Muli Mutya! Selam! Hey Y'all!

Hello to you in greetings from Uganda, Ethiopia, Franklin,Tn . :)

God continues to press Africa on our hearts and this summer He will be sending my oldest child, Ashley (14 years) and I over to Uganda and Ethiopia on a Mission Trip with America World.

His call into this trip was unexpected and so clear--so like Him! We are trusting for Him to provide all we need to be launched off. I'll share the story of our separate callings in a different post...

We have met a number of our incredible team members via phone conferencing and many come from our local area and so we are really enjoying getting together regularily to plan, pray, and break bread together. How beautiful unity is!

A bit of a description in the words of Amanda Lawrence, the leader of the trip and also a dear friend:

Our 2009 Visiting Orphans trip to Ethiopia and Uganda will be from June 20th to July 2nd. We will visit Amazima Ministries in Uganda. You can read more about this wonderful orphanage at http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/. We will also visit and care for the orphaned babies at Amani Baby Cottage and teach VBS to older orphans at the Canaan Children's Home. All of these orphanages are in Jinja, Uganda. We will then travel to Luweero to work with the children at New Hope. (read Amanda's blog, listed link on the right of this post, "Bright Future".)

When we travel toAddis Ababa, Ethiopia and work with many school and orphanages, one of the places we will visit is the very orphanage that my two youngest children were cared for in, Kids Care, and the transition home that dear friends from America World have poured so much love into. I can't wait to walk through the blue metal gate of Kids Care and wrap my arms around those dear children and nannies.

I would like to introduce you to our team members who have blogs--I will be carrying thier blog links as I receive them in the list of blogs to the right of my posting.

Ashley's blog is the "Captivated" one. Leave her messages--she'll love it !!!

And for the "why" of why we are going...here's a bit from a previous trip..Please do take another look at the photo above before reading the following written by Amanda...

God's touch opens our eyes:


"The story on this picture....hhhmm...this one makes me think! Here I am, praying spontaneously for this woman who we saw crouching on the side of the street. She was blind and my heart just literally went out to her. And I spontaneously obeyed...stepped out in faith. What I felt was that I was to touch her..to tell her how beautiful she was. I couldn't imagine the last time someone touched her or told her this. She was probably younger than I was...How long had she been blind? How long had she been homeless? Did she have kids? I watched as she took the money and snacks I gave her and very quickly brushed them inside her skirt so that no one would steal them. As I began to pray for her, I of course, prayed for her healing...but I touched her eyes. When was the last time someone touched her eyes?! You know, I hope God heals her, but what mattered most in that moment was that she felt God in that touch. I prayed she would know how beautiful she was and how much God loved her...even if by that one moment...that someone felt compelled to stop and talk to her and touch her. She truly was beautiful. Beautiful in her weakness and her complete humbleness. As I left she tried to give me her ring. It must have been the last valuable possession she owned and she wanted to give it me. I was glad that she was unable to get it off her finger, but maybe it would have blessed her to have been able to give it to me. For some reason as I write this post, I miss her. I wish I had spent the day with her. Listening to her story and just sitting with her. I feel God's presence in these times."

Touch the eyes of my heart, Lord. Touch and heal my understanding. May we see you. Open our eyes to those who need our touch--your touch--in front of us in the grocery line, at the library, next to us at the breakfast table today.

Omukwaano! Love, Gillian