card games are always a good entertainment.

I ALWAYS carry kleenexes and allergy medicine (if you know me at all), and today I had ibuprofen, nose spray, and a ziplock full of bandaids (because Caleb is my son).  Also along the lines of “health care,” I also have a jar of Mentholatum, two chapsticks, and some wonderful Mary Kay lip gloss.

I also have the book I am trying to finish so I can turn it back into the resource center in Nairobi.  And since I love to read, I have my Kindle (yeah!), my Bible (which my Dad gave me back in 1989, and it has 20+ years worth of notes in it), and my devotional, Jesus Calling.

Of course, there is the standard wallet with my TX driver’s license, Uganda driver’s license, debit cards, store cards, etc.

I also like to dream up blogs.  So I’ve been carrying around my “prison notebook” recently, because it has all the ladies prayer requests and the fun things I hear and see there, and when I have some time, I like to write out some blogs.

Two other favorite things are my ipod and my camera.  You might think my backpack is pretty heavy.  And you would be right. 

When I fly, my computer is in there, too, so it can really be back-breaking at times.

WELL…..

With MANY people around the clothing market today, some joker popped the lock on our friend’s car, grabbed my backpack and took off…and no one saw a thing.  My "pen pocket" had been open, so my plethora of writing utensils (also a weakness of mine), had all spilled out, so that is all I have left.

I don’t know what it is about Kenya.  In Uganda, that guy would have been chased and beaten by a mob, but here…"no one saw a thing."

The first things I remembered were my Kindle and my ipod, and I was sad, but not distraught.  As things came to me, I was a little overwhelmed, but when I remembered my Bible, I broke down in tears. 

My three sweet children started crying, too.  Caleb looked at me with his chin quivering, and said, “But Mommy, God still loves you.” 

I told them that God tells us in His Word to give thanks for all things, so even though I didn’t know why this had happened, He did, and I needed to be okay with that.

The only other thing that Caleb reminded me about later that night was the glo-sticks I had brought them for New Year’s.  They were in the bag, too.

I told you I carry everything.

That Bible.

I’ve been pondering all the many notes, underlines, thoughts, and insights God has given me over the past 20 years, and it breaks my heart to have lost all that.  I have a small photographic memory, so I could also tell you where on a page a verse was found, etc.  I was so comfortable with that friend, and now I’ll have to make a new one.

You can join me in praying for the person that has my Bible.  He/she was created by God, too, and I can only hope that he or someone else will benefit from the Word like I have.

This is kind of sad New Year’s for me in that respect, but I am reminded I have a faith that can never be stolen.  Jesus is still on His throne, and He has many more new insights to share with me in the years to come, and I will look at His Word with fresh eyes in 2012 (whenever I can get a new Bible sent).

“Our God is greater, our God is stronger.  God, You are higher than any other!

Our God is healer, awesome in power, our God, our God.”

Happy New Year’s!!!

"Welcome to Prison"

This day, Kylie and Karis joined Florence and I.  I told them there could be no whining, no complaining of heat or walking, etc, and I wasn’t quite sure how Karis was going to do.  We first walked to the hospital to pray for a friend we had heard was there.  Then we walked to the prison.

It was pretty hot, and I didn’t let the girls bring water bottles because the women don’t have access to water so easily, and none of them ever has a drink while we are there.

We were all thirsty before we got to the prison, and Karis looked a little worn.  She also had a “deer in the headlights look” as the women all came to shake their hands.  All of the women spoke to them in Lugbara, and Kylie understands the normal questions, so she was able to tell them she was fine, how old she was, and her name.  I had to interpret a little for Karis, but she did okay. 

Again, the ladies sang a “welcome” song, but this time, they sang two.  The first was, “We’re so glad to have visitors,” and then they sang my favorite, “Wel – come to Pri – son.”  Now, both my girls had the “deer in the headlights” look.  I had to keep reminding them to smile, especially Karis.

I brought Peter Spier’s book “Noah” to show the ladies more illustrations of how the flood might have been.   This led to questions about what they ate on the boat.  I had already told them about Noah taking food on the boat for the animals, but maybe I didn’t mention about food for Noah’s family.  Peter Spier’s book also shows Noah gathering eggs, fishing, and getting milk from the cow.

After all the flood discussion, we started today’s story:  Abraham.

When I asked them at the end, why Abram and Lot had to separate, one lady said, “Because Abram and Lot hated each other.”  It made me realize they listen about as closely sometimes as a 2^nd grade Sunday school class.

They also wanted to know if Abraham had taken Isaac up to sacrifice him because he had been a bad son.  Again…is anyone listening today?  I did actually see a few eyes shutting.  Not only am I not thoroughly entertaining, they were sitting in a hot room after lunch.  Oh well.  Hopefully we discussed until they had a better understanding of the story.  I also ended it like the Jesus Storybook Bible does, comparing God’s Son who also walked up a hill for a sacrifice, carrying wood on His back.  But this time, God didn’t spare the Son’s life.

My girls were hot and tired when it was all over, and Kylie leaned over and asked me (a little worriedly) if EVERY woman was going to give a prayer request.  I assured her they wouldn’t today, but we DID get everyone’s updated court dates (if they had one) on the calendar I bring every week, so we know who to pray for, specifically, on what days.

When we got back to Florence’s container (an 8 ft x 6 ft metal box that serves as her “store”), those girls each drank 16 ounces of water more quickly than I had ever seen.

Different Skin Colors

We came to tell about the flood.

I had sick kids at home, and Florence wasn’t feeling too well, so we asked them to only sing two songs this day.  They repeat the verses over 20 times, so this was still an adequate amount of singing. 

This day was the story of Noah and the flood.  Every picture I showed them of all the water and Noah’s boat being alone on an expanse of sea, they all, simultaneously, went, “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”  That is what they do when they hear bad news or feel sorry for someone.

Their were many questions today, but the two that stuck out were “Why hasn’t God destroyed us because we are so much worse?”  It was a great opportunity to remind them of the covenant God made with Noah, and how God always keeps His promises.  I also reminded them that none of us is righteous enough to be safe from destruction, but God has given us a “Great Rescue Plan” (taken from the Jesus Storybook Bible) in Jesus.

The other question which stuck out, which I knew was coming, was, “If Noah and his sons were the only ones populating the earth, how come now we have people of all different skin colors?”

I know that many of us believe different things, and the truth is, none of us knows for sure.  I knew they wouldn’t quite understand an explanation of melatonin levels (especially where they live so close to the equator), and I didn’t want to add to God’s word, but we had a good discussion.  I don’t want to start a debate here, but I shared my thoughts with them, and it was another good day.

Back to Prison

Today, M*** (the ladies' leader) was gone.  The ladies miss her, and we prayed for God to be with her.  It was a little subdued today.   

The biggest blessing today for me was watching J**** leading worship.  She is the lady that I prayed for and brought medicine to.  She used to just lay on her side on the floor.  

Today, she was taking charge…M***’s job.  They all look to her for leadership now.  She is a whole new person, and is beautiful inside and out.

Today was the story of “Disobedience” in the Garden.  The ladies wanted to know if God built Adam and Eve a house or did they have to sleep outside.  Why were they naked?  Did they have physical intimacy?  (They didn't use that word, but they were curious because Eve didn't have children right away (in the pictures), which is what they are expected to do here).

The “sex” conversation was interesting.  I asked, “Is sex a bad thing?”  And the ladies said, “Yes.”   

It gave me a chance to tell them that God gave us the gift of sex for one man and one woman to share in the confines of marriage.  One of the ladies who is HIV+, was nodding along as I spoke.  

 So many of these women are appreciated only for “making” children (which are a sign of prosperity), and too many have to share their husbands with co-wives.  And I’m sure you have heard that one of the big reasons there is such a large orphan population in Uganda is because AIDS has killed so many of the young parents.  

The issue of physical intimacy definitely needs to be talked about in a biblical sense.  There is so much misunderstanding.  Looks like we have more topics for discussion after I finish this book series...

I love every minute we spend at the prison, and I hope that Florence and I are as much a blessing to these ladies as they are to us.