Hello Friends! I’m home and so tired, but happy. Thank you so much for all the amazing notes of encouragement, prayers during my trip. I’m blessed by you. I know the emails were long, how busy you guys are, and so appreciate how you guys went through it with me. I couldn’t write much for the rest of the trip. It was usually either power outages, no electricity or no ability to stay awake!We did so much and I’ll post pics and stories soon online, but left my laptop in London. I guess I was a little groggy during my 18 hours of travel before my connection into Dallas. it’s ok, though, I always save photos in two places so I made it home with my photos. 🙂 pray for safe return of my laptop. I would so love NOT to have to buy another one.The trip continued to be one of friendships, new understandings of one another and how Jesus has changed us, and opportunities to speak into each others lives and be spoken into, as well. it was beautiful, even on the hardest days.We visited the new school location (can’t remember if I already told you about that) but it was great to stand and see the buildings with no roofs and know kids will move in within the next 12 weeks. We drove out to Paraa to a beautiful lodge there for one night of comfort and relaxation. it’s beautiful and sits on the Nile. If anyone remembers Moses, that’s kinda cool… and we drank coffee on giant patios and rode on a boat, and saw many animals. The next morning, we were off again, headed to Mesindi to meet with “healers’ there again discuss the law, the Gospel, and so on. It was much more formal, and much more significant regarding the amount of people, and that recent cases there are causing a stir. detectives, police, pastors and Chief Registrars were all there to speak, and make sure they understood the choices they make.One thing to share was that after leaving the witch doctor mtg in Gulu, several of them called over the last few days asking to know about the Jesus that Bob talked about in the meeting. Restoration, Renewal and new hearts will prayerfully begin to grow in the lives of these people. I love that Jesus asks you to show up, walk through the discomfort, even deliver the message, but He’s doing all the work, all the life changing. This meeting changed how I spent my last day in Africa, with my friends in Bulega Village instead of who I traveled there with. Things started to come together in my mind that we could help them as they’ve battled witch doctors in their area for a year, and we’ve been asked to pray for them many times over the last year. Now, here I was sitting in a room with people who could help them. It was a difficult meeting to sit in as they rattled off details of case after case of children being taken and later found from some sort of ritual, as well as specifically seeing pictures and hearing details of our friend that was with us on the plane coming back to Uganda. This little boy, 9 years old, we played ball with him, held hands, and so thankful he survived.We had some time after the meeting to spend with the judge that ruled on our little 9 year old boy’s life, with one conviction and two that got away. We sat in his home (of which has 24 hour guards now since the trial). we prayed for him, with him and then headed out back and hit golf balls for fun, and were able to shake off all the heaviness with some fun, and laughter. This judge is very courageous as he is fighting for justice there and being harassed and threatened regularly.We then headed to Maggie’s, and that’s all we knew at the time. Maggie has a ranch and garden about two hours from Mesindi toward Kampala. She leads AHI, Africa Hospitality Institute where she teaches kids and orphans from the bush learn to cook, clean and manage hotels possibly someday for Westerners. it’s a 2 year program, and loved seeing how she’s helping kids from her community. Her story is one of 30 years of abuse, but she chose forgiveness, and to make her life about others. She’s a woman that’s never known the love of a father or from a mother, even though she had both. I think of all the opportunities we get, and all the decisions we make to love or hate, remember wrongdoings or forgive, and how the only way to make the right choice is Jesus. she’s chosen Him. We each shared some things on our heart for maggie that night around a fire, and walked up and gave her notes and hugs. It was a great night of worship after that since we had Josh, a guy on the trip, playing guitar and leading us. Singing the Wonderful Cross on a patio surrounded by candles, nature and amazing new friends was one of the high points of the trip. Praise seems to bring a freedom and release, and I always imagine what must be happening around us that we can’t see.As we woke up, had breakfast and headed back to Kampala, our day would consist of judiciary, and Goverment folks, so for one day, we dressed up. Bob and I made a quick video for the Young Life Leader Placement event happening back in Austin to encourage them, and we had a luncheon and meeting with Chief Justice with Supreme Court there, and then I sat with him again at lunch, and after deciding to be friends, he invited me and my family to stay with him in his village with his wife. I promised to try to come back soon. From there we went to the state house, our version of the White House. We had tea while we waited which I found funny, and then they led us to see the First Lady. I anticipated it would be formal, but it wasn’t really, and we talked to her about the Uganda we’d experienced, and heard of her dreams for her country. We all presented her with gifts to help her be a great Grandmother (tons of items from Pixar) and then we held hands around the room, prayed for Uganda and her leadership, and then we all sang Amazing Grace together with her, and she was very blessed I think. After a few photos we were off, and headed to dinner soon after that with some people from IJM, International Justice Mission and some medical missionaries living there right now.The last day in Uganda, I decided needed to be spent with my friends in Bulega Village. I longed to see them, and wanted to hear more of how they were. We had an amazing day walking their property, seeing the kids, the school, the homes, organic gardens, cows, chickens, etc. They care for HIV orphans and are doing amazing things. I loved spending my day there among them and catching up with our dear friends. We talked a lot about some of the things they were dealing with, battling, and I figured they should come back and meet some of the folks in my group, so they did. I can’t wait to connect them with the other people we met there that can maybe help them and hopefully build friendships with one another, too.We had a great last dinner where we all spoke blessings to each person, prayed for certain people going back home to difficult decisions or circumstances, and we had a beautiful last night together.As I landed in Dallas, I got the email from my friends in Bulega Village that they has a sudden death among one of their 45 HIV children onsite. I wanted to get back on a plane and go back to be with them. Pray for Leah and Brent and their family.thank you all so much for journeying with me. sorry for the long emails instead of daily updates, but maybe next time I go some of you might come with me…I don’t know much, but I feel like if you can truly see God at work there, it will change you, God will change you through it. I was holding their sweet baby that they rescued after she’d been dumped in a swamp, and kept making her laugh and noticing how perfectly wonderful she was, I am overwhelmed by the way Jesus steps into lives and uses people to give a glimpse of himself. It’s something I get to see even here in Austin. Foster families, and those in adoption processes. Kids taken from parents, but providing someone in their life to carry them through it. Young Life leaders pouring their lives out in prayer and the giving up of their time to love kids. Kingdom is happening right here and now, and I’m blessed to watch Him at work every day. Every day. Each of you are a part of that for me, and your friendship blesses me.“Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push on into his presence and live our whole life there.” AW TozerBlessings,Jeannie
