Thankful for Encouragement

Okay…I’m finding the need to be honest and vulnerable yet again! I’m starting to think this whole blog-writing thing is therapeutic for me; it forces me to sit down, think, and process my experiences and feelings of being here in Uganda. So feel free to read along and join in on the processing or patiently wait for a post about some other adventure I’ll have soon.

I’ve had a rough start to the week. On Sunday night my parents attempted to call me. First my phone was not working and I could not hear them. After playing around with the settings and finally deciding to turn it off and then back on (always a good trick to try!), I was able to call them and hear them. Success! Except for the multiple times that I lost reception, the call was dropped, or every fifth sentence was cutting out. It was still good to hear them and I tried to be thankful that we were even able to communicate as well as we did (there was no skype or cell phones not that long ago for most missionaries!). But it had been frustrating and made me miss home when I could call and talk to my mother for an hour at a time from the comfort of my bedroom with crystal clear calling quality.

I went to bed Sunday night struggling with homesickness and wondering yet again, “Why am I here?”. Monday morning I woke up feeling even worse. I had slept little, tossing and turning, and the little bit of time I did sleep I had strange dreams (Mefloquine-induced? Hopefully not!). Throughout the morning, tears welled up in my eyes at the most inconvenient of times but when is it convenient to cry?

I cried out to God, reading David’s laments in the Psalms and feeling equally forgotten. But God is so faithful to fulfill my every need. Amy invited me over for lunch and I knew encouragement would follow somehow. I felt such relief as Amy and Travis assured me that my feelings have been normal, that adjustment to life in Bundibugyo is hard, and that as dark as it all seems right now, God is my loving Father who has brought me here at this time, to this place, with this team for a reason. And it is all for good! I needed that reminder so desperately and God was faithful to provide it through my team leaders. Webhale Yesu (Thank you Jesus) for team!

God continued to shower me with reassurances throughout the day that I had begged him for in the morning. From that most encouraging 90 minute conversation with Amy to emails from friends and family at home to a rainbow cloud (yes! A cloud that had the stripes of a rainbow!), God was holding me close and reminding me of how much he loves me.