So I was bored and God has really just been giving me great ideas about this summer and these are some things that have come to mind, perhaps they are more year goals than for the summer but I can dream right? :D
Things I want to do this summer:
· Learn some Hebrew and Greek
· Go to Washington
· Visit IHOP-KC
· Ride my bike more than I drive
· Swim at least three times a week
· Volunteer at PCC
· Get involved in the Youth group at Fort Rec
· Get a house sitting job J
· Take two college classes
· Go to S. Indiana
· Seek out refugee places, homeless shelters, and orphanges
· Lead a bible study
· Sing in a chior
· Go on walks every night
· Love my family more everyday
· Be selfless
· Make collages
· Paint pictures for Jesus
· Take too many pictures
· Make up songs for my Daddy God
· Get a room of my own
· Travel to random places at random times
· Help someone out everyday
· Get to know the poor
· Be content and confident in who God made me to be
· Strive for Jesus
· Subscribe to National geo, travler or adventure
· Hike a mountain
· Be able to run a mile straight
· Visit grandma once a week
· Find wise counsel in older friends
· Visit Chicago in the summer!
· Perhaps visit Philiadephia
· Wake up at 6:00 a.m. everyday to spend time with JC
· Chase my Beloved faster, better, and longer everyday.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
They feel my beauty, Katie...
Whoa. It is only Tuesday and this week has been crazy! First of all, the RA situation has been resolved, I think, because they accepted my application and hopefully reviewing right now as I write this. God’s grace was in that whole thing and hopefully it works out. I have done everything I can, considering I am in Africa, I leave it in God’s hands now. That has been a stressful part of these past two days, but it has worked out, or so I hope :D.
So, enough about my selfish life in America, now to what you really want to read about. We had our oreintation to for the orphange I will be volunteering at while I am in Uganda. A little history on this story, we got to write down our top three choices on where we wanted to do our service projects and Chain, the orphange, was not my first choice. Salama, which is a blind school, was my first choice because the idea that the children just love you for who you are to them and not what you look like appealed to me. That sounds completely selfish, but being someone that gets stares from people because my face isn’t normal, it made me want to be with them. I figured I could learn a lot from them too on appearance and how much it does not matter. Well that was my plan and knew for sure that was where God wanted me, but we got our assignments and I got Chain, the orphange. Not that I did not want to be at the orphange, but I had built my heart on the blind school. That was just a bad week because nothing was going the way I wanted, but when I saw where I was suppose to volunteer God just said ‘Trust me, Katie’…that was all I could do, so I said ‘Fine’…Ok now back to present.
We went to this orphange and there was a blind school there! God is so amazing…
So we take a tour of the land to get familiar with the area and we meet these amazing kids. These kids are blind, partially or fully, and they live life. My heart is so heavy and I had to hold back from crying right then and there. I want to do so much for these children, but yet feel like I can do nothing to help. I am an all or nothing type and it just really frustrates me that I am in Africa, going to school, paying more money for four months than most of these people see in their life, and complaining about rice and beans. The orphange has an Intergrated school for the blind and sighted, but they cannot provide much food so these kids get a cup of pourage at lunch and that is it. These children mostly stay on campus even after school is out, to play with the other children and mostly because there is no reason to go home until bedtime because there is no food at home either. These are the poorest of the poor in the community. Most of these children do not have families for many reasons, but one main one being AIDS. Some are HIV positive themselves, which just breaks my heart. The blind children are almost like an outcast to society, and either their parents couldn’t provide proper medical care for them or they just didn’t want to because they saw them as a waste of life. Ahhhhhh….my heart just hurts. I want to fix everything for these kids because they deserve it more than anyone. They should get more love but they get less. I am so overwhelmed with emotion right now, I don’t know what else to write about this at the moment.
On the way back from Chain, I was riding in the van with the window open, winding blowing; eyes closed thinking this is how they see life. How do they see your beauties God? I ask, and God replied, “They don’t see life, Katie, they feel it. They feel my beauty.” Oh for all of us to feel His beauty…
So, enough about my selfish life in America, now to what you really want to read about. We had our oreintation to for the orphange I will be volunteering at while I am in Uganda. A little history on this story, we got to write down our top three choices on where we wanted to do our service projects and Chain, the orphange, was not my first choice. Salama, which is a blind school, was my first choice because the idea that the children just love you for who you are to them and not what you look like appealed to me. That sounds completely selfish, but being someone that gets stares from people because my face isn’t normal, it made me want to be with them. I figured I could learn a lot from them too on appearance and how much it does not matter. Well that was my plan and knew for sure that was where God wanted me, but we got our assignments and I got Chain, the orphange. Not that I did not want to be at the orphange, but I had built my heart on the blind school. That was just a bad week because nothing was going the way I wanted, but when I saw where I was suppose to volunteer God just said ‘Trust me, Katie’…that was all I could do, so I said ‘Fine’…Ok now back to present.
We went to this orphange and there was a blind school there! God is so amazing…
So we take a tour of the land to get familiar with the area and we meet these amazing kids. These kids are blind, partially or fully, and they live life. My heart is so heavy and I had to hold back from crying right then and there. I want to do so much for these children, but yet feel like I can do nothing to help. I am an all or nothing type and it just really frustrates me that I am in Africa, going to school, paying more money for four months than most of these people see in their life, and complaining about rice and beans. The orphange has an Intergrated school for the blind and sighted, but they cannot provide much food so these kids get a cup of pourage at lunch and that is it. These children mostly stay on campus even after school is out, to play with the other children and mostly because there is no reason to go home until bedtime because there is no food at home either. These are the poorest of the poor in the community. Most of these children do not have families for many reasons, but one main one being AIDS. Some are HIV positive themselves, which just breaks my heart. The blind children are almost like an outcast to society, and either their parents couldn’t provide proper medical care for them or they just didn’t want to because they saw them as a waste of life. Ahhhhhh….my heart just hurts. I want to fix everything for these kids because they deserve it more than anyone. They should get more love but they get less. I am so overwhelmed with emotion right now, I don’t know what else to write about this at the moment.
On the way back from Chain, I was riding in the van with the window open, winding blowing; eyes closed thinking this is how they see life. How do they see your beauties God? I ask, and God replied, “They don’t see life, Katie, they feel it. They feel my beauty.” Oh for all of us to feel His beauty…
Adventures, Adventures...
Yesterday, Febuary 7th, we went to Kampala. There were five of us girls and we went out for a night on the townJ. We went to dinner on Emily’s mom because she won an award at school and it was a celebration! It was so good too! I am eating like a piggy and probably will not lose weight while being here. I am going to start exercising more though! Build the muscles! :) Anyway, we went in a Matatu which is just a van taxi and real cheap, but they drive crazy! Oh my, I could never drive here. There are no rules and everyone just does whatever they want. I would be so ticked off at the people that I wouldn’t get anywhere! Ha. The taxi tried to kick us off, probably closer to our destination, but we were persistent and stayed on until we were around something familiar. We ended up asking for directions, but eventually got there! I got some mango juice that wasn’t very good and was expensive! (In reality it was only $1.75, but here that is wicked expensive.) Then we got a private hire to take us to Sam’s restaurant, which was amazing!! We also stumbled upon this craft market which was awesome. I love shopping here! Good thing it is cheap here! I had fish, carrots, and potatoes! It was very healthy and delicious. Then I had apple pie and ice cream :D. It was so delicish, I even ate the crust and I am not a crust person. Most proabably wouldn’t have liked it but because it is such a treat here I was in very much like with it! We kind of vegged out for a little bit then went to the craft market. Kristen was proud of me because I only bought five pairs of earrings and three banana leaf pictures! And they were all gifts, kinda. We had a heck of a time getting a matatu back to Mukono. Some Ugandans think that because we are white that we do not know anything, but all you need to do is act like you know what you are doing and they won’t take you for a fool. My dad would be proud of me :D. I love the shopping here and how cheap I can get things. I am starting to develop a backbone! I am not guillable or naïve as much as I use to be! It was a good day, but even at the end I felt like an outsider. At first I was mad because I thought it was the girls fault, but I do not think that now. I know it is God telling me to get use to feeling alone in this world when it comes to people. I need to become content with being the outsider. That is what God told me. I have become more introverted since being here. I need my alone time and I crave it because I can’t be around people all the time. It is weird, but another thing that God is doing in my life. I give Him the praise for everything!
Emily and I went to this fellowship on Thurday for our dorm. It was great until the speaker. He was talking about worship and he had great things to say about worship, but then he spoke about the song, Blessed be thename of the Lord, and the verse where it says ‘He gives and takes away’, the speaker said he would not say that verse again because God only gives and does not take. I was like what??? Emily and I talked about it and that is in the Bible, He gives and takes away, and we were like ummm, yeah…wrong statement to say. That song is very dear to my heart because the day that my grandpa passed away, it played in chapel and it was God just reassuring me about that situation.
Anyway, probably the hardest and greatest week so far! I am sure there are more to come and I welcome them. God is here and with me and everywhere in between! I love you all!
Emily and I went to this fellowship on Thurday for our dorm. It was great until the speaker. He was talking about worship and he had great things to say about worship, but then he spoke about the song, Blessed be thename of the Lord, and the verse where it says ‘He gives and takes away’, the speaker said he would not say that verse again because God only gives and does not take. I was like what??? Emily and I talked about it and that is in the Bible, He gives and takes away, and we were like ummm, yeah…wrong statement to say. That song is very dear to my heart because the day that my grandpa passed away, it played in chapel and it was God just reassuring me about that situation.
Anyway, probably the hardest and greatest week so far! I am sure there are more to come and I welcome them. God is here and with me and everywhere in between! I love you all!
Wonderfully in Awe...
2-6-09
Where to even start, I am at a loss. I am almost at a loss for words at the moment, but I feel that if I do not write this down it would be a shame.
Ok, here goes nothing. Last weekend, January 30th-Febuary 1st, we went on a retreat to Jinja with Honors College to a wonderful resort. The weekend was built and provided to get to know the honors college students, but God asked so much that I go away alone, with Him. I felt like a loser because here I am at a social gathering and not socializing like I should. God pulled me away in the morning to watch the sunrise, which on Lake Victoria are beautiful, mid-day when everyone was playing in the pool, and after supper when others were watching a movie. I felt like such an outsider all weekend, all these people were building all these relationships and I wasn’t, but God, even before I got here, reminded me that this trip is not about friendships or relationships in general, but solely about Him and I’s relationship. I woke up on Sunday morning and watch the sunrise with my family (because I recorded it :D) and God just spoke to me so much about them and how much He LOVES them! Oh, I praise Him! After that I just got so much power of the spirit reminding that I am a daughter of the KING! I have never felt like more of the daughter of the King than in that moment. He is the King of the Universe and He calls me daughter! Ahhh….it still amazes me. We had a worship service that morning and Brian preached on how we have the power of the Spirit in us and that we need to share it! My roommate, Kristen, then stood up after he was finished and spoke prophecy about how there were leaders, reformers, and revelationaries in this group and we need to strike the match to start the fire for this world! Wow, it was so powerful! Well, that is just the start of it.
This week has not been the greatest to say the least, but also it has been the best yet. For starters, I was just getting frustrated with people, but that is my own problem and God is dealing with me on that. Tuesday was Markert Day here in Mukono and so Tori and I decided to go. Well, probably the worst day I have had here. First of all, before we even left this UCU student sat with us at lunch and we were all introducing ourselves. She asked me if I had a sunburn on my face and I proceeded to tell her no that it was my birthmark and she said, ‘wow, that is huge.’ I looked at Tori and said, ‘what do I say to that?’ So we just left and went on our way to town. It started to pouring when we walked to town so we were delayed for a bit, but that was fine. We finally got to the market and people were just so rude. A vender man asked me about my face as I was walking passed his little station and then these guys walked by me and very mockingly said ‘ What is on your face’ or something to that extent. I just wanted to stand right there in the middle of street and cry. I am so sick of everyone asking me. I really don’t mind if someone asks me that I know or am getting to know, but just random strangers I resent. People try to justify it by saying that it is there culture, but a Ugandan girl told me that it is rude here, which I figured anyways. It just hurt, but God is really showing me where my worth is and how beautiful I truly am. I am a daughter of the KING for goodness sakes!Another things was that I wanted to apply for a RA position for next year and emailed my RD before the deadline, but she just got back with me yesterday to tell me that it was too late, well duh! Anyways, I am still trying to work on that one, but I will accept whatever happens. So that was one thing that didn’t go as planned and then I got homesick plus just being sick of being here. I just wanted to go home and be in the comfort of my home and family. Obviously, that can’t happen for another three months, but that does not help the longing. There have been great things about this week too. Kristen and I’s relationship has become stronger as roommates and I am so thankful for that! Also, God has given me a deep friendship with a girl, Naomi, to which I feel very blessed to have also. God knows that these relationships are not before Him and I think that is why He has given them to me and let them become stronger in Him. I did ask Him for a deep friendship and I have three girls that I know I could go to for anything here and I am so thankful for that.
Ok, so here is the cool part :D. Yesterday, Friday, Febuary 6th, a group of us went to Kampala to a craft market which is so awesome and I got gifts for people!, but anyways. I got stuck in Kampala after dark and couldn’t go home by myself because it wasn’t safe, so I had to stay there with the group when I really did not want to do that. I was really mad actually because first we were disrespecting curfew and second we were at a place that was not good for my spirit and third, I wanted to go to this overnight thing they were having at the campus. Finally, we got a group to come with us and I was so thankful Eddie came with us. He is African and was not going to let us go by ourselves, praise Jesus. So, we finally got home two hours after curfew, but we were safe, so no worries family :D. Naomi and I bathed and went to the overnight thing. It is funny to think that I almost did not go because it was 11:00 p.m. and I didn’t know how I was going to get back because I didn’t want to walk by myself in the dark, but I went anyway. At first I was completely shocked for two reasons: one, there were a lot of people and two, these people were going crazy. It was not what I expected, but it was good. At first, I was like I am so leaving soon because I just wasn’t feeling it at all. Then the man told us to grab hands with others and Sarah grabbed my hand. It seemed like everyone was worshipping God but me. People were shaking, shouting, weeping, standing, walking, whatever, but I just stood there. God started dwelling in me and I began to shout. It seemed with every shout God was filling me more and more. He then proceeded to tell me that the more I worshipped Him the more He would fill me with HIM!!!! AHHHHHHH>>>>>>>……it still gives me excitement!!!! I was getting freedom in Christ! I didn’t care what others were doing, I was worshipping Jesus in the way that the Spirit was guiding me. Debby came over and wanted me to sit with them and so I did. A preacher then began to preach and I was so tired. God used him so much though. He was talking about we need to seek our destiny in Christ. I almost left while he was preaching because I could not stay awake, but I know that if I was worshipping my Creator then I would be awake and alive. Finally we started worshipping again and we all grabbed hands and started singing. I did not know the songs, but that did not stop me from singing. I cannot really explain to you what happened next, but God over took my body. He manfested Himself in me. (I will not apologize if this offends anyone, but please know that what happens to me is of God and nothing else. I know it is hard to process, but until you experience it, it really means nothing to you. But please do not dismiss it that it is not of God or that I am completely crazy. I am crazy, but only crazy in Jesus!). GOD’S PRESENCE WAS IN ME!!! I cannot express in words, but it was intimate. I am still having affects from it and it was 5 ½ hours ago! God is developing the gifts He has given me and I praise Him for that! Also, He is giving me freedom in Christ, which is something I have been asking for since being here. Wow, what a night/morning. I prayed for my family like never before in the Spirit. I feel God’s love for my family and it is so so soooooo sooooooo strong. I just keep praying that they will all feel it now. God is doing so much and ahhhh…I can’t, I can’t even talk right now! Perhaps I will be able to contain myself soon, but at this moment I feel like dancing for the Lord. I got about four and half hours of sleep, but I feel so refreshed it is crazy and can only be from God!!!!
WOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….PRAISE JESUS….PRAISE MY DADDY!!!
FREEDOM!!! AHHHH……………………………………………………………………………………………AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…..I AM GOING NUTS INSIDE MY BODY FOR HIM…..
I love you all and hope this blesses you somehow…
All for His glory,
Katie
Where to even start, I am at a loss. I am almost at a loss for words at the moment, but I feel that if I do not write this down it would be a shame.
Ok, here goes nothing. Last weekend, January 30th-Febuary 1st, we went on a retreat to Jinja with Honors College to a wonderful resort. The weekend was built and provided to get to know the honors college students, but God asked so much that I go away alone, with Him. I felt like a loser because here I am at a social gathering and not socializing like I should. God pulled me away in the morning to watch the sunrise, which on Lake Victoria are beautiful, mid-day when everyone was playing in the pool, and after supper when others were watching a movie. I felt like such an outsider all weekend, all these people were building all these relationships and I wasn’t, but God, even before I got here, reminded me that this trip is not about friendships or relationships in general, but solely about Him and I’s relationship. I woke up on Sunday morning and watch the sunrise with my family (because I recorded it :D) and God just spoke to me so much about them and how much He LOVES them! Oh, I praise Him! After that I just got so much power of the spirit reminding that I am a daughter of the KING! I have never felt like more of the daughter of the King than in that moment. He is the King of the Universe and He calls me daughter! Ahhh….it still amazes me. We had a worship service that morning and Brian preached on how we have the power of the Spirit in us and that we need to share it! My roommate, Kristen, then stood up after he was finished and spoke prophecy about how there were leaders, reformers, and revelationaries in this group and we need to strike the match to start the fire for this world! Wow, it was so powerful! Well, that is just the start of it.
This week has not been the greatest to say the least, but also it has been the best yet. For starters, I was just getting frustrated with people, but that is my own problem and God is dealing with me on that. Tuesday was Markert Day here in Mukono and so Tori and I decided to go. Well, probably the worst day I have had here. First of all, before we even left this UCU student sat with us at lunch and we were all introducing ourselves. She asked me if I had a sunburn on my face and I proceeded to tell her no that it was my birthmark and she said, ‘wow, that is huge.’ I looked at Tori and said, ‘what do I say to that?’ So we just left and went on our way to town. It started to pouring when we walked to town so we were delayed for a bit, but that was fine. We finally got to the market and people were just so rude. A vender man asked me about my face as I was walking passed his little station and then these guys walked by me and very mockingly said ‘ What is on your face’ or something to that extent. I just wanted to stand right there in the middle of street and cry. I am so sick of everyone asking me. I really don’t mind if someone asks me that I know or am getting to know, but just random strangers I resent. People try to justify it by saying that it is there culture, but a Ugandan girl told me that it is rude here, which I figured anyways. It just hurt, but God is really showing me where my worth is and how beautiful I truly am. I am a daughter of the KING for goodness sakes!Another things was that I wanted to apply for a RA position for next year and emailed my RD before the deadline, but she just got back with me yesterday to tell me that it was too late, well duh! Anyways, I am still trying to work on that one, but I will accept whatever happens. So that was one thing that didn’t go as planned and then I got homesick plus just being sick of being here. I just wanted to go home and be in the comfort of my home and family. Obviously, that can’t happen for another three months, but that does not help the longing. There have been great things about this week too. Kristen and I’s relationship has become stronger as roommates and I am so thankful for that! Also, God has given me a deep friendship with a girl, Naomi, to which I feel very blessed to have also. God knows that these relationships are not before Him and I think that is why He has given them to me and let them become stronger in Him. I did ask Him for a deep friendship and I have three girls that I know I could go to for anything here and I am so thankful for that.
Ok, so here is the cool part :D. Yesterday, Friday, Febuary 6th, a group of us went to Kampala to a craft market which is so awesome and I got gifts for people!, but anyways. I got stuck in Kampala after dark and couldn’t go home by myself because it wasn’t safe, so I had to stay there with the group when I really did not want to do that. I was really mad actually because first we were disrespecting curfew and second we were at a place that was not good for my spirit and third, I wanted to go to this overnight thing they were having at the campus. Finally, we got a group to come with us and I was so thankful Eddie came with us. He is African and was not going to let us go by ourselves, praise Jesus. So, we finally got home two hours after curfew, but we were safe, so no worries family :D. Naomi and I bathed and went to the overnight thing. It is funny to think that I almost did not go because it was 11:00 p.m. and I didn’t know how I was going to get back because I didn’t want to walk by myself in the dark, but I went anyway. At first I was completely shocked for two reasons: one, there were a lot of people and two, these people were going crazy. It was not what I expected, but it was good. At first, I was like I am so leaving soon because I just wasn’t feeling it at all. Then the man told us to grab hands with others and Sarah grabbed my hand. It seemed like everyone was worshipping God but me. People were shaking, shouting, weeping, standing, walking, whatever, but I just stood there. God started dwelling in me and I began to shout. It seemed with every shout God was filling me more and more. He then proceeded to tell me that the more I worshipped Him the more He would fill me with HIM!!!! AHHHHHHH>>>>>>>……it still gives me excitement!!!! I was getting freedom in Christ! I didn’t care what others were doing, I was worshipping Jesus in the way that the Spirit was guiding me. Debby came over and wanted me to sit with them and so I did. A preacher then began to preach and I was so tired. God used him so much though. He was talking about we need to seek our destiny in Christ. I almost left while he was preaching because I could not stay awake, but I know that if I was worshipping my Creator then I would be awake and alive. Finally we started worshipping again and we all grabbed hands and started singing. I did not know the songs, but that did not stop me from singing. I cannot really explain to you what happened next, but God over took my body. He manfested Himself in me. (I will not apologize if this offends anyone, but please know that what happens to me is of God and nothing else. I know it is hard to process, but until you experience it, it really means nothing to you. But please do not dismiss it that it is not of God or that I am completely crazy. I am crazy, but only crazy in Jesus!). GOD’S PRESENCE WAS IN ME!!! I cannot express in words, but it was intimate. I am still having affects from it and it was 5 ½ hours ago! God is developing the gifts He has given me and I praise Him for that! Also, He is giving me freedom in Christ, which is something I have been asking for since being here. Wow, what a night/morning. I prayed for my family like never before in the Spirit. I feel God’s love for my family and it is so so soooooo sooooooo strong. I just keep praying that they will all feel it now. God is doing so much and ahhhh…I can’t, I can’t even talk right now! Perhaps I will be able to contain myself soon, but at this moment I feel like dancing for the Lord. I got about four and half hours of sleep, but I feel so refreshed it is crazy and can only be from God!!!!
WOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….PRAISE JESUS….PRAISE MY DADDY!!!
FREEDOM!!! AHHHH……………………………………………………………………………………………AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…..I AM GOING NUTS INSIDE MY BODY FOR HIM…..
I love you all and hope this blesses you somehow…
All for His glory,
Katie
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