My main excuse is that I have a monthly email newsletter I send out to a long list of friends--and I am usually very active on Facebook.
But I was getting ready to write a new blog post here...and then realized I should really put a more general update! Due to a variety of circumstances, including health issues, I ended up resigning from my position and leaving Uganda in April.
Here's the email update I sent out in July with my news about what is next, just in case you missed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life, and my feelings, have continued to be a roller coaster
over these past months. There have been days that have been exciting and fun,
like several trips with my parents—especially camping with Nathan over the 4th
of July in North Dakota.
But there have also been days when I haven’t wanted to get
out of bed. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always responded rightly
to the circumstances and trials that God has been allowing in my life for His
purposes. In fact, there have been times my attitude has been downright
rebellious.
But God. Two simple little words, but what a wealth of truth
and hope is summed up in those two words.
I don’t have all the answers I wish I had. I made choices
that led me to this place, which I regret. But I think one of the lessons I’m
learning from this is being reminded that God is the Redeemer of broken things.
And He has placed a new, open door of opportunity before me—even when I
recognize so clearly that I have done nothing to deserve it.
Last year, I heard about an organization called Lahash and
joined their mailing list. They partner with various grassroots ministries in
East Africa. When I got back from Uganda in April, I found a brochure in my
mail about a program they run called Servant Teams. Servant Teams is a gap year
program for young people ages 18-30, with a motto of Love God, Serve Together.
It focuses on training missional leaders for local and global ministries,
something that I would love to be part of.
I was intrigued by what I read in the brochure, and even
with the fresh pang of leaving Uganda I wondered if this might be something God
had next for me. Well, I sent in my application on the day of the deadline, and
the following week I had an interview with the program director. Seeing my own
shortcomings and weaknesses, I doubted that I would be accepted into the
program.
But the following week I got a call, offering me a place in
this year’s Servant Team! It took a couple days for the reality of my
acceptance to sink in and grow into excitement about this amazing opportunity.
But by now I can say that I am definitely blessed and thrilled to be part of
this program!
There are a lot of details about the coming year that I
don’t know yet…but to read more of what I do know about it you can check out
this link and watch the included video.
This is a 10-month program, running from September to June.
I leave on August 29th to start the program! The first five months
our team of five [now four] will be taking part in trainings at Lahash’s headquarters in
Portland, OR. We will also be interning at a Union Gospel Mission in Portland,
or with a community development group called the Rosewood Initiative. Then in
February we will travel to Tanzania, East Africa for another five months of
interning with Grace and Healing Ministries, one of
Lahash’s partners.
I don’t know yet what will come after June, or what other
doors of opportunity being part of Servant Teams may open. But I believe this
is what God has placed in front of me for the next year, and I can’t wait to be
grown and stretched and renewed through it!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is our team of four, plus our two facilitators on either end:
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