Are we sorry that we decided to follow up on that announcement in the church bulletin? No way!
I asked Sam that question a few days ago. With a big smile he said, "No way! This sure beats Marysville, especially at this time of year."
Certainly, there are problems and frustrations when one embarks on an adventure of this kind but with prayer, patience and goodwill they can be over come. There are so many new and exciting experiences to offset the down times. Time and again I ask the Lord, "Is this why you had me come?" (I'll write about some of those in another post.)
We arrived at Entebbe airport on Friday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 am and, O wonders, so did all of our luggage. "Thank You, Lord." Such things never cease to amaze me. There was a large and excited crowd waiting at the gate. One young man was so excited that he ran and gave me a big hug before he realized I was the wrong person. Funny!
Soon we saw the familiar sign of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) Three gentlemen from that agency came to welcome us to Uganda and take us and all our stuff to their office in Kampala. We were amazed at how they got all our belongings into and on top of one medium sized SUV.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Thanksgiving
What are you THANKFUL for this year? November 22, 2009
Tonight at an International,Multi- faith Bible Study we were reminded of the fact that in the U.S. they'll be celebrating Thanksgiving Day this week. I thought about that on the way home, what would I be doing now if we'd be in the States? Planning a dinner for fam. and friends? Anticipating the arrival of the first Christmas cards? We have friends whose cards always arrive the day after Thanksgiving, will I even be sending cards this year?
Funny how one's thoughts can go in circles. Am I Thankful? And for what? Heh, I know; it is for this whole fantastic year that we have enjoyed as a special gift from the Lord. Just as we so often say to one another, "Who would have thought?" Only God could have orchestrated our current way of living and we are so grateful. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits."
In January of 2009, I announced to Sam that since both of us would have big birthdays this year we ought to do something special. That sounded good to him but we never got around to the planning. The trip to Bahamas in April was great, good to see the kids and so nice to be away from the cold and rain of Washington. We also realized that things within the family would be changing this year, another grandson graduating from Highschool, Albert leaving for an assignment in Iraq for one year, would we even see most of the family come to Marysville? I felt a great uncertainty settling over me.
Mother's Day was a wonderful celebration as a much prayed for nephew was baptized that morning. "Lord, you are a God of miracles!" That evening Sam handed me a bulletin from the Cascade CRC saying, "Andy (brother-in-law) thinks this would be a good job for me."
"What?"
"Read it!" As I read, all that stood out at first were the words, dairyfarmer and Uganda. Sam told me to take a closer look. Wow, it said Mbale, Uganda. "Is that for real, Lord? I asked You 5 years ago if I could someday return to that city; do you mean this for us?" It also said that the work is for a Pentecostal Assemblies College. Wow, real ecumenical!
I looked at Sam and asked what he was planning to do about it? I certainly am not a dairyfarmer. He said that he might give CRC World Missions a call one day, and left it at that. We did pray that God would make it abundantly clear to us that we were supposed to go or else close the door tightly so we wouldn't be wasting our time or stewing about it.
A few days later Sam told me that he'd talked to a lady in Grand Rapids who told him that she'd pass his name on to the Board and to expect a call from them. That was the start of many calls back and forth to Michigan. I realized it was serious when Sam asked what we should do about the house. Instantly Debbie Sinnema-Jacobson came to mind for it 'just so happened' that I'd talked to her about 2 weeks before this all started and I knew they'd be State side for some time. We talked and their family came for a visit, from Montana, the first week in June. Wow, they were interested but we had nothing concrete to go on. I did notice that Sam was getting excited about the project.
On June 27, Sam received a call from World Missions saying that we were chosen for Uganda and we'd have to attend a mandatory orientation, starting July 14th, in Grand Rapids. My immediate reaction was, "No way, I can't go. I have no time, you just go by yourself, it's not for me anyway." "Sorry, Lord!"
Thankfully, son Albert, whose family had already arrived from Bahamas set me straight. "Sorry mom, this is for Dad and you have to go. We'll take care of things over here. Just think, you'll be there for Shannon's last week or more at Calvin." True, Shannon already was in Grand Rapids for a Summer College Prep. class but we would miss saying goodbye to Theresa and Katy who were leaving for a mission trip to India and Thailand.
Of course we flew to Grand Rapids and had a wonderful time with the dedicated staff of CRWM and the new group of missionaries (15) being readied for their field assignments. Looking around the table at these mostly young people we felt special to be a part of them. Could God really use us 'old people' in another country? We were thankful Uganda was not a strange place for us and we had friends there who greatly encouraged us. We also found it interesting that there was another couple in the group who'd already been commissioned by the Baptist Church.
During the last few days of orientation we learned that we were expected to be in Uganda by about Oct. 1. "What? No way!" I didn't see how I could get our home (where we'd lived for 47 years) ready in 2 months; for strangers to live in. "They have 8 children and need to use the rooms in a much different way than we've been doing the last few years." Sam's response? "We can do it." That's when I knew he was really serious about this assignment. Thankfully, the Jacobsons were still interested in staying in our home.
The two months of getting ready were very stressful for me, even bringing me to the hospital a couple of times. When we learned that the cows Sam was supposed to work with would not be coming to the farm till Nov. we extended our prep. time by 3 weeks, which was a great help.
Our departure date was set for October 21, 2009.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, we were commissioned as missionaries by the First Baptist Church of Marysville and on Sept. 27 in Cascade CRC. Those were great and sacred moments, at the last one some of our children were present as well. Everything was coming together. We'd been requested by World Missions to do fund raising for our support and we'd visited a number of churches in the area. We are so thankful for their support, financially as well as in prayer.
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, our 2 youngest sons, Harmen and Steven took us and 7 large suitcases to Seatac Airport, for a 1 year stay in Uganda.
"Thank You, Lord! for what You have begun. May we be faithful and not a disappointment."
UGANDA
Tonight at an International,Multi- faith Bible Study we were reminded of the fact that in the U.S. they'll be celebrating Thanksgiving Day this week. I thought about that on the way home, what would I be doing now if we'd be in the States? Planning a dinner for fam. and friends? Anticipating the arrival of the first Christmas cards? We have friends whose cards always arrive the day after Thanksgiving, will I even be sending cards this year?
Funny how one's thoughts can go in circles. Am I Thankful? And for what? Heh, I know; it is for this whole fantastic year that we have enjoyed as a special gift from the Lord. Just as we so often say to one another, "Who would have thought?" Only God could have orchestrated our current way of living and we are so grateful. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits."
In January of 2009, I announced to Sam that since both of us would have big birthdays this year we ought to do something special. That sounded good to him but we never got around to the planning. The trip to Bahamas in April was great, good to see the kids and so nice to be away from the cold and rain of Washington. We also realized that things within the family would be changing this year, another grandson graduating from Highschool, Albert leaving for an assignment in Iraq for one year, would we even see most of the family come to Marysville? I felt a great uncertainty settling over me.
Mother's Day was a wonderful celebration as a much prayed for nephew was baptized that morning. "Lord, you are a God of miracles!" That evening Sam handed me a bulletin from the Cascade CRC saying, "Andy (brother-in-law) thinks this would be a good job for me."
"What?"
"Read it!" As I read, all that stood out at first were the words, dairyfarmer and Uganda. Sam told me to take a closer look. Wow, it said Mbale, Uganda. "Is that for real, Lord? I asked You 5 years ago if I could someday return to that city; do you mean this for us?" It also said that the work is for a Pentecostal Assemblies College. Wow, real ecumenical!
I looked at Sam and asked what he was planning to do about it? I certainly am not a dairyfarmer. He said that he might give CRC World Missions a call one day, and left it at that. We did pray that God would make it abundantly clear to us that we were supposed to go or else close the door tightly so we wouldn't be wasting our time or stewing about it.
A few days later Sam told me that he'd talked to a lady in Grand Rapids who told him that she'd pass his name on to the Board and to expect a call from them. That was the start of many calls back and forth to Michigan. I realized it was serious when Sam asked what we should do about the house. Instantly Debbie Sinnema-Jacobson came to mind for it 'just so happened' that I'd talked to her about 2 weeks before this all started and I knew they'd be State side for some time. We talked and their family came for a visit, from Montana, the first week in June. Wow, they were interested but we had nothing concrete to go on. I did notice that Sam was getting excited about the project.
On June 27, Sam received a call from World Missions saying that we were chosen for Uganda and we'd have to attend a mandatory orientation, starting July 14th, in Grand Rapids. My immediate reaction was, "No way, I can't go. I have no time, you just go by yourself, it's not for me anyway." "Sorry, Lord!"
Thankfully, son Albert, whose family had already arrived from Bahamas set me straight. "Sorry mom, this is for Dad and you have to go. We'll take care of things over here. Just think, you'll be there for Shannon's last week or more at Calvin." True, Shannon already was in Grand Rapids for a Summer College Prep. class but we would miss saying goodbye to Theresa and Katy who were leaving for a mission trip to India and Thailand.
Of course we flew to Grand Rapids and had a wonderful time with the dedicated staff of CRWM and the new group of missionaries (15) being readied for their field assignments. Looking around the table at these mostly young people we felt special to be a part of them. Could God really use us 'old people' in another country? We were thankful Uganda was not a strange place for us and we had friends there who greatly encouraged us. We also found it interesting that there was another couple in the group who'd already been commissioned by the Baptist Church.
During the last few days of orientation we learned that we were expected to be in Uganda by about Oct. 1. "What? No way!" I didn't see how I could get our home (where we'd lived for 47 years) ready in 2 months; for strangers to live in. "They have 8 children and need to use the rooms in a much different way than we've been doing the last few years." Sam's response? "We can do it." That's when I knew he was really serious about this assignment. Thankfully, the Jacobsons were still interested in staying in our home.
The two months of getting ready were very stressful for me, even bringing me to the hospital a couple of times. When we learned that the cows Sam was supposed to work with would not be coming to the farm till Nov. we extended our prep. time by 3 weeks, which was a great help.
Our departure date was set for October 21, 2009.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, we were commissioned as missionaries by the First Baptist Church of Marysville and on Sept. 27 in Cascade CRC. Those were great and sacred moments, at the last one some of our children were present as well. Everything was coming together. We'd been requested by World Missions to do fund raising for our support and we'd visited a number of churches in the area. We are so thankful for their support, financially as well as in prayer.
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, our 2 youngest sons, Harmen and Steven took us and 7 large suitcases to Seatac Airport, for a 1 year stay in Uganda.
"Thank You, Lord! for what You have begun. May we be faithful and not a disappointment."
UGANDA
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