Recounting December blessings

I love the winter! I especially love it in the States because of the atmosphere (and commercialism). You definitely can tell when it’s November and December (at least I hope/think so!).  The weather gets a little colder and crisper.  There’s the excitement of planning events for the holidays with family and friends. There’s the scent of Christmas trees  (I can just sit in a Christmas tree lot to soak (or is it sniff) up the smell). There’s the busyness of events during the holiday season. There’s Christmas music that starts even before Thanksgiving (although I do admit I like listening to Christmas music in the summer sometimes…). There are lights and decorations and red Starbucks cups. The malls, houses, and streets are nicely decorated. There’s just a sense of holiday cheer and atmosphere that makes it feel like Christmas!  

Of course, December in Uganda is not quite the same as back home (not in a bad way!). Unlike back in the States, it’s hard to tell…besides looking at the calendar.

The weather is definitely not cool and crisp. It is HOT. I’ve been sweating like crazy (sometimes I wonder if God is helping me sympathize with an auntie who I’ve been trying to explain menopause to….)

Besides the missionary houses, there aren’t really any decorations around my area except an occasional inflatable Santa and a Christmas tree here and there. Like I said earlier, there are some decorations like fake Christmas trees, other decorations, and lights that some of us missionaries bought (those lights occasionally electrocute people….but I still think they are beautiful! Beauty is pain) but that’s the extent of it.

I don’t really have the smell of Christmas trees instead I sometimes smell sugar cane and bat urine (seriously my house is infested with bats). (I also have smelt something funny in my house…I think it’s a dead rat or bat hidden somewhere).

You don’t really hear Christmas music playing around here. There are drive-by DJ’s in their trucks but they don’t really play Christmas music.

Even though there’s no “Christmas cheer” in Uganda, it’s been a blessing having Christmas here (and I’m not writing this to complain at all—I promise and I hope it doesn’t seem like that). God’s used this as a reminder that even though it doesn’t feel like Christmas or that there’s no “Christmas cheer” to simply come and worship and celebrate the real reason of Christmas-- for the pure beauty of Jesus birth.  It’s simple here and I love it because it is a good reminder for me. I love what John Piper wrote in his Advent Devotional-- “The reason he became man was to die. As God, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the reason for Christmas.”

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery”

I’m glad I was reminded of how much I relied on the “Christmas cheer” and atmosphere of Christmas. So I am thankful that this year I was able to be away from the distractions of “Christmas cheer” and really be able to be reminded of the real reason why we celebrate Christmas-- -Jesus! (& I’m not saying I don’t like the Christmas cheer back at home or that it is wrong:) Hope this makes sense because i'm typing in a rush! 

Blessings/updates from the last entry!  

Blessing 1: Lisa Lock! Before flying her off to S. Sudan she was able to spend Thanksgiving with me and the missionaries at GSF. I was also able to take her around GSF, Kampala and Jinja before she flew out to S. Sudan. It was sweet and a blessing and i'm so encouraged.  I’m so excited for her and her ministry in South Sudan.

Lisa and I were also able to visit a mosque in Kampala. It was soo sooo good for us to go. It was very insightful, interesting, and sad. Please pray.

mosque

mosque

tower in mosque

kampala

Blessing 2: WATER! I did a hydration clinic with some of the aunties and I was able to give them some of the water bottles and encourage them to drink more water and the benefits of water. Thank you to whoever helped purchase them for us! I think when all the kiddos are here I will be giving them out to them and having a hydration clinic with them!

water bottles for the aunties

Blessing 3: Thanksgiving & Praise Day! I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving here with the missionaries (and Lisa!) and also we had a day of thanksgiving here at GSF with all the Ugandan workers. There were a lot of performances, worship and just a day set aside to give thanks to the Lord for all He has done this year.

missionary Thanksgiving--we played musical chairs 

Blessing 4: Christmas in November!  We had an early Christmas party for some of the kids who were going back to their village for the holidays.

lisa teaching the kids how to be a reindeer

Blessing 5: Being able to spend time with the kiddos like doing crafts or baking. Also being able to visit some of the children who were visiting their village/resettled.  

crafts

visiting some homes that some of our kids are at

Blessing 6: I got my Ugandan Nursing License! I am registered here!

Blessing 7: Graduations! K5 Graduation.

Blessing 8: Sleepovers! We had a MK older girl sleepover. They stay up SUPER late and watched so many movies.  Had a sleepover with some of the GSF girls who weren’t able to go home. It was fun and hopefully a blessing to them. The  4 girls were able to try spaghetti for the first time, hot chocolate, and pancakes. They were hyped on sugar.

I had some of the GSF toddler girls sleep over. That was interesting and fun.

older GSF girls sleepover with me&katie

toddler sleepover

toddlers sleeping til late

Blessing 9: Birthday! The missionaries surprised me for my birthday. I thought I was in trouble because I was called in for a meeting but instead they surprised me with cake. Later on some of them took me out for dinner. Such a blessing.

Blessing 10: Christmas Celebrations! We had many events with the kids, staff, and missionaries. We also had a staff party for the GSF workers. I am soo not a dancer.

GSF staff Christmas party for all the workers

caroling to the houses

christmas caroling to the houses

christmas story

stockings

missionary christmas brunch

christmas lunch with the GSF kids

opening their gifts

Urgent Prayer Request: Please pray for one of our babies. He is in kidney failure and we currently admitted him to a new hospital here in Jinja.  Please pray for him. He's one tough baby! 

Sorry for any craziness, typos or whatever. I am trying to get my blog post out before December ends and I need to go! BYE!