Particle Board- Be gone!

I've been getting more into making my own things from scratch... not just food but some furniture items, wooden signs, vanilla extract, body soap, lotion, etc.  I have also canned a few items in the last couple years.  I am still a beginner so they aren't all the greatest... mistakes were made, and I realized how impatient I am!  What I have learned is these things take time. They take energy. They take thought and planning. They take intentionality. But they are so much better tasting and more rewarding. 

The vanilla extract I made as gifts- that had to sit for eight weeks!  I had no idea, so I had to start those quite early to be ready for Christmas. But it tastes amazing and I know weird chemicals weren't used to speed up the process to make a company money. On the flip side, some things are easier than I was expecting but it does take time and planning to make sure you have all the ingredients you are going to need. 

I have also been planning on redoing my bathroom and looking at furniture- and it makes me sad because so much of what is available is quick and cheaply assembled particle board crap that isn't meant to last.  It dawned on my after listening to Ben Stuart's talk, Sex on the Front Lawn, that this is the direction we are going in like every area of life. We have moved from things that take time and energy to grow and create, to cheap quick imitations.  In relationships as well as food and products.. all over the market.  The sad thing is we are giving up such good and beautiful quality things- for something that isn't meant to last, and is just there to look good for a short period then be thrown away. 

I want the good- handmade- quality materials used- built to last furniture... relationship... products.  I want to stop worshipping the gods of busyness and cheap to put the time, effort, and intention into having something better and lasting.  Especially with food.  I've made things that taste SOOO good and are actually healthy because I put the time and effort into it.  I need to step up this year and cut out the things that are just distractions to be intentional about seeking quality this year.  

You Ain't Nothin' but a Hound Dog

So on Instagram for the month of November I have been trying to post pictures of things I am thankful for each day.  I don't want to be obnoxious, but doing it is such a good reminder to spend each day recognizing the things I have to be thankful for, and not to focus on things to whine or complain about. It is a great attitude changer!  It is also pretty informative of my own tendencies- thankful for food, America and dogs it seems.

Today I was especially thankful for the opportunity to walk my aunt's 13 year old bassett hound. However, at first I was not.  I was looking forward to a nice, brisk, fall morning hike to a little waterfall by their house.  It was going to be a good little bit of quality time in God's creation and some time to take it all in. It was going to be a great morning activity- get in, hike, then get to doing my list of tasks for the day. Expectations... When my aunt asked if I wanted to take a dog with me I immediately said yes- and suggested one of the younger ones (with seemingly less leg problems, etc.)  When she mentioned the oldest might be the best on the leash I thought, oh no... what if her legs give out?  What if she just stops and refuses to go any further? (She is a big dog at 60 lbs and I can't carry that by myself through the woods!) There was a lot of doubt stirring.  Plus- if you've ever walked with a hound dog, you know they need to sniff everything and go even slower than other dogs. Hound dogs are not a prime candidate for a speed walk.

When we got there and I had helped her out of the car, we started walking I became kind of annoyed at first.  We were moving so slowly, people were passing us, we stopped for so many things (peeing, sniffing, no good reason, because someone was in front of us, because someone was behind us, because there was no one, etc).  What if she has a heart attack with this movement was going through my mind... But slowly and steadily- emphasis on slowly... she kept going!  At first what was annoying was how much I felt like it was holding me back.  I could have been done and through the whole thing before we even ended up making it to the falls.  That seemed so frustrating- but I started seeing some of myself in her.  She was connected to me and I was leading her on this trail that she could do, but definitely was not in quite the right shape for.  We made good speed at some points, and no speed at others.  But we did keep moving forward.

It started dawning on me how much I am like Pookie in this situation, and Jesus is like me.  He is trying to lead me down a path at a pace I should be able to handle.  But I am too out of shape to be with him.  I want to be connected to him and following him, but sometimes I am more like a hound dog.  Going slowly, getting distracted by other scents and wanting to run a different path.  Pulling and yanking, but being lovingly directed back to the right path before I get too far away.  When I am not intentionally spending time with him and reading his word, I struggle to keep up on a path that I should be okay moving on.  Yes it has ups and downs, but he is leading me at a pace I should be able to handle.

I can't imagine how loving he is to not get frustrated and just want to pick us up and move us to the right place.  But in his love he doesn't do that- he lets us walk the path with him as he patiently encourages us to keep moving forward.  There we learn to trust that he is with us, learn to recognize his voice, and grow in our own strength to overcome.  That is what I started doing with Pookie, thinking how Jesus must do that with me.  Encouraging the good steps and progress we had made, and trying not to get frustrated.  In the end, I was so grateful at the lesson she taught me and for the extra time I got to spend outside in the fresh air. But I know now, I ain't nothin' but a hound dog, and when I look at how I am moving it will be a good reminder to keep moving forward!

TIA- This is Africa

So I have been back about a month and a half now.  Sorry all the updates went cold turkey but in true TIA fashion, the power started cutting off for various hours a day and our internet plan ran out of data. As a project update- the site was really cool to see.  I loved getting to walk around it and imagine how the land will be transformed into a transforming entity.  A place of growth, renewal, hope and change for Uganda.  The Fathers of Bethany Land Institute (BLI) were such a delight to work with- very engaged, sweet and fun.  I loved learning the different plants and methods from our Ugandan agricultural team members.  It still blows my mind that in such a short time frame, a robust presentation, and soon completed report and plan set will be provided and coming to life!

I also got to meet my Compassion International sponsor child which was SUCH A TREAT.  She was super excited- I was super nervous... but it was so fun. I can't praise/thank their program enough for helping make our meeting happen.  It was short notice but they were so so helpful in helping to get everything down and make it happen.  It was definitely God opening a door I never expected.  When I started sponsoring her I never would have imagined I would go to Africa, much less ever get the chance to meet her.  Yet, He opened a door for me to go to her very country, and with literally a one day window to make it happen- all the details worked out.  What a sweet sweet, nine years in the making blessing.  We were able to meet one another, talk, share gifts, paint nails, share a meal, and do a craft project together.

All in all the trip went very well and I really do miss the sweet time of fellowship and unity that we had there.

EMI Uganda Training and Arriving in Luweero

Things are going well- we had training from the east Africa office on design considerations, materials, how things are typically constructed here and lots of good stuff (Structural, Civil, Architectural, etc).  Continued on our way and made it out to the town of Luweero- team meetings and site visit tomorrow!

EMI designed office. 

Training.

They share an office with MAF (Missions in Aviation Fellowship), this is the runway. 

The team that crocs together, rocks. That croc fade rainbow though....

St. Jude's Farm

Today we drove out to St. Jude'sfarmed, named for the patron saint of hopeless causes because that is how Josephine felt when her and her husband her forced out of their Kampalan home onto a plot of land during the war.  They have become an integrated and organic farm and training center that thousands come to in order to learn better farming practices.  Below are some pictures from the drive and the farm.

Mizungo

We are winding down Day 1.  We attended church today at Calvary and "mizungo" is a word we heard from the adorable little kids heading in (and some even coming over to say hi and give a hug).  It means "white person" in Swahili :) .  The worship was a lot of fun- very spirited singing in English, Swahili, and Ogandan.

There was a guest preacher who was really good- and managed to cover like every touchy topic imaginable- marriage, finances, serving, giving.  But it all tied into how you are spreading your seed- when you hold onto it, it cannot grow.  This goes along perfectly with our project trip for designing an agricultural training center with the heart and mission of not only planting seed for food, but also planting spiritual seed starting in Luweero and with a mission to change the generations to come. He reminded us it is better to have seed than bread- for you can make bread from the seed and it shows you are planning for the future- whereas bread you can eat but it will be gone.

He also challenged specifically the Ugandans to reach out and give/serve their neighbors, which is cool because we have a few Ugandans doing just that on our own team!

Below are a picture of myself and Kristen (one of our architects), and one of Kristen and  Simon (a local Ugandan on our team who has a university degree in agriculture and raising animals) in front of the church.

We drove back to the guest house for lunch- on the opposite side of the road which is still kind of scary when you aren't paying attention.  The drainage ditches here are crazy- look at the size of that one below, definitely doesn't meet state regulations back home. 

Below is the view from our meeting and eating area, you can see Lake Victoria in the background.

We walked to the mall area nearby where you had to go through a metal detector with guards and everything just to get in the gate. I got a delicious passion fruit popsicle and coming back we saw these monkeys!  Monkeys freak me out so I tried to keep a safe distance.

The two Fathers from BLI joined us and we did a large introduction circle and review of team and ministry goals.  They seem like fun guys and it is going to be exciting to work with them to see their dreams start to become a reality!

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

For some reason the other day while I was driving to work I put a lot more thought into this question than usual.  Not the typical millionaire situation though, but the kind of situation where you are given a million dollars, every day, and what you don't use, you lose.  

Initially I am kind of selfish because the thought of getting a million dollars each day makes me want to save some (or a lot) for myself.  I would be soooo much less generous if that were the case- not something I am proud of, but just being honest.  The game changer is the "manna from heaven" situation.  Just like when the Israelites were wandering through the desert (grumbling) and God provided them manna every morning and commanded them to take only what they would need for the day.  (Exodus 16)

       "Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each     day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.  On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

No matter how much they collected, what wasnt used THAT day would rot (except for what was collected in advance for the Sabbath).  And the next morning it would appear fresh again, to be collected, for that day only. 

It is such a fun feeling to go through my hypothetical days thinking of who I would want to help- what organizations I could help- hospitals- all of that.  There is noooo way I could use all that money on myself day after day after day.  And even if I could, it would be so boring after a while.  Instead of thinking what would I buy- the question switched to how could I bless other people with this money?  What could I do for them?  How could this organization thrive if it could be given such a gift?  How many people could I help?  And how long could I keep doing that?

It is a full-time job just coming up with the lists.  I don't want to simply throw it around to whomever, but I would really plan ahead and discuss what the vision and purpose would be for the money.  And the thought of that intentionality with how I could bless other with this million dollar blessing made me realize... I already have access to that every day.  Not in dollars, but at least in seconds.  No, I am not even a millionaire in those for one day, but I am given both time and people each and every day I can bless.  

Why keep waiting until I have something big, when I can use what I have now in the small time and the small talents I have been given?  And like the parable of the talents- when the faithful servant invests those talents.. that time... in the long run in multiplies and the "360 seconds" spent talking to someone on one day turns into hours which turn into days and years and eventually the small investment does make you a millionaire, at least in the time spent going through life with them. 

And just like the manna- you can't save up your seconds.  When the day is over, so are those seconds.  So I guess the question is what kind of millionaire am I becoming? Is all my time spent on me and what I want, or do I also use it to pour out into others?  Because I won't get it back- what are my seconds being invested in and what are they going to produce? And.. is that your final answer?