So, I broke with my goal of posting at least one article a month having skipped February. Truth be known, life got in the way. Since moving to Uganda over a year ago, we experienced the largest paradigm shift one could experience. We still wake up most days amazed that our lives changed so radically. And when we wake up we are aware that even after a year we are still adjusting. We have found that when you surrender your life to God to be used in any way He desires, you WILL experience blessings & they will come in forms you may not even imagine!

Part of that adjustment is realizing the Radical Blessings we have inherited. The country is beautiful. Not what you would expect Africa to be. Fort Portal is the best with every night being “windows open” sleeping weather, lots of sun but usually in the upper 70’s / low 80’s with some bouts of healthy rain which keeps Debra’s garden growing like crazy!

The sunsets are amazing & we get the best views from our yard.

The storms are something to see! The great outdoors are just that. Lush vegetation & lots of scenery. It’s as if the Lord knew what we needed for longevity. Coming from beautiful Colorado with the mountains, we get to remain living in beauty. We have not as of yet had time to venture out hunting for hiking trails but we know it is coming along with the numerous national parks around us. They don’t call Uganda “The Pearl Of Africa” for nothing.

Then we have the #1 reason we came: Our aka KIDS. This past year we have firmly established relationships with these amazing little humans. They wrap around you like a warm blanket with their personalities & desire for us to be involved with them. As we watch them grow further away from the compromised street children they once were into kids who have a stable home, their relationships with each other grow deeper.

Life here is not as easy as it was in America by any means. We always have language barriers & since their are multiple tribes in Uganda, multiple cultures with some similarities. We are seeing this more as we travel to remote village churches where I am speaking & we are building relationships with the pastors and their leaders.

These are pastors who have absolutely nothing & yet they are some of the wealthiest people I know spiritually, Soon, I will be partnering directly with the Baptist Association Of Uganda. The areas I will be focusing on are helping identify & train up leaders so that they can in turn start new churches. Though the Gospel is preached openly in Uganda so is a lot of false teaching so the more churches there are speaking truth, the better. I will also be teaching at the existing churches & Debra & I will be starting up marriage conferences soon.

The greatest blessing is the relationships we are building through the churches and in the community. Debra has friended a woman who, with her husband, operate the Duchess, a hotel & restaurant here locally. They are…. well, Dutch. Helen is thrilled to have another muzungu (ex-pat) to build a friendship with and Debra extends the love of Christ to her in many ways! She has built a relationship with a neighbor lady who she prays with.

Life is all about relationships & as a follower of Jesus, we are called to the purpose of spreading the Gospel.

We have been amazed that along the way we have seen God’s continued hand of affirmation on us in  every situation and difficulty we have faced. he has had the right people at the right time where we needed them when we have had issues.

He has provided for our needs financially through the hearts of people who have been supporting us financially and most of all, in prayer. Doing this at our stage of life is unusual & we discovered before we ever came that since He is the one doing the calling, He will be the one who will provide all we need.

On the most difficult of days, we can smile knowing that the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. I preached out of Psalm 139 recently & it speaks of God’s love for us. 1) God created us.
2) God knows us.
3) God understands us.
4) God is always with us.

Based on that we can conclude that God loves us! And there is no greater blessing than that!