NEWSLETTER: November 2018 - personal note

On a more personal note.....

Over the recent months you may recall me sharing a blog on social media. You may recall me occasionally asking for prayers at times when the miles seem longer because a friend is unwell. Both of these situations were in reference to a very dear and special friend, Christine Moritz.

It is with a hurting heart and flooded eyes that I share with you the news that Christine is now with Jesus. Her Earthly suffering ended and she was embraced by our Saviour on 30 October.

Todd and Christine are friends and mentors (to say the absolute least) that have been in my life for 20 years. They have spoken truth into my life, asked me the hard questions, welcomed me into their home, prayed for me when I didn't know I needed it, supported me in countless ways, and that's just a start. The Earthly loss is great but the celebration in heaven is greater.

Would you please pray for Christine's family as they continue grieving this indescribable loss?

Selfishly, I also ask that you pray for me as I process this from across the ocean. It is certainly a first for me in this life I'm living.....to process through the Earthly loss of someone so special and dear to my heart.

For those that are interested....
Christine kept a blog through the years. It is an encouraging eye opener into life with cancer. It speaks into many different aspects of life when you battle cancer. The last few posts are focused on dying with faith. I am certain that someone reading this will benefit from it and/or that someone may know someone. Here is the link. The last entry in her words shows the depth of her faith. I encourage all to read that HERE.

The picture at the top is from February 2017 when I was visiting Todd and Christine during my time in the states.

Thanks for checkin' in!*

Katherine


*This is often how she would end her blog posts. So it feels like a fitting way to end this. I am thankful for all the times you are checking in with me over the years. 

NEWSLETTER: October 2018

Greetings from Kampala! Again, I feel like I should open with an apology for how long it has been since I last wrote. The good part is that this stems from being busy and that's an indicator of being in community. For this, I am thankful! The last few months I keep finding myself in situations and moments where I realize that Kampala has become home on so many levels and that's an amazing feeling. So, let me tell you about a few aspects of this place that I can so easily call home. PEOPLE WERE MADE FOR PEOPLE...... ...and I'm so thankful for some of my people. A few nights ago, I was invited over to hang out with one of my American friends. I couldn't quite force the spontaneity to go that night, so we agreed to spend time together the following evening. This evening was so so very much needed for me. It was wonderful to laugh at things that I don't even remember, but I know we laughed. It was wonderful to laugh and talk about recent events in our lives, some of which overlapped. The whole evening was so organically uplifting that it just kept going and well, by the time I got home at a time I won't mention, I walked in with a goofy grin on my face. All I could think was: People are made for people and I'm so thankful I had a person that night. I challenge you to consider: Who is your person? Are you letting someone into your life to be that person for you? Have you been a person for someone recently? Who in your life needs a person and do you think you could fill that role?  FOOD IS GOOD Cooking is challenging when you aren't in your home culture. For me, sometimes the challenge is finding what is listed on a recipe or finding the closest thing. Sometimes, you know it isn't possible to get what you want so some lovely people arrange to get it to you. One of those things for me is Chick-fil-A sauce. With a bit inspiration and lots of hope, I decided to attempt a CFA pizza. And let me tell you it was a great idea. Tortilla for the crust, CFA for the sauce, chicken and tomatoes...YUM! You'll see below I only put cheese on half. This is because I don't know if CFA sandwiches have cheese and because I had only a small amount of good cheese that I was rationing for different meals. Something moving up my list for meals is enchiladas. However, first I must make enchilada sauce because I can't just stop and buy it in a can at the store. Oh! This reminds me. I had grilled hamburgers and baked beans a couple weeks ago. And those beans started as dry beans the day before. Who knew that baked beans are properly made and not just from a can? Have you ever been without a certain food for a while that you then realized how much you appreciated it when it was gone? *top picture: a look out over the city from a building in town as the sun was starting to approach the horizon

I was quite proud of my Chick-fil-A pizza the other night.  How many spare tires do you have? This boda seems to have plenty though I'm not sure how helpful they would be.

WHAT WILL YOU SEE? Even though this place is certainly home, it still surprises me. A couple weeks ago, I saw the above pictured boda (motorcycle used for public transport of people and goods). As you can see it was certainly carrying a full load. I was reminded of the uniqueness of this when my brother was visiting as he commented on some of the boda loads. Have you seen anything new in your part of the world? What adventures local or not so local have you been on recently? THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT Probably every restaurant has an option for customers to order African tea. This can be ordered spiced or not spiced. Personally, I could go either way but I definitely prefer spiced tea. Sometimes you learn what restaurants have a better spice mixture/method than others. Now imagine you are in the Southern part of America and you very specifically prefer sweet or unsweet tea. Sometimes humans make mistakes and maybe the wrong one is brought to the customer with a strong preference. So here we have the same issue that presents itself in a different way in a different culture. I like finding moments like this because it makes it easier to accept the challenges and differences knowing that the same ones exist in America, they just present in a different way. What challenges have you had recently that you think I might also have? Does it look the same here or might it look different? That sums up some aspects of this place I call home. I hope these tidbits of stories help you to get a glimpse of my life here. As always, please do know that I am ever grateful for how you continuously support me both prayerfully and financially. Be Well and Love Big, Katherine PS: I didn't edit this in the least, so please pardon the typos!   Prayer Requests:  Give thanks for the friendships that have been so encouraging Thankful for creativity in the kitchen Pray for friendships to continue to deepen...a good support system is essential for living any where but especially overseas Pray for wisdom in some work situations Pray for smooth transition as I move to a different place in town in the next few weeks (and if a few of you remind me I'll try to remember to write about it next time) Pray for good health...rainy season has started some and even that small change in weather seems to allow germs an opportunity

NEWSLETTER: August 2018

Hello, do you remember me? No, seriously. Do you remember? I know many of you do remember and I'll tell you how I know later. But really. How has it been two months since I last wrote?? Let me try to figure out where the time went.... 11 days of travel to Northeast Uganda at the beginning of July 11 days with my brother visiting a few days here and there to welcome new people to our region a couple days with friends to celebrate that I successfully made another circle around the sun a couple days of meetings here in Kampala And a slew of other regular days of living life Do you feel caught up now? The top picture is from the travels at the beginning of July. It was so wonderful to get to see the people and different places where our members serve. It was quite the whirlwind trip. Even at each location, I was able to see/do different things....a very busy schedule the whole time but so worth it. I loved seeing our people in their element and among the people that God has laid on their hearts. Later in July and into August, my brother came to visit!! This was and still is super exciting! It was his first time to Africa which added another fun angle to his visit. It was great to hear first hand observation of sights that are so normal and part of every day life here. We did quite a bit in the time we had together and it was so fun! Countless memories made that are one of a kind. I am beyond thankful for that time we had together.

Jon, my brother, and I were able to spend a few days at the Nile River. It was glorious and we had such a great time!! This was somewhere in the middle of the birthday celebrations and only shows three in a still moment of many that worked hard for me that weekend.

The other big event and most recent is that I completed another circle around the sun. This is how I know many of you still remember me. So many of you sent cards with Jon and it has been so great to read all of them. Actually, I decided to spread out the love and I still have a small shrinking stack on the table as I'm only opening a few each day. There was much love given through time and food on that day. I even had my own cake that was made with a lick-able beater bigger* than my head.  *bigger....with the right camera angle anyway. But it was quite big! More along the lines of work.... It was great to welcome a couple from New Zealand that will be serving in South Sudan for a year. Since I last wrote, we also had a some new people arrive to serve in Uganda in various ways. It is refreshing to see new people arrive with great amounts of excitement and enthusiasm for what lies ahead. The guy that leads our region and therefore office returned after a brief home assignment. We also had all the leaders from each country our office serves in town this week for some meetings so much has been happening at the office. The dreamers have had some time to dream and the others try to keep things a bit orderly. Usually at about the 6 week mark after a newsletter I start getting a few messages and that makes me realize I'm late on a newsletter. That didn't happen this time so I feel confident in assuming you must have been quite busy in July and August. What's been happening in your life? I'd love to catch up with you! Be Well and Love Big, Katherine   Prayer Requests:  Give thanks for so many safe travels in the last two months Unending praise that my brother was able to visit Pray for friendships to deepen...a good support system is essential for living any where but especially overseas Pray for wisdom in some work situations Pray for guidance about where to live.....I can sometimes dream about benefits of being in a different part of town. My lease is soon finishing and will need renewed or I'll make the decision for a big change. Give thanks for those that made me feel loved for my birthday Picture below: A sunrise moment over the Nile River. Confession.....I was still in the tent and only thinking about the picture. My brother captured the moment and I stole the picture from him.

NEWSLETTER: June 2018

Some updates on this and that..... Tabu family - This is the young family that I wrote about in my last email. I have amazing news about this. They have already returned to Uganda after their daughter had heart surgery in India. The dad and other extended family were at church this morning and sharing testimony of God's provision in so many ways. Please accept many thanks from me on behalf of them for the prayers and finances that you gave to them. They are overwhelmed with how many people both near and far have helped over the last month. Baby Tirzah is doing really well and we continue to pray for her ongoing healing. Traveling -  Tomorrow I'll be in the the air and on my way to Northern Uganda. I get the pleasure of traveling by air with Mission Aviation Fellowship on this trip instead of spending hours on the road. Over the next 10 days I will get to visit the people and places where AIM serves in NE Uganda. It will be my first time to all of these locations. However, I have met the people as they have been in Kampala at various times. For the geographically interested, I will be in Kaabong, Kotido, and Moroto. These locations should show up on a simple google map search. I will also be in villages and areas that are (hopefully) drivable from each of these locations. Transitions -  For those of you that have noticed or have asked specifically, you may recall that June meant the day finally came that my close and amazing friend moved back to the states. It has been just over two weeks since she left and it doesn't feel real. I know this transition will take much time to process as I and others navigate life with an ocean between us and her. A few AIM people are on their home assignment in their passport country and others have just returned from that of their own. I feel like a broken record on this topic but know you can always pray for the ongoing revolving door of people. The transitions that this creates is something I never anticipated and surely struggle with on some days. To know more -  For those of you that have joined me in this journey along the way, there is a way you can know more about how I came to where I am. Just visit trackatherine.blogspot.com and read as much or as little as you like. I post old newsletters there for ease of access for all. The one you are reading now is the only one that isn't there yet. To see more -  Well the best way to see more is certainly to come visit. ;-) My apologies for no pictures this time. When I looked through the pictures for June, nothing much stuck out as exciting. Perhaps you should let me know what you'd like to see? Ok well I added one at the top. It is a view across Kampala one evening from where I had a Bible study one night. One could really see the different hills that make up Kampala. Well, that about sums up some of the highlights of the last few weeks and a glimpse into the next week too. For my northern hemisphere friends, I hope your summer is going well and you aren't melting in the heat but able to enjoy lovely memory making moments. For other friends, I hope you are enjoying this season as well in whatever way it is happening for you. With love to you and gratefulness for what you do for me, Katherine

Prayer Requests:  -pray for the next 10 days of travel that begin in less than 8 hours -pray for sufficient rest in the coming days (and weeks), I'm fully aware that I'm starting this trip quite tired and I expect to be going at full pace or more than that for a little while still -give thanks that my brother received his visa without problem and I can finally say he is coming this month. (Oh, wow! That's the first time I realized that. And it is very exciting!!! this month!) -join in much praise for Baby Tirzah; provision all around, successful surgery, ongoing healing -praise and prayer for health; I've been surprisingly healthy lately. Usually when I realize that, it soon becomes untrue.

NEWSLETTER: May 2018 part 2

Catching up with more happenings
27 March 2018

It's been more than a week..... It's certainly been more than a week since I last wrote. Sorry for that! However, it is still within the same month, does that count for getting back to you soon? Though, it works out well because two big things happened last week. I'll start with the difficult one. Our wonderful and loving church family received the news last week that a young family's daughter has three dangerous holes in her heart. She is just shy of one year old. Her parents are amazing people in the leadership of the church and as friends to many. You can imagine the turmoil they are experiencing. Unfortunately, their daughter's best chance for surgery for this life threatening condition is go to India. This needs to happen in the next couple weeks. If you are at all able to give financially to make this possible, then please visit this page. The family is also very grateful to be lifted in prayer through the coming weeks and months as they seek to save their daughter's life. There is also good news. Last Monday, we received the notification that my work permit was approved. YEAH!!! It has been paid for and this coming week I will go to immigration to get it put in my passport. The crazy part is that 2 years was requested, yet somehow I was approved for 3 years. Not to worry, this doesn't mean I have to stay here for 3 more years. It just means I can come and go as I please for 3 years without paying for a visa. TOP PICTURE: Just another unique load on the back of a boda (a motorbike used to transport goods and people). It's artistic if the subject is almost out of the shot, right? I hope so...some moments are hard to capture when traveling through town. Also, my friend was driving.

Round 1 of pizza for my friends.  The car has been great and already super helpful for transporting things that don't fit on a boda easily.  Round 2 is finished and I'm quite happy at our successful endeavor in the kitchen. The car has also developed an ornery battery. Thankful for this power bank with connectors (that's on loan) that started it a few times.

It was super fun to host two AIM missionaries from another part of Uganda. They were in the big city for a number of reasons and I was happy to offer them my extra set of keys. One evening another friend came over and the four of us made our own pizzas. I was delighted with our success. (Pictures above) As you probably know, one of the biggest Earthly factors that allows me "to do what I do" is by the generous giving of monthly and other regular donations. With almost 3.5 years with AIM, it is understandable that things will change for donors in that same amount of time. I've certainly had a lot of changes. Right now, I am about $400 short for my monthly support. Please pray for me as I seek out the best way to fulfill this deficit.  PLEASE PRAY FOR: -The Tabu family of my home church in Kampala. That they would feel our Lord's presence through this very difficult time. That the finances would come so they can get safe and reliable heart surgery for their young daughter. -Praise for my work permit getting approved and for longer than we asked. (Often times a shorter amount of time is given.) Pray the time at immigration office goes smoothly this week. -Thankfulness that I'm able to provide a place for other missionaries when they need to be in the city. -Direction as I seek the best way to communicate my financial needs to potential supporters. Pray that I would be led to the right people or groups. Pray they would be open to a commitment and hear God's calling. Pray for me to have the right words to communicate what is needed. -Pray for two colleagues (and their families) from the office that leave for home assignment in the next few weeks. Please pray for their transition back to their passport country and for the transition in the office. -Please continue to pray for my friend that moves back to America for a season after three years in Uganda.

NEWSLETTER: May 2018 part 1

Catching up with the happenings
6 May 2018 - Catching Up, Part 1

Greetings dear friends - 

There's been so much to write about, yet I've had a difficult time slowing down enough to be present in the moment and get it done. Not to worry....I've kept a list and hope to send the rest of the news by the end of the week.

THE DAY JOB:
Things in the office continue on per usual. There are a number of meetings in Kenya over the coming weeks and some from the office will be there. A few of us will hold down the fort.....or maybe we will just go relax by a pool and eat ice cream. We have seen the completion of a team within the region. Throughout the last year or so, teammates have trickled in to come and serve in Moroto, Uganda. The team is serving among the Karimojong in northern Uganda. This is a very large people group that has many barriers and strongholds that each must overcome to know the Lord. Please pray for this team as they continue to grow together and support each other through challenges and successes.

PRESENT VS ABSENT:
Have you ever realized how these two concepts are so tightly related? It is similar to saying that there is no such thing as dark. There is only absence of light. Inspired by this blog on Velvet Ashes, I've been really torn with this concept lately. The more and more I get engaged here and build relationships, the more and more it seems like I am missing out in the events and happenings of your lives. This truly is a daily battle recently. If I set aside time to be available to you and invest through some form of technology, then that takes away from my ability to be present in my life here. This isn't simply a matter of time management. It is more closely related to never truly being at home. Yet, at the same time I write this from my apartment that is definitely a place I call home and love to spend time here. ..........I hope these contradictory ramblings make some sort of sense.

THE CAR:
Probably one of the biggest noteworthy items is that I was able to buy a car. Or maybe you bought a car. Or we bought a car. Many, many thanks to all of your financial support over the years that has enabled me to make this life changing purchase. Part of the monthly support goes into an account called "work funds" and I was able to use the money from this account to buy the car. I am truly endlessly thankful for your ongoing faithful giving and the support structure AIM provides so that I was able to move quickly when an ideal car was available!!

The look of disbelief and joy when I bought the car. First day driving in Kampala.  What happens when I'm not overwhelmed with the joy.

PICTURES:
L-This was the day the car was brought to me and the keys handed over. I just kept looking at it and smiling. It was hard to believe it actually happened.
C-My friend, Kelsey, graciously rode with me on the first day (and other times) to help and offer much appreciated advice.
R-Some things never change and buying a car does come with the reality of other aspects.

THE CHURCH:
The church I found just a few months before returning to America continues to be my church home. I am so thankful for the people there and the Bible based teaching that is challenging and encouraging. Today, a group of us spent the afternoon celebrating the birthday of a friend who also happens to a be a pastor at the church. Although we were there to celebrate and honor him, it was actually quite the honor for me to be there and join them. It is small things like these that really make you feel part of a community.

Last month I also started attending a cell group at church. This is equivalent to life group or small group or.....probably a number of other terms. We gather on Tuesday evenings and dig deeper into the sermon from two days prior. The only downside is that it makes for a long day early in the week as I leave at 7:30 to get to work and don't get home until around 9:30pm. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to know a few more folks from church and around the city.

THE PRAYER REQUESTS:
The first thing I want to ask you to do is to check out PrayAfrica!!! That is a website that has been put together to share prayer updates for specific unreached people groups. I encourage you to subscribe to the website as a whole or to individual pages for people groups. You could subscribe to just the ones for Central Region and join myself and those I work with in seeking to reach the lost in the countries we serve.
-praise for good health. Though I had one of these pesky colds a few weeks ago, I have actually been quite healthy so far this year and it is lovely.
-pray for a fast learning curve as a piece together a map of the city while driving and for safe journeys around town with this new form of personal transport
-pray for my friend as she navigates the logistics and emotions of moving back to the states in about 6 weeks (just typing this fills my eyes with tears)
-praise for the opportunity for my brother to visit in July

With love and hugs from me to each of you,
With unending gratefulness for all the support you provide,
and with amazement at how fabulous our Heavenly Father is each and every day,

Katherine

PS: For a fun little flashback....check out this news from October 2016. It is crazy how things are similar yet so different from 18 months ago!

NEWSLETTER: March 2018

Immigration and fun times

Greetings and salutations from...

The southern hemisphere!!! Not to worry, as you can see from above, I haven't gone too far south of my home in Kampala. Google says: "Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart."

So what am I doing in Kigali, Rwanda? Well visiting friends of course! But how might I have come here without really mentioning it? That would be because I had three days' notice for this trip. It probably sounds a bit more dramatic than it actually has been. My work permit for Uganda expired on the 9th of March and the new one has not yet been approved. The decision was made Monday of last week that my paperwork was not progressing fast enough so I needed to leave the country so as not to be in country illegally. The plan is to return on a tourist visa tomorrow (Wed. 14 March). So far this seems to be fine as I applied for the visa online and have been approved for that for a full three months. Prayerfully that is what will be granted tomorrow when I return. Followed by more prayers that the work permit will get approved soon!!

Previously I did have some planned fun with friends that allowed for more than three days to plan and excitedly anticipate. One weekend was spent at the Nile River. And another just outside of Kampala. My friend, Cath, came up from Rwanda for the latter. It was another great moment to see friends from different circles meet other friends. 


Top picture: From Kampala when I was leaving work recently. As you can see, the rains have arrived. (The same seems to be true in Kigali.)

   

Left: A glimpse of my excitement to be at the Nile River for a weekend.

Right:Crossing a bridge from one island to another with waters of the Nile flowing beneath. 

  

Left: Kelsey on my right and Cath on my left at a short retreat a couple weeks ago. 

Right:Had some Mexican food at my favorite place in Kigali tonight!!

The time in Rwanda has been quite blissful!! I have been able to spend time with friends that I met three years ago at AIM orientation in Kenya. They have truly spoiled me. Not the least of which includes sharing some of their goodies from their passport country, ensuring my mini wishlist of food to eat was met, letting me have some of their fancy hot chocolate from Europe*, and fully opening their home to me for a week! I picked a novel from their shelf and read all 477 pages in one day so it is safe to say I have been able to disconnect a bit. We were also able to attend a one day conference in Kigali. It was called "IF: gathering." Maybe you have heard of it (especially in America). I had not but it turned out to be such a blessing to me. Videos of the original sessions were projected for many to see. If you'd like to know some of what was taught, then let me know and I'll share some of my takeaway with you. Through all the fun, it has been a bit difficult to be away. Recently a handful of people coming to our region within AIM have been approved to come. (big praise here!!) When this happens it creates a snowball effect of various things that need to happen. With people arriving this past weekend and some others soon to come, it felt like a really bad time to be gone. My good friend and coworker assured me it would be ok. Although I can see the email count steadily growing on my phone, I haven't read messages. (Know that I have an auto reply to redirect people.) I also have not received any concerning text or calls so that means everything is going just fine without me, right? It is continuing on well enough anyway and for that I am thankful. I think that about sums up the last few weeks. How have you been in your part of the world? Are you remembering to take vacation and get breaks? With recent experience, I can tell you that this concept is good and I support it. Warm thoughts** with love, Katherine *It wasn't in English so I think it was fancy but it sure did taste like it was produced delicately and with passion for a tasteful experience in every cup. **It fascinates me how quickly the body can adapt. A year ago I could walk around in jeans and a tshirt when it was 55F (13C). Now? I want at least two shirts and jeans and consider socks if it is below 68F (20C). Thankful for layers and hot chocolate to stay warm in Kigali!

Prayer requests Smooth entry back into Uganda tomorrow as I go with only a pre-approved tourist visa (not a work permit) That my new work permit would get approved and finalized soon Thankful for friends to host me on such short notice and the ability to finalize logistics quickly to travel (Thanks to mom for clearing things up with the bank!) Thankful for a banking system that watches for fraud even if it is just me trying not to be fraudulent with my immigration status. For grace from myself and others as I find my way back into things at work after a few chaotic weeks of planned and not planned time away Thankfulness for time with mandatory vacation that forced a break for things and time of other activities  That the refreshment that is felt would have a long lasting effect and I wouldn't be overwhelmed with stressors too quicly

NEWSLETTER: February 2018

A few thoughts from last week's meetings.....

Leadership, Imposter Syndrome, & Flowers to people

12.Feb.2018
Hello and greetings from Nairobi, Kenya!
Can you believe it is me? Less than two weeks ago I emailed you.
Hopefully you noticed in my previous message that I would be traveling to Kenya. It truly is a short journey (when you fly). It was less than five hours from my flat in Kampala to the venue in Nairobi. A year ago, I would easily drive many more hours than that in a day to get to where I needed to be. 
{prayer requests at the bottom}
 

MEETINGS
Previously, the set of meetings from last week was simply called "Leadership Meetings". At some point in recent years it was changed to Koinonia. Do I have any Greek scholars on my list that know what this means? Even if I did, I suppose I should explain it to the others. According to a quick google search, koinonia means: Christian fellowship or communion, with God, or more commonly, with fellow Christians. So there's a new word for you to use! Though even with this fun new word, the week still has the stigma of "leadership meetings". As this kept creeping up in sessions, I often wondered about myself. Am I a leader? Do others see me as a leader? If I am a leader, then I don't think I knew that. I thought I was just in the office in Kampala, trying to do my very small part in this massive task of furthering the Kingdom. There are plenty of people from last week that even have "leader" in their title with how they serve. I'm not one of those people. 

As the week went on, I would get hit with waves of feeling honored to be able to attend the meetings. There were two main speakers that both had great messages filled with ideas and concepts to ponder. Funny story: When I first saw a schedule a few weeks ago, it had James and Luke for different times each day. I thought we were going to study those books of the Bible. Nope. James and Luke were the names of the main speakers. 

THOUGHTS
Though "leadership" is not the official name of the meetings anymore, leadership is still discussed from different angles. Someone stated that a leader's sense of identity & calling strongly impacts how one leads. Then he mentioned something called "imposter syndrome".   Any guesses what this might be about? This term is used to describe those that have an inability to internalize their accomplishments as well as having a persistent fear of getting exposed as a fraud. 

This concept really hit me hard as it speaks into one's identity.....which is what further discussion was about. We were encouraged to examine but not dwell. To focus on God's grace, not our own strengths and weakness. A favorite phrase for many was the phrase: Fill the gaps with grace. Let me know if you want to read any more about this or learn how we further explored this concept or other things I learned from the week.

 .   

Left: Depicting maybe 1/3 of the room, this is where we gathered last week. 

Right: What if.....

WHAT IF.....
This year AIM is putting emphasis/focus on the mobilization of Africans. As we talked about what this might look like, there was some time to consider "what if". There were no limits. People simply offered any what if statement that came to mind and we filled the board with ideas. It was a neat exercise in considering possibilities without boundaries. What areas in your life could you explore with this simple concept? I'd love to hear what comes of your dreaming as your listen to God for whatever is before you!

Keep reading for some thoughts on flowers and people. 
AND if you still have time left, then keep reading further down for prayer requests. 

Much love and thankfulness,
Katherine



View of the gardens from the entrance to the large meetings.

People from all areas of AIM ministry were at these meetings. We were just shy of 150 in total and I think it is safe to say that someone from every country AIM serves in was there. (Maybe not...but we had to be pretty close with that many people.) Anyway......I was usually standing just outside the door during the opening worship time so I could gaze into the garden area nearby. [See above picture] I was thoroughly enjoying the sun warming the side of my face, the breeze blowing through my hair, and seeing the variety in the garden area nearby. One day I noticed this patch in the garden of some white flowers....or so I thought. [See left picture below.] When I looked closer, I noticed that the white ones were actually dead with a brown stem and the "real" flower was red with the obvious green stem. [See right picture below.]

I started thinking about how this represents those gathered for the meetings. Some probably feel like they are at their lowest, struggling to stay up and maybe even facing/falling down. But looking at them you may not know just as I thought the flower was actually white. Others are blooming/thriving in what they are doing. They could be so caught up in the success that they are unaware of what is to come when they struggle or unaware of those struggling around them. And yet others may be in a dark place, just about to bloom. But they are hard to see as they are smaller and blend in with other greenery. Yet no matter where each person is in his or her ministry, someone looking in from the outside likely thinks that beautifully things are happening just as each phase of this flower has its own beauty.

     

Prayer requests: 

• Many thanks for all the safety for so many traveling. With that many, I'm sure there were logistical hiccups but as far as I know everyone was safe. 
• Please pray for those that are in low areas of their ministry.....people in your life or those serving abroad.
• Pray for those that are thriving that they may be able to encourage all around them...people in your life or those serving abroad.
• Pray for another round of meetings that started this afternoon and will conclude on Wednesday. This is just people for the region I am involved with and is a much smaller group.
• Pray Colossians 3:1-17....I'll expand on this next time. But if you know/read it then you'll be able to pray those things for whomever. Today we spent some time discussing it. 

NEWSLETTER: January 2018

8 Quick notes for the start of 2018

Often I feel like a broken record when I write to you. At least this time I know the pictures are new. 

1. After Christmas I was able to enjoy an adventure on the Nile with two other friends. The picture below is the first moment the water wasn't calm. We had so much fun; it was definitely a unique experience. It was also very different from the rafting I've done in America. 
2. A few days later, everything was back to usual with work. It continues on....just as yours does too I'm sure. A number of people are ready to come here and serve but are held up as they wait on adequate financial support. We continue to pray for that to be provided. 
3. -Friends return and friends go...two of my closest friends that have been gone for home assignment in recent months both returned in the first half of January. Words don't describe how delighted I am to have them back. On the other hand, last week we took a couple to the airport as they move back to the states after 7 years in Uganda. 
4. I continue to love my home church I have found here. It is a fabulous group of people that love the Lord. A few weeks ago 14 people were baptized; it was a great day!
5. Tuesday evenings are a favorite time now. My friend, Kelsey, and I have decided to always spend time together on Tuesday evening. We have successfully done this all 5 Tuesdays so far this year. It means good food too! Last minute this week we decided to acquire some cheese which lead to a great moment shown below.
6. Sunday I will make the short journey to Nairobi for some meetings. These are meetings that AIM has every other year. People from most (maybe all) offices gather as well as some others. This will be Sunday evening - Friday. Please pray for this time together.
7. Afterwards, there are more meetings. Since the those of us from around the region will be gathered, we will have our regional meetings in the same place and I'll return home (to Uganda) on 14 February. 
8. What questions do you have for me? What would you like me to write about in these emails? 

I suppose that's all for now. Perhaps no big news is good news? I hope your 2018 has started off with only good excitement or at least an uneventful first month.

Much love to you and your family,
Katherine

Top picture: Sunset over the Nile River

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Left: I recently spent some time on the Nile River. I'm in the green shirt and black helmet. 

Center: Baptisms at church are always very exciting. Many gather outside and sing throughout. 

Right: Savoring a cheesy moment on Tuesday night's dinner.