Northern Uganda Women and Children Support Initiative, Inc. (NUWOCSI)

My city celebrated 4th of July this past Friday night with fireworks and the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra puts on a show before the fireworks and then plays throughout the fireworks. I just love watching the fireworks while listening to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”!

I can’t believe that it’s July already!  Where did June go?  It was a busy month as I have been working on doing small repairs and paint jobs around my house.  Most of the jobs have been outside and the weather has more than co-operated. This wasn’t the case the past couple of summers where it seemed to rain every other day, which made it hard to paint or stain but the past couple of weeks have been perfect weather. If I have to say so myself, the back and front porches on my house are looking so much better.  I had the front porch rebuilt about 4 years ago but never completed the staining and polyurethaning. The first year I was waiting for the wood to age. The second year I was busy getting ready for a trip to Uganda and then returned with an ankle injury.  The third year I was still recovering from the ankle injury and wasn’t quite up to climbing a ladder (even it was just a step-ladder). That doesn’t explain why I couldn’t have finished staining the porch floor, so maybe this is where I blame it on the weather!  However, I am almost finished now!  You may be able to see the results soon on the new MLS home listing.

The month of June has also brought on a range of emotions as I still processed through the thoughts that I almost had my house sold in April, left my job, and that I’d be in Uganda by now. The word “patience” has repeatedly come to my attention in my bible reading and in other ways in the last several weeks so I have been praying and trying to determine how to improve in this area.  Yes, I do need improvement here and for those of you who know me, this doesn’t come as a surprise! The greek definitions for patience are makrothumia, meaning long temper, delayed reaction in anger, irritation or wrath and hupomeno, which means a delayed reactions to frustration, despair or panic.  I’ve been studying several verses on patience this past month and praying for God to show me the areas where I need to concentrate.  However, today I came across Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him…” After a long, busy and emotional month I am more than ready to do just that!

The month of June has also been a month of encouragement.  At the beginning of the month I decided I would record the ways that I was being encouraged and blessed and there have been many ways, from many people God has placed in my life this month.  I’d like to share just a few of those blessings and to say what an encouragement they have been to me.

• Donation of school books (as I wrote in my previous blog post)
• Gaining new monthly supporters
• Getting major plumbing work done for free
• Friends that continue to let me borrow their lawnmower (even after I break it)
• Family and friends’ help with multiple jobs around the house
• Neighbors who supply me with cold drinks and ice cream while I work
• Friends inviting me out to dinner or coffee
• Talking with my fellow ECM missionaries and workers who constantly provide words of encouragement
• Friends who set me straight when I become discouraged or concerned
• Friends who pray with me or for me

I recently met a lady who has also provided me with a lot of encouragement. Her name is Linda K. Thomas and she is the author of a book called “Grandma’s Letters from Africa”.  Her book is about the years that she and her husband spent in Kenya while working for Wycliffe Bible Translators.  I came across her book several weeks ago and connected with Linda via Facebook. She’s been an encouragement ever since.  She has a blog by the same name as her book and she has recently written a blog about me and my journey as I prepare for Uganda.  Please check it out and her other blogs at www.grandmaslettersfromafrica.blogspot.com. I’m really enjoying reading her book and there’s so much that she writes about Kenya that remains me about Uganda. It makes me anxious to return. One thing she writes about is the need to develop “coping mechanisms” as a missionary in a foreign land. (When I read that I had to laugh and thought, I’m already practicing my coping mechanisms in trying to live in a house without furniture or furnishings”. Well, it’s all in good preparation for Uganda!) Her book is not only humorous but very insightful as she writes about obeying God’s call on her life and her struggle to leave family and home to go to a foreign land.  I’m not finished with the book yet, but already I have read and learned a lot from her experience in Kenya that I think will be helpful to me in Uganda.

My biggest encouragement though comes from all of you who are praying for me, for the sale of my house and my support raising. Thank you and I thank God for you!