Wow. I can't believe it's here already. Yesterday was my last full day on Hopeland. In a couple of hours we leave for Entebbe. Catherine, Kendra, Tim & Ryan all fly out tonight. Then my amazing friend & awesome staffer, Rachel, is spending the night with me in Entebbe. And tomorrow morning I get on a plane and fly to London. And by tomorrow night, I'll be back in Whatcom County! I still can't believe it!
We spent our last few days here seeing God do something awesome. Friday & Saturday we hosted a conference for the youth about HIV/ AIDS. Uganda has made some awesome progress in reducing the rate of HIV infections in the last 20 years. It has become a model for many other African countries for how to help bring cases of infection down. Sadly, though, the most recent statistics show that the infection rate is beginning to rise again. So we got to encourage this generation that it is in their hands - only through lifestyle changes, especially brought about by loving Jesus and living the way He commands us to (being faithful), can HIV/AIDS stop from being spread and eventually be eradicated. The conference was a great success. Friday night we had 95 students and Saturday there were around 140. They were mostly boys, which is awesome, because in many ways, they are the ones who can make the biggest impact with their choices. We had a good number of girls too, which was awesome... because at the moment in Uganda, women represent 57% of the people infected with AIDS, and young women are 9X more likely to contract HIV than young men due to many not so great cultural practices.
So... here is my last update from Uganda. I still can't wrap my brain around that. Please pray for journey mercies... my layover in London is only 1hr & 15 min, so if my flight is delayed at all, I could quite possibly miss my connecting flight and then be stuck in Heathrow for 24 hrs (that's the next flight out to Seattle on the airline I'm flying).
wohoo! What an amazing, crazy, hard, wonderful, perplexing, growing time the last 6 months have been! There have been so many good things... and not so good things... but all in all.. God has done some amazing works in my life, and I've seen Him in so many new ways! Yahoo!
so... all my love.. from Uganda... one more time!
-Kati Rose
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Blessed Be Your Name...
hello everyone.
well.... things have been..... not going according to plan. Well, my plan that is.
If you haven't heard already, our trip to Kenya did not go well. However, we have gotten to see the amazing goodness, faithfulness, protection & provision of God in a truly amazing way.
We stopped in a city called Kisumu for lunch on our bus ride, and someone there got ahold of my pin # somehow & stole a substantial amount out of my bank account. Then our first day in Mombassa we were mugged at knifepoint & assaulted. This is where the God-miracle work begins. Through a long and complicated process of communication we were introduced to an amazing man and his wife who work with YWAM Mombassa. They took the most amazing care of us that I have ever received. This family embodied hospitality in such a way that was as if the love of God was just spilling over through them in all they did. They dropped everything that they were doing to care for us, drive us places & deal with the police. We were fed amazing meals, and just truly experienced the care of the body of Christ in motion. They also arranged flights for us, so we wouldn't have to take another 21+ hour bus ride back, and just loved us.
And also People's Bank is amazing, and if you don't already bank there, you should. They are going to restore the $ stolen out of my account back! Yahoo. Not to mention they have the most amazing customer service anywhere!
we are now back at the base. We're (the girls) staying with Dr. Tim & Jackie (the base leader & his wife) and the boys are in a house next door. It has been so great to be back home at Hopeland, and just in Uganda in general. I don't blame all Kenyans for the stupidity of a few, and in fact, most of my favorite people on DTS were all Kenyans. However, just the general atmosphere of Kenya vs. Uganda leads me to prefer Uganda.
After much prayer, we also feel that it is not God's best timing for us to be going to Pader at this time. I still truly feel called to go at some point, but I have complete peace about not going at this time. Though I am sad, because I was really looking forward to ministry in the camp. No team is going at all at this time, partially also due to the increased movement & activity of the LRA in the North again.
Another change that has been made to my plan, also after much prayer, is that I will be returning to whatcom county at the end of July instead of the end of August.
Here's the thing, yes, something terrible happened to us. But we have seen the absolutely amazing grace of God and seen the body of Christ in motion in the most incredible way. We feel so loved & taken care of, and see the sovereign hand of God in all these things. I trust completely that through all of this God will be glorified and that good things will come. And I have gotten to see Jesus in a new way once again. What an amazing Savior King we serve!
"Through many dangers, toils, & snares I have already come. 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."
"Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power & love. Our God is an awesome God. "
"Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise, when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name."
thank you all for keeping us in your prayers.
Praise & Glory to our Father,
-Kati Rose
well.... things have been..... not going according to plan. Well, my plan that is.
If you haven't heard already, our trip to Kenya did not go well. However, we have gotten to see the amazing goodness, faithfulness, protection & provision of God in a truly amazing way.
We stopped in a city called Kisumu for lunch on our bus ride, and someone there got ahold of my pin # somehow & stole a substantial amount out of my bank account. Then our first day in Mombassa we were mugged at knifepoint & assaulted. This is where the God-miracle work begins. Through a long and complicated process of communication we were introduced to an amazing man and his wife who work with YWAM Mombassa. They took the most amazing care of us that I have ever received. This family embodied hospitality in such a way that was as if the love of God was just spilling over through them in all they did. They dropped everything that they were doing to care for us, drive us places & deal with the police. We were fed amazing meals, and just truly experienced the care of the body of Christ in motion. They also arranged flights for us, so we wouldn't have to take another 21+ hour bus ride back, and just loved us.
And also People's Bank is amazing, and if you don't already bank there, you should. They are going to restore the $ stolen out of my account back! Yahoo. Not to mention they have the most amazing customer service anywhere!
we are now back at the base. We're (the girls) staying with Dr. Tim & Jackie (the base leader & his wife) and the boys are in a house next door. It has been so great to be back home at Hopeland, and just in Uganda in general. I don't blame all Kenyans for the stupidity of a few, and in fact, most of my favorite people on DTS were all Kenyans. However, just the general atmosphere of Kenya vs. Uganda leads me to prefer Uganda.
After much prayer, we also feel that it is not God's best timing for us to be going to Pader at this time. I still truly feel called to go at some point, but I have complete peace about not going at this time. Though I am sad, because I was really looking forward to ministry in the camp. No team is going at all at this time, partially also due to the increased movement & activity of the LRA in the North again.
Another change that has been made to my plan, also after much prayer, is that I will be returning to whatcom county at the end of July instead of the end of August.
Here's the thing, yes, something terrible happened to us. But we have seen the absolutely amazing grace of God and seen the body of Christ in motion in the most incredible way. We feel so loved & taken care of, and see the sovereign hand of God in all these things. I trust completely that through all of this God will be glorified and that good things will come. And I have gotten to see Jesus in a new way once again. What an amazing Savior King we serve!
"Through many dangers, toils, & snares I have already come. 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."
"Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power & love. Our God is an awesome God. "
"Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise, when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name."
thank you all for keeping us in your prayers.
Praise & Glory to our Father,
-Kati Rose
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