Collapsing Dam

Walls. 

Walls built up in my heart that tower over me. Walls that hold back the mighty River from flowing through me freely.

This dam I have lived with for far too long... These lies have collaborated to crush my life and silence my song.

But there is hope- cracks in this monstrous edifice. Slowly, truth is breaking in... eyes opening to see that I am blessed.

The fear and religion that have been my lifelong truth are crumbling into You, Overwhelming Love and Grace. 

As I stand on the Word and gaze on Your beauty, the cracks widen and I am changed, my heart rearranged to see Heaven's reality.

The wall is coming down. I BELIEVE.

Falling with a great crash into the depths of all You are, swept away never to hinder me again or mar the beauty that is You in me; Christ within, the hope of glory!

As the river breaks forth and flows so free, I become all You designed for me to be. JOY  LOVE  LIGHT TRUTH  GLORY!

And I will tell my story to all who will hear so they too can draw near and watch as their dam cracks and collapses and ABUNDANT LIFE flows clear!

Just Around the River Bend...

My apologies for not keeping up on this blog for the past few months. I'm trying to figure out how to juggle email updates, Facebook posts, and this all at the same time :-)

Well, a lot has changed. I finished my freshman year of IHOPU strong, and as I headed into the summer, I planned on coming back for my sophomore year in the fall.... 

HOPE- a beautiful place where prayers of incense rise to heaven

God had a better plan. 

My brother, Caleb, teaching at the HOPE

In short, God called me to NOT continue with IHOPU but to move back to my hometown of Evansville, IN and join full-time staff at the newly-started house of prayer there called HOPE (House of Prayer Evansville).  I know, it's a drastic change, but I'm starting to learn that I can't ever set anything in stone with God; My life is always up for His redirection, and all the turns in the road are for my good. As the scripture says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

I'll be living in a small house with my brother Caleb, who is also on full-time staff at HOPE as a worship leader. I am very excited to strengthen relationships with my family members in Evansville, the HOPE family, and old friends/churches. I'll also be actively discovering the partnership team that God has for me.  God told me that I am equipped for this next season, so I'm going to believe Him!

August has been a transition month for me, and I'll be arriving in Evansville near the end of the month. For those of you in Evansville, I'd love to share more in person with you about my calling for this upcoming season and the future.

Please join me in praying for:
- safe travel to Evansville
- smooth transition and easy adjustment
- God's provision of a reliable car
- favor with possible part-time employment
- My heart as I say goodbye to friends in KC
- Revelation as I study/meditate on the book of Hosea
- Jobs/housing for my sister Leah as she gets on her feet
  in North Carolina.

If you'd like to financially partner with me, you can click donate on the right side of this page 
or email me at pearl2africa@gmail.com for a tax-deductible method.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAY YOU EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE IN A DEEPER WAY TODAY!

Restoration

Two weeks ago I went on my first
IHOPU ministry trip, and it was
the best short term mission trip I
have ever been on! We worked
with a ministry calledWeWill Go
who live and love in the heart of
inner city Jackson, Mississippi.
Everything, including houses and
people, is broken here, but God
showed me the power of His love
to restore. He says "Behold I make
all things new!"We had the
opportunity to physically restore
former crack houses, which is a
picture of my own dirty and
broken heart. As we tore down dry
wall and ceilings, God told me He
is remodeling me from the inside
out in this season. One day we
spent time just removing nails
from old wooden boards, and God
whispered "I am taking out of you
all that will cause harm to yourself
and others."

God physically restored people
too. A lady who had weak legs and
had to use a walker for the past 1 5
years was healed and walking
without her walker! One day in the
clothing bank, seven ladies who
had uneven legs watched as their
short leg grew to match their other
leg, and a man was 1 00% healed
of an injured knee! Praise the Lord


After ministering to the drug addicts at the
beginning of the week, we had a chance to
see God restore people who were just as
broken as the drug addicts but looked like
they had it all together on the outside. We
went to Central Hines Academy and loved
on 7th-1 2th graders. We broke up by
grades and gender so I was with the
Freshman girls. We were able to share our
testimonies with them and teach them how
to hear God's voice. Three of our girls had
never owned a Bible, so we gave them
each one.

Right before we were about to have a practice time of listening for God's voice, one of the
girls blurted out "Do y'all speak in tongues?" We were shocked because this is a Baptist
school that doesn't believe in the gifts for today, but we said yes and took it as an open door
for an altar call for baptism of the Holy Spirit! Three girls came forward, and I gave a mini
teaching and led them in a prayer asking their Father to give them the good gift of tongues. I
didn't think anything had happened, but one of the girls told me afterward that she heard the
word "Ah" in her head and kept repeating it. Her tongue language will be full-blown soon! A
couple days later I texted one of the other girls, and she said after praying for 45 minutes she
received her tongue language! Hallelujah!
The best part is that they want to stay in touch with us, and we have the privilege of
mentoring them long distance. Pray for these girls because they are under a lot of temptation
(drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality). Pray they fall in love with Jesus and have a hunger to live
for Him and forsake the things of the world. Two confessed their lifestyles of sin and gave
their lives to Jesus while we were there, and that was only in our group! God did so much
there, and I look forward to going back next year : )

On top of all this, we were able to connect with the
Jackson House of Prayer and pray/street witness with
them. They are precious people, and we had sweet
fellowship with them.
One of the amazing things that came out of the trip
(besides tons of miracles and my heart healing is the
bond of unity that was formed on our team. I have 31
new brothers and sisters, and we are starting a small
group and have been having worship and hang out
nights ever since we came back. Belonging to a group
like this has been a long-time prayer of mine. God is so
good!

Tuition Deadline Met!

Just a quick update to let you all know that God provided all the money I needed for the down payment of my tuition this semester! Hallelujah! We may think He is late, according to our limited perspective, but His timing is perfect from Heaven's perspective! Now I'll continue to lean on Him for each month's payment to finish off tuition!

Trusting Abba

Well, I am three days away from starting the second semester of FSM (Forerunner School of Ministry) at IHOPU and still trusting my Heavenly Daddy to provide the rest of the money needed to begin classes. Originally I needed $1100 to pay half and be able to get on a payment plan, but He has graciously provided $600 of that amount through generous supporters.

So now I only need $500 more before Monday, and He is faithful to meet all my needs according to His riches and glory!

I have struggled with gripping fear that He won't provide and will leave me stranded, unable to continue growing in the way I need to in this season. But when those feelings of fear overwhelm me, I just speak the truth out loud over myself:

- God will never leave me or forsake me
- If God gave up His only Son for me will He not graciously give me all things?
- If we as human parents are evil and know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more    will God give good things to those who ask Him?

He called me here, so He will provide:)

If you feel led by the Lord to help me financially in any way, just click on the button that says "DONATE" to the right and give with your credit/debit card via Paypal.

Blessings to you!

I want more presence!

During one of the prayer meetings that we had as a freshman class towards the end of the semester, Holy Spirit inspired the worship leader with a song that encapsulates my heart's desire and everything that God has been teaching my heart this first semester at IHOP. The song goes:

"What do we want for Christmas?
We want more presence
We want more presence (repeat)

So I'll look underneath the tree that You died on for me for more presence" (repeat)

All that I desire to have and become was made available to me at the foot of the cross, through the spilt blood of my Jesus. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Eph. 1:3)

God is my Father who wants to give me good gifts, gifts of His love, peace, joy, revelation, wisdom, and grace. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

When I, as His daughter, ask for bread, He will not give me a stone. When I ask for fish, He will not give me a scorpion. He delights to give me the desire of my heart, which is to be just like Him.

Each gift is an attribute of God's character. Each is placed before me, ready for me to discover with delight the treasure hidden inside! And this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3)


Father, give me a revelation of my inheritance through the finished work of Jesus on the cross this Christmas season and throughout the New Year. May every day be Christmas in 2013!

The Essence of Being a Christian

I have been here at IHOP for what seems like years, but it has only been two and half months. The amount of revelation He is graciously giving me about who He is, who I am to Him, and how He has sovereignly brought me to this point in my life journey with Him is more than I have received in most of my years on earth combined.

Have you ever thought that something was one way, only to find out that it is completely the opposite? Shocking isn't it? Well, that's what is happening with me right now in multiple areas.

My whole life Christianity has been a blazing fire of performance and striving for perfection... until the fire was stomped out by personal failure and painful life circumstances. Since then I have sat in the charred ashes of confusion and condemnation, wondering how to do this thing called the Christian life. The Lord has used IHOP to bring me revelation about what it truly means to be a Christian- a "little Christ." Being a Christian doesn't mean I try hard every waking minute of my life to not sin so that God will love and accept me based on my own merit. If I do, I will fail every time... Being a Christian means I know that I am weak and broken and nothing without Jesus, but that I also know He sees me as beautiful and spotless because Jesus chose to suffer and die on the cross, shedding his blood for me. I am dark, but lovely.

And something I never understood before that is starting to bring me freedom is this: God enjoys me, even delights in me during the lowest points of my weakness and failure! He isn't angry with me or disappointed... no. Just the opposite! He sees the "yes" in my heart to love and obey him (even when I fall short), and He is so pleased!

So now whenever, I feel horrible about myself because I've messed up AGAIN, and all I can do is cry, and condemning, accusatory thoughts assail my mind, I say "Enjoy me, God... right here, right now." And He does! He has been shouting that He delights in me for YEARS, but now I am finally able to hear it. And oh how thankful I am! When the truth of His delight in me sinks down deep, I will rise from the tear-stained ashes and dance upon them! My God turns my mourning into dancing, my sorrow into joy. He is mighty to save. He takes great delight in me. He quiets me with His love. he rejoices over me with singing.

Being a Christian is not about following every rule and being perfect to earn God's love. To be a Christian is to know God enjoys us and to enjoy Him in return :)

Grace... Abundant GRACE!

I've been staying with my Mom for the summer, and it's been extremely restful. We have done many fun things together. Here's a pic of us at a park I played at as a little girl.

But the one thing I will remember most about this season was 

God's Abundant GRACE on me.

I have realized that I have gotten used to pain and hardship, and my mentality has been that I am always called to suffer for Jesus. While we are called to suffer as Christians, we're also called to delight ourselves in the Lord and enjoy the life He has given us. I've had my share of the crying and rough living in Africa, and God says "Now it's time to rest and enjoy" God wants balance in our lives, not just one extreme or the other all the time.

I have to say that this lifestyle of comfort and rest in America hasn't been easy for me. LOL  I feel like I'm sinning when I sit to enjoy some pretzels (one of my favorite foods) or eat an ice-cream sandwich (God forbid!) because it's so foreign to me. But that's precisely why God has me in this season-

To teach me balance and shower His incredible GRACE on me.

An oh how I feel it!

I can see now more than ever that God is a good Father who wants to lavish us with His love and gifts. I have been showered with blessings through my Mom and others so much so that I am overwhelmed at the generous heart of my God! All I can say is thank you by living my life for Him.

But it will never repay.

And that's God's GRACE. We get what we don't deserve and what we'll never be able to pay back. It's a gift, plain and simple.

For me, learning to receive that gift is a challenge that I work to get better at each day with God's help.

Can you see God's GRACE in your life? Are you receiving it now?

I know this lesson will continue on as I head out to IHOPU in less than three weeks. I have my train ticket (12 hours across the US), and I can't wait for what God will do in me there. My sister will be there to welcome me with open arms!

I am happy to report that God has provided half of my first semester's tuition ($900), and I know He will make a way for the rest to come in.

1st semester- $1800

2nd semester- $2200

Total year- $4000

If you would like to be a part of God's provision, just click on the DONATE button on the right side of this blog or you can mail a check to New Day Fellowship 4977 Vann Rd. Newburgh, IN 47630 with my name in the memo.

Thanks for your continued prayers friends! Please tell me how I can pray for you too :)

God's Abundant GRACE Be Manifested in Your Life

Abrupt Turn in the Road

Have you ever been walking along a path and then once you turn a corner, it's going in a totally different direction than you were previously going?  That's sometimes what life is like, and currently that is what is happening in my life.

I was headed head-long into marrying Richard and being a missionary in Gulu, Uganda Africa for the rest of my life....

Then the turn in the road came and the Lord showed me "that's not exactly how it's gonna go"

So plans have drastically changed, and what can I do but trust that His ways are higher than my ways? He promised to lead me along the BEST pathway for my life, and I believe He is doing just that!

The wedding has been cancelled and Richard and I are no longer together. Also, I am not staying in Uganda but going back to the US to be with family and heal. This is important for me right now, and know it's right.

I am so thankful, though, that He has given me a different direction to go and I'm not just wandering in some wilderness, off the path altogether. He is calling me to go to the Forerunner School of Ministry (FSM) at IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City, MO. starting this fall. My sister is there in the music school, and we'll be able to live together, which is so exciting! And lately God is bringing friends (both new and old) that will be there as well :D He is so good.

The school will help me to get more grounded in the Word of God and further equipped for the next mission assignment He has for me, whether it be back in Uganda or in another country. I am still called to missions and this is just a new leg of the journey...

If you feel led to support me financially as I'll be at FSM, you can donate by clicking on the button in the right hand column or send a check to my home church made out to New Day Fellowship at
4977 Vann Rd. Newburgh, IN 47630

God bless you!

Wedding Prep

Apwoyo! (Pronounced "Ah-foy-yo," means "Hello" in Acholi)

I haven't been writing on here much lately, so I thought I'd share what I'm up to these days :D

I'm getting married!!!

Richard Kakanyero, the love of my life, and I are tying the knot in August in the US, and we cannot wait! We are so psyched!

This season is a challenging one because God has removed me from a lot of the ministry I was doing so that I can prepare mentally, emotionally and physically for our upcoming wedding, married life and ministry when we return to Gulu.

He has me learning a lot about self-sacrifice and being willing to do the mundane tasks of life in Africa (washing dishes, laundry, cooking etc) and not always looking for the adventurous ministry opportunity. I am learning that my family needs to be my first priority and major ministry before I can do any ministry outside the home. This is such a good thing for me!

There is a precious large white missionary family that moved into the big house on my compound, and they are a total God-send. They are the Riegers, and they have 7 children (6 are here in Uganda). They have come to teach marriage and parenting classes, and I am blessed to benefit from their many years of experience! They have adopted me as a daughter in their home and family, just like Mama and Baba did in the previous season of my life :D All I can say is Thank you Jesus!

My next-door neighbors, Will and Etta are also still a big part of Richard and my life as they are doing premarital counseling with us... so helpful to see our blindspots!

Another great thing about this season is that Richard and I are getting to spend a lot of time together:) We have submitted his visa and will be traveling to go to his visa interview in the next couple weeks. Pray for favor! We hope to be receiving the money for our plane tickets (God will provide) and flying mid-May after Richard gets his visa. If you'd like to help us get to America, you can donate through Paypal by clicking the button in the right-hand column.

So that's what's new! I'd love to hear from you when you have a free moment:0)

Grace and Peace from our Father

Trip to Sudan

So I had to make a trip out of the country recently in order to purchase another visa to remain in Uganda. I wanted to make it as quick of a trip as possible (due to lack of funds), so I took a bus to the Sudanese border.

Oh, was it an adventure...

First, the bus got stuck behind a semi that fell into a hole and was immovable off the road. Several men had to dig out the side of the road with pick axes which took an hour or so. I got out of the bus while it was attempting to squeeze by the semi on VERY slippery muddy ground, and I'm so glad I did! I watched in horror with a few other women as the bus hit the semi, slid every which way on the road, even moving horizontally at times and almost tipping over, but it made it through safely somehow, and our journey, albeit delyed... continued.

When we reached immigration at the Ugandan border, I asked an official if he could renew my visa. He had me wait until everyone else went through and then still denied me a visa. Instead he stamped my passport with exit for Uganda and told me to go to the Sudanese border. Which would have been fine, except while I was waiting, the bus left without me unknowingly!

So here I am by myself on the border of Uganda trying to find a way to travel the half hour to Sudan... I called a friend of a friend who works up in Sudan, and praise the Lord he came to pick me up and take me to Sudan! He was definately a God-send because he knows all the officials, and it was very easy from that point on to enter and exit Sudan and come back to the Ugandan border to purchase a new visa.

Mission accomplished after a lot of prayer!

Next task was to get back to Gulu. All the buses had already gone through for the day and no more were coming. I resigned to waiting a couple hours for a taxi to come, but because of the favor of God, one of the officials got me a ride with an NGO truck going to Gulu with three men. This was a divine appointment because once when we were stuck in the road (again!), I got the chance to share the gospel with one of the men and pray over him for the healing of his ulcers! He had no clue what it meant to be "born again" so it was an amazing seed planted! All glory to God.

Also on this trip I was able to show the love of Jesus to a precious Muslim couple who owned a restaurant at the Ugandan border. The man said he might come to visit my church!

All in all, I knew God had great things planned when my own plans fell apart... isn't that the way He always works? His way are certainly higher than our ways!

Pruning

Imagine you are a tree.

You see yourself as a strong tree that is is is rooted deeply and bearing good fruit...

But then the Gardener comes and prunes many of your branches

Snip snip, here... snip snip there...

He begins to reveal who you really are inside, in the wickedness of your own heart. He starts to expose the pride of thinking you were "perfect" and holy. He allows circumstances to come to bring to the surface all those character flaws that need to go so you can be pure and holy... like Your God

You feel like saying "stop cutting me down already! I won't produce any fruit this way!"

But the Gardner knows best, and you trust the Gardener's love and care for you as His beautiful tree.

You may not feel like you are producing abundant fruit now... but just wait... If you will be faithful and humble enough to allow the Gardener to remove all that is not good in you, you will one day be bearing fruit every season and your leaves will be for healing the nations!

And it might happen faster than you expect... Stand still and let the Gardener cut you... it will be painful I can guarantee it, but the reward is worth the little and temporary pain now.

You will stand tall and be a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor, and countless people will be blessed through you.

Trust the Gardener... He is never wrong. Don't fight the process... it will delay and complicate matters if you do. Don't give up... He knows how much you can handle.

Visiting Another Village!

This time it was my friend Tracy's village called "Alero Mulago" It was similar to other village visits I've taken except I learned new things about how to prepare Acholi food :-) The processes they go through just for a meal is astounding!

They let me do all the things they do. First up was beating the beans with a big, log-like stick so the shells would come off each one of them. Hard work! (picture on right)

Then they gather the beans into a bowl-like container and pour them in such a way that the left-over shell casings blow away and only the beans remain in the basin. (picture below). This'll take some practice on my part if I ever want to be able to do it successfully. Tracy's uncle had to help me. LOL

Along with cutting off the head of a chicken (yay for me not freaking out this time!), I had the chance to grind food for my first time on this man-made contraption (picture below). They built it right into the ground (like they do their stoves) and use the rocks seen here to grind g-nut, sim-sim, millet or a combo of the three! I got to kneel down and try it, and I was sweating like crazy and not getting anywhere! I'm tellin ya it takes skill :) I had a nice time with the family talking, learning Acholi, and eating. It wasn't yet time for harvesting (they were going to start the week after I was there), but I realized I might enjoy "digging" in the future. Maybe I'll live in the village and become a pro at all these things! Only God knows. It was fun to learn, though. And since you can't be here with me, hopefully this blog has helped you learn a little too:) Lubanga Ometigum ("God bless you" in Acholi)

Help Send My Spiritual Family on a Vacation!

I know we are the Body of Christ, so I want to let you know about a need that one of your fellow members has. The missionary pastors that I am working with (Ron and Joy Muinde) are in desperate need of some R & R after having served in ministry non-stop for 4 years. They are believing God that the whole family (them plus their three kids) will be able to go to Kenya next month. Of course, it is very expensive to do this; it looks impossible in the natural realm, but what is impossible with man is possible with God! You may not know them, but believe me when I tell you that these people are the real deal! They love Jesus with everything within them and are constantly willing to lay down their lives for the kingdom to be advanced. I love them like my own parents and know that God will provide all they need so that they will not burn out but will continue being vessels of transformation through the Holy Spirit.

I am asking you to pray about whether God is calling you to give financially to this cause for the sake of Christ. We cannot travel this road alone; we all need each other. They need you, so please... if you feel led to help, click on the donate button on this page, and I will be sure that they get all the money. When you give, you are giving to Jesus and He will pour out a blessing so great you will not have enough room to contain it! Please also join me in praying that God will do a miracle and provide all the money they need to go and the perfect timing.

Asante Sana! (Thank you very much)

From Death Comes Life

Hello All!

So much has been happening in my life lately!

Prayer and death

"Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it produces much fruit" (John 12:24)

I went to a mountain... to die. Die to my desires, my dreams, my rights, my way

Has God ever sent you somewhere to die? It's scary at first, but God met me in a powerful way, speaking reams of revelation! He answered all my questions I'd been asking Him and brought healing to my heart :D He graciously gave me a greater passion for prayer, and the Word became my Rock.

It wasn't easy... not in the least... but it was so worth it! The fruit that He promised is coming... From death comes...

LIFE!

The Holy Spirit fell on me this past Sunday, and I was wrecked by God for the whole service, on the floor convulsing, drunk in the Spirit with laughter, receiving a boldness and freedom I have never known before! I feel like a bomb has been deposited in my belly and it's always on the verge of exploding!!

I know this impartation is not just for me to enjoy; it's for all those whom I will minister to. In the Swahili fellowship today, me and a Congolese lady who was also radically touched by God at the same time as me, layed hands on all our brothers and sisters, and God came down in transforming POWER!! Ladies were delivered of demonic bondages and people healed of their sicknesses. Prophetic messages were delivered and hearts encouraged... Heaven coming to earth, Ahhhh... so sweet :D

And this is just the beginning! I have prayed for this season for so very long... REVIVAL is on its way!

ALL GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!

Back in the States!

I flew into Chicago on August 5th, and will be leaving September 13th. I thought 5 weeks would be plenty of time to see everyone and speak at various places, but I was wrong! Next time I should come for at least 6 weeks, if not 2 months:P

So far I am three weeks into the trip, and it's going beautifully! I cherished the time I was able to spend with my Mom in Wisconsin. Here's a pic of us sipping on some strawberry margaritas (non-alcoholic) at a fun Mexican restaurant. I also was blessed to go to our family reunion and see family from both sides. Man, do those kids grow up fast!

Then I drove her car (thanks Mom) down to my best friend Laura's house in Waukesha, WI (outside Milwaukee). We had a great time catching up and going to the zoo! Here's us with her friend David who's an actor at the zoo:) Pray for him when you can...

After almost a week there, I stopped by South Bend, IN and taught my friend Jessica's 4th graders Swahili and all about Uganda. We caught up with some college friends at Steak -N- Shake (love u Mary Ann and Becca!) Then Jess and I pampered ourselves with pedicures. Gotta love America for that!

My last leg of extensive travel was down to Evansville, IN, and boy was I tuckered out after all that driving! LOL

I feel like I have been in Evansville for weeks and weeks, but it's only been one. The opportunities that God has opened for me to share about Uganda has been amazing, and it's not over yet! Thanks for your prayers for God to speak to certain people's hearts to become monthly financial supporters. He will provide... He always does:) I am thoroughly enjoying being with family and friends too. I don't want to miss anyone, so if yo're reading this and thinking, "I need to get together with Naomi" don't hesitate to email me at pearl2africa@gmail.com.

Love you all! Next time you hear from me I'll probably be home in Gulu again. Until then... know that if you have Jesus, you are a carrier of the glory of God!

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!

Raca Raca

Long Overdue Greetings from Gulu, Uganda!

I haven't written in two months... so sorry friends! So this post will be a summary of all the changes God has been doing recently... very fast ("raca raca" in swahili)

At the end of March I moved on from Zion Project. I am thankful for the 6 months that I spent with this ministry because I grew a lot, and it was a door to other things that God has for me here in Africa.

So the beginning of April found many changes in my life. I went to a city near the capital called Entebbe and stayed in a friend's home named Martin Lagara (pictured left) for a week, resting and seeking the Lord for the next season. It was really wonderful. Here is the living room of the house I stayed in... almost like America:)

God spoke to me there a lot about how he is making me to become a bold lion like Him (the Lion of Judah) and walk in my authority in Christ, which I am excited about!

When I returned to Gulu, Richard Kakanyero and I started courting!!! He is an amazing man of God and my best friend. I cannot wait for all of you to meet him at our wedding in the future! We have a calling to do ministry together and have been blessed to start it now! Here is a picture of us at my leaving-Zion-Project get together. Isn't he cute? haha

Also, at that same time, I moved into the home of Pastor Peter King and Christine Mwaka (pastors of Revival Worship Center and Richard's spiritual parents) I am thankful for getting to live more like a Ugandan now that I live with Ugandans (it's not always easy though because of cultural differences) They call me daughter, and I am blessed to do life with them, especially our nightly times of worship and prayer:) Here is a picture of me and "Mom" (Christine) at a traditional wedding of one of their church members. The girl in the background is their daughter Nicole, and they also have a 6 month son named Junior. Pastor just returned from being in the States for three months with Invisible Children, so no pics of him yet.

Then in the beginning of April I also started doing full-time ministry with Pastor Ron and Joy with the Congolese at Gulu Bible Community Church. I do a lot of teaching and preaching messages at church and weekly fellowships, but I would like to get more into home visits and one-on-one mentoring and counseling. May God's will be done among these precious people whom He died for! Currently in the discipleship class I co-lead with Pastor Ron, we are teaching on marriage and relationships, because it is the main issue in this culture. Here is a picture of me at one of the fellowships in a part of the city called Cereleno (pronounced "Chair-ay-layno") with Mama Joy sitting next to me. God does miraculous things in all the fellowships but especially in this one such as physical healing and deliverance on a weekly basis. Glory to God!

So that's all for now, but I will be sure to let you know how things are going and tell the stories of life in Africa very soon. Richard and I are in need of finances for the future, so if you feel led to give, you can do so through the paypal button on the right-hand side of this page:)

God's richest blessings on you all!

Witch-doctor No More!

I have a really exciting testimony to share with you!!

On outreach for Zion Project last week, the ladies wanted to visit a Congolese girl who accidentally burned down a hut in their district of Gulu called Kasubi. She put some charcoal in a trash heap, which caught fire, spread rapidly across an entire field next to it and then over a fence to a hut on the other side. The hut just happened to belong to a witch-doctor, who had yelled at one of our women the morning before we went there.

When we arrived, the little girl was fine, but I felt led to go over and talk with the witch-doctor to tell her sorry that her hut burned down. None of the women wanted to go with me because they were scared of her except one named Flora (who was the only one there who could translate into Luo anyway). So Flora and I ventured over to the hut, and we were welcomed very warmly with smiles and chairs to sit on. When Monica (the witch-doctor) came, her and her friend Lucy sat on a mat and listened to me share about how God's heart breaks for their situation. They lost literally everything except the clothes on their backs, and she has four children in school who lost all their books. They were sleeping outside on the ground:(

When I asked if I could pray for them, they said yes, so I knelt down on their mat, layed hands on them and prayed for God to provide for all their needs and to reveal His love to them. When I finished praying, I asked them if they know Jesus. Monica said she's not saved but her children are. I asked her if she wanted to be saved, and she said yes! So I shared the gospel message with them. Lucy didn't seem to be interested at first, but after I finished sharing, she said "I'm tired of all these bad things happening to me., I want to be saved!" Then I asked if anyone else around wanted to be saved, so they called all their children to come sit with them on the mat! Some of the children were rededicating their lives to Jesus because they had backslidden and some were for the first time. There were 8 people in all that prayed a prayer of salvation with me, a whole family was brought into the kingdom at the same time! Glory to God!
Then I did a basic crash discipleship teaching on the importance of going to church, reading your Bible and praying everyday. Monica was very interested, asking me where they should go to church and how she could get a Bible in Luo so she could start reading it. Monica's son, Simon, was there with us, and he's been a believer for 10 years, he said. He shared a scripture from his English Bible from Isaiah 30 about how God has turned their mourning into dancing and their sorrow into joy. What a perfect scripture for this time!

I am amazed at how God set this up for Monica (and all of them) to be saved. One of her kids was already walking with the Lord (probably praying for her salvation), and God allowed her to lose everything so that she would turn to Him. Pray that they all continue walking in the light, growing closer to Jesus every day and that they don't fall back into their old ways.

BWANA ASIFIWE!! (Praise God!)

Bar Alimo

Sorry for the delay everyone! Things got busy, but now I'm ready to share all about my day trip to the village:)

Sarah and I went with Richard (our friend and guard at ZP) on bodas to his village to meet his family and see what life is like there. It was a bumpy hour and a half there on the bodas. We even had the bodas cross a sketchy bridge without us on them because it didn't look safe. Pictured left is Richard crossing the bridge. After a harrowing ride, we finally arrived at a clearing that had a few huts his family owns and lives in. The "village" was different than I thought it would be because I envisioned it being a bunch of huts all close together like in the IDP camps. But it was nice and quiet, so that was good:)

As we met some of Richard's brothers and sisters (he has 9 total), we were promptly given a bottle of soda (That would be our first of three during the day. We were swimming in Mountain Dew up to our eyeballs by 4:00pm Wonderful hospitality). Then Richard took us to see his bee-hive pots that he made. (Sarah and I posing for the camera in front of one hehe) He also took us on an educational tour of all the various types of food that his family grows on their land. Some of it just looked like a tangle of weeds and sticks to me, but if they can grow food from it, more power to em! Check out this field for growing cassava (a very popular root eaten here).

After our extensive walking tour in the hot sun, we decided to rest. Richard's brothers were busy slaughtering a goat for us (which is a huge honor). I know you want to see the picture of that, so here it is! And for breakfast they served us goat liver (which looked and even tasted like steak tips with more flavor Yum!) They left us alone to eat because we were the guests of honor.


We also used this machine to shuck g-nuts (kinda like our peanuts). You put all the nuts inside, and then pull the handle back and forth, so it separates the nuts from the shells and collects them in a basket underneath. Pretty cool!

After some time of thanking all the family members that had gathered round and sharing as best we could (Richard translated into Luo for us), it was time for lunch! This time, we made everyone eat with us:) Let me tell you... it was a FEAST! We had goat of course and potatoes, cassava, three different types of cooked greens, sim sim paste, millet and sorgum (both types of "bread" that feel like play-doh in your hands). Here's the visual:

After lunch we retired to one of the huts for more soda and fellowship time. I knew that if God wanted to do something, this would be the time. So as I was silently praying, I saw that one of Richard's sisters had on a necklace with the colors of Africa (black, red, yellow, green) which also happen to be the colors to explain the gospel. So I was able to share the entire gospel message, and everyone listened. All but three of Richard's family members are yet-to-be-saved, but God is working on them:) No one gave their life to Jesus on this day, but they said they would soon. They first want to participate in the traditional funeral rites of their deceased father. Please pray for them to come to know Jesus and for the plans of the enemy to be cancelled in their lives, especially at this funeral rite (March 19th), which involves witchcraft. God gave Sarah a scripture to speak truth to the lie that they can wait to come to Jesus until later (about letting the dead bury their own dead). It was powerful!

One of Richard's brothers' wives is saved, and we were able to lay hands on her and pray for healing for her stomach ulcers. Praise Jesus! We believe it is finished!

All in all it was a great day. We are planning on returning (at which time one of the sisters is planning to show us a traditional dance with her dance troup). Thanks for coming with me to Bar Alimo.

Totowonana (until next time!)