Hands and Feet

Rowland: 

 

I woke this morning to the beautiful sun rise and a fabulous spring day.   Yeah, Spring, no snow on the ground.  But then my mind began to wander to thoughts of those so less fortunate than we.  Those in our own town and country, but especially those we will be with in Uganda next week.  It is an awesome privilege that God has afforded us to be on the team from Westover to go to Good Shepherd’s Fold orphanage to work along side the wonderful missionaries called by Him full time, including our special friends, Tom and Sharon Batley.  Each and every day these servants minister to the 99 orphans and 400 school students from the nearby villages.  My prayer is that I will be given the opportunity to some how be the hands and feet of our Jesus while we are there; that He would fill me with His spirit so that when our spirits connect, somehow, someway they might feel the Jesus in me.

 

Without the prayers and support of special ones like you, we would not be able to be going taking His and our love, Bibles, books, dvds, cd’s, sheets, towels, clothing, shoes, food items, candy, building maintenance materials and much more.   For this we say thank you very much.  We are leaving Saturday, March 22 and returning April 4 and we covet your continued prayers as we travel, while there and our return trip.   

 

May our Almighty God bless each of you richly.

A Blank Canvas

Dori: 

WOW – in 48 hours I will be on a plane (the first of several) on the way to Uganda!  

I don’t really know how I feel.  I’m excited, anxious, calm, freaking out, full of anticipation…my emotions run the gamut about every hour.  I feel like an artist must feel sitting before a blank canvas waiting for inspiration.  I have a blank canvas of 14 days in front of me and I am waiting with all the emotions above to see what God will paint through me, and my team mates, on that canvas.  One moment I am excited and full of anticipation.  Then the ten thousand things that need to be taken care of before I leave crowds into the space between me and the blank canvas….and I freak out!

Of course those are all silly things like buying dog food and leaving money for hair appointments and getting graduation invites ordered (my daughter graduates high school in a couple months)..those silly things that can or can’t wait, but I feel like I must get done so they don’t clutter the canvas while I am away.  

Truly I can’t wait to get on that plane and breath and pray and anticipate all that God has for us in Uganda.  Thank you so much to all that have supported us!  I can’t wait to share the painting God creates through us when we return!

Blessings, Dori

Thoughts before we go

So we would like for you to be able to hear thoughts from all of our team members, not just me (the blogger), so we have asked for everyone to share how they are feeling, what they are thinking...so you get to hear from all of us!

Scott:

The bags are packed with all we could gather ourselves and from family & friends who have generously given for the missionaries we will work with, as well as the least of those in Uganda. 

I find it surreal that we leave in just a few days; seems like this process just started. I must admit as I stare out the window at an ice covered landscape AGAIN the prospect of warm weather is a bonus blessing! 

This is my first trip to Africa. The previous trips I have gone on have been after the world witnessed great disasters from the Tsunami in Indonesia, where I went in 2005-2009, to the Haitian earthquake in 2010. The attention of the media kept it in our minds and on our TV screens as a daily reminder. Uganda hasn’t had a recent natural disaster only decades of war and poverty caused by ruthless leaders, leaving over half the population under the age of 15 and the majority of those are orphaned and abused.

I feel privileged to go. I have no doubt that I will see things that will break mine as well as my teammates hearts. We have prayed as a team for God to break our hearts for what breaks HIS. Now as (I) we finish work commitments and deadlines before we depart Saturday, I pray we can empty ourselves, enjoy time with family and friends, and get our Minds & Hearts ready for what God will reveal to us and through us!!!!!!

Prepare Our Hearts

It is Monday evening and it has been snowing much of the day. It is cold and icy out, yet I sit under a blanket on my porch with my cat & dog snuggled up beside me. It is warm, quiet & calm. As I sit here, I have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude; of grace surrounding me. It is palpable and deep; enveloping me.
We leave for Uganda and Good Shepard's Fold in less than 20 days. I feel God whispering to me constantly in my spirit as the departure draws near.

This past Friday we had an Uganda team cookout and had the privilege of meeting and hearing more about Uganda and Good Shepard's Fold from those who have grown up there as orphans, visited there on previous short term missions, lived there as missionaries, and continue to minister there and/or assist others in adopting from Good Shepard's Fold. The joy they exuded when they talked about GSF and especially about Uganda and the people- it was contagious. I could see that Uganda had impacted their lives forever and an anticipation of change has come over me and our team as our departure date approaches. Friday night made me realize, perhaps for the first time, just how tremendous and life changing this trip is going to be for all of us.  I can feel it building. I can feel God working to prepare each of our hearts.

As I learn more about Uganda, I am humbled. Humbled when I complain or get irritated by the little inconveniences in my life; having to wait in line, not making the traffic light when I am running late, waiting on the cold water to heat up, misplacing my car keys. I am feeling convicted of my selfishness; prompted to examine my attitude whenever I begin to complain. God is opening my eyes so I can see that I live in such grace, blessing, and abundance. HE is convicting my heart when I complain. I have prayed for this. That HE would give me eyes to see as HE sees. That HE would give me wisdom. And while I pray for it, it hurts to see my heart. I am aware I need heart surgery. I can sense that Uganda is part of that surgery.

So I step out of my comfortable life and trust HIM. My devotional reading today from Charles Swindoll affirms this decision: "Obedience results in ultimate happiness. I love Jesus's affirmation, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." John 13:17.  Notice, in the final analysis, happiness comes from doing these things. Meaning what? Namely this, we have to carry it out before we can enter into the joy of serving. Just studying about it or discussing it produces no lasting happiness. The fun comes when we roll up our sleeves, wrap the towel around our waist, and wash a few feet...quietly...graciously...cheerfully like Christ who was "gentle" and "humble in heart."

Everywhere I turn, God is whispering and working on my heart. I think everyone on the team is feeling HIS hand working in their hearts too.

Here is what we will find:

• Half of the population of Uganda is under age 15. I will say it again, 50% of the population is under age 15!  

• 12% of children under 18 are orphans. 

• 1 in 11 children do not live to age 5. 

• 1 in 19 do not live to age 1.

• 58% travel over 30 minutes to fetch clean water.

• Only 1 in 7 households have electricity.

 Yet there is such HOPE! God is at work. HE loves Uganda. HE loves the orphans, the lost, the lonely. "For God so loved the world that HE gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16


HE empowered the establishment of Good Shepard's Fold with it's mission: "the purpose and primary vision of evangelizing the orphan and destitute children of Uganda with the good news of Jesus Christ, while also providing for their physical, spiritual, educational and medical needs."

And now HE empowers this team to step out and go serve. HE has empowered so many supporters to pray for us and financially support us so we can go. HE is at work. Yes, there is such need, but HE knows, HE is in control, HE has a plan. Our team is blessed to be part of that plan. 

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?
Romans 10:13-15

Thank you to all who have given generously for our team to go and serve. We are getting closer to our goal everyday, but we are not there yet. So if you feel it on your heart to give- please do!

And thank you to all who are praying for us. Please continue!!! Here are some prayer requests~ a wonderful prayer that Sharon Batley shared that she is praying for our team- thought this would be wonderful to share with all the prayer warriors who are praying for us: team unity, ministry opportunities, the children's hearts, finances, safety and health; that our hearts will be open to see God at work in our lives and that we would come to know God in a wonderfully new way.  Be praying that without need of words our love of Christ will shine and that everyone we meet will be attracted to GOD in us!

As it is getting late, I wrap up this entry with photos from our team cookout on Friday as we were blessed to have time together as a team and hear from the Greer & Renfrew families about their experiences in Uganda! 

 

 

Official Uganda Team Photo

Here is our "Official" Uganda 2014 team photo...hopefully you will notice that we put in an effort this time to clean up! Pictured from left to right: Steve Miller, Savannah Meeks, Jan Foreman, Dori Goebel, Steve Holbrook, Scott Bowman, Rowland Brazzeal.

Our 1st Team Service Project

2014 Uganda Team: Rowland Brazzeal, Steve Holbrook, Savannah Meeks, Dori Goebel, Jan Foreman, Scott Bowman, and Steve Miller.

Working hard, yet having fun! 

Meet the team

We are getting ready. Meeting together weekly to plan for our trip. To get to know one another. To "gel" as a team. We leave March 22nd for GSF to love on our friends and missionaries, Tom and Sharon Batley. To love on the orphans who live at GSF. To love on the children who come from the villages to go to school. To love on the "aunties" who help love and care for the orphans. To simply love.

How will we show that love? We have plans. We want to help Tom with construction work around the orphanage; To help Sharon with the children and all that needs to be done; to be helpful workers where ever help is needed. We have plans...but ultimately, GOD has bigger plans. Plans we will not know until we get there. Plans HE may not share with us. But we go and trust in HIS plans. They are so much bigger and better than we can even imagine. We do not go in our own strength. We go in HIS strength. HE put it in each of our hearts to go...

So much needs to be done before we go. The money needs to be raised, immunizations scheduled, details confirmed, packing and planning...it is easy to get caught up in the excitement, the to-do lists, the details. Yet, HE calms us. HE asks us to focus on HIM. To pray. To pray without ceasing. To ask for others to pray with us, to pray for us, to pray for GSF, to pray for everything we need.

Ephesians 6:18 ~ "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

So we pray. We gather each Sunday as a team and we pray. We plan, we get to know one another, but most importantly, we pray. And HE is preparing our hearts to go forth...to love.