interruptible for the one

I like to sit on my veranda and watch the birds. Beautiful metallic starlings, brilliant blue kingfishers, and vibrant black and red goneleks stand out against the ever green grass and trees that contrast the blue sky and Nile River. I like to buy flowers in town and walk home as I wave and say hello to all of the boda drivers whom I pass each day. I like to bake apple pies, a lot! I like to watch movies in the evenings. I like to write letters and keep in touch with people in America. I like these little moments. 

I also like to sit in Masese as we argue about the color of our blood and whether or not America has trees and cows. I like to laugh with Lydia, my “bodyguard” as she once again beats me in arm wrestling. I like to laugh with Christine as she dances and models for us, inevitably, every time I see her! I like to laugh with Sarah as I chase her son Michael, who secretly likes me. I like these little moments. 

I don’t lead crusades here. I don’t have programs or projects. My days are filled with relationships. The only things on my schedule that are set throughout the week are prayer with two friends over Masese and Bible study with three women. The rest of my days are filled with these beautiful relationships with beautiful, messy people. Days are filled with hopes and dreams and prayers for chains to be broken and people to walk in freedom through His grace. 

Last week another missionary and I were conversing about the busy schedule of another friend here. Her response was, “Well I guess everyone here is busy. And if they’re not, they’re doing something wrong.” 

I knew what she meant, but it hurt. The mindset that we have to go and go and go and do better is human nature. It’s counterproductive to sit with someone for five hours straight as they tell you their hurts and fears of the future and rejoice over the fact that there is hope in Christ. To sit with one person for five hours? Think of all the multitudes you could reach in that amount of time! Think of the programs and projects and agendas you could fulfill with five hours. 

Think of how Jesus always met the one. Think of how He was able to be interrupted. 

Jesus was interruptible. 

In the book The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, he talks about how Jesus was always willing to lay down His agenda for the day to meet someone personally. 

“Jesus! My daughter is sick!” 

“Jesus, my brother died!” 

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”

He was going somewhere when He was met by these people, but He was willing to be interrupted. His destination wasn’t diverted — He was on the road to Calvary from the beginning — but He always met people personally along the way.

I want to be interruptible. That’s not human nature, that’s definitely not my nature even. I get annoyed when my plans are thwarted. However, by the grace of God, He is teaching me to meet the one. He is moving in my heart to lay down my plans each moment and be able to come when people call out, 

“Nalem, my daughter is sick.” 

“Nalem, my husband is an alcoholic and I don’t have a place to stay tonight.” 

“Nalem, where am I going to shift when the roads come in?”

Those calls are devastating and I’m not able to meet them. Sometimes I can point them to someone who can help. All the time, I can pray. I can sit with them for hours and hear them. Sometimes, all we want is be heard. 

I don’t have this whole “missionary” thing figured out. All I know is that God has called me in this season to labor for His Kingdom in Masese III. I know that He has given me time and patience and endurance to love a tribe and people who are often overlooked in this region. I know that relationships are hard and long and messy, but God has called me to invest in the one. Discipleship ministry isn’t easy to write home about, because sometimes you rejoice in the softening of someone’s heart, and the next minute you’re broken over hearing they went to the witchdoctor to place a curse on someone. I don’t have numbers or photos to share, but I do have stories of God’s abundant grace being enough in my life, and His steadfast love [hesed] pursuing my friends even when they run. Even when I run. 

I have known God through the one. I have met Him there. 

I encourage you today, wherever you are, to see the one. Yes, God uses programs and projects and crusades, but don’t miss the one. I promise you, He’ll be there, too. 

And in the quietness and glamour that is missed in not being on display, read this article: Hidden. 

That is my prayer for you today, dear reader. May we be a people who seek first His Kingdom over our own agendas. 

Your Prayers

 I like rooftop picnics over Lake Victoria

"Hello Bedford Falls!!" -- George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life" couldn't contain himself after the joy of realizing what life could be. He was suddenly thankful for the things he once took for granted or secretly loathed.

Sometimes, I feel this of Jinja. On a trip to Entebbe and Kampala this weekend, I returned to my sweet little town so thankful for the familiar faces and street names and quiet. I'm thankful to live here! Sometimes I complain or take things for granted, but I love life. There is so much beauty to find if you have eyes to see.

Last week I was honest with all of you here and in a newsletter. I was honest that things have been hard over the last few months, and going into a season of unknowns has had me very unsettled. However, I have received so many kind and encouraging words, and I know you have prayed. Oh, have I known your prayers! I have never felt more encouraged in ministry and in life in general than over the last week. I would like to share some of these answers to prayer so that you know how you are working alongside of the ministry here.

Alika! 

First, as the smaller of the answered prayer -- my toe is healed! Now, I did not go to the hospital but it felt just as it did last December when I broke it before. Regardless if it was broken or not, there is no pain anymore! This is small, but walking everywhere is definitely a lot more pleasant when each step does not hurt. I am very physically healthy at the moment, which is something I take for granted often. Thank you for praying for my physical health!

Second, God has provided a friend to pursue some of the men in Masese whom I have been burdened over! Two of my dear friend's husbands have asked questions in the past, but I have never felt comfortable meeting with men in regards to discipleship. I have prayed for months for a man of God to be burdened for these men as well, and He has provided! This is not only an answered prayer for the men in Masese, but also for me to have a friend who knows, cares, and prays for the people I care about there as well. Caring about the same things strips ministry of loneliness, and I am so thankful that God provided here in so many ways.

Finally, there are still unknowns, but I have such a peace about the present and future. I'm thankful to serve a God who has been faithful in the past and who brings those memories to mind as testimony of his faithfulness. As most of you know, personally I do not have a passion for programs or serving the multitudes. I prefer sitting with a group of women and truly knowing them. With a change in pace and schedule, I have been able to do just that. In the last week I have danced (this is a type of play for the Karamojong) -- they have tried to teach me the Acholi dance ("it's as if the Acholi do not have bones in their back!") and I tried to teach them to swing dance! They have told me stories of their past and I've heard the latest drama amongst the young women I used to teach. My heart has broken over news of some of my friends turning from the Lord to witchdoctors, and I've had to have difficult conversations with a few who have clearly turned from God. I know the easy thing to do is to turn my head and look the other way, but the loving thing to do is to call them out on their sin and plead that they return to the Lord. I love these women; I wish you could know them. They make me laugh! And I know God loves them more than I could ever imagine.

I always share these photos, but these are my buddies!

To say thank you for your ministry of prayer seems like an understatement. I wish you could see how He's working through your prayers. I wish you could know the encouragement I have known. I wish you could physically see Him working here, as I can. But for now, I will say thank you. Your prayers and words of encouragement have blessed me and many others. God is using you here. I have known that deeper this week than ever. Thank you!

Would you continue to pray?

• The community of Masese is in chaos as now is the time allotted to "vacate the land" so that new roads can be built. Pray for wisdom for the tenants as to where they will go.
• Pray for the gospel to truly transform hearts here
• Pray for conviction over sin for some of my dearest friends. I so badly want them to know their Savior and walk in freedom from the slavery they are currently in. 
• Continue to pray for me as I look toward the future and where God is leading

Hope in the Unknowns

Today I broke my toe, taught kindergarten and a Bible study, had lunch with my dear friend on her birthday, and made an apple pie by candlelight with the pouring rain pattering against my tin roof.

I'm thankful for these days. I'm thankful for days that don't go according to plan, and yet have so many beautiful blessings sprinkled throughout the chaos. Lately I've been noticing the flowers and butterflies and genuine kind smiles of familiar faces whom I see each day and it has awakened a new appreciation for the truth in "this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

I am trying to learn Karamojong, slowly slowly -- as they say here. Today my friend Esther refused to speak to me in English! Then as I said goodbye to Esther and Lillian, they said "topedajok" (have a good night) and then strung a bunch of words that I knew together afterwords. Words such as butterfly, sit down, keep quiet, and frog! I'm thankful for friends who want me to learn their language and are patient with me, all the while making fun of my complete lack of knowledge!




I have been silent over the last few months because I honestly don't have words. There have been multiple times I've sat down and tried to type up a newsletter or blog post, failed, and decided to bake something instead. The kitchen is always my outlet. I've tried sitting in my front yard as it looks out over the Nile River, at my table on the veranda as the monsoon makes it impossible to hear anything but the pounding rain, and at sunrise with a cup of coffee, but no matter the setting, these words have been hard to bring to life.

The reason I fail to share is because there are so many unknowns right now. My kindergarteners graduate on Tuesday and I don't know what life looks like without a tent-making job. Masese is a mess and I don't know when the bulldozers will come and knock down the houses where my friends live. The family I'm closest to here has been in America for the last two months and another family who I work closely with in ministry as well as personally is leaving in two weeks, and I don't know what I'm going to do without them. I will be going to America for one of my best friend's weddings next month, and I don't know what I'll be coming back to in September. I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing next week, let alone a long term decision regarding ministry.


Bible study today was the story of God parting the Red Sea. As we discussed the story, we realized that we're the Israelites. We're faced with the water in front and Egyptian army behind. There is no way that we can save ourselves. There's no easy way out. In that moment, the only way there could be a possible ending other than destruction was if God intervened.

God asked Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
God asked Jeremiah, "Is anything too hard for Me?"
Jesus told His listeners,"What is impossible with man is possible with God."
The angel of the Lord told Mary, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

I know that God always works all things together for good, and He will receive glory for Himself in whatever comes. We know all of the right answers but honestly, we're discouraged. I'm discouraged.

However, we're also hopeful. We're hopeful because we do serve a God who is building His kingdom in Masese III. We're hopeful because this is His work, and He's allowing us to come alongside of what He's doing in the world. We're hopeful, which means filled with hope. We have an assurance in our hope. And like Paul, we're here to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. That's why we're all here. Above all else, we're here to point to His finished work.

Would you pray?

• Even in the unknowns, God would use us for His glory in the daily moments
• That God would give wisdom as to the future for those who live in Masese III
• That God would lead and guide me as I look to an unknown future in ministry
• For the Karamojong -- we've felt that Satan has a strong hold on this tribe as a whole. Pray that souls would be saved and lives transformed by the gospel.

Thank you. Thank you so much for praying for people whom you've never met, and yet are part of the Church and Body of Christ. Thank you for praying for His Kingdom to advance. Thank you for praying for me as I struggle in this season.