One Last Pre-Uganda Journal

I can hardly believe that we leave for Uganda tomorrow. For those of you who like details, we leave here around 9AM and then fly out of Chicago at 2PM on KLM. We fly to Detroit, then on to Amsterdam. We have a short layover, then fly to Kampala, arriving there at 9PM on Wednesday. Tim & Angie are planning to meet us at the airport, and we'll head out on Thursday morning. It is a 6-hour drive to Soroti from Kampala, but I think we're going to make a stop to see the mouth of the Nile River on the way.

Yesterday we had our sending-off service at church and it was precious beyond words. We had a lot of friends from Byron Center Christian School and Roosevlet Park, as well as members of our own church, Pathway, who came and prayed over us. I was particularly touched by the group of Rebecca's friends who came with their families to show their support for her; she has been blessed with such wonderful friends (so have we, of course!). It was such a temendous encouragement to see the visible support and to experience being prayed over in that fashion was very meaningful to all three of us. This trip isn't just ours---Lord willing, it will be a blessing to everyone who has been involved in preparing us, to our church, our families, our friends, and the people of Soroti, Uganda.

Over the weekend I came down with a nasty upper respiratory bug of sorts and I pretty much have lost my voice. (But I'm so thankful, my Dr. just called and is prescribing some antibiotics and a steroid to give me a boost before we fly). Besides that, I have all three boys home today; Caleb is the most ill, having thrown up nine times now. One of my friends commented not to get worried or discouraged because the Enemy doesn't want us to go to Uganda and share Christ, so these things are going to happen. I just pray that Glen does ok dealing with the added stress of sick boys, and that Rebecca and I don't get the flu, too. And I'm so thankful again for Tanya's support; she ran all of my last-minute errands for me since I was needed here by the boys. What a blessing to have such good friends and sisters in Christ to help us when we need it!

I believe that I have as much of my lesson planning done as I can do before getting to Uganda. I need to get a sense of where people are at, their environment, etc... before I can really plan much more. And who knows? Maybe I won't even end up teaching. It doesn't really matter to me as I've learned so much through the preparations. I just want to be an encouragement to the missionaries and whomever else the Lord places in our paths, and He can decide which way we can best do that.

Rebecca is very excited for our trip, too. I'm trusting she will have had a good last day at school with her friends and teachers. I am truly overwhelmed at the support they have been to her.

I will be sharing this blog with Karin VanSweden who is coming with us. She is also very exicted to go. I know that she has to work all day today and didn't anticipate having a spare moment for anything today. I got the last of her things to pack last night, and all we have to do is pick her up tomorrow.

Thanks to you all for praying for us. Above all else, pray that God will be glorified in and through us and that He will become the greatest treasure of all of the nations, and particularly as we minsiter, to the Ugandans. Pray also for Tim & Angie, Rachel & Bobbi and Josh & Mandy Shaarda (read their latest update on Luka at www.shaarda.blogspot.com), that they will be strengthened and encouraged in their service to Christ.

The next time we write, Lord willing, will be from Uganda.