Going on a "Safari"

"Safari" is Swahili for "journey" so this title works on two levels. haha

1. I am on a journey in my relationship with God and in ministry.

2. I recently went on my second safari to Murchison Falls and Paraa with my sister and her friend.


Since the last time I wrote (again it's been too long), God has been growing me in many ways. He is teaching me a lot of patience, which is a frustrating but beneficial process:) It's a moment-by-moment decision to crucify my flesh, and unfortunately sometimes the flesh wins out. But failure, even in small things like our attitudes, is part of the maturing process. If we never fail, then how will we appreciate when we succeed through the grace of God? So I welcome it all because it is molding me into the image of Jesus Christ:) Maybe someday soon I won't be at all bothered when I have to wait for someone for over an hour to show up to a scheduled meeting. lol

I am blessed that the Lord continues to use me in the lives of each of the Congolese people. Recently I have been able to do home visits inside the army barracks, where the environment to Christianity is sometimes hostile. After sharing the Word and praying with a certain soldier's wife without the soldier knowing, he got very angry that we came, but then God softened his heart and he was ok with it. Praise God! Another lady in the barracks was Muslim (which I didn't even know at the time), but after hearing the Word preached and asking me some tough questions about Christianity, she decided to come to church the next Sunday and gave her life to Jesus on that day! Then she testified of it in the Swahili service! I was really touched that God used a simple thing like me sharing scripture and answering her questions to bring her into His family! God is continually pushing me onward on this journey into the hearts of the Congolese people and ultimately, into His heart. Home visits are becoming a daily routine now with Mama Joy and/or Baba. I am learning more Swahili every day and can understand much more than I speak now, since I am around it constantly.

My sister Leah came with her friend Kyle at the end of May and have been ministering with the House of Prayer here in Gulu. God has been using them in amazing ways to raise up leaders and impart truth. I have to say that I have really enjoyed Leah living here with me for 2+ months! What a blessing:) In the picture to the right Leah and I are introducing her to the Swahili congregation while Mama Joy translates

The other "safari" with Leah and Kyle was really fun and adventurous to say the least. The trip was postponed by a day due to a flat tire on the boda (motorcycle) that we drove there. We also hired another boda, so in total four of us drove/rode the 3 hours to Murchison Falls/Paraa. When tourists that we met there found out we came on bodas all the way from Gulu, they were astonished ( I guess it's difficult to do... Leah and I must be more on the wild side than I thought lol)

We had a wonderful day on the boat tour to the bottom of the falls (pictured left) seeing live hippos (pictured below), crocodiles, elephants, and making friends with missionaries who were sitting near us. We also saw lots of giraffes and warthogs and bison on our motorcycle ride through the park. At the end of the day, we were ready to head back when the other boda got a flat tire. It took so long to fix that it was no longer safe to leave the park and go home. The problem was that every place to sleep was all booked up and the food was too expensive for us to purchase at the grand safari lodges. But our God is so faithful! We met a group of tourists from Gulu, and when we began to talk to them, teir Ugandan driver invited us to stay with them at a place not otherwise advertised for only $5! There were exactly enough beds for all of them and us. PLUS, the driver was able to purchase some local food for us (which we could not have gotten being white) for only a couple dollars!

I believe God allowed all this to happen because He wanted us to witness to the group of people from Gulu that we befriended. And we were able to do just that with many seeds being planted, even in the midst of their drinking and partying. Even our boda driver wasn't saved, so God used it to show him the true love of Christ through us. He's gonna come to Jesus really soon... I know it!

So in the morning, besides the elephant that decided to charge us on the park road, we had a good, safe trip back to Gulu. Thank God I made it back in just enough time to get cleaned up and preach the Sunday morning message at church. Whew!

In a week and a half I will be going on another "safari" to visit everyone in the US! It'll be the first time I've been back since last October, and I'll be in Wisconsin and Indiana for a total of 5 weeks (Aug 5-Sept 13). I'd love to see you if you are in the area! Just let me know and we'll set something up. I'll be speaking at various churches to share what God has been up to in Gulu and in my life in the past 10 months.

Thanks for reading! Many blessings on you!

Grace Like Rain

Have you ever truly experienced the grace of God? All my life I have heard that it is by grace I am saved, but in this season of my life, as I have left the security of all I’ve known and allowed God to expose all the darkness and frailty in me, I can say for the first time, that I am beginning to understand this grace that is saving me moment by moment.


Before coming to Africa, I pretty much thought I was perfect. Oh, I knew that I sinned here and there, but who doesn’t? I really believed that I was a good person and that my own determination to please God would be enough. I prided myself on my amazing ability to be holy while judging others whom I deemed “less holy” than me. When they didn’t meet my expectations, I would condemn them in my mind.


I brought this prideful mindset with me when I came to Gulu, Uganda, but life in Africa smacked me in the face with the reality of my very-present weakness and sin. So instead of being proud, I condemned myself until I repented. Then I went back to thinking I had it all together until I was once again confronted with my sin, and the cycle went round and round…


It’s like Brennan Manning talks about in his book "The Ragamuffin Gospel":

“We fluctuate between castigating ourselves and congratulating ourselves because we are deluded into thinking we save ourselves. We develop a false sense of security from our good works… Our halo gets too tight and a carefully disguised attitude of moral superiority results. Or we are appalled by our own inconsistency, devastated that we haven’t lived up to our lofty expectations of ourselves. The rollercoaster ride of elation and depression continues.”

And that’s just it. I did think that I saved myself through my good works and repentance. Before, when I sinned, I would repent and then force myself to try harder to not sin the next time. But I have realized my effort just doesn’t get the job done. In “trying harder” I am not any different than the Hindus or Muslims, or any other religion for that matter, because they are all based on works. I even viewed repentance as a good work to earn God's forgiveness, when in actuality repentance is a response to the truth that I am already forgiven! As a Christian, I am not saved by my works, but by the GRACE OF GOD. Jesus already did all that was necessary for me to be forgiven and walk in victory when he died on the cross! This all sounds very clique if you’re like me and have been a Christian your whole life, but let me tell you, it’s so different when you actually experience God’s grace.

I had one such encounter last week. In the past couple months I have really been confronted with the wickedness of my own heart. I was very discouraged on this particular day because I could not get my eyes off my own sinfulness and depravity. I just cried out of sheer self-hatred. But God, in his gentle way, lifted my eyes up to see Him through a series of worship songs. He revealed His love through the death of Jesus on the cross to me in a brand new way. I could just feel Him washing me clean of all my sin, wrapping me in His arms of grace. God showed me that my sin, although not good in and of itself, is being used to make me aware of my desperate need for Him. And that is a very, very good thing:) He is making me what the Bible calls “poor in spirit,” realizing that I am nothing without Him and His amazing grace on my life.

Before I viewed myself as an angel with her halo perfectly in place, but now I am realizing that I am a saved sinner. My halo’s a little tilted… and that’s ok.

“The tilted halo of the saved sinner is worn loosely and with easy grace. We have discovered that the cross accomplished far more than revealing the love of God. The blood of the Lamb points to the truth of grace: What we cannot do for ourselves, God has done for us… Jesus Christ bore our sins and bore them away. We cannot wash away the stain of our sins, but He is the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world.” - The Ragamuffin Gospel

“Hallelujah, Grace like rain pours down on me… Hallelujah, all my stains have been washed away, they’re washed away!”


And this is the gospel of Jesus- Grace.

Vision Week and Transformation Week

Greetings from Gulu!

Well, there’s so much to tell that I don’t even know where to start! Lol The first full week here I participated in a “vision week” for Zion Project where we spent every morning with the Congolese women (about 30 of us altogether). It was a time to pray for God’s direction for this ministry and to hear His voice concerning His desire for the upcoming Outreach Week (to be explained). We worshipped, prayed, and Sarita shared the vision of Zion Project and taught on many topics so that the women would be prepared to go out. The second to last day we had a time of baptism in the Holy Spirit/commissioning the women to be sent out (see above picture), and the Holy Spirit came in power and changed their hearts and lives and filled them up! I considered it such a privilege to lay hands on these women and pray for them with Sarita and an intern named Farida. Then Sarita asked Farida and me to lead the meeting on the last day because she would be out of town, and that went well too! We shared on guidelines for evangelism and spiritual warfare, and in our time of prayer, one of the ladies was delivered of some demonic oppression. Praise Jesus for freedom!

Outreach Week (where we all go out to pray for the sick and love on people, leading them to a personal relationship with Jesus) was planned to take place this past week, but it was postponed until this week. Before I came to work with Zion Project, I knew that it was required that I attend a Transformation Week, which is a week-long time of individual heart-healing and seeking God at a retreat center called Mto Moyoni in another city called Jinja. I planned on going the same week as Outreach Week, but then tried to change my reservation to come in December instead. It wasn’t possible, so at the last minute, I packed and jumped on a bus to go to Jinja. It was stressful, but God was with me the whole timeJ I am so glad that I went at the beginning of my time with Zion Project instead of in December. God always knows best!

Mto Moyoni is a gorgeous place (picture left)! It overlooks the Nile River and has lush trees and flowers and hills. And the serene presence of the Lord dwells there, so I loved it. It was like a piece of heaven on earth! The inner healing teaching was incredible (I learned so much), but God did more in my heart than anything else. He revealed areas I need to surrender to Him and healed up my heart from past wounds. He gave me a revelation that I am His child and that He just wants me to enjoy life and delight in Him and not work so hard for Him. He is such a good Daddy!

I also met really neat people from all over Uganda and out of the country too. I took a trip into Jinja town and to Bujagali Falls with some friends from Mto Moyoni, which was so fun (picture right). There were three excellent meals every day, and I swam in the Nile twice! After receiving more of the love of the Lord this week, I feel better prepared to pour that love out onto everyone in Gulu.

My next blog will be about Outreach Week, and I can’t wait to testify to how God uses us to love people and do miracles! May Jesus shower you with His love today, because it’s all about LOVE.

Naomi

First days in Gulu:)

Habari! (Swahili greeting meaning How are you?)

As many of you know, I had a little mishap with my carry on (it was too big so I had to buy another one at the airport), but after that the rest of the trip went smoothly. I had divine appointments of a different sort than previous flights. Usually I am able to witness to people, but this time I met three single, female Christian missionaries to Uganda, all with various organizations. One of them I met in Detroit!

When I arrived in Entebbe, Christine (staff of the hotel we stayed at overnight, pictured below) drove me to the hotel called Red Chilli. There I met Tyson and Sarita (pictured above), and the next morning we drove the four hours up to Gulu. I had a great conversation with Sarita and

Tyson on the drive, which further prepared me for Gulu and working with Zion Project.

The first night in Gulu I went to a girls' spa night with some of the other ex-patriates (foreigners) working with various organizations here. We made facial masks out of avocado, banana, and oatmeal and other girly stuff:) Tyson was right when he said I'm gonna have fun here!

Yesterday was Uganda’s Independence Day, so there were a lot of festivities including a choir/dance competition of several groups in all types of dress. I love seeing the Ugandan culture in action like that!

I was also able to visit the ZP children's rescue home, and the kids instantly loved me! They also were really happy for the gifts I brought (thank you to those who donated items for the girls). They sang songs for us. The video is soon to come:) They are so precious! I look forward to spending more time with them and also with the women at the counseling center (who greeted me with hugs when I arrived as well).

Daneen, my housemate, took me to meet one of our neighbors, and she fed us an entire meal and soda in her hut! Ugandan hospitality is very strong. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to get to know our neighbors and see how they live.

I went to Gulu Bible Community Church this afternoon, and really enjoyed it, even though the worship was in Swahili and I couldn't understand it. The message was translated, though. I'm gonna make a serious effort to learn Swahili as fast as possible! The passion that these people have for the Lord amazes me, and two people came up for the salvation alter call at the end of the service! Praise God. Everyone was extremely welcoming, and the staff and children from the ZP rescue home were at the service as well, so I felt loved. Their service was about four hours long, and by the end I was ready to rest at home.

Overall, I’m adjusting well here. There are times of lonliness, but that’s to be expected. God has been speaking to me a lot through His word, especially Isaiah 30:15, 18-21 and Psalm 37, and I’m so grateful for His constant presence in my life. Feel free to comment on here or email me what’s going on in your life.

All for Jesus,

Naomi

Pack - a- lackin!

Hey everybody,

Only 6 more days to go until I fly out! My friend Laura drove down from WI to help me pack up all my stuff that I'm not taking with me to Uganda. Stuff that's been hiding in the attic and closets for years. We ended up throwing out about 6 or so bags and donating even more than that! Some things I'm saving for later on, but not a whole lot. In the grand scheme of life, material possessions don't matter anyway.

Now that Laura has gone back home (sniffle sniffle), I've been actually getting down to the business of packing my two suitcases for Uganda. My Mom has been a great motivator for me because without her I probably would have just stared at the mound of clothes and other items and thought "how is all of this ever going to fit?" But so far both suitcases are packed with only one being 5 lbs over the weight limit of 50 lbs. and a few odd and ends to add.

I'm getting really excited about my send off party, which everyone who is in the Evansville area should come to. It's going to be this Sunday (Oct 3rd) from 4-9pm at the Newburgh Community Pool Park (AKA Fortress of Fun for the kids:) ) Feel free to bring a dish to pass and be prepared to have a blast! LOL I rhymed:) Those who are friends with my brother Caleb are also invited to his birthday party at ARC Lanes immediately following my party- two in one night!

I'm not sure if I'll have time to post pics of the send off party or a blog update before I go, but if not, I'll do it after I get settled in Gulu. The grand adventure is about to begin! Pray for a safe flight for me and divine appointments on the way there. See you across the ocean soon:)

Naomi

Mailing Address

So I wanted to give you all my address where I can receive any and all mail that you would like to send me, letters... or very large packages filled with goodies... haha just kidding:) Here it is:

Zion Project
c/o Naomi Johnson
P.O. Box 350
Gulu, UGANDA
East Africa

Let's keep in touch!

Naomi

I got my plane ticket!

Kopango! (that's a greeting in Luo, the language I'm learning of the Ugandan Acholi people)

I just wanted to let you know that on July 6th 2010 I bought my first one-way plane ticket to Uganda, Africa! WOW. God really blessed me because the price of the ticket went DOWN a couple weeks after I was initially going to purchase it. So I only had to pay $960 for it, AND it's Delta all the way (and Delta is my favorite airline to travel with). Praise God:) So you're probably curious as to what date I bought the ticket for... well... I'll be flying out on October 5th and arriving in Entebbe, Uganda the night of October 6th. All in all, it'll be about a 19 hour flight. Talk about leg cramps! lol Anywayz, I decided to push the date back a little bit so my sister could leave her school to see me off. So 3 months and counting... You'll be happy to know that I have approx. $700 in one-time gifts raised and $60 per month so far. Please keep praying that God will lay it on people's hearts to support this work of the kingdom as there is still a chunk of support left to be raised. I am not worried, though because I know God will provide all I need. He equips the called. Hallelujah God Bless you all

My Taco Dinner and Concert!

The taco dinner and concert was this past Friday night, and although there weren't tons of people who were able to make it that night, it was so special and a huge success! The food was scrumptious, and Caleb did an amazing job sharing his original music (so anointed it's unbelievable). Everyone loved my powerpoint ( I just HAVE to be organized lol), and the REACH poster which stands for Radically Extending Arms of Care and Help. It's like my God-given motto for going to Uganda. Praise Jesus! I am the hand, but you as my supporters are the arm that get me to Africa. Without you, I won't get there because God chooses to work through people:)

Please be praying for Zion Project (the Christian organization that I'll be going to that brings healing to ex child soldiers and Congolese prostitutes and their children) and Sarita, ZP's founder and director. Satan is attacking the ministry hard-core right now because they are doing damage to his kingdom of darkness. Let's lift them up to our Father during this trying time. He is so faithful and will bring them through. Amen?

On the financial end, the dinner was fruitful because so far I have close to $500 raised already and tons of prayer support! Also, a couple people said they would talk to their pastors and see if they would allow me to do my presentation during a church service. That would be wonderful! My Mom even made little pieces of jewelry (she has her own business on Etsy making and selling jewelry) and gave them as free gifts to those who donated certain amounts to my trip to Uganda. I love seeing the kingdom at work in my own family!

To sum the night up, I am beyond blessed. Thank you Jesus!!!!