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!

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

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