Passports

So this past weekend we applied for our passports. Please pray that those come through quickly. It feels good to get that off of our to do list.

My parents came this weekend also. It gave us good opportunity to talk face to face and answer some of the questions they had. It was soo good to talk to them about this step in our lives. It made it very real for all of us. I don't know if it made them feel better, but hopefully made them understand what we feel like. We are scared of this call, but non the less feel very called. God continues to open doors and we will keep stepping through them one at a time. Pray that we can keep open communication with our families and that God will bless these relationships even if distance may separate us.

We met with our pastor and his wife the other night and it was great to be able to talk to someone who has been in the position of leaving people they love through a call in ministry. We talked alot and prayed together. Through this we identified two specific prayer requests.

1. Pray that we can live in the now and focus on the jobs we have here. We love where God has us here. We love our Youth Group kids and our church family. Pray that we don't get overwhelmed with all the trip stuff that we don't take the time to do what God has for us here.

2. Pray for our parents. That they would be accepting and that they will be encouraging and that we can encourage them.



After our pastor left we were putting the boys to bed and Drew said to Steve, " I need to talk to mom, it is just between her and I" So I went in there and he was crying. He doesn't want us to to Uganda without him. They all want to come along and they are curious how they are going to know if they are supposed to go if they don't go with us. Lots of other questions came up. We talked about our memory verse at church. When I am afraid I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise, in God I trust, I will not be afraid, What can mortal man do to me? We focused on the first couple of words. We talked about trusting God and who he is. My prayer is that they can trust in this verse and that God's word can become very real to them. Please join in praying for our children as they are starting to think about what this all really means. Pray that God will give Steve and I the right words to say when these fears arise.

We are so thankful for our friends who support us in prayer. God is showing us how incredibly important prayer is in our lives.

What we will be doing in Uganda

This is the email we recieved from Tim and Angie about what we will be doing in Soroti, Uganda.

Your time in Uganda will consist of:

Learning, learning, learning! - it's important to have a learner's attitude, not an attitude that you've got something that they don't and you're going to give it to them. With a learners attitude throughout your entire time you show a genuine interest in the people and their culture and, as a result, are more effective the ministry as they will be more willing to learn from you. Consider your time as a vision trip seeking to learn about missions and about the Ugandan people, culture and land.

Orientation - getting to know the area, culture, people, teammates

Debriefing - daily reflecting and discussing what you are observing and learning, what is encouraging and frustrating, who God has made you to be, what you are going to do next with what you have learned/experienced.

"Ministry Touring" - seeing the different areas of ministry of Team Beyond and its partners; seeing the areas of need and ministry opportunities; meeting, interacting with, praying with, and encouraging, people in each area

Individual ministry - according to who God made you to be; according to your

• Passions & Interests

• Gifts & Abilities

• Experiences & Education

• Personality & Preferences

• Vision

Excursions - seeing the beauty of the land

Essentially, you are coming to learn what missionary life is all about. Of course, we would like you to get involved in ministry according to who God made you to be as well.

We are excited to go and see where God can use us. He is a God of detail and I know he will have us where we need to be.

Rough Roads

Along life's road we will have lots of road blocks, holes in the road and many distractions! Today I am falling in a hole! I am ready to sell everything and do what the Lord commands! I want to sell all my earthly possessions and follow Him! All these earthly possessions are an idol to me and I want God to be first in my life and in my kids life! When you have lots of things, then lots of things can go wrong with those things, which causes stress and anxiety! I long for peace and only a peace the Lord can provide!
This hole in the road is not making me want to stop our journey to Uganda. It is making me long to go! To live simply for the Lord! For no other purpose than to please Him and glorify Him! He says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I feel weak and I need his grace and his power! Please pray with me today for His Grace and Power to fall afresh on us all!

Plane tickets are purchased

We are so excited!! Our plane tickets are purchased! We will be flying out of Chicago on May 11 at 4:15 and arriving in Entebbe, Uganda on May 12. We will be in Uganda until May 23 and we will arrive back in Chicago on May 24. Please pray for quick and easy transitions at the layovers! We don't have long layovers and Steve and I are not seasoned travelers!

We know God is in control and he will help us through whatever we get into!