I'll try to pick up where I left off!
After Dr. Val finished the animal health training we headed back to Soroti. We were back at the bed and breakfast and warm showers. We met a great team from Oregon who brought supplies for Thanksgiving dinner. So everyone pitched in and we had an amazing Thanksgiving - turkey(oh yes, a turkey met an untimely death, but he was delicious), stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, peas, pumpkin pie and more. Thanks again any Oregon teammates that may read this!!!
After meeting with the CLIDE consultancy in Soroti to discuss how we may be able to join their team we headed to Kapchorwa. This is where I got a little sick, took some anti nausea meds then passed out for a while. It was a long car ride, but at the end I was all better! Dr. Val lived in Kapchorwa when she was first in Uganda. It is certainly a beautiful place. We had been in the hot, dusty plains but had now arrived in the more mountainous region near the Kenya border. There were waterfalls, caves and vegetation everywhere. People were drying coffee beans along the edge of the road. It was very exciting. The people were very friendly. We ate at a small roadside "restaurant" - I can't remember the name of what we ate, but it was delicious. We even had a soda that afternoon. The idea would be to start some breeding projects to enhance the cattle genetics in the area with the possibility of marketing milk,etc. We had a great dinner - guacamole and chips, rice and groundnut (peanut) sauce. We stayed at a great place that overlooked the mountains. Then next morning Jason and I climbed to the top and watched the sun rise over the plains. It was beautiful. The next day we visited the hospital in town - I won't go into all that. We should all be thankful for the medical care we have. Then we had tea with some of Val's friends. Thus our short stay in Kapchorwa ended, but it was the most appealing place to both Jason and myself. We had to start the drive back to Kampala to get things ready to come back to the states.
Back to the big city :) We spent a couple of hours that afternoon shopping for souvenirs then met with Lindsay (Jason's sister) again. That night was pretty uneventful- the power was out most of the night. The next morning we went to church in Kampala then had a great cup of coffee at 1000 cups. Then we headed out to look at one more rental house. The house was beautiful and huge. Another beautiful house with a wall with glass at the top! We had lunch - fried chicken. Lindsay fed chicken to the stray cat who looked like he needed a little food. When Lindsay moved her hand it startled him and he bit her. Just a tiny bite though. No broken skin, thankfully. This just goes to show you that you can't trust a cat anywhere - Africa, USA - they're all the same. You play by their rules or else some body's gonna get hurt :)
Dr. Val then transported us to the airport. We had a 9 hour layover in Amsterdam so we decided to catch the train and look around for a few hours. We went from hot and dusty to cold and wet. From nice people to pretty grumpy people. I'm glad we went, but I certainly wouldn't waste the time or money to take a trip specifically designed with Amsterdam in mind. The canals were neat.
So, what is the conclusion? While Jason loves Africa and would move there tomorrow I don't feel like God was saying this is it. This is where you need to be. Don't get me wrong, God is doing all kinds of work in Uganda, but for me I need peace that it is what God wants our family to pursue. We still plan for long term mission, it always comes back to the when and where. I just don't think the timing is right, yet. 2 steps forward and 3 steps back - I feel like this is the story of my life some days!! So for now we will keep praying. Thanks to any of you who have prayed for us. We will keep you updated. You can learn more about Dr. Val and her ministry at cvmusa.org. Visit Uganda if you get the chance.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Uganda - the first half of the trip
Where do I begin????
Kampala: Since I couldn't sleep on the plane it wasn't so hard to fall asleep in our hotel room to the sound of loud music and partying in the streets outside . Can you tell I am not a city girl? The hotel was very nice. At least we got to stay there one night :) The next day we got to look at 2 houses in the city as we prayerfully consider if God would have us move to Kampala. The houses were all very nice. Nice big walls around them with broken glass or barbed wire lining the top. A good deterrent to any thieves, vagabonds, etc. Comforting. Really. Seriously, the houses were better than I had imagined. The rental prices were also higher than I had expected, but we see the house as a ministry tool for short-term visitors, so I guess we need the extra room. After looking at the houses we had a nice lunch - Sambosa. Kinda like a deep fried hot pocket full of veges or beef or fish. Pretty tasty. Oh, it's the time of year for grasshoppers too. You can buy fried grasshoppers on the side of the road. People are carrying them around in huge plastic containers and will sell you a small or large paper bag of them. So Dr. Val bought us a small bag. I use the term us loosely. Jason and Val ate a few. Not me. Not that hungry. Thanks anyway though.
On to Soroti: Does anyone like Robert Earl Keen? The road goes on forever..... We drove the rest of the afternoon, had dinner (chicken stir fry- yummy) near Mt. Elgon then made it to our "bed and breakfast" in Soroti. We had a nice place with another hot shower - this is where the hot showers end for a while. Just thought I'd point that out. The next morning we were off again.
To Kangole: Did I already say that the road goes on forever? New things are always exciting though, so we didn't mind. All the people, huts, termite mounds, potholes we passed were interesting to us. Then we got to the mountains just before Kangole. Very beautiful - Jason will be irritated that I don't remember the name of them :) I'll post pictures when I find the camera. They mark the entry into Karamoja. This is the area Dr. Val spends most of her time in. God is doing some amazing things out there. Dr. Val has helped facilitate peace villages among the fighting tribes in an area that had previously been uninhabited due to fear of cattle raids and the fighting and bloodshed that follows. I know I am not doing Dr. Val or the peace villages any justice - I am sure she could write a book on it. Just trust me, God is doing some amazing things.
We spent the next 3 days assisting and observing an animal health worker training seminar. Part of the goal of the training is to educate and enable individuals to treat and care for the animals (cattle, goats mainly) in areas where there is no veterinary care. The participants were eager to learn. We ate a lot of beans and rice. There was usually cabbage too. Most nights there was some form of meat - just pick out what you want - knee with ligaments and cartilage, broken pieces of bone. No one seemed to mind though except me. Spoiled American. Did I mention there were small rocks and grit in the rice :)
Anyway, it's late. Stay tuned for the play by play of the rest of our week!
Kampala: Since I couldn't sleep on the plane it wasn't so hard to fall asleep in our hotel room to the sound of loud music and partying in the streets outside . Can you tell I am not a city girl? The hotel was very nice. At least we got to stay there one night :) The next day we got to look at 2 houses in the city as we prayerfully consider if God would have us move to Kampala. The houses were all very nice. Nice big walls around them with broken glass or barbed wire lining the top. A good deterrent to any thieves, vagabonds, etc. Comforting. Really. Seriously, the houses were better than I had imagined. The rental prices were also higher than I had expected, but we see the house as a ministry tool for short-term visitors, so I guess we need the extra room. After looking at the houses we had a nice lunch - Sambosa. Kinda like a deep fried hot pocket full of veges or beef or fish. Pretty tasty. Oh, it's the time of year for grasshoppers too. You can buy fried grasshoppers on the side of the road. People are carrying them around in huge plastic containers and will sell you a small or large paper bag of them. So Dr. Val bought us a small bag. I use the term us loosely. Jason and Val ate a few. Not me. Not that hungry. Thanks anyway though.
On to Soroti: Does anyone like Robert Earl Keen? The road goes on forever..... We drove the rest of the afternoon, had dinner (chicken stir fry- yummy) near Mt. Elgon then made it to our "bed and breakfast" in Soroti. We had a nice place with another hot shower - this is where the hot showers end for a while. Just thought I'd point that out. The next morning we were off again.
To Kangole: Did I already say that the road goes on forever? New things are always exciting though, so we didn't mind. All the people, huts, termite mounds, potholes we passed were interesting to us. Then we got to the mountains just before Kangole. Very beautiful - Jason will be irritated that I don't remember the name of them :) I'll post pictures when I find the camera. They mark the entry into Karamoja. This is the area Dr. Val spends most of her time in. God is doing some amazing things out there. Dr. Val has helped facilitate peace villages among the fighting tribes in an area that had previously been uninhabited due to fear of cattle raids and the fighting and bloodshed that follows. I know I am not doing Dr. Val or the peace villages any justice - I am sure she could write a book on it. Just trust me, God is doing some amazing things.
We spent the next 3 days assisting and observing an animal health worker training seminar. Part of the goal of the training is to educate and enable individuals to treat and care for the animals (cattle, goats mainly) in areas where there is no veterinary care. The participants were eager to learn. We ate a lot of beans and rice. There was usually cabbage too. Most nights there was some form of meat - just pick out what you want - knee with ligaments and cartilage, broken pieces of bone. No one seemed to mind though except me. Spoiled American. Did I mention there were small rocks and grit in the rice :)
Anyway, it's late. Stay tuned for the play by play of the rest of our week!
Surprises
Before we left for Uganda we were slightly discouraged because we were a little short on our fundraising. God has proven faithful to us in this area so many times. So we shouldn't have been surprised to get an email letting us know that another donation had been made to our CVM account that would take care of any further costs with money left over. God never just comes through. It is always better that you hoped for, yet my faith falters every time. I write this to remind myself and any of you that the God who calls is able. 1Thes. 5 :24 - The ONE who calls you is faithful and HE will do it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Waiting
I think Jason and I spend a lot of time praying about what's next. It would be great if God would just lay out a 5 year plan for us! You know HE knows the plan. So, why not just tell us? Seriously, I know the wait is important and God is still at work but I must say that it gets frustrating at times.
We just returned from a job interview at Ross University. We won't know anything for at least 3 weeks. I think it went well and it was great to meet new, interesting people. The island was certainly beautiful and God is definitely at work there. But I guess He's at work everywhere. It's just whether or not we see it?? The coffee was great too :) A definite plus for an addict like myself. I couldn't get that Addison Road song out of my head for those of you who know it - "Where have I even stood but on the shore along Your ocean? What do I know of Holy?" We are so small, but God wants fellowship with us. It takes my breath away.
Between now and then we'll be visiting Uganda with the prayer that we will know if that is where God wants us. Until we raise support and get all the proper approvals though we need a job! Jason is out of town for a couple of more days working. Don't get me wrong. We are thankful for work, but it would be great to have consistent work in one area so that we aren't apart 3-4 days a week.
It was great to have Elijah back with us. He stayed with his grandparents while we were away for the job interview. He was very tired today, but we had fun enjoying the nice weather outside. Then I got to rock him to sleep before bed. For those of you who know Eli, you know that doesn't happen too often. He must have been REALLY tired. I must say that it made my night though. It's the little things, right?
So, what's my point in all this? First, as most of you already know following God doesn't mean things will go the way you would prefer. It doesn't mean that everything will be easy. Jason and I pray daily for discernment, not to be caught in the paralysis of analysis, and to be completely open and obedient. I do realize that many Christians face much more difficult circumstances than ours. I sometimes need a reminder of that. I got an update in the mail today about Christians going through far more than I have ever been faced with. I felt like God was asking me what exactly my problem was after all.
Secondly, the wait has been life changing. We continue to meet people with similar goals and visions. People with a heart for serving God - that leads them to serve the poor. The bible has much to say about orphans and widows. Just look it up sometime. Jason has had the opportunity to speak about our goals on several occasions. We are continually amazed at the people God brings into our lives. It's so encouraging when you feel like someone actually gets where you're coming from. The opposite would be the deer in head lights look we often get too :) I have enjoyed the time with family and friends. God has continued to grow us in our faith, our convictions, our direction and our obedience through our wonderful small group bible study, conferences, friends, family and our Sunday school class. I tend to think God works in straight lines that I can understand, then He goes and amazes me again :)
Thanks for your prayers! I can't wait to post how the Uganda trip goes. And the job too!
For His Glory,
Jennifer
We just returned from a job interview at Ross University. We won't know anything for at least 3 weeks. I think it went well and it was great to meet new, interesting people. The island was certainly beautiful and God is definitely at work there. But I guess He's at work everywhere. It's just whether or not we see it?? The coffee was great too :) A definite plus for an addict like myself. I couldn't get that Addison Road song out of my head for those of you who know it - "Where have I even stood but on the shore along Your ocean? What do I know of Holy?" We are so small, but God wants fellowship with us. It takes my breath away.
Between now and then we'll be visiting Uganda with the prayer that we will know if that is where God wants us. Until we raise support and get all the proper approvals though we need a job! Jason is out of town for a couple of more days working. Don't get me wrong. We are thankful for work, but it would be great to have consistent work in one area so that we aren't apart 3-4 days a week.
It was great to have Elijah back with us. He stayed with his grandparents while we were away for the job interview. He was very tired today, but we had fun enjoying the nice weather outside. Then I got to rock him to sleep before bed. For those of you who know Eli, you know that doesn't happen too often. He must have been REALLY tired. I must say that it made my night though. It's the little things, right?
So, what's my point in all this? First, as most of you already know following God doesn't mean things will go the way you would prefer. It doesn't mean that everything will be easy. Jason and I pray daily for discernment, not to be caught in the paralysis of analysis, and to be completely open and obedient. I do realize that many Christians face much more difficult circumstances than ours. I sometimes need a reminder of that. I got an update in the mail today about Christians going through far more than I have ever been faced with. I felt like God was asking me what exactly my problem was after all.
Secondly, the wait has been life changing. We continue to meet people with similar goals and visions. People with a heart for serving God - that leads them to serve the poor. The bible has much to say about orphans and widows. Just look it up sometime. Jason has had the opportunity to speak about our goals on several occasions. We are continually amazed at the people God brings into our lives. It's so encouraging when you feel like someone actually gets where you're coming from. The opposite would be the deer in head lights look we often get too :) I have enjoyed the time with family and friends. God has continued to grow us in our faith, our convictions, our direction and our obedience through our wonderful small group bible study, conferences, friends, family and our Sunday school class. I tend to think God works in straight lines that I can understand, then He goes and amazes me again :)
Thanks for your prayers! I can't wait to post how the Uganda trip goes. And the job too!
For His Glory,
Jennifer
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
So it begins...
I haven't kept up with any blogs really, so I must say I am a little clueless about all this. Stick with me though and we'll figure this out. Some friends thought this would be a good idea to help anyone considering long term missions to see where we have been and what direction we are going.
First, a few basics for those of you who don't know us. Jason and I are both veterinarians. We met in vet school and have been happily married for the past 6 years. We both feel like the Lord started shaping and changing us for long term missions about 3 years ago. We have 1 son, Elijah. He is 17 months old and curious about everything!
3 years ago Jason and I felt like the Lord was prompting Jason to go back to school for a speciality degree. So we sold our house, our car, etc and moved back to Auburn. We never thought we would be back in the same trailer park, but after living in Jason's uncle's basement for 2 months we were glad to be back in a trailer. What can I say? Welcome to Alabama :)
After several short term trips to different locations - mainly South America, Jason and I started praying about where God would have us serve Him long term. And then the wait began! In the mean time I quit my job to stay at home with Elijah. This wasn't an easy decision for me at all. But I can definitely say that it was the best choice I could have made. I am so happy to be at home with Elijah now. The other thing I can say is that vet medicine is far easier than motherhood - all you moms who are vets already know this though :) Our income dropped dramatically and there were some tough spots, but God is faithful.
I like to say that Jason and I have the paralysis of analysis. We analyze, then reanalyze, then do it a couple of more times just to be sure. But again, God is definitely faithful. He has been patiently shaping us through what often feels like a roller coaster ride.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes what you think is the plan really isn't what God had in mind? Well, we thought after Jason finished his residency he'd quickly get a job. He'd work a couple of years, then off we'd go! We had it narrowed down to South America and Africa. South America for me and Africa for Jason. Jason had recently been to Kenya and has since been to Ethiopia. Pretty narrow wouldn't you say...
Now, here's what is really happening.
Since finishing his residency Jason doesn't have a job. We had 2 weeks to be out of our trailer that we had already sold with no job and no place to live. OK, so maybe we could have lived with our parents - YIKES!!! Only if God is 100% sure about that one! Then at a meeting about an orphanage in Uganda I mentioned that we were about to be jobless and homeless. On the way to the meeting Jason and I discussed how we did not feel called to Uganda. I was quite positive I wasn't called to Africa AT ALL. On the way out that night someone at the meeting offered his home in Auburn to us for a few months for FREE. Coincidence, luck?? God is in all and through all right? So here we are. Jason had almost no work for about 2 weeks. At which point he became a little cranky. But the work situation soon changed. Jason has more and more relief work each week. Although we are very thankful it unfortunately keeps him away from home 3-4 days a week. Elijah usually looks for Jason every night. I keep telling him dad is at work. We are praying for steady work in 1 area and the opportunity to rent a home somewhere close by.
Rewind for a moment. In September we attended Christian Veterinary Mission's Short Course. We wanted to meet with some of their long term fieldworkers and continue praying about where God would have us go. While there I was challenged by one of the missionaries about South America. She wanted me to be sure I didn't want to go there just because I thought I could handle everything myself - new location, new language, new food. So I began to pray seriously about that and truly leave myself open to anywhere God wanted me. We also learned about an opening in Uganda. Another coincidence I'm certain. For the first time I was excited about Africa even though I think Jason has had it on his heart for a long time. He has been patiently waiting for God to work out all my insecurities and my lacking faith in the almighty creator of everything - including Africa.
We just purchased tickets to visit Uganda in November. Please pray that we will have confirmation one way or the other about the ministry opportunities there and partnering with the building of an orphanage. Pray that God will continue to open and close doors, that we will be open to His will and not our own plans and that I will continue to have peace about leaving Elijah for 10 days.
Now that we have a foundation about our journey these blogs should be a little shorter. I look forward to sharing with you.
First, a few basics for those of you who don't know us. Jason and I are both veterinarians. We met in vet school and have been happily married for the past 6 years. We both feel like the Lord started shaping and changing us for long term missions about 3 years ago. We have 1 son, Elijah. He is 17 months old and curious about everything!
3 years ago Jason and I felt like the Lord was prompting Jason to go back to school for a speciality degree. So we sold our house, our car, etc and moved back to Auburn. We never thought we would be back in the same trailer park, but after living in Jason's uncle's basement for 2 months we were glad to be back in a trailer. What can I say? Welcome to Alabama :)
After several short term trips to different locations - mainly South America, Jason and I started praying about where God would have us serve Him long term. And then the wait began! In the mean time I quit my job to stay at home with Elijah. This wasn't an easy decision for me at all. But I can definitely say that it was the best choice I could have made. I am so happy to be at home with Elijah now. The other thing I can say is that vet medicine is far easier than motherhood - all you moms who are vets already know this though :) Our income dropped dramatically and there were some tough spots, but God is faithful.
I like to say that Jason and I have the paralysis of analysis. We analyze, then reanalyze, then do it a couple of more times just to be sure. But again, God is definitely faithful. He has been patiently shaping us through what often feels like a roller coaster ride.
Have you ever noticed that sometimes what you think is the plan really isn't what God had in mind? Well, we thought after Jason finished his residency he'd quickly get a job. He'd work a couple of years, then off we'd go! We had it narrowed down to South America and Africa. South America for me and Africa for Jason. Jason had recently been to Kenya and has since been to Ethiopia. Pretty narrow wouldn't you say...
Now, here's what is really happening.
Since finishing his residency Jason doesn't have a job. We had 2 weeks to be out of our trailer that we had already sold with no job and no place to live. OK, so maybe we could have lived with our parents - YIKES!!! Only if God is 100% sure about that one! Then at a meeting about an orphanage in Uganda I mentioned that we were about to be jobless and homeless. On the way to the meeting Jason and I discussed how we did not feel called to Uganda. I was quite positive I wasn't called to Africa AT ALL. On the way out that night someone at the meeting offered his home in Auburn to us for a few months for FREE. Coincidence, luck?? God is in all and through all right? So here we are. Jason had almost no work for about 2 weeks. At which point he became a little cranky. But the work situation soon changed. Jason has more and more relief work each week. Although we are very thankful it unfortunately keeps him away from home 3-4 days a week. Elijah usually looks for Jason every night. I keep telling him dad is at work. We are praying for steady work in 1 area and the opportunity to rent a home somewhere close by.
Rewind for a moment. In September we attended Christian Veterinary Mission's Short Course. We wanted to meet with some of their long term fieldworkers and continue praying about where God would have us go. While there I was challenged by one of the missionaries about South America. She wanted me to be sure I didn't want to go there just because I thought I could handle everything myself - new location, new language, new food. So I began to pray seriously about that and truly leave myself open to anywhere God wanted me. We also learned about an opening in Uganda. Another coincidence I'm certain. For the first time I was excited about Africa even though I think Jason has had it on his heart for a long time. He has been patiently waiting for God to work out all my insecurities and my lacking faith in the almighty creator of everything - including Africa.
We just purchased tickets to visit Uganda in November. Please pray that we will have confirmation one way or the other about the ministry opportunities there and partnering with the building of an orphanage. Pray that God will continue to open and close doors, that we will be open to His will and not our own plans and that I will continue to have peace about leaving Elijah for 10 days.
Now that we have a foundation about our journey these blogs should be a little shorter. I look forward to sharing with you.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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