Prayer Requests

Here are some ways you can join me in prayer:


-praise for health over recent months: I think it is only recently that I truly realized how sick I was through so much of last year and have become thankful for the physical health I have had thus far in 2016.

-clarity about housing: God did provide a new place for me to call home in Kampala but it comes with some unique pros and cons that are hard to explain. I need to find the strength to endure the cons or some clear open opportunities for another option.

-praises for much to be thankful for these days

-motivation/perseverance for language learning:English is highly prevalent in Kampala which makes it hard to stay focused on learning another language. I'm often surprised at how often Swahili comes into my thoughts which makes learning Luganda even more challenging.

-wisdom on how to be a friend from a distance: It seems there are waves of friends with important events in their lives both exciting and challenging and it is always difficult to know how to celebrate with them or how to support them. One family I know is celebrating buying their first home and another is facing a recent diagnosis of stage four cancer. Which reminds me that you can always pray for health.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. You can do that by sending me an email. I would love to know what is happening in your life however mundane or exciting it is right now.

NEWSLETTER: March 2016

Transition #73

It seems that my pattern for changes every 3 months is holding true for my time in Uganda.....

At the beginning of the month I changed locations in Kampala for where I call home. The missionary returned from home assignment and so the availability of that flat came to an end. He also works in the office coordinating personnel for central region. So....things have been transitioning in the work day as well while we delegate things and find a rhythm together. Through this time, it was amazing to see how God cares about the little things.

Life has been fairly uneventful recently which is something I am happy to share. Honestly, I think that's part of the reason that I am writing to you with only one day left in the month. In the office, we are excited about new teams starting in some of our countries and are working out the details and logistics for this to happen. We continue to seek God's will for the unreached in our region and pray for wisdom as we make decisions.

Here are some ways you can join me in prayer:
-praise for health over recent months: I think it is only recently that I truly realized how sick I was through so much of last year and have become thankful for the physical health I have had thus far in 2016.
-clarity about housing: God did provide a new place for me to call home in Kampala but it comes with some unique pros and cons that are hard to explain. I need to find the strength to endure the cons or some clear open opportunities for another option.
-praises for much to be thankful for these days
-motivation/perseverance for language learning:English is highly prevalent in Kampala which makes it hard to stay focused on learning another language. I'm often surprised at how often Swahili comes into my thoughts which makes learning Luganda even more challenging.
-wisdom on how to be a friend from a distance: It seems there are waves of friends with important events in their lives both exciting and challenging and it is always difficult to know how to celebrate with them or how to support them. One family I know is celebrating buying their first home and another is facing a recent diagnosis of stage four cancer. Which reminds me that you can alwayspray for health.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. You can do that by responding directly to this email. I would love to know what is happening in your life however mundane or exciting it is right now.

TOP PICTURE: That is from my trip to Kibale Forest in Western Uganda at the beginning of the year. A swing and a breath taking view....it was a glorious day.

May you have a glorious day and be unexpectedly blessed!

I know I don't say it often enough, but THANK YOU for your continuous support in every way! Without each of you, it would not be possible for me to be here.

With thanks and love,

Katherine

JOHN 16:33

This scripture has been on my mind lately which (I suppose) is fitting since we just celebrated Easter. It is a reminder that I need often.....tribulation, trials, etc. will happen but we can have PEACE because HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD!

Thankfulness

I know it is Easter in the spring time and not Thanksgiving in November.
And even though I should be cleaning my room right now, I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness and I feel led to share it.




Thankful for technology to connect me to so many
        (seriously don't know how people did this years ago when there was little to no contact to home)
Thankful to be [audibly] with my home church every now and then 
Thankful that a friend will let me facetime her for the whole service.
Thankful for so many friends that help with little details
                -email supporters
                -designing a prayer card
                -printing a prayer card
                -sending me songs from my home church
                -Saturday morning texts with a friend
                -snail mailing cards and notes to me
                -snail mailing cards and notes for me in America
Thankful for a stranger to collect gifts and goodies and bring them around the world to me
Thankful for about 3 dozen cards on a wall from friends and family
Thankful for a balcony that's fabulous for thinking and processing
Thankful for a new friend that understands the benefits of the presence of another
Thankful for the gift of sheets
Thankful for the sweet innocent giggle of a child
Thankful for monthly notes from a friend
Thankful for advanced technology to connect me to the church that planted the first seed of missions in my heart.
Thankful for gluten free oreos
Thankful for electricity (as it has not been so reliable lately, my appreciation of it grows each time it is on and working)
Thankful for a healthy body to be able to live each day an walk to church or the supermarket or anywhere
Thankful for a mom that literally does anything for me
Thankful for a friend that encouraged me to buy a little souvenir
Thankful that the artistic gift of another is a blessing to me
Thankful for new friends that are willing to serve me even before we meet
Thankful for those that have gone before me and write/share about it so I know I'm not alone in my struggles

That's just a small list that actually seems quite insufficient. 

TREES!!!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TREES!!!

Did you know that?

Trees truly fascinate me!!

To think that something so large and with such variety can start by something so small....boggles my mind. You may say the same thing about people. Yes, that's true also. But with trees they do everything all on their own. When water comes, they absorb it. When the sunlight is there, they embrace it. They don't need to be taught how to care for themselves.

Think about the massive trees like redwoods in the Northwest are of America......think how massive those are. I really hope to see them some day. According to this website, the trees can be:

250-300 feet tall
30 feet in diameter
94 feet in circumference

That is huge!!!

Would you want to be near anything like that? Would you trust it? What if it fell down?

But likely countless tourists and locals visit the parks and stand in awe of the trees on a regular basis. They don't fear the danger. They believe (without truly thinking through it) that the massive trees have a strong root system. The root system is not even seen but so many people but faith in it because it is what supports the massive structures. The roots absorb the water and nutrients from the soil and help the tree to grow to what it becomes.

I'm no tree expert by any means...but the kind that loose all their leaves every winter and then start to bloom and come back....
Let's talk about those now.

I often think of them during the valleys of life. They look awful yet intriguing and sad yet hopeful. Is that not how we feel when we face obstacles and struggles. Yet we have our faith to fall back on each time. Just like the trees have the roots to fall back on to absorb water when the rains come in the spring. 

Just like with the roots....you can't always see faith but it is there. 
Just like trees......life is full of bare seasons and fruitful seasons.
Just like the branches......we need to reach out to where we can get better sunlight..(SON-light). [see what I did there?]

May your faith be the support you need just like the roots of a tree.
May your branches reach out to get the SON-light you need. 
May you look forward to spring if you are in the depths of winter now.
May you enjoy the bliss of summer fully so you can remember it during winter.
May you find beauty during autumn and cling to it if winter is approaching. 

And now....for a few of my favorite trees.....

Walk by it every time I go to the supermarket here in Kampala, Uganda.
It is the only one in an open field that is used both for sports and for driving lessons.....and probably other things.

One of my favorite trees!!
Located at my Grandparent's house in Wyoming, Iowa, USA.

The same tree in winter...a few years later.
(and from a slightly different angle)

At a friend's house near Nashville, Tennessee, USA

A MASSIVE tree on my family's farm in Iowa, USA
Also happens to be my Grandpa's favorite tree.

A really unique tree in Puerto Rico

Near Gisenyi, Rwanda

Clarksville, Tennessee, USA
(this was taken the day that I knew God was telling me to go to Africa)

Near Morogoro, Tanzania
It's so strait!

And trees are super amazing when there are monkeys in them.
Kibale Forest, Uganda
Two Black and White Colobus Monkeys

And as a bonus....it's pretty neat to see a monkey...monkey-ing around in the trees!!

God cares about the little things!

Caveat: I can't take credit for the title. It is a lovely saying that my friend recently told me.

Here's what happened....

Just shy of a week ago I moved to a new place. For the last three months I was staying in another missionaries flat while he was on home assignment. With his return, I moved to another place in town. I am now staying with another lady in her place. The extra room she had has a fabulous bed and two night stands.

I desperately wanted a desk.....for many reasons which can't be explained in this setting.

I started searching in places where other expats buy/sell things. I contacted a couple people and inquired about prices. My main concern was actually transportation but I just had to trust that fabulous friends with cars or national friends could help me get that worked out.

[I moved on a Tuesday..forgot to mention that.]

On Friday morning a friend/coworker came and immediately announced that she had a gift for me. After some initial confusion, I decided it might be dark chocolate because I had tried to get some from a friend a few weeks prior. I was truly confused. Then, she said that I was not allowed to get it on my own and that one of the guys had to help me. I started to wonder if it could be a desk.

IT WAS A DESK!!

It took less than 72 hours and GOD PROVIDED!!!

Turns out that someone asked her if she knew anyone looking for a desk because he was getting rid of his. And she knew of my current endeavor.

Of all the things going on in the world, God cared that I had a desk.

Health: something to pray for

What is health? Is it the absence of sickness, disease, or illness? Is it the state of being within the normal range on all the charts and statistics that are noted in medical publications?

I know for sure that health is one thing.

Health is something you can always pray for regarding people that live overseas. 

From the child that was born overseas and has never met his or her grandparents to the one that has lived decades across the ocean.....you can always pray for health.

Each week I think I hear about one or two people that are sick. This is anything from a cold to malaria to something unidentifiable. When people are sick, they cannot fully accomplish their goals; and if they try, then the sickness will last longer. 

But the other side of this is to pray for health of the friends and family that are still in the passport country of those overseas. It always makes the miles multiply when some in the passport country is sick and there is nothing that can be done from so far away. Ok...there is the Sunday school answer...pray about it. But when the miles seem to stretch farther than a trip to the moon, praying just doesn't seem like it is enough. Not having the ability to do something practical (such as: providing a meal or taking the kids to the park so a mom can rest or helping with errands so the spouse can accompany the other to the endless doctors appointments) is a constant struggle when the distance is great. 

Whatever you use to finish the sentence: Health is _____________ .
Know that it can always be finished like this: 

Health is something that always needs prayer for those living overseas. 

In my short time across the ocean, I have struggled with physical health and battled the distance when friends fight cancer, family chases a mysterious medical issue, and others battle this thing called health. 

When in doubt, pray for health.