NEWSLETTER: December 2016

CELEBRATE good times!

Fun filled times.

As I sat down to write this newsletter, I decided to use pictures to guide my thoughts. Sometimes I will have a topic or two in mind and just add some pictures for fun. This month, I realized that the fun was captured in pictures.

1. Friendsgiving: A group of us decided to have a friendsgiving instead of Thanksgiving. Only three countries are represented in the photo but a couple others missed the photo. We had quite the feast of food and desserts. This was also when I discovered how fun a selfie stick can truly be.

2. Christmas bazaar: The German ambassador hosts a German Christmas market and bazaar every year at the residence. There is even genuine German sausage which was so delicious. There were many unique crafts as well.

3. Christmas party [not pictured]: A group of ladies from church that meets twice a month had a Christmas party. This is the very group that I originally started attending and led me to my home church in Kampala. I found such joy in it as I knew if I was in America then I would be doing the same thing with a group of ladies from church. It was one of those moments that made my heart smile and me realize that I have made a home in Uganda. 

3. Love Feast: One weekend we had a Love Feast at church. It was one large celebration of everything! There was one large service outside under tents instead of two services. People dressed in their traditional dress from different areas of Uganda and brought much delicious food. Different groups at church did some presentations with singing and music. 

5. Uganda-versary: I flew to Uganda for the first time on Tuesday 17 November 2015. I was so excited to celebrate one year in Uganda with my friends. Unfortunately, I was otherwise occupied on that day. So we celebrated on 17 December. It was a fabulous time with lots of laughter and some sweet treats. The excited eyes are due to the fact that I was using a selfie stick to take that picture. 

6. Friends: I really am thankful for all the friends I have made in Uganda. I have been so blessed to connect with a variety of people. In this picture, the three of us each volunteer through three different organizations. 

And there is also the excitement and joy of Christmas! What a wonderful time to be with others and celebrate Christ being born!! Even without many "traditional" things leading up to Christmas, I was still in a very celebratory mood in recent weeks. My body has healed really well from the surgery I had in Kenya which was just 6 weeks ago. I do hope that you and your family have had a very merry Christmas with lots of memory making moments. 

Many blessings to you as 2016 comes to a close!

With love and gratitude for all you do,
Katherine

NEWSLETTER: November 2016

Nearly two years has flown by so its time for a little clean up before I am the one flying....

A little house keeping first.

Please bear with me through some house keeping. I know it is hardly enjoyable but it is necessary from time to time. As I hope you know already, I will be coming to America soon for Home Assignment. This is time for rest and renewal, time to connect with friends and family, and time for whatever else I can fit in between those. After this time, I will return to Uganda to continue serving in the same role as I am now. However, this is dependent upon the gracious and continuous support of many of you.

1. Please ensure that your information is current with AIM. If you have married or moved in the last two years, then please update your information. Let me know if you need help getting in touch with AIM for this.

Even during my time in the states, my finances will function just as they do when I am here in Uganda. So it is your faithful and gracious support that provides for my daily needs. Just as I had to have full support to come this time, I will need to have financial clearance again to return to Uganda.

2. Please also kindly inform me if you intend to continue or change your financial support. You can send me a quick email here to let me know about your intentions. I understand that circumstances within families and economies change and that you might need to stop or change or commitment. 

Have you joined in this journey after it started? Ever wondered about how far things have come since last year or since the first few weeks? Now you can easily revisit the old news by going to my blog.

3. Visit trackatherine.blogspot.com to go through my old newsletters and other ramblings. 

I think I have loaded them all there now. You can read the first one or one of the fun ones or one of the hard ones or any others. 

At the airport, heading to Kenya

Faithful canine friend while in Kenya

Monkey on the office compound

To Kenya …..and Beyond.

My Greetings come to you from Kampala this evening but less than a week ago I was in Kenya and in a few weeks I will be traveling to America for four months of hugs, fun, story telling, picture sharing, and more. 

A short recap about Kenya: Do you recall in the last newsletter that I mentioned I had some health concerns but that a way forward had been determined? Well that way forward was actually flying to Kenya for surgery. Everything went well beyond wonderful. Everything. From the host family to healing I was widely blessed in many ways. Many thanks over and over to you for your prayers during this time!!

And soon I will by flying to America.
For you this means that you need to LET ME KNOW if you want to get together for coffee, to meet your Bible study group, talk to your church, or something else. Most of February and March will be spent traveling and visiting people so let's start figuring out dates now.

For now...
I will continue to work at the office and try my best to focus on the daily tasks before me. We have two teams and others coming to our region early next year so there are many plans to finalize. Even though you don't know their name, please be in prayer for all these people that are where I was two years ago. They are saying their goodbyes and trying to balance excitement for what's to come with the bittersweet goodbyes. Please pray for us in the office as we prepare for them and that we are able to help the new people make the transition well.

I really look forward to seeing so many of you next year. I can never say it enough or find the right words to effectively communicate my gratitude for all you do for me. I know being here is only possible because of the faithful support both in prayer and through finances.

Grace and Peace to you and your family -

Katherine

NEWSLETTER: October 2016

Below...one view of the Kampala city skyline

Greetings dear friends - 

It is hard to believe that it is time to write to you again. Seriously though, tomorrow is November! I suppose that means I am that much closer to seeing each of you and wrapping my arms around you again.

THE DAY JOB:
Things in the office have been a bit of a revolving door this last month. Most others in the office have had trips for various reasons to various countries. It makes it a small challenge to keep everyone on the same page but we have managed. However, we are looking forward to some consistency with everyone or at least almost everyone in the office together. We did welcome a new team to the region. The team is serving among the Ik in northern Uganda. Please keep those of us in the office as we seek to have unity with our revolving doors as well as seek the Lord's guidance for growing His Kingdom.

THE HOME ASSIGNMENT:
You may be aware that it is nearing the end of my two year commitment to serve with AIM. I have agreed to continue serving in this same roll in our office in Kampala, Uganda. However, first I will have home assignment. This time is for many things. This includes rest and renewal as well as talking to you about the ministry here both the last two years and what the future holds. I will be back in the states in January for about four months. If you are interested in having me come to visit your church, bible study, organization, another group or to meet just us, then please be in touch with me soon. I am starting to work on schedules and will need to manage my time wisely. There will be some unique ways to help and support me for home assignment. If you are interested in the financial needs for this, then please contact me here for more information.

          

PICTURES:
L-all "bundled" for travel in the rain. Pants(ahem trousers) that dry fast, rain coat with hood up under helmet, and cover for backpack
C-view from the back of the church as I was an usher this past weekend
R-Someone handed me a baby. She feel asleep. Need I say more?

THE CHURCH:
I am very happy to tell you that I feel like I have a church home in Kampala. In early September, I started going to a women's group with a friend. She was hosting it and I was already at her house so it just fit that I attended. Then it happened again and again. Before I knew it, I was getting to know the ladies and everyone was inviting me to try their church. I loved it the first time I went. It takes some effort to get there but it is such a wonderful group of believers.

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.
I'd also like to ask you to pray for health. Read this post for an explanation. I have a friend that recently had to face the decision to get on a plane to go be with a loved one. The distance always seems further when health is not top notch. Actually, I have had some health concerns this month. Know that now things are moving forward and I have access to great medical professionals. What a blessing!!

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

NEWSLETTER: September 2016

A few raw thoughts for you to peruse as you wish.....

Often, I'm not sure how to start... The thing about these newsletters is that I often feel like I have to come up with something profound to share with you. I feel like you need to hear news that is exciting, news that is different, news that makes my time here seem worthwhile. But to be honest.........it is really, really, really hard to do that. The above quote from Elisabeth Elliot couldn't be farther from the truth for my time in Africa. I think we can all agree on that! It is one of those quotes that may lead to the phrase: expect the unexpected or don't expect anything. COMPARISON.........it's bad! Another phrase that I must remind myself of almost daily: Comparison is the thief of joy. Have you heard that before? Have you lived with that mindset? It's a hard thing to live with no matter the situation. From the below picture: Which dog do you think had the most fun? Which dog was challenged the most? Maybe the big one despises being wet and dirty. Maybe the little one likes to play in mud. I think living overseas can magnify the act of comparison. You see other expats that seem to thrive. You meet someone that absorbs language like a sponge absorbs water. Or it is the opposite and you rationalize a pat on the back. You see someone that recently arrived and fumbled through a simple cultural aspect. You hear someone complain about a piece of life that you think you conquered months ago. In reality the people above may feel the same way about you. Everyday is a learning opportunity. Even after 10 months in Uganda, I feel so limited in my capabilities. There is always more to learn, especially when living in a culture that isn't your own.        [Pictures: comparison....it's bad; finding balance; fancy food] FINDING BALANCE Lately it seems that life is really a balancing act. I realized this as the rains have started here. When the ground is dry, there are rocks and gravel that slide around. When the ground is soaked, it is a slippery, muddy, mess. But there is somewhere shortly after the rain, when things are just right. The water has decreased because both the sun caused it to evaporate and the ground absorbed it for nourishment.  My main area of balance now is between excitement and focus. To me it seems that my trip to the states is so close when I think about how far I've come. However, I want to be present here. There is much work to be done both on the computer and in the community as I seek to build relationships. A good friend pointed out that its ok to be excited as long as one doesn't constantly live in a state of looking to the future. Eventually, I realized I can be both excited and focused. It takes some intentionality at times but it is possible.  FANCY FOOD And in the end....I try to be thankful (even for small things). I'm thankful for .........friends that are talented in the kitchen. .........friends that share the product of their labour in the kitchen. .........ice cream. Being honest...it's a perk of city life.  .........good coffee from Ethiopia. .........friends. .........finding a church that feels like home. .........technology that connects me to friends near and far.  .........my rain coat and rain cover for my bag. Do you find yourself with a comparison mindset? What areas of life do you often compare to those around you? Are you comparing your bloopers to the highlight reel of others? How do you find and maintain balance in different areas of life, both big and small? And at the end of the day, what are the things that you are thankful for......even if they seem small. Loving thoughts, warm hugs, and much gratitude - Katherine

Reading labels

Let me first start by saying that I'm trying a new thing. I thought I would try to post from my phone.

Hopefully this turns out well and then maybe I can post small things more often. 

------------------------------------------

Today I went shopping for a few things. One thing I was determined to find was: bouillon cubes. Two things gave me great hope: I recently saw them at a friend's place AND someone told me she saw them a few days ago at at the store I was going to today. 

It took about 5 trips through two aisles were they might be, but I DID find them!!

I'm realizing now I should have put something else in the photo for size reference. Just know there are only two cubes per box. Although they are more like cubes flattened into 3D rectangles. They definitely don't meet the geometric definition for "cube". 

So....

I see what's on the left. 

This is just one small aspect of living overseas. You must learn to look at pictures and other context clues on labels. 

When I arrived home, I noticed the English on the reverse side.  

NEWSLETTER: August 2016

Starting with sickness and ending with excitement....




           




ABOVE PICTURES:

L: Enjoying working outside at a friend's home AND getting some good dog therapy
M: For the first time since March 2015 I was able to video with my home church. I've listened at times but it was great to see too!
R: An obligatory photo to prove yet again the variety of things that are transported via motorcycle. Purple bed anyone?

Making a full circle...

It's hard to believe how sick I was at the beginning of the month. To complete the circle quickly...I'm ending the month with full health and overflowing with blessings.

Sickness and friends:
In a strange way being sick was an unfortunate way to have a lesson in receiving. I don't often receive things well from others but I had little say in the matter. Friends came and brought food. Friends cooked for me. Friends ran errands for me. And a new friendship began as my next door neighbor reached out and also brought food.

Short notice visitor:
A friend from Rwanda came to visit for a couple nights. I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I am able to have friends come. It is wonderful to be blessed with a home that has room for more. We had a wonderful time in conversation and adventure. It was the week before my birthday and I felt like a young school girl excited about my first sleepover. In my mind it was a bit of an early celebration and I loved it!

Getting older:
Yet another year has passed and now I am officially a year older. I kept it pretty quiet much to the great dismay of some friends. However, they convinced me that some celebration should happen. They even surprised me with flowers from mom. As word spread, I was overwhelmed with how people wanted to celebrate. I felt so blessed to be on the receiving end.

So many blessings:
I love that I can still walk into my place after 2.5 months and it brings me great joy. It is such a blessing and I'm so thankful to have a place to settle into and call home. A few days after my birthday, I finally acquired a bed and was thrilled to literally move the mattress up off the floor. Friends that know some of my "wants" have surprised me with random gifts. It also makes me feel so blessed to have such an international circle. My neighbors are actually from Turkey. The picture below contains a friend from Canada, Scotland, and an American that grew up in Africa. It's a beautiful combination of cultures when we hang out!

Right now I'm trying to be present. When at work it is so easy to drift off to the home to-do list or think bravely how my introverted self can engage with the neighbors. When at home it is easy to fall prisoner to a book (as I did for five hours this evening) or watch a movie. There seems to be so much potential that can be harnessed and utilized. With that said, I felt the Jim Elliot quote at the top is fitting for me right now.

If you would like to join me in prayer, then please go here for some current prayer points and praises.

And I know even after 18 months, I still don't say it often enough. So please know that I am truly thankful for each of you and your continued support both prayerfully and financially.

With love from Kampala,
Katherine

BELOW PICTURES:

L: Morning of my birthday.....I definitely had a brownie for breakfast.
M: A small group of friends gathered to celebrate
R: Somehow I was blessed that on two different occasions friends treated me to mexican food. 

           

Prayer Requests

A few current PRAISES and PRAYER REQUESTS......



PRAISES:
-good health. Unfortunately sometimes it takes being sick for a little bit to truly appreciate the health that I am blessed to have.
-thankfulness for friends to help while I was sick
-praise for good medical care in Kampala. I'm fully aware that many people across the world can't get the medical care they need and often can't afford it. However, I am blessed with both.
-blessing of technology: from facetime-ing my home church to videos and and pictures of birthday cards from family across the big pond...It is so wonderful. I truly don't know how people did this before such technology existed.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-pray for open doors and opportunity with my M$lim neighbor. I can tell she is seeking a friendship but it is difficult to find times when we can spend time together. There is also a language barrier.
-boldness.....this word just keeps coming to me. I feel like I need to exercise more boldness in different areas of my life.