tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164028282024-03-12T21:32:49.796-07:00A Day in the Life of DuaLeoA place to explore the innerworkings of my life
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...sometimes unique, sometimes profound, and sometimes just random...
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<i>Note: Words paint a picture. I like pictures. Brevity is not always my gift.</i> ;DJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-76546088770226141782009-01-28T23:38:00.001-08:002009-01-28T23:38:57.183-08:00Uganda Update #8<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl07kGpbFpmz84G8a4fEMPhKupN8_QqwF9kabntRGe1JHAWoK6PXoL-k2hpdxXEFbDjoy_I2y5ckCKhY2DKLQeZQir8PXLMDK1irm2xTDKXYgsSBo8G7R0PeJn4x6QobYcPdWR/s1600-h/FOG+Primary+School+(new+building)-sm-737186.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl07kGpbFpmz84G8a4fEMPhKupN8_QqwF9kabntRGe1JHAWoK6PXoL-k2hpdxXEFbDjoy_I2y5ckCKhY2DKLQeZQir8PXLMDK1irm2xTDKXYgsSBo8G7R0PeJn4x6QobYcPdWR/s320/FOG+Primary+School+(new+building)-sm-737186.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296616964535029586" /></a></p>1/28/09 9:20am (PST) / 1/28/09 8:20pm (Uganda)<br>About a year ago, we were given brief biographies of each of the<br>full-time staff at Favor of God. I read through them trying to find a<br>female staff member that I might be able to connect with, in praying<br>for her and possibly keeping in touch through email or letters. As I<br>read all the bios, I felt I wouldn't be able to relate to most of the<br>women. I'm not sure why; I just didn't think I would have anything in<br>common with them. One bio stood out to me though. This woman was<br>responsible for several administrative aspects at FOG. I'm not sure<br>what it was about her, but I just sensed that we might be able to<br>relate to each other.<p>I pondered on that for a few days, but as is typical for me, I got<br>distracted and lost that idea somewhere in the back of my mind. So<br>here we are a year later and I am on the ground at FOG. I've spent<br>time with many of the staff and have enjoyed learning about their<br>ministries and a little about their stories. It's been hard, though,<br>for me to connect with the women. They are super friendly and very<br>helpful, but there is just something there that makes our interactions<br>seem a little forced and unnatural…except for one.<p>From the first time I met Judith, there was something about her that<br>was drawing me to her…something I respected, something I felt I could<br>relate to. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I talked to her one<br>day and shared that I would really like to spend some time with her<br>throughout my stay…observing her, asking questions about the ministry,<br>learning about her, learning from her. As she responded, I could tell<br>she felt the same way about me. She thought that was exactly what we<br>needed to do. As I shared with her, it triggered something in my<br>mind, and I suddenly realized this is the one who had stood out to me<br>a year ago as I prayed through the faces and the stories of the FOG<br>staff. I didn't know a year ago, and I still didn't know what this<br>pull was that I was sensing, but I was certain Judith and I needed to<br>spend some time together.<p>Throughout the trip, our schedules haven't really worked together.<br>While the team was here, I was running every which way, and when they<br>left, Judith left with them! I was really bummed that she was gone.<br>She returned yesterday though, which I didn't find out until later in<br>the afternoon, so I was hoping to connect with her today. As I walked<br>outside to find someone else yesterday afternoon, Judith caught me!<br>We were both very excited to see each other. We began talking and<br>couldn't stop.<p>What began as just a discussion about the schedule for the rest of<br>Charissa and my time here, became a passionate discussion about the<br>desperate needs of this country and culture. Our hearts resonated<br>together on so many points. As we talked, we began to revive in each<br>other passions that I know God has placed in both of us.<p>We talked about the school. The new school year begins on February<br>2nd. There is much to be done in Uganda in the area of education.<br>Another wise woman shared with me last week that this country will<br>never truly change without 1) Christ and 2) education.<p>Without real education, the people continue making decisions based on<br>false and faulty information which propels them on in the broken state<br>that they are in, and at times, even worsens the situation. The<br>greatest problem with education here is that students are often passed<br>without learning a thing, because it is easier to pass the problems on<br>to the next teacher instead of dealing with them.<p>Another, perhaps more tragic, problem is that very little is taught in<br>the area of critical thinking. Students are spoon-fed information,<br>and then given a test where they're asked to regurgitate that<br>memorized information, without ever being asked to process it, use it<br>in any practical sense, or even understand it. Many students complete<br>school here without any real skills. They apply for jobs and are<br>hired based on their diplomas, yet they are incapable of doing the<br>jobs. Many who get into the universities have no idea what's going on<br>because they've never been challenged to think before.<p>Favor of God has started a primary school to combat this. Their<br>vision is that the FOG primary school would stand out as a school that<br>holds to firm standards, a school whose graduates are actually<br>well-equipped and prepared for university, for employment, and for<br>life. Their desire is that their graduates would make a difference<br>for the Kingdom, for the nation, and for the community.<p>Unfortunately, although they've set and held to strict standards in<br>their first year and have a remarkable vision, they continue to use<br>many of the same methods of teaching that have been used<br>unsuccessfully for as long as anyone can remember. The good news is<br>that the principal and the teachers seem open to new ideas and<br>strategies, and they really seem passionate about genuinely equipping<br>these students.<p>On Saturday, they will have their annual teacher's meeting before the<br>year begins on Monday. Charissa and I have been invited to<br>participate in this meeting. After all the business is dealt with,<br>we've been given the open door to teach them anything we believe is<br>relevant. They are also preparing to share with us many of the<br>challenges and difficulties they have had in teaching.<p>I've been excited about this opportunity since before the trip simply<br>because that is what Riss and I do and I was hoping to be of some kind<br>of use while we were here, so I was more excited when something<br>finally got set in stone. After talking to Judith yesterday though,<br>my heart is so burdened for the students, heavy that they would<br>actually learn, grow, and be changed in this school.<p>So many of the ways of life here are so far from what the Bible<br>teaches and so destructive. I was beginning to wonder if it was just<br>cultural differences that I need to suck up and deal with, or if these<br>things I'm seeing are truly wrong and need to be changed. I asked<br>Judith because I don't want to challenge culture, but I do want to see<br>lives changed for the better. She completely agreed with me, that<br>although these things are a part of the culture here, they are, in<br>fact, very destructive, and that the people need to learn the ways of<br>God if there is ever to be any true hope of healing and change.<p>I think most would agree that societal change must involve the<br>children. Behavior must change. Mindsets must change. Attitudes<br>must change. Values must change. These children will become the<br>leaders of the nation. But how can we change the children? As I<br>realized how many children there are and how impossible it would be to<br>reach each one directly, I became a bit discouraged. But then I<br>realized that if the mamas and teachers were taught and built up, they<br>could impact countless children.<p>I began to see FOG school as a beacon of hope for this nation. It<br>sounds wild, but really. Their ministry already shines so brightly in<br>the north. I don't believe there's a soul in the area that doesn't<br>know of FOG, which is pretty amazing considering the vast number of<br>NGOs up here. But FOG is different. They stand out. I absolutely<br>believe their school will stand out; it already does to the<br>immediately surrounding community. What's really going to make it<br>stand out though is the quality of the education and the passion of<br>the teachers for their students. If those things are truly different<br>than the other schools, the enrollment at FOG school will increase,<br>which means more children will be impacted, not only academically, but<br>spiritually and emotionally. But the teachers must truly know how to<br>educate the students, not just get them to the next grade. (This<br>school, by the way, is where all the orphaned children from the House<br>of Hope attend.)<p>Another vision I had was of FOG school becoming a training hub for<br>other teachers. If their students' performance, attitudes, and<br>lifestyles begin to stand out to the community, to the high schools,<br>to the universities, my hope is that other schools would seek their<br>counsel and training in improving their own educational techniques and<br>strategies. Again, this has been seen in other areas of ministry<br>within FOG. I believe it could also happen in the schools.<p>I'm not sure if I've communicated all of this clearly, but here is my<br>request from you… Pray!!! Pray for our time on Saturday. I know<br>that God has ordained this time, but I have no idea what we're going<br>to share with these teachers! I know that we need to share our<br>passion and our hearts with them. I know they need to be challenged<br>and encouraged in taking their students to deeper levels of learning<br>including processing and using the information they're memorizing, in<br>critical thinking, in personal and character growth. I also know that<br>very few, if any, interactive teaching methods are used. Currently,<br>the teachers lecture, and the students listen and memorize. We would<br>like to introduce some new techniques.<p>We want to be sure to respect and appreciate the knowledge and<br>experience that these teachers have. We want to present ourselves as<br>colleagues, as brothers and sisters in Christ, not as experts. I pray<br>that we would honor them as we attempt to challenge them. I pray that<br>they would be open-minded and interested. I also pray that we would<br>learn from them.<p>I have one additional concern for the school. They have added two<br>more grade levels for this academic year (which will put them at<br>Kindergarten thru 6th grade). They are still short a couple<br>classrooms because they have been short on funding. They have secured<br>land and have built a structure containing 5 new classrooms. They got<br>the funds to complete one of those classrooms. They need to complete<br>at least one more before Monday. The total cost to complete the<br>building and make it ready for use is a mere $6,000, but the demands<br>on FOG have been high, and the financial support has not matched that.<br> They are being stretched thin in all areas of the ministry.<br>Preparing the school is one of the greatest needs though. $6,000<br>would have the school ready to go when the students arrive on Monday<br>(all the furniture is already available). This would not include the<br>new teachers' salaries, but it would at least have the facilities in<br>place. As far as the teachers' salaries go, there are 12 and they<br>each get paid about $130/month (PER MONTH!!). It would be such a<br>small sacrifice for us in the States to help provide for this school.<p>I'm wondering if any of you have a burden for the FOG school. I know<br>I do. I am anxious to see what God will do through this school and<br>these teachers, and in time, through the students who have graduated<br>from this school. If you feel a burden for this school, I ask that<br>you would consider a one-time gift that would help complete the $6,000<br>of construction or perhaps even a monthly gift that would help to<br>provide for the teacher's salaries. This burden has been so heavy on<br>my heart that I couldn't help but share it with you and ask you to<br>join us in this vision, especially with the need being so urgent with<br>school starting in less than a week.<p>If you are interested in supporting this vision, you can give directly<br>online at <a href="http://favorofgod.org/donate/">http://favorofgod.org/donate/</a>. You can also mail checks to<br>Favor of God, P.O. Box 4562, Riverside, CA 92514. Be sure to include<br>a note that it is for the FOG primary school.<p>My conversation with Judith sparked some other exciting things…I will<br>have to share those later! ;)<p>Thank you guys for all your encouragement and prayer. P.S. So many<br>of you have sent encouraging emails over the last several days, and I<br>know there are many I don't even know of that are praying. Keep it<br>up! It's working. Yes, I am still anxious to come home, but I am<br>actually thinking I am going to miss this place! That's huge. I had<br>several encourage me to let go…of expectations, demands, and pressure<br>that I'd placed on myself. I think to a large degree, God has helped<br>me to do that and to just go with it. The weight I felt on my<br>shoulders has lightened, I'm getting more comfortable and confident<br>moving around town and getting involved in different things, and I'm<br>connecting with people a little better than I was…all because I let go<br>of the pressure! He's allowed me to be a part of conversations that<br>have brought out my passions and my gifts, and I feel like He's<br>allowing me to use those a bit to help FOG and encourage people here.<br>God has also been reminding me to be in prayer as I move through the<br>town and participate in different activities. Pray that I would<br>remember to do that, and that as I do, He would open my eyes to what<br>HE sees.<p>Love you guys!<p>Jenelle<p>P.S. Attached is a picture of the new building at the FOG school.<p>P.P.S. Just a heads up on what I'll be up to today… I'll probably be<br>working with Judith most of the day on some administrative stuff –<br>organizing some information that we can use when we get back to the<br>States to help with the ministry here. I'll also be attending a Bible<br>study across the street at another orphanage. One of the mamas there<br>is learning to lead the other mamas in Bible study. It's pretty cool.<br> We got to meet with her earlier this week to help her prepare. Her<br>name is Christine if you'd like to pray for her. This evening,<br>hopefully I'll get back over to House of Hope to spend more time with<br>the kids and mamas.Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-38945736682989527382009-01-24T02:10:00.001-08:002009-01-24T02:10:46.875-08:00Uganda Update #71/22/09 2:42am (PST) / 1/22/09 1:42pm (Uganda)<br>I haven't been completely honest in my updates. Although I have<br>shared a lot of our adventures, I haven't shared much of my heart at<br>all. I have been trying to be strong, but I think I need to be<br>honest.<p>I believe this is the hardest trip I have ever been on. I don't like<br>it here…not even a little bit. I've put a lot of pressure on myself<br>about that. I wondered if maybe my heart just wasn't prepared enough<br>before coming. I wondered if my heart and mind are elsewhere, which<br>hasn't allowed me to really be here 100%. I've wondered if maybe I've<br>just not been called to this place, so I need to just be ok with that,<br>be on my way, and let it be. I haven't been content with any of that<br>reasoning though. Although all of those ideas may be true in part, I<br>don't think that's the whole truth.<p>I've let little tidbits of this slip to a few on my team, but have<br>kept it to myself for the most part. Yesterday, though, I began<br>hashing it out with others. I was reminded of a few things… I have<br>never been in a country this "developing" or "third world". Nothing<br>is convenient, and nothing works as expected. Basic things like<br>roads, accommodations, electricity, internet, dirt and dust, and even<br>directions (there are no maps!) make everyday life a challenge. Add<br>to that the fact that there are four of us staying in probably a 10x12<br>foot room, stacked on top of each other, with everything constantly<br>covered in dust, our beds covered with mosquito nets, and using<br>community restrooms that are…not exactly what we're accustomed to at<br>home, there is not really any escape from the…lack of development.<p>There's more though. Interaction with people here is nothing like<br>what I have experienced in any other part of the world. It's easy to<br>interact with people, but very difficult to do so at any meaningful<br>level. Even the staff, who are super friendly and helpful, are very<br>guarded when it comes to matters of the heart. Guarded is really the<br>best word I can find at the moment to describe the majority of the<br>people we've interacted with here…at the mission house, in the<br>community, and in the villages. With me being such a relational<br>person, especially having had such success becoming part of people's<br>lives in other countries and cultures, it's been really hard not to be<br>discouraged and feel like I'm doing something wrong.<p>One of the mzungus (foreigners) here shed a bit more light on some<br>things for me though. It's so easy to forget what these people have<br>gone through. Just 6 short years ago, a white person walking into a<br>camp would have been killed. Just 3 years ago, people were still<br>living in fear every moment of both the LRA (the rebel army) and the<br>UPDF (the Ugandan government army). Both the bad guys and the good<br>guys were a threat to them. They were often abused by both sides.<br>And they couldn't trust anybody as many of their relatives and<br>neighbors had been abducted by the LRA and came back to murder. They<br>have been severely traumatized, and many have lost much. Even now,<br>many of them live with or near those who not too long ago caused death<br>or severe violence to them or someone near them. How could anybody in<br>those shoes be open and trusting, even to people they know, let alone<br>to strangers. Apart from Christ, I don't think it's possible.<p>We noticed a drastic difference as we visited a few camps that have a<br>large Christian body (the camps that had just completed or were in the<br>midst of the Portable Bible Schools). In those camps, the people were<br>a little bewildered seeing white faces, but they were friendly and<br>welcoming. The camps felt "warm" and hopeful. As we entered the<br>first camp that had not experienced that training, we noticed a huge<br>difference. Many on our team were even scared…they had inexplicable<br>instincts that the crowd could turn on us at any moment. (Come to<br>find out from Norma that this particular camp has begun rioting<br>against the mzungus in the past!) I later learned that there are very<br>few believers in this camp, and most of the people worship other gods.<br> It is amazing the difference we felt. The climate was just dark. I<br>couldn't figure out why we felt so uncomfortable until I learned more<br>about the spiritual atmosphere there. That feel, is how most of the<br>north felt only three years ago. Wild.<p>In my past experience, a wave and a smile was enough to open a heart,<br>and I've caught myself questioning why that doesn't seem to work here,<br>why people are so standoffish, why they seem so skeptical and<br>untrusting.<p>It's really me that is in the wrong… I need to be loving, gentle, and<br>kind, but I need to understand that they need time to develop a trust,<br>or even to develop a desire to develop a trust. I also need to be<br>more conscious of the spiritual climate. That is HUGE!<p>Anyways, I just wanted to be honest and share that I have been<br>struggling, and as I've discovered a little about why, I wanted to<br>share that as well. I have to be completely honest and say that I was<br>jealous that the rest of the team got to go home…I really didn't want<br>to stay another two weeks. But I know if I had left with them, I<br>would have quickly pushed my experiences here to the back of my mind,<br>slipped back into life at home, and been perfectly content to never<br>come back again. I know that's not where God wants me. I know He has<br>more to do in me on this trip. And I know that I would regret going<br>home and not knowing/experiencing those things He has in store.<p>1/24/09 2:00am (PST) / 1/24/09 1:00pm (Uganda)<br>You will be happy to know that the last couple days have been a bit<br>better for me emotionally.<br> I am finally starting to enjoy myself a little bit…today's the first<br>time I'm out in town by myself. We're on our own schedules a little<br>better now…So I feel less confined and frustrated! We've been hanging<br>out at House of Hope with the orphans and mamas the last couple days,<br>and that's been refreshing.<p>Today, we're doing a soccer camp from 2-6 and then going late to a<br>graduation party for one of the FOG staff…at House of Hope. It'll be<br>fun to see the kids again!<p>Tomorrow's church… I think we will go early to Gulu Bible Church<br>because they are doing a baptism ceremony and that should be cool to<br>experience. Then we want to go to KPC (Kampala Penticostal Church) to<br>observe the children's Sunday School programs…they're supposed to be<br>pretty good and we want a little insight into how they teach children<br>effectively here. (We're hoping to meet with the teachers for FOG<br>primary school next week to give them some encouragement and training<br>to teach more interactively and effectively. I'm hoping what we see<br>Sunday will give us some insight for that.)<p>I think we've got a birthday party to attend Sunday evening too for<br>the daughter of one of the FOG staff. Monday is a public holiday, so<br>the staff get to rest! I am hoping to spend some quality time with<br>some of them while they're not stressed with work. We will probably<br>spend more time at House of Hope as well, hanging out with the<br>children and the mamas.<p>Love you guys and hope you're doing well. Less than two weeks!<p>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-62778683644722096912009-01-21T02:36:00.000-08:002009-01-21T02:37:58.572-08:00Uganda Update #61/18/09 7:40am (PST) / 1/18/09 6:40pm (Uganda)<br>Well, it has been a couple days since I have written. The internet<br>hasn't been working (surprise!) and I've been fighting a nasty cold,<br>so I've been trying to rest whenever I get a chance. Took a nice nap<br>today. ;) Although, it was flaming hot out, with no breeze! The<br>sweat running down my face was so soothing! Ha! But the sleep was<br>good.<p>So, I believe I need to catch you up on a few big days from last week<br>still. Here goes…<p>1/20/09 5:30am (PST) / 1/20/09 4:30pm (Uganda)<br>Well, as often happens here, I got interrupted and had to head out for<br>the day right as I began to write before. So, let me try again… I<br>have 30 minutes until the internet café closes, and currently, there<br>is no internet connection! Gotta love it!!! ;)<p>Wednesday 1/14<br>On Wednesday, we headed out to a couple more camps. Our first drive<br>took about 5 hours. We got lost on the way to the camp, so it took a<br>little longer than hoped. It was a quite bumpy ride too!<p>When we arrived in the first camp, our purpose was to observe and take<br>pictures at the Portable Bible School (PBS) that was taking place.<br>The room where they were meeting was packed full. All the seats were<br>full and there were several sitting on the floor in the back. Come to<br>find out afterwards that this was actually a really low attendance<br>day. See, Wednesday is market day. It is the only day that people<br>are able to sell or buy goods at the market. So at least half the<br>students were gone. I can't imagine what that room must look like<br>when they're all there. There were two teachers – one teaching and<br>one translating. They always deliver the teaching/preaching in<br>English and in the native language of the people. It looked like some<br>pretty intense stuff.<p>When FOG puts on these PBS's, they run for two months. Each student<br>attends for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week. They are given tests regularly.<br> If they "pass", they are awarded a certificate and a Bible. It's<br>pretty cool. The Bibles are expensive and often hard to come by, so<br>FOG does not just give them to anyone. They only give them to those<br>who have had proper training on how to use it. It's amazing to me<br>that these people are so hungry for truth. I mean, really, how many<br>of us would jump at the opportunity to sit in class for thirty hours a<br>week and gain nothing except a certificate and a Bible – at least<br>nothing tangible. These people see hope in the gospel of Christ<br>though, so much so that they believe it will change their lives to be<br>in these PBS's. That is amazing to me.<p>We stayed at this camp only briefly, probably less than an hour, so we<br>weren't able to talk to any of the students or teachers (We didn't<br>want to interrupt their learning.). However, before we left, Godfrey<br>decided he needed to buy a chicken. Why such a pressing need…so many<br>hours away from 'home'!? I have no idea! I'm pretty sure there are<br>chickens in Gulu! Nonetheless, he bought one. This was not a dead<br>chicken, but a live one…in a little plastic shopping bag. She sat in<br>the back of the van (the bumpiest part of the car) with Blair and<br>Steven the whole rest of our journey…and what a journey it became with<br>the addition of a chicken! We were probably in the car at least 4 or<br>5 more hours that day…and Blair and Steven were having…well, 'fun'<br>might not be the right word, but I was amused! Let's just say that<br>there was a lot of screaming, laughing, petting, feeding, and even<br>seat-belting in that took place over the next several hours! Blair<br>definitely did some bonding. You can imagine how she felt the next<br>day when she found out the chicken was in Godfrey's fridge! Sad day…<p>So from the first camp, we went (chicken in tow) to another camp about<br>an hour away. At this camp, a PBS had been completed previously, and<br>the graduates were anxiously awaiting their Bibles. We had another<br>ceremony, and distributed well over 100 Bibles this time. Again,<br>there was much cheering. I think my favorite part, though, was<br>immediately after the ceremony.<p>The interior walls of the church are pretty low, and there is about a<br>foot gap between the top of the wall and the thatch roof. I peeked<br>over, just out of curiosity. There were cute kids peeping in, and I<br>thought I might be able to get some cute pictures. I was surprised<br>instead to find an older man sitting up against the wall. He was one<br>of the grads who had just received his first Bible ever. He was<br>sitting there, completely oblivious to the rest of the world, with His<br>new Bible open to the first page of Genesis. He had read half of the<br>first column and was tracing each word with his finger as he read<br>aloud to himself. He couldn't even wait to walk home, he had to begin<br>reading as soon as possible. I could sense his hunger for the living<br>Word of God as though it was my own. That is one of the most precious<br>things I have ever witnessed.<p>Later, when I was standing outside the church, several of the older<br>women were coming over to hug me. One of them was quite excited. The<br>women here do this interesting hooting and hollering when they get<br>exciting, particularly when they are worshipping God. It's akin to<br>the Indian sound affect children make by screaming and patting their<br>lips when playing cowboys and Indians. So this women is holding my<br>hand, jumping, and hooting. She keeps looking at me as though she<br>wants some kind of approval. Finally, I decided she must want me to<br>participate. But look so silly in front of the whole village!?!? I<br>was a little unsure about it. After several attempts though, I<br>decided I should try to appease her, so I gave in. I threw out one<br>little hoot. She was ecstatic. Apparently, she wanted more! So she<br>began dragging me through the camp running and skipping. Rather than<br>sliding behind her in the dirt, I began skipping alongside her and we<br>hooted throughout the camp. EVERYONE was quite amused. We developed<br>quite a fan club in our few moments of madness.<p>After that, we were back in the van for another few hours…bumping<br>along the entire way. Several of the sky pictures I sent were from<br>that drive home…although, I have taken several in the morning,<br>afternoon, and evening each day we've been here. It's been beautiful.<p>I think I have to leave you with that for now. I will share more<br>about the some of our other adventures when I get a chance. Thanks<br>again for your continued prayer and encouragement. Remember to keep<br>Rob, Leah, Abel, Marcus, and Happiness in prayer over the next couple<br>days as they finish their time here and travel home. Also, pray for<br>wisdom and discernment for Riss and I as we figure out how to best<br>spend the rest of our time here.<p>There are a few possible things on the table for me. I have met the<br>head teacher and four of the other teachers from the FOG school. I am<br>hoping to meet with all of them a couple times next week for some<br>teaching workshops and to get some of their testimonies. They were<br>really curious and anxious to learn some of the things we do in the<br>States, and would really like some tips and tricks to teach English<br>more effectively. I'm looking forward to our time with them. They<br>seemed really sweet and really want the best for their students.<p>Also, one of the pastors here has asked me if I would be willing to<br>speak at their upcoming youth conference. I think this is a pretty<br>big thing. It's the annual conference and they invite all the youth<br>from the entire district and beyond. The theme of the conference is<br>"Living the Victorious Life". I don't really feel like I'm in the<br>right place to be sharing with them, yet I feel like God may be<br>telling me to do it anyways and walk in faith that He will give me the<br>right words. So, I would love for you to pray for discernment in that<br>specifically.<p>Also, I've been helping a couple of the staff with their English.<br>That's been a lot of fun! Martine, one of my favorites, is studying<br>EXACTLY what I teach at home! It's been fun helping him to understand<br>verb tenses! I never thought I'd say that!! ;) Martine has an<br>amazing story… I will try to share it sometime.<p>One thing that's been on my heart since we got here is to spend more<br>time with the staff and others in the area getting more of their<br>testimonies of how God has worked in and around them. We have done a<br>lot of video, but most of it has been overviews and details of the<br>different ministry areas within Favor of God. Pray for favor and<br>timing as I try to have some more personal conversations with the<br>staff in order to share those stories as an encouragement to you and<br>others.<p>Other than that, our time is open, and there are a MILLION things we<br>could be doing each day. I have a tendency to freeze up and do<br>nothing when I don't feel like I can make the "best" choice, so pray<br>that Riss and I would step out in confidence each day and be<br>intentional wherever we end up. And pray for God's CLEAR guidance if<br>there are specific places we need to be or conversations we need to<br>have.<p>Thanks for reading! Blessings!!!<br>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-3850459193266145782009-01-20T06:05:00.001-08:002009-01-20T06:05:08.415-08:00Uganda Update from RissThis is from Riss. I thought several of you would be interested in<br>hearing from her. I'm working on one, but have run out of time at the<br>internet cafe! Hopefully I'll be able to send another one soon!<br>Thanks for your continued prayers!<p>Jenelle<p><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: Charissa Six <<a href="mailto:riss_dawn@yahoo.com">riss_dawn@yahoo.com</a>><br>Date: Tue, Jan 20, 2009 at 5:47 AM<br>Subject: update<p><br>Hey,<p><p>I wanted to say "Sorry" as I have just been told that I am slacking in<br>my amount of story-telling e-mails. I will try to make up for it a<br>little bit right now. =D<p><p>A few things first though, I want you to know that I just got my first<br>mosquito bite. This is actually a welcomed bite as I was expecting to<br>be fighting them off the entire time I was here. But I haven't been<br>and still don't. Rest assured that although I'm happy with the one,<br>that's enough for me. So, the DEET is going to be layered on a little<br>bit more often.<p><p>So, ya, pictures are definitely going to be delayed until I get home.<br>I would totally send some now but I don't have a camera and if I did,<br>I don't have a flash drive to attach the pics to an e-mail. Bummer. =D<br>Can you imagine me smiling a huge smile and riding on dusty bumpy<br>roads in a 12-passenger van? If so, that's a pretty general picture of<br>something that happens every day.<p><p>Yesterday I had the thrill of a lifetime. I got to play soccer with<br>Ugandans. Not only that, but I was the only woman on the field!! Yeah,<br>that's pretty cool. There was a team of people at an IDP camp that was<br>doing trauma counseling. As a part of the ministry, for fellowship and<br>encouragement, that team had asked Favor of God to play a match<br>against the men that lived at the camp. Since I love the sport and the<br>guys were willing, I got to play the first half with them. So I<br>played, but I didn't have cleats and the field was not exactly what I<br>would call flat. Nonetheless, I played and still have a smile in my<br>heart. We lost 2-1. Not bad for a bunch of men who "haven't played in<br>years" and had never played together. I think our team leader,<br>Godfrey, is a little dissatisfied with the outcome. =D Sounds like<br>he's rounding up some more players for next time . . . which may be in<br>a few days.<p><p>I think the best part was the uniforms. Do you remember when I told<br>you about the soccer donations? Do you recall that I got a large bag<br>full of complete uniforms? Well, they just became the official<br>uniforms of Team Favor!! I had the honor of wearing one myself and<br>taking a team photo with the guys just before the game. What an honor<br>and a blessing it was to see the full circle of generosity and giving.<br>From the point of receiving them to looking around the field and<br>seeing my Ugandan teammates wearing them proudly, I was blessed and<br>overwhelmed.<p><p>I hope you are doing well these days. I will be in touch again soon.<br>Please let me know what you've been up to as well. I love hearing<br>about it. Definitely.<p><p>Much Love and Peace,<p>Riss<p><p>-- <br><a href="http://dualeoday.blogspot.com/">http://dualeoday.blogspot.com/</a><p>"Time spent in prayer will yield more than time given to work. Only<br>prayer gives work its worth and its success." ~Andrew Murray<p>"Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater<br>work." ~Oswald ChambersJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-47474661809447199072009-01-20T04:25:00.001-08:002009-01-20T04:25:53.307-08:00Uganda Sky<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC8fqUXV-ZB4UiWA3YxBKbU5jskb95S48lTDaEpzyCkCJ0YNGNJLQIOGD9C0l8gz5PZhLnO8CJEcuThUDts8B77nSgY-HD32-0UG3a-BnxtMd5to792QuZfsIcs0WAA2zeh7b/s1600-h/Northern+Uganda+Sky+(Week+1)-753309.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC8fqUXV-ZB4UiWA3YxBKbU5jskb95S48lTDaEpzyCkCJ0YNGNJLQIOGD9C0l8gz5PZhLnO8CJEcuThUDts8B77nSgY-HD32-0UG3a-BnxtMd5to792QuZfsIcs0WAA2zeh7b/s320/Northern+Uganda+Sky+(Week+1)-753309.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293351143910531010" /></a></p>I have not had time to write much, but I wanted to share this. It is<br>a collage of pictures I took of the Ugandan sky the first week of our<br>trip. Why is it so beautiful? I don't know! But praise God! ;)<p>Things are going well. I guess one of the greatest prayer requests I<br>have at the moment is that God would guide and direct the steps of<br>Charissa and I the last couple weeks of our trip. There are about a<br>million things we could do each day with Favor of God as there are so<br>many departments and so many minisitries going on. We need wisdom to<br>know where our time will best be spent...where we can be a blessing,<br>where we can be used, and where we can interact with people in a<br>meaningful way.<p>As we make decisions and plans, they are sure not to work out 70% of<br>the time!!! Please pray for patience, grace, and just that we would<br>take the initiative and get ourselves places when the plans and<br>transportation set up for us fall through.<p>The team only has one more full day on the ground. They will leave<br>EARLY Thursday morning. Please pray for their last day and for their<br>travels.<p>Also, I am having a hard time focusing. Pray that I would be able to<br>focus on the things that are right here in front of me and be fully<br>here!<p>Thank you!!<br>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-23454536994994894012009-01-16T09:39:00.001-08:002009-01-16T09:39:04.342-08:00Uganda Update #5.5 (from Leah's eyes)This is an update from Leah on my team. Several of you have asked<br>about her, Rob, and their baby, Abel. I thought you might enjoy<br>hearing her thoughts of the trip so far...<p>Jenelle<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<p><br>Hello Everyone,<p>It has been good here in Gulu.<p>The good stuff:<p>1. I love being able to get to know the staff. They are awesome.<br>They challenge me with their worship, love, hospitality, and outreach.<p>2. We are filming interviews of different people on staff in charge of<br>the various ministries. It is so exciting to hear their visions and<br>the impact they are having. I have heard about these ministries for<br>so long but now I feel like I have a better understanding and can see<br>how they are actually being carried out.<p>3. I am blown away by Favor of God Ministries, the stories I've heard,<br>how much they love, how much they sacrifice, how much they trust God,<br>how the community and government looks to and respects them. It's<br>incredible and such an honor to be a part of.<p>4. Now Ugandans have the kind of music you can dance to! Actually,<br>you can't help but dance. I love worshipping with this culture.<p>5. The House of Hope Children's Home is a place of peace. We went<br>there last night, and I felt so refreshed. Those kids and house mamas<br>really know how to have fun. Also, it truly is a home for these kids<br>to experience childhood, be loved, and grow in the Lord. I am so<br>proud of this part of Favor of God.<p>6. Abel is enjoying the many new people. Everyone LOVES him and can't<br>get enough. He is doing really well.<p>7. Wow, it's amazing to see Rob with the Favor of God staff. They<br>love him, and he fits right in. I think this is my favorite part of<br>everything. We would have never ever thought up this job for him 2<br>years ago. He is perfect for this job and does it so well. He<br>interacts with all the Ugandans as if they were his best friends. I<br>don't think he has any kind of comfort zone. God has built him so<br>amazingly.<p>The challenging stuff:<p>1. I did have one day that was very hard. It was a day where Abel was<br>a hand-full, I felt some culture shock, and I didn't feel like I was<br>able to connect with the Ugandans. I am feeling much better. Thank<br>you for your prayers! It's amazing how much I can tell people are<br>praying for us. I am connecting a little bit better with the<br>Ugandans, but it still is hard. I get intimidated and don't feel like<br>I have anything to talk about. The rest of our team is doing much<br>better with this though, so I'm trying to follow their lead.<p>2. I am sometimes overly concerned with staying clean and healthy<br>probably mostly because of Abel. I sometimes get uncomfortable when<br>people and kids want to hold him or when he gets really dirty. I just<br>have to remember that God had all these details in mind when he led us<br>to bring our family. Just pray for strong immune systems.<p>3. I am being challenged spiritually, but I think there's still so<br>much more that we could see. I still want our eyes opened even more.<p>4. It's very hard for me to understand my environment. We have<br>poverty all around us. I still can't comprehend how what I'm seeing<br>can possibly exist at the same time as what I will experience when I<br>get home.<p>5. One of my huge dreams for this trip is to grow in love and respect<br>for the Ugandans. I think very highly of our Ugandan staff. But, I<br>want to be able to look at every other person and also see their<br>value. I want to be able to see the poorest, dirtiest, meanest,<br>laziest, most uneducated, most unattractive person and see them with<br>God's eyes. I want to see each person and honor them above myself.<br>This is very hard for me.<p>6. Rob has some very important meetings, discussions, and decisions to<br>help with for Favor of God Ministries. This could be a heavy burden,<br>so we need to pray that he can do it with God's strength and give it<br>all to God to carry. He has a board meeting tomorrow. Pray for that.<p><br>So, please just pray from these things that I've shared. Continue to<br>pray for safety, health, spiritual protection, unity, passion, and<br>open eyes. By the way (mom and dad) I feel very safe here. Traveling<br>is probably the most dangerous since driving is crazy! So, you can<br>pray for that. But still don't fear for us, if God told us to come<br>here, then he has it all under control. You can trust me that I know<br>he told us to come. No worries!<p>We love you!<p>LeahJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-52328150297820499742009-01-16T04:30:00.000-08:002009-01-16T04:31:00.473-08:00Uganda Update #51/15/09 1:00pm (PST) / 1/16/09 midnight (Uganda)<br>Sorry it has been so long… In addition to not really having access to<br>internet for a few days, the days have been so exhausting that I just<br>can't bring myself to write at the end of the day. Good news…I've<br>slept through the last few nights…I got 9 full hours last night!<br>…which is good as I've come down with a cold and am hoping not to hang<br>on to it for too long! I feel great, other than being a little tired<br>and gunk flooding out of my face! But really, despite the cold, the<br>last few days have been incredible…and just in the nick of time, as<br>(for the first time in my life) I was beginning to struggle with a bit<br>of homesickness. God has been faithful though to draw me into some<br>amazing things here that have helped me, at least in the midst of<br>them, to forget how far I am from home and the ones I love. So, let's<br>see if I can recap for you… (Warning: This is probably going to be<br>long! Try reading it in a couple doses!! ;)<p>Tuesday… Staff Prayer/Worship, City-Wide Lunch Hour Prayer, & Prison Ministry<br>Each weekday morning, the staff at FOG begin their workday at 8am for<br>prayer and worship in the mission house. They spend about an hour in<br>worship, study, and prayer before they make announcements and hit<br>their ministry posts/offices for the day. It's pretty awesome to<br>see/hear and to be a part of. It is awesome to see the sincerity and<br>the passion in the worship and prayer. It is also clear that this<br>time brings a special unity to the team here at FOG. Although I don't<br>look forward to 8am (especially with as tired as I've been), I do look<br>forward to this time with the staff each morning.<p>Although we had several plans for the morning, transportation Uganda<br>style left us sitting and waiting…and waiting and sitting…and sitting<br>and waiting…until finally it was lunch time. We ate and headed to our<br>next scheduled activity…about an hour late and in make-shift<br>transportation…<p>Our next stop was Lunch Hour Prayer. Each day, 12:30-2pm is set aside<br>for prayer and worship. FOG has been able to rent a facility in the<br>center of town as their House of Prayer. All churches and all<br>believers in the community are invited to the House of Prayer, both to<br>participate and to lead. We found out today that there are over 200<br>churches in Gulu, and each of these churches has, at least in some<br>way, been involved in the House of Prayer. Different people<br>facilitate Lunch Hour Prayer each day, and believers from throughout<br>the town join together. It's an awesome thing.<p>I expected to go simply to observe, take notes, and perhaps take a few<br>pictures and some video. Instead, my world was rocked a bit. Instead<br>of being able to just hide in one of the seats, we were asked to join<br>hands with a person near us and share what has kept us from giving God<br>complete control in our lives. Gee…let's be sure to start light<br>before we hit the major heart issues, huh!? I guess not. They're<br>about getting to the real stuff and being real with each<br>other…refreshing, but slightly terrifying (sad coming from a Sandalite<br>where our church's vision is to be real with ourselves, others, and<br>God). Nonetheless, it rattled me a bit…in a good way…and as I was<br>shaken, God was able to reveal some cool stuff to me as we all shared<br>and then prayed our own prayers in unison.<p>We rushed straight from Lunch Hour Prayer to Prison Ministry at the<br>Central Prison. I was a little nervous…not because it was a prison,<br>but because we had been warned that we would be asked to share a<br>sermon or testimony when we visited the prisons…AHHH!!! We were<br>divided, one group going to the men's quarters (about 200 men) and the<br>other group to the women's quarters (29 women…and their<br>babies…interesting, huh?) Riss, Happiness, and I went to the were<br>assigned to the women's quarters.<p>I quickly requested/suggested/demanded? that Riss be the one that<br>share. Turns out, we all shared! Before we spoke though, we were<br>blessed to join the women in worship. Man, Africans know how to<br>worship! We're in prison, and they were just jammin'! Drum bangin',<br>maraca shakin', gospel singin', harmonies…the works. There was one<br>girl toward the front… I couldn't focus on much else. Her worship<br>was so sincere, so passionate…there wasn't a sole in the place but<br>her…just she and God. It was pretty incredible to watch. As they<br>worshiped, I couldn't help but watch the guards. Were they believers<br>too? I couldn't tell. They looked cold and distant, yet<br>occasionally, I would catch a couple of them singing along, and<br>sometimes even clapping and grooving just a bit.<p>We then shared some words of encouragement with them. It was<br>difficult because I felt encouraged by them. So I encouraged them in<br>that! I wanted so badly to know more about each individual woman,<br>but, being a prison, just hanging out is not really an option. Simon,<br>who had taken us, also asked the women if they had any testimonies of<br>what God had done in their lives. As the women shared, I was blessed<br>by their joy and their faith. One woman's had just come out of the<br>hospital and her husband had just committed suicide only days before,<br>yet she was praising God. That is a faith I know I should have, yet I<br>struggle to understand it.<p>Before we left, Simon asked that anyone who needed prayer come to the<br>front so we could pray over them. AHHH again…prayer!? Over<br>strangers!? Prayer is not my forte. But what does one do in this<br>situation? Pray, of course!<p>As a few women came forward, I realized what a joy it would be to<br>touch them and hear just a small piece of their heart, their story.<br>One by one, I put my hand on their shoulders, asked their names, and<br>asked how I could pray. It was amazing to be able to pour my love on<br>them, and to pray God's heart over them. The last woman I prayed for<br>was the one whose husband had just died. What an honor. As I prayed<br>for these women, I feel like my heart grew, like some of the layers of<br>hardness that I have let form finally began to be stripped, and I was<br>able to pray with more faith than I have had for some time. God had<br>just shown me the day before that I needed to spend more time in<br>prayer for others, and here, without my help (or my consent!) He gave<br>me the opportunity to be obedient to that. I freaked out at first,<br>but was so blessed by it. And I truly did feel honored to be able to<br>lay my hands on these women and hug them.<p>As we left the women, one of the guards came with us. While we toured<br>some of the new facilities, I was able to talk with this guard, Rose.<br>She was one of the initiators of the prison ministry. She has been<br>working as a prison guard for 29 years and had a burden for the<br>prisoners to be ministered to and to know Christ. As a result of her<br>conviction, her husband began working with FOG in prison ministry. A<br>year ago, he was in a fatal accident. Still, she walks in faith. She<br>fully believes that God has her exactly where He wants her. She<br>shared that God has taught her much through this position – Just as He<br>has made her a literal guard, she feels called to be a spiritual guard<br>– a guardian of the souls of the women in the prison. She feels it is<br>her duty to keep on watch over the women and do all she can to point<br>them to Christ. Wow! After wondering about the hearts of the guards,<br>it was amazing to talk with Rose and see hers. Pray for Rose as she<br>continues ministering to the women there. This culture is very<br>difficult for women. Although none of them were saved when they came<br>to the prison, and all of them are now, many of them backslide when<br>they go back into the community because of the struggles of life.<br>Pray for their foundations being built within the prison walls, and<br>for strength as they leave the safety of those walls.<p>OK…it is almost 1am, and I need to sleep! I hope to send this in the<br>morning when I wake up…and I hope to spend more time tomorrow writing<br>about the last couple days. Thanks so much for reading!! I know<br>these updates are long, but so many of you press on until the end.<br>Thank you for your support and encouragement. Please continue to pray<br>for our team and those I am sharing about. Just so you know what you<br>have to look forward to… Wednesday, we headed to another camp to<br>observe a Portable Bible School with a couple hundred students, rode<br>with a chicken, and did another Bible distribution…where I became one<br>of the locals and was hooting and hollering with the ladies, and<br>Thursday, we interviewed a handful of the FOG staff and visited the<br>House of Hope children's home where Blair killed a chicken and the<br>children's worship rocked our world. Tomorrow, more staff interviews,<br>another possible Bible distribution, a soccer match, and who knows<br>what else… Saturday, REST! Ya right…I'm sure our day will become<br>magically filled with "restful" activities! Ha! Thanks again for<br>reading.<p>Much love!<br>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-61718252937482675752009-01-12T12:25:00.001-08:002009-01-12T12:25:59.370-08:00Uganda Update #41/11/09 11:00am (PST) / 1/11/09 10:00pm (Uganda)<br>Today was a much needed "Day of Rest", although, we all still feel<br>exhausted! We all got to sleep in. I woke up at 5am! Go figure. It<br>was nice, though, looking out the door – which was open right by my<br>head – watching the sunrise and listening to the interesting sounds in<br>the neighborhood. We had a typical Ugandan breakfast – tea and bread<br>– and headed over to meet the rest of the team, where we lounged<br>around for hours. Traveling wore us out much more than we realized,<br>and our schedules will not slow down at all beginning early tomorrow<br>morning, so we took advantage of the opportunity to rest.<p>In the afternoon, a few of us ventured into Gulu town with a couple<br>guys that have been living here a few months. It was nice being out,<br>but I'm still hungry for a bit more interaction with the locals. I<br>guess after being immersed in several other environments, I'm a little<br>antsy to feel at home here and to have real relationships and<br>meaningful interactions with the people around me. I've got to give<br>it time, and give me time to adjust. So I'm going to be good and<br>actually go to bed before 11pm tonight! That's a miracle for those of<br>you who don't know me well.<p>Tomorrow begins at 7am (or earlier if it was anything like today) for<br>some alone time. At 8am, we will meet with the Favor of God (FOG)<br>staff for their daily prayer and worship time. Afterwards, we will<br>eat breakfast (tea and bread), and then we will head out for the day.<br>Most of the team will likely head out with a few of the FOG staff to<br>an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camp near the border of Congo,<br>about a three-hour drive from Gulu. Recently, FOG completed a<br>Portable Bible School (PBS) session there, and traditionally, all the<br>graduates receive a Bible. There was a shortage of Bibles at the time<br>of their graduation, so we are going out tomorrow to distribute those.<br> Our team's goal is to get some video footage of the ceremony, take<br>notes of our observations, and interact with the people as much as we<br>can to learn more of their stories and their journey to, through, and<br>after the PBS. It will be our first time in a camp, so that in itself<br>will be an adventure and will probably be a bit overwhelming. Pray<br>that we will be able to effectively observe, again, with God's eyes<br>and not our own. Pray that our hearts and minds will be open to see<br>and understand things beyond ourselves, and pray that God will give us<br>the wisdom to know what to record and document, and the insight to<br>know how to best use that information to communicate to others the<br>realities here.<p>Alright, I'm wiped out! I hope to send this soon… still waiting to<br>get set up on the internet here at the mission house. Until then,<br>I've got to write when I have time and hope that I get to an internet<br>café eventually to send it. Sorry for the delays… Thanks for your<br>prayers though!<p>Jenelle<p>P.S. Thanks for all the personal emails. I've been able to read all<br>of them. I only wish I had time to respond to them too! Unless the<br>internet situation improves, you'll have to just trust that I<br>appreciate them! Thanks!! ;)<p>1/12/09 12:00pm (PST) / 1/12/09 11:00pm (Uganda)<br>The trip out to the camp today was amazing!!! I took tons of<br>pictures, recorded some music, and got some video footage. I'm<br>exhausted and don't think I can type much, but…<p>After the 4-hour drive…driving through camp after camp of huts…we<br>arrived in Nebbi. Two months ago, there was a graduation ceremony for<br>individuals that had completed the two-month long (5-day/week, 6<br>hours/day) Portable Bible School. It is tradition to give each<br>graduate one Bible. It is VERY hard to come by these Bibles and they<br>are not just given to anyone. They are a VERY treasured commodity.<br>Well, circumstances were that no Bibles were available at that time.<br>The graduates have been SO anxious to get their Bibles, so as soon as<br>the shipment arrived, the FOG team drove out there. When we arrived<br>to the village, there were at least 30 people waiting in the middle of<br>the dirt road waving tree branches. As we approached, they began<br>singing and banging on drums they were rolling with them on the backs<br>of bicycles. They surrounded the van and marched with us all the way<br>in to the church, singing worship songs and drumming with all their<br>hearts. Wow.<p>Inside, we had a time of worship and praise, thanking God for bringing<br>us safely and for bringing the long-awaited Bibles to the grads.<br>Man…I've never seen so much energy in such a small place. They even<br>gave me a little maraca and I got my groove on along with all of the<br>precious and VERY energetic and joyful Ugandans.<p>After things calmed down, the international visitors (us) were asked<br>to present the Bibles to the students. I felt like I was stealing<br>their gratitude that should have more appropriately been lavished on<br>the staff of FOG who had worked so hard putting on the Portable Bible<br>School and getting the Bibles to the grads. However, it made me<br>realize that the staff at FOG are absolutely unconcerned with their<br>own recognition or praise. They humbly asked us to receive that<br>instead. Wild.<p>The grads were called by name, and each one came and shook our hands<br>and/or hugged us. (I learned much about Ugandan hugging customs<br>during the ceremony!) I also walked away bearing a much different<br>aroma than I'd entered with. Nice, huh? Some of the hugs, the<br>thanks, the tears, were so sweet. Many squeezed us like we had<br>rescued them and had given them the gift of life. I guess, really, we<br>had…by the hard work of others, of course. It was crazy to see how<br>much they treasured the Word of God. Many of them grabbed their first<br>and only Bible out of my hand and clinched it as though it were worth<br>more than their life, and several shouted and cheered for joy, raising<br>their Bible with tears in their eyes.<p>I wish we recognized the value of God's Word. I was overcome with<br>guilt and shame for my own lack of reverence for His Word. How many<br>copies do I have?? And how easily can I access it anytime I want on<br>the Web…in writing, in audio format…with notes, with commentaries,<br>with countless translations and study guides?? Yet, how often do I<br>choose instead to watch a movie, go to sleep early, or push the snooze<br>button just one more time, and completely neglect to read it? Pretty<br>rough reality check. Something for all of us to think about.<p>As we left, I talked with one of the graduates named Jen. So many<br>nationals ask for money or resources or help. As I tried to encourage<br>her to make wise use of her new Bible, do you know what she asked me?<br>"Can you please continue to pray for us? Can you ask your friends to<br>pray for our ministry here?" As I encouraged her to share the stories<br>and truths from the Bible with the children in the village, she shared<br>with me that she is the Sunday School teacher for the children. She<br>also ministers to the women in the area, providing training and doing<br>several other things. She was thrilled that since the graduation<br>ceremony two months ago, three people in their village had accepted<br>Christ. What an amazing woman…and her only request – that we would<br>pray. Please pray for Jen and the other 78 graduates in Nebbi (10km<br>east of the Congo border) that now have their own Bibles. Also, pray<br>for the next 2-month Portable Bible School that will begin right on<br>the border of Congo and Uganda on Jan 19th. Riss and I will likely<br>visit that PBS and participate and witness some of the hands-on<br>training activities. I can't wait to share about those with you.<p>OK, I'm exhausted…again! I woke up at 3am this morning and couldn't<br>get back to sleep. Pray that all on our team would sleep through the<br>night and wake up wonderfully rested tomorrow.<p>Tentative Plans for the rest of the week so you know how to pray:<p>Tomorrow: 8am prayer and worship with the FOG staff. Noon-time<br>prayer (daily city-wide prayer in the middle of Gulu town).<br>Afternoon: Visit to Prison Ministry where a few of us will likely be<br>asked to speak.<p>Wednesday: ???<p>Thursday: Interviews with FOG staff. Pray for wisdom in preparing<br>questions to ask and favor in setting up successful meeting times with<br>the staff.<p>Friday: Interview all day with Martin, co-founder of FOG. Again,<br>pray for wisdom.<p>Thank you all so much! It's such an encouragement that so many of you<br>are taking the time to read these. Lots of deep stuff to communicate<br>today. Will try to share some more fun stories next time I get a<br>chance. Internet is still sketchy, so thanks for bearing with me.<p>Love you all!<br>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-83347372593769215282009-01-11T06:54:00.001-08:002009-01-11T07:11:16.802-08:00Uganda Update #31/10/09 1:40pm (PST) / 1/11/09 12:40am (Uganda)<br />Well, I just got all tucked away in the bed where I'll be sleeping for<br />the next 4 weeks. Ordinarily, this is a rather simple task. However,<br />add the obstacle of cautiously securing a mosquito net around the<br />mattress and then weaseling your way in, only to discover that you<br />need a few more things before you sleep, and the task becomes a bit<br />more daunting. So you finally settle in, and think you're set for the<br />night… Then comes the dreaded buzz in your ear. Not only have you<br />secured yourself in the mosquito net, but you've trapped one of the<br />little buggers in there with you! I've been tracking him with my eyes<br />for several minutes now, and have made a few swatting attempts, but<br />alas, I think I have an unwanted sleeping buddy. I have not yet seen<br />him land, so I'm not sure if he could have malaria or not (apparently,<br />the type that can carry it land upside down…rather strange if you ask<br />me). Hopefully I make it through the night unscathed. <p>A brief recap of our travels… <p>It feels like we've been traveling for days…we have! Abel did very<br />well the whole time. Although…he had quite a bit of energy, so Rob<br />and Leah haven't gotten much sleep. Marcus and Happiness have had<br />some unforgettable "first-time-overseas" experiences. Their luggage<br />was lost in Dubai (no worries…it made it to Uganda!) and Marcus was<br />racially profiled in Customs and they did a full search of his bags.<br />Riss found a small bolt in one of her airplane meals and got a free<br />gift to make up for her traumatic experience. And my only pair of<br />tennis shoes I brought began falling apart before we even reached LAX.<br />Crazy glue got me to Uganda, but I think it's time to say farewell! <p>Nonetheless, after about 24 hours on planes, two layovers, one hotel,<br />and about 6 hours on some very bumpy roads in a van, we are finally in<br />Gulu. Tomorrow is our day of rest – literally – and Monday, the<br />craziness begins. I hear we will wake around 6am and work until 10pm<br />on most days. <p>Pray for our health. Pray for unity on our team. But most of all,<br />pray for spiritual eyes, that we may see the things God wants us to<br />see. <p>Thanks! <p>Jenelle</p>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-13685374086163178472009-01-09T19:32:00.000-08:002009-01-09T19:33:28.637-08:00Uganda Update #21/9/09 7:31am (California Time)<br />Well, I’m somewhere over the Middle East right now. I just realized most of my flying has been over an ocean. It’s interesting being over places like the Grand Canyon, Ireland, Kuwait… Kind of unreal. <br /><br />This plane is unreal too. I’ve never been so spoiled on a flight… Countless movies, TV shows, games, and so much more at my disposal. I don’t think I’ve ever watched so many movies in one sitting! (Literally…I really have to pee!) ;) <br /><br />We’re almost through our second flight and should be landing in Dubai soon. I hear it’s a gorgeous city, but I’m not sure we’ll get to experience much other than the hotel. Hopefully we’ll take in a lot of scenery on the ride from the airport to the hotel. I’m looking forward to one last night in a comfy bed and morning with a fresh, warm shower. <br /><br />It’s not quite real to me yet that I’m about to spend 4 weeks in Gulu. I don’t think I’ve adjusted emotionally, physically, or spiritually. If you could pray for those adjustments, that would be great. I’ve been sitting on this plane for nearly 13 hours. As I’ve watched movie after movie, I keep thinking I need to be preparing my heart and mind, but honestly, I’m not sure where or how to start. <br /><br />…And we’re landing…<br /><br />1/9/09 2:05pm (California Time) / 1/10/09 2:05am (Dubai)<br />We made it to our hotel in Dubai at about 11pm, had some dinner, and showered. We get to sleep for a few hours, then we had back to the airport at 6am for our last flight into Kampala, the capital of Uganda. We’ll land at 3pm (Saturday, 4am PST), hop into a van, and drive about 6 hours up to Gulu. We should arrive in Gulu, Uganda around 10pm (Saturday, 11am PST). Hopefully we’ll get a good night’s sleep, and then the real journey begins. <br /><br />Please pray for rest (especially for Rob and Leah as they’re sleeping around baby Abel’s schedule) and adjustments (to the time, the climate, and the culture) as we settle in in Gulu. Also, pray that our hearts and minds would be ready and open for whatever God has in store. <br /><br />Thanks a million!JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-85855823448861041852009-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:002009-01-07T17:01:10.971-08:00Uganda Update #1<div><style>body {margin:8px} .tr-field {font:normal x-small arial}</style></div>We're leaving tomorrow morning!! ...at 5am! We will be traveling for about 48 hours before we arrive in Gulu, Uganda. I'm excited...and overwhelmed. Still packing! We raised MOST of our funds, but could use a little more help. We would also still like to raise more for the farm project. If you're still interested, please let me know. <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>If you want to receive updates (I will try to send them as often as possible while we're gone), PLEASE respond to this email ASAP. I will do my best to get a mailing list together, but the internet access is going to be rough. I will also try to post updates and photos (if the internet connection allows) on Facebook. If you're on there, find me there! <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>Thanks so much for your prayers and support. <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>JenelleJenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-14695209785955190462008-12-30T00:21:00.001-08:002008-12-30T00:34:08.698-08:00Uganda...9 days and counting<div style="text-align: justify;">Almost a year after my last post, I'm back! I'm leaving for Uganda in NINE days. That's crazy. As I go, I want to write. I hope you guys will hang with me through my journey. <br /><br />It's crazy to think we leave so soon. Life has been so busy that I haven't really been able to process much regarding the trip. As I sat at our team meeting tonight, I realized how excited I am. Until tonight, I have been consumed by other emotions...<br /><br />I'm scared... It's going to be really hard to leave some things that I love. I have no idea what to expect. I don't know if I'm strong enough or wise enough to handle what we will encounter. It's not the safest place in the world, and the spiritual warfare will be different than anything I've ever experienced. <br /><br />I'm unprepared... I still don't have the money for the trip. I haven't studied nearly as much about the culture and the country as I would like to. I have shopping and packing and several other things that still need to be done. <br /><br />But I'm excited. My heart has ached since I last returned from Vietnam (about 3.5 years ago). My heart longs to be in other cultures, to learn, to stretch, to discover... I miss it so much. I can't wait to be out of my box, out of my routine, out of my world and my life... observing, absorbing, being shaken. I can't wait to meet the people, see the sights, and just be rattled. The most important things on the packing list: camera, notebooks, laptop. I'm so anxious to be a sponge. <br /><br />Now, if I could just get all the other details taken care of before I hop on that plane! <br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-84942924034361064342008-01-03T10:35:00.000-08:002008-01-03T10:45:02.661-08:00Busted Thumb!<div style="text-align: justify;">For those that know me well, you know I love to pester people. Oddly, it's often how I show my love (I know, not so loving!). Anyways, I've been gone for almost two weeks, staying with my parents for the holidays, so when I got home, I was excited to see my roomies. So of course I started messing around with Sixy. Another thing about my messing around...I always win! Well, this time, Six kung fu karate chopped me and about took off my left <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-1" style="background-color: Cyan; color: black;">thumb</layer>! It's only slightly puffier than my right <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-2" style="background-color: Cyan; color: black;">thumb</layer>, but it won't move! I've sprained and even <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-0" style="background-color: Yellow; color: black;">broken</layer> countless fingers and toes in the past, but never a <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-3" style="background-color: Cyan; color: black;">thumb</layer>! I'm pretty sure it's sprained.<br /><br />Thanks, Sixy, for the new experiences - first, losing a battle, and second, busting a <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-4" style="background-color: Cyan; color: black;">thumb</layer>. Oh, the joys of friendship! ;)<br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-71607528407063206062008-01-03T09:47:00.000-08:002008-01-03T10:35:09.054-08:00Long, but worth it (at least I think so!)<div style="text-align: justify;">I had the wonderful experience yesterday of visiting with a dear friend, Cresta, who I don't get to see much (see, she lives on the other side of the world!). God blessed our conversation and encouraged both of us so much through our time together. One question she asked though really triggered some thought. What it came down to was - Do I really trust God?<br /><br />I mean, in my head, I know I can. I know that He is the only explanation for so many things. I know that when I'm at my lowest points, it is Him who wraps His arms around me and gently lifts me up.<br /><br />But the question came down to trusting Him in my everyday. I want so desperately for Him to break me, that I might give all of myself to Him once again, trusting Him completely, truly believing that He loves me and that all things work together for good for those He loves and has called according to His purpose (Rom 5:8), allowing Him to use me for His purposes regardless of what that means for my life.<br /><br />I don't have that kind of faith. I'm afraid when I can't predict the outcome of my choices. I'm afraid that I might fail in the things He's called me to. I'm afraid that falling at His feet and allowing Him to do with my heart whatever He pleases will cause me to break in places I feel I must be strong. So when it comes down to it, no, I don't trust Him. That is heartbreaking.<br /><br />But, being the faithful God He is, He had some words for me. Last night, I went to Willie's small group downtown and we read through Mark 5. There are three healings in this chapter.<br /><br />In the first, Jesus casts a Legion of demons out of a crazy man and into a heard of pigs which proceed to dive off the cliff and die in the sea below. It occurred to me that Jesus was unusually calm, simply discussing options with the demons. After much pleading from them, Jesus granted them "permission" to go into the pigs. This tripped me out. Permission!? Ya, God is that sovereign - He is the boss, He is in charge, He has the final say regardless of the havoc Satan wants to wreak.<br /><br />In the second two healings, it was the power of their faith that brought healing. Now, I've been reading the gospels daily for some time now, and almost each day I read, Jesus performs a miracle as a result of someone's faith. I think, "Hmm, that's cool." But that's really been the extent of my response. Last night, it hit me. "Jenelle, when you ask me to transform your heart, I know you know I can, but are you asking in faith, confident that I can and WILL do it?" Whoa! See, God wants my heart to be fully His. He would delight in my faith if I only had the courage to ask EXPECTING Him to do it! Wow...so many times in His Word, He shows us that He acts in response to our faith in Him. <span style="font-style: italic;">God, I am sorry that I have had so little faith, and merely hoped that you would work in me for Your glory. God, increase my faith!</span><br /><br />So then I come home. I have a tendency to write verses on little scraps of paper and carry them around in my pockets. I used to do this in order to help me memorize them. Now, however, I'm not so good at that and they tend to just sit in my pocket and get wrinkled, and then they move on to the big pile of all the other ones that I wrote down and never reflected on. Well, one had fallen from the pile and was laying on my dresser last night. When I saw it, I thought, "Hmm, I bet God has something to say to me." I opened it up. Here is what I read:<br /><blockquote>And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over... (2 Corinthians 9:8)<br /></blockquote>And I'm worried that what I have won't be sufficient!?<br /><br />Then I flipped it over and continued to read:<br /><blockquote>Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. (Luke 6:38)<br /></blockquote>Again, a promise that what He has is more than sufficient for what I need. When I've read this in the past, I've often thought of material things. This time, however, God laid it on my heart that He was talking about my heart, about my life. He wants all of it, laid down as an offering for Him. What if I lay it all down, what will I have to offer to those around me, to the tasks to which He's called me? According to His Word, much more than I began with! For the amount that I give will determine the amount that I get back!! What a promise, that if I give Him every ounce of me, He will give me what I need to do what He has called me to do.<br /><br />And He wasn't finished yet. This morning, I open up my Word, a little more convinced at this point that He does in fact intend to speak to me as I read. I flip open to my book marker, and it's the story of the Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Here is what jumped out at me:<br /><blockquote>...Jesus sent out two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, "The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly." (Mark 11:1-3)<br /></blockquote>Go STEAL a donkey!? What the heck!? Would I have the courage to do something that seems so absurd and inappropriate? And, by the way, that's a great comeback, huh!? Anyone would be cool with that explanation! Right...<br /><br />But again, God showed me His faithfulness. Check it out:<br /><blockquote>They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at the doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. (Mark 11:4-6)<br /></blockquote>Because, you know, most people who caught you stealing would be perfectly comfortable with that response and would just let you go! Uh...or maybe God is sovereign and can move the hearts, minds, and behavior of others in order to fulfill His purposes and promises to His people. Hmm...<br /><br />I'm thinking that God is trying to show me that whatever He asks, whatever He calls me to, whatever He wants me to lay down at His feet, He is faithful and able to provide what I need and bring it all together for His good, even when it seems crazy and seems that it would leave me in a bad spot. He is faithful!<br /><br />So, am I willing to have the faith I need to see His mighty hand at work? I sure hope so!<br /><br />I can't wait to see what else He has to show me.<br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-17554781640967105742007-12-24T10:46:00.000-08:002007-12-24T11:09:56.007-08:00a camel through the eye of a needle<div style="text-align: justify;">The other day, I read through the story in the gospels (Matthew 19:23-30, Mark 10:23-31, and Luke 18:24-30) about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. I read through it thinking, "OK, well that's not me, so what insights can I gain from these passages?" Sadly, I came up with nothing. Today, these stories caught my eye again, and immediately, I had the same thought, "Ya, I'm not rich!" <br /><br />But God challenged me saying, "Yes, Jenelle, you are rich!" <br /><br />Immediately, I remembered countless statistics about how even the poorest American is richer than much of the world. The average bum in America eats better than middle-class citizens in other parts of the world. Just because I am not rich compared to those immediately surrounding me does not mean I am not rich. <br /><br />A couple points to consider... <br /></div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li>Compared to much of the world, I make more money in a few hours than they can make in a month. <br /></li><li>When I consider my current "needs," the list looks something like this: shoes (sure, the ones I have are falling apart, but I still have several!), headphones (gotta have something to listen to songs on my new mp3 playing cell phone, right!?), a dressy coat (heaven forbid I wear my "casual" jacket to work even though it does its job and keeps me warm), a DVD player (it's too much work to move the one from the other room into my bedroom and I don't like leaving my laptop on all night when I fall asleep to a movie on it). Come on! I have no real needs!</li><li>And this is the kicker... When is the last time I had no choice but to depend on God because I was unable to meet my own needs...or even the needs of those around me? Uh...can't think of one. Sure, I must depend on God for emotional and spiritual needs, but those are so much less tangible - and much more easily scraped under the rug and forgotten about. <br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;">I AM the rich man (or woman) Jesus spoke about. I AM my provision. I AM the solution to most of my problems. I AM... No wonder it is so difficult for me to depend on Him in the less tangible things! I haven't learned to do it in the things I can touch and see and smell. <br /><br />Lord, teach us to depend on you as whole-heartedly as those who have no option. Help us to treasure your provision and not our own. Help us to determine our needs based on your priorities and not our own perception. Save us from our self-sufficiency that we may know your complete sufficiency. </div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-1185921495239641952007-12-11T22:16:00.000-08:002008-12-09T23:31:41.755-08:00Christmas in Uganda<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApTcaBVDwSBu3DL8MoSWxFmMgda1CFuFBRiom7IL6GevPjQ_Pvh5tk7qk2-Um66_0WQ4Kq7UjKxUQWLTHajP8MUbrNd2XsmBU7oAoXmWVBQmU8JORN8rDuvRCMhbtu7D0PE6e/s228/FOGM_Logo1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApTcaBVDwSBu3DL8MoSWxFmMgda1CFuFBRiom7IL6GevPjQ_Pvh5tk7qk2-Um66_0WQ4Kq7UjKxUQWLTHajP8MUbrNd2XsmBU7oAoXmWVBQmU8JORN8rDuvRCMhbtu7D0PE6e/s228/FOGM_Logo1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/DuaLeo/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/DuaLeo/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />To those of us who love the work of <a href="http://favorofgodministries.blogspot.com/">Favor of God Ministries</a> and who have been praying for the precious people of Uganda, the below message is for you:<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />We are writing to ask for your help…<br /><br />Over the past few months, the groups and families that contribute monthly to the ministry of Favor of God have fallen behind in their giving. In addition, Francisco, the ministry's office administrator was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident while working last month and had to be taken by helicopter to a hospital in another city. Favor of God used all of their resources to ensure he got all the needed care (and thank God, he is on his way to recovery and should be back in Gulu next month). But because of these hard times, Favor of God Ministries was not able to pay their 25 full-time and 40 part-time employees their November or December salaries. <br /><br />Will you help?<br /><br />We are believing that the Favor of God family here in the states will come together to provide not only November and December's payroll but also a surprise Christmas bonus for these precious families!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">To be an answer to their prayers, send or drop off a check to:<br />Favor of God Ministries<br />6640 Calvin Ct<br />Riverside, CA 92506<br /></div><br />In order for the funds to be received in Gulu before the staff leaves for their winter break next Friday, we need to wire the money by Tuesday, December 18th at 2pm ! So, please <a href="mailto:anna@turnnetwork.org?subject=RE:%20Christmas%20in%20UGANDA">EMAIL</a> us back with the amount you will give, then send or drop off your check right away! If you are interested in supporting Favor of God on an ongoing basis, print, complete, and mail the <a href="http://us.f13.yahoofs.com/bc/4646e31em034fb5f5/bc/Uganda/Favor+of+God+Contribution+Form+2007-12.pdf?bf583XHBSgLnoXG9">Contribution Form</a> to the address on the form.<br /><br />All our love,<br />The Favor of God family in Riverside, California<br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-83364454883188200902007-10-21T18:56:00.000-07:002008-12-09T23:31:41.772-08:00201 Great Questions<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV7hQwKdWTlBJ93Rq5EuzoHXDDZXMw6xkpfxN48Q1eatRofd_78xBovLKYuT_lFLqtSQySHkP0CuyJb_k5QnZYsT2ZDGf3KyiSxcSIIzcn8uE4k2VCnpInoQz9WJaxvBW9wGY/s1600-h/question+%28keyboard%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTV7hQwKdWTlBJ93Rq5EuzoHXDDZXMw6xkpfxN48Q1eatRofd_78xBovLKYuT_lFLqtSQySHkP0CuyJb_k5QnZYsT2ZDGf3KyiSxcSIIzcn8uE4k2VCnpInoQz9WJaxvBW9wGY/s200/question+%28keyboard%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123979077930350530" border="0" /></a>Several years ago, <a href="http://www.sandalschurch.com/">Sandals Church</a> blessed all the small group leaders with a spiffy little gift - a tiny book called <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780891092841&itm=1">201 Great Questions</a>. It's filled with questions ranging from absolutely silly to pretty deep and even soul-searching. We keep it in my car and pull it out from time to time on road trips to inspire conversation. Today, while driving (shhh), I don't know why I felt an urge to grab it. This is the question that I found:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >What does this statement mean to you: "Activity that does not result in progress toward a goal is a waste of time"? Do you agree? </span><br /></div><br />Wow. Interesting after my last post. I think God was trying to take that conviction just a nudge deeper. I definitely fall into that trap...probably daily.<br /><br />How about you? Let's get some conversation going. Share your thoughts.Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-75278019361473472352007-10-20T13:56:00.000-07:002007-10-20T14:26:20.587-07:00a startling realization<div style="text-align: justify;">Those who know me well, no doubt know these two things:<br /></div><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li>I love meaningful time spent with people. It is not uncommon for me to give up hours a day to conversations. In fact, meaningful conversations that challenge, inspire, enlighten, or develop authenticity probably drive me more than much else in life. </li><li>I hate grading, planning, and other tedious tasks. I love going deeper with people. These tasks do not line up with that passion. On the contrary, they force me to neglect #1.<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;">This morning, I was in the midst of planning out some of these dreaded tasks - scanning papers, creating a grading rubric, trying to narrow down to the minute how long it would take to grade these darned narrative paragraphs - when the Lord thankfully took my mind captive for a moment.<br /><br />I have always struggled with consistently setting aside time fully focused and devoted to God. I've used the fact that I am a night person to justify not having a quiet time in the morning. Yet by the time I finish my tasks in the evening (or early morning, whatever you want to call it), my eyelids are rarely willing to go along with these intended quiet times. I lost hope for that years ago. So I've fought for mornings. Unfortunately, I wake up with so many things on my mind - the unfinished tasks from the previous night, all the ungraded papers, the unplanned classes that lay just hours ahead of me, the day's meetings that I'm not prepared for, the disaster that I call my room, small group and worship leading that I need to get my heart and mind prepared for - and suddenly, the thought of being still with the Lord causes a great deal of tension in my mind. To fight this, I try to set a small goal for that time - find a verse that will help me or someone else through the day, pray for someone I've committed to pray for, learn something I didn't know before, etc. Hmm...I don't think this is how God desires for me to spend time with Him.<br /><br />The question He raised in my mind this morning was this: When I talk to people, do I set goals? Or do I just share my heart, hoping to see more of theirs, and seeking means of mutual encouragement? I just talk! When a conversation presents itself, I immediately set aside all the tasks of the day, all my preoccupation, and I throw my whole heart into seeing the other person's heart and letting them see mine. Nearly every time I do so, I walk away feeling encouraged, I've discovered new insights, I've been challenged, and I believe that the other person often feels the same. Only after I walk away (usually an hour or more later) do I remember all the responsibilities on my shoulders. I may feel slightly more stressed, but I feel refreshed and inspired and I'm ready to leap into that task.<br /><br />On the contrary, when I must deal with one of the many tedious tasks of life, I have to prepare myself for it. I lay each piece of the project out before me. I evaluate what must be done and how to do it most effectively. I even try to calculate how much time it should take. Then I drudgingly begin, chasing after every distraction or less daunting task that presents itself along the way, inevitably lengthening my time calculations and causing the task to span over endless days, weeks, and sometimes months.<br /><br />Sadly, when I consider those two distinct functions in my life, if I had to put my time with the Lord in one of those categories, it would be the latter, not the former. Why is that? I crave relationship with Him, not knowledge, not goals. Have I been programmed to seek accomplishments rather than just Him? No wonder it has been so difficult to seek after Him each day.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lord, I pray that I would truly recognize that you are not a task, not a goal, not something to be checked off the to-do list, not even something to add knowledge, insight or purpose to my life. You are the ultimate in relationships. Lord, help me to invest myself in knowing you with a passion that far outweighs my passion for people. Help me to sit down with you just to hear Your heart and share mine. I know that I know how; I do it with people everyday. Lord, teach me to do it with you. </span><br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-25064242484162918722007-09-29T20:33:00.000-07:002007-09-29T20:51:56.515-07:00I'm coming coming...back back...to blogging blogging<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It's been on my heart lately that I need to get back into blogging a little more consistently. Not that I was ever too consistent, but once in three months is a little <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> inconsistent. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyways, I've gotten so carried away with life that I rarely sit back and reflect. In fact, I rarely sit still at all! I believe that's a tragedy. In fact, I was reminded today as Socrates said that, "The unexamined life is not worth living." It's interesting that my greatest fear is that I'll arrive at the end of my life, look back and realize that I have wasted it, yet I spend so little time evaluating whether I'm spending my days on the things that truly matter. I just keep moving, so fast, doing everything I can to keep up and failing daily, yet not reflecting on whether those things that consume me really even matter at all. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">All this to say, I need to spend more time reflecting, evaluating, praying, and being intentional about how I spend the moments of my life, pulling away from the emergencies and the urgency even if just for a few minutes each day. Writing helps me to do that. Attempting to write with purpose helps even more. Writing causes me to stop and look at my life, and as I pause, I often gain a new perspective, and when I'm lucky, that perspective is one God's been trying to show me but I've been too busy to see. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">So I'm going to attempt to re-enter the blogging world. Accountability would be great. If anyone's still out there reading this thing, stay on me, respond, ask questions, engage in dialogue, share your insights, nag me when you see me...whatever, just hold me to being real and sharing my thoughts. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Love you guys. Peace!</span><br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-50141170391465725332007-09-01T09:03:00.000-07:002007-09-01T09:11:39.473-07:00bye bye summer<div style="text-align: justify;">Wow! I managed to make it through the whole summer without blogging. Go figure...all kinds of cool stuff has been going on! Perhaps over the next several weeks, I can attempt to catch you up on a few of the coolest things. ...If, of course, I even have any readers left! In a quick summary...<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>I did get my grades done...in the middle of the night the day they were due.</li><li>The next day, we moved...into a house...the Mission House!!</li><li>God used awesome friends to show me awesome things.</li><li>God has stretched me, taught me, broken me, used me, and protected me.</li><li>We've had lots of amazing friends help us break in our new home.</li><li>Dad and I have done several fun "projects" at the house.</li><li>School starts in a few days.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">So, I left you with grading back in June, and now it's time to jump back in! Pray I'll keep growing and not be consumed by poor planning and procrastination.<br /><br />I'm so excited to meet my new students! ;)<br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-89134218498469126032007-06-14T16:25:00.000-07:002008-12-09T23:31:42.321-08:00grading...grading...grading...<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZsYW-SMkVaox4qRWmUArJ3djwHJOAJPpOsPIuhBe6BDM3KQSlTiHAsYyeb4o-XcyK2mIUmLluYHwZo9rbAFb0t0MDoS80wcwpaa_OtqF-x7VZUaGGhGkQIX-ZiW1VRqCX0Po/s1600-h/Picture+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZsYW-SMkVaox4qRWmUArJ3djwHJOAJPpOsPIuhBe6BDM3KQSlTiHAsYyeb4o-XcyK2mIUmLluYHwZo9rbAFb0t0MDoS80wcwpaa_OtqF-x7VZUaGGhGkQIX-ZiW1VRqCX0Po/s200/Picture+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076066264233698722" border="0" /></a>This is me grading. Doesn't it look fun??? Today is the deadline to post grades. Thank goodness I'm not a procrastinator! ;) Don't I look thrilled? I hate grading!!! Do you notice anything interesting in the picture?<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oTehY6vlNUvRHaBN2s4nnpYCBzSQJber6yEdtS3LdnmiyLE_7jPvoXyblkCpd_3TSzDI7cUuCnemlOTx3AKvUxduAGCQSp9-Pxga1eVDF-sKBj79oYJgZIqXxv2hgazLB51q/s1600-h/Picture+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_oTehY6vlNUvRHaBN2s4nnpYCBzSQJber6yEdtS3LdnmiyLE_7jPvoXyblkCpd_3TSzDI7cUuCnemlOTx3AKvUxduAGCQSp9-Pxga1eVDF-sKBj79oYJgZIqXxv2hgazLB51q/s200/Picture+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076066483277030834" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This...this is where any semblance of sanity comes from. Thank you to all those have provided candy for the journey. ;) Let's hope it can get me through 'til midnight... And let's hope I can actually finish by midnight! Don't want my name on the "bad" list! <br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-8623708602269241192007-06-10T09:06:00.000-07:002008-12-09T23:31:42.498-08:00What the World Eats<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp26FDPUnrn-meYiIEqZSa3KpJtOIftP3ENqeDt86NXFoyv609Bik7OHlfEc3puMBdlEu3d28AkzeDkX4PDQX-f08duSoNVD4DyWhIhRa2tsAD-15HO50oUfl_5U-x34egquNM/s1600-h/What+the+World+Eats+-+Chad.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074469288018863506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp26FDPUnrn-meYiIEqZSa3KpJtOIftP3ENqeDt86NXFoyv609Bik7OHlfEc3puMBdlEu3d28AkzeDkX4PDQX-f08duSoNVD4DyWhIhRa2tsAD-15HO50oUfl_5U-x34egquNM/s320/What+the+World+Eats+-+Chad.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Check out <a href="http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519,00.html" target="_blank" closure_hashcode_="1123">this photo essay</a> at Time Magazine, taken from the book <a href="http://www.tenspeed.com/store/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_jph1_info&cPath=4_103&products_id=2105" target="_blank" closure_hashcode_="1125">Hungry Planet</a> by Peter Menzel. The photos are not necessarily indicative of the norms in each country, yet it is still interesting to consider the variations in what a normal week consists of for families in different cultures. Pay special attention as you look at the families from Chad, Bhutan, and Ecuador. Consider the number of people in the photo and the amount and types of food, and then consider the food you think is essential in your own home each week. Interesting to reflect on…<br /><br /></div>Thoughts?<br /></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-22388846259116960322007-06-10T09:00:00.001-07:002007-06-10T09:34:19.613-07:00eight dollar hot dogPlease <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZKLan6ea0s">watch this</a>. It's about 4:30 minutes. Thought-provoking. Please share your thoughts. <br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tZKLan6ea0s"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tZKLan6ea0s" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-27311924531426489562007-06-05T00:06:00.000-07:002008-12-09T23:31:42.736-08:00Sandals Worldwide<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfJ1wwXpOEd5AV5ovF5SIKq1vH4I18I5eoK0jQ7L_L3Fwt-vV_sOScyAnqWK7tMFVMKRbdZPdAN5BbeTcqduWxApt3jQvUMpDCfzOwOX1trPGp1kfBRr4vdlgFGJms40HaFg4/s1600-h/sandalsmyspacebgrd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072480344498660738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfJ1wwXpOEd5AV5ovF5SIKq1vH4I18I5eoK0jQ7L_L3Fwt-vV_sOScyAnqWK7tMFVMKRbdZPdAN5BbeTcqduWxApt3jQvUMpDCfzOwOX1trPGp1kfBRr4vdlgFGJms40HaFg4/s320/sandalsmyspacebgrd.jpg" border="0" /></a>Sunday at <a href="http://sandalschurch.com/">Sandals</a> was awesome! I get excited when I see a passion for other nations developing in those around me. It was fun to hear about the recent Sandals Worldwide trips to Botswana and India. I thought you might enjoy hearing it too! Check out the <a href="http://www.sandalschurch.com/sermonvideo/videoPlayer.aspx?file=http://www.sandalschurch.com/sermonvideo/wwservice.flv">video</a> or the <a href="http://www.sandalschurch.com/podcast/wwserviced.mp3">mp3</a> (the video's more fun!). I love Sandals! I'm anxious to see how this passion continues to grow.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Let's get some conversation going here. I know there are a few of you out there that read this thing. I want to know who you are and I want to know your thoughts. I want to be challenged and encouraged by you. So help me out! Here are some starters... </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">What are your thoughts on missions? Has God given you a passion for a particular place? What are you doing with that passion?</div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16402828.post-2072254697517205452007-06-03T09:22:00.000-07:002008-12-09T23:31:42.954-08:00waving goodbye to Spring 07<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgfzb0I4j8a30OpOGW8mSaf3Cpyl57DKVaHCo8_ycoOXn8WID3_V5fRyEOLku-I6iKxu1hOmFKSOkKBp9saXyg8axIFxNOfx5C-GTmfJxzMNa92DWfgPmj_uXNMID_uoC3sBT/s1600-h/Email+from+Student2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071882907609076450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgfzb0I4j8a30OpOGW8mSaf3Cpyl57DKVaHCo8_ycoOXn8WID3_V5fRyEOLku-I6iKxu1hOmFKSOkKBp9saXyg8axIFxNOfx5C-GTmfJxzMNa92DWfgPmj_uXNMID_uoC3sBT/s320/Email+from+Student2.JPG" border="0" /></a>I got this email from one of my ESL students on Friday (font not changed for the purposes of this picture!!!). Check out the subject too! At that point, we had only missed ONE CLASS!! I will give my last final for the semester on Wednesday. I realized Friday that I'm really going to miss my students. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to teach them and learn from them over the last four months.<br /><div align="justify"></div><p></p><br /><div align="justify">I pray that they learned more than English. ...that they increased their confidence, that they learned to work more effectively with others, that they learned to ask good questions, that they realized that each of them matters, that they learned that their voice (spoken or written) has power when they use it the right way...and so much more... I hope that each of them has been challenged and that when they look back, they will see that, in some way, they are not the same. I know that is true for some; I pray it for the others as well. </div></div>Jenellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05698373960726481034noreply@blogger.com0