Pastors, Prophets, and MUZUNGUS!

This past week Bethany Village hosted a conference for pastors around Uganda. The 3 main speakers were preachers from the States and they were great.


Two of the pastors brought a team with them—that means there were lots of muzungus around Bethany village for a whole week! I didn’t know what to do with myself! One was an older group and one was a younger group. Perfect combo!


Also, I had a Texan friend! Jake is from the Dallas area and is living in a village nearby for many months. Our best friends are dating but we had not met until he came to Uganda! How crazy! So it was nice to have another Texan here. For those of you that know Otha, Justin, and all those guys, you know they are like all pretty much the same person. So it was like I was hanging out with Otha and them all week!


This week was so encouraging for me for many reasons:


--Emily (the girl from Nashville) had been here for a week so we were good ol buds. She has been an enormous blessing for me!!


--Cassy, a girl from Montana, was also a huge blessing for me. She is very much the same as some of my best friends back home so we connected instantly. Cassy, Emily, and I laughed a ton (which I haven’t done much of so that was so refreshing) and we had deep, analytical conversations (another thing that is at the core of who I am but have not been able to do much of).


--Learned much more about prophesy and how it really isn’t weird or scary!


--Received prophetic ministry and was SO encouraged by it!


--heard some GOOD English preaching


I must admit, when all the muzungus left on the boat and I was the only white person left in the eerily quiet village—it was a little depressing.


BUT I was really looking forward to time to process everything the Lord had taught me and to just really BE with my family in the Alma house again. They had made many comments about how “the muzungus stole my love for them,” because I hadn’t spent much time at home all week. And I really did miss them.


I just felt so encouraged in my work here and more confident in what I’m doing.
Its funny what happens to you when you’re not the new kid on the block anymore. Everyone was asking ME questions! And the kids would act all shy around all the white people, but then, when it was just me and Emily at the house—the sillyness would come out! I love that they are so comfortable with me now! Its beautiful!


But then the next day, Uncle Francis’ fiancé came! You would seriously have thought the President of Uganda was here. The kids were going crazy! The mothers were going crazy! At church on Sunday, it was a true celebration! Everyone wore their best clothes! Everyone acted their best! It was insane! So I’ll have another muzungu around for a little while (and people will stop asking if I’m “the one” every time I’m with Uncle Francis).


Here’s some highlights of the week . . . .

This is Emily, from Nashville.

Above is me, Emily, Amy, and Coryn. Amy and Coryn are married and have been my American friends since i got here. We had a girls day in Kampala and ate at a wonderful place called New York Kitchen.

The picture above and below are from the conference. This little "amplitheater" over looks the lake. Its absolutely beautiful to sit, listen, and worship here. But the seats are not too comfortable. =)

This is me, Cassy, and Emily. Good friends.

Good times laying on the dock at night, looking at the stars, talking in British accents. Being silly girls and laughing. Mmmm how I needed that!

Laying in the grass, in the sun, listening to a sermon. Do you know how happy i was then?

Sunset walk! How beautiful! I haven't ventured out too much because I'm not really suppose to alone, but I had friends! Since then, I have ventured out much more =)

Another adventure with 2 boys, so I was really safe. Another beautiful view.

My escorts. Of course Jake was trying to find a cliff to jump off of, but he had to settle for this.

If you know Justin or Otha, you know this face. This is their classic face. And he is making it in response to the personality test which he refused to take. Of course. But I won, because I totally got him to take it. =) Becca, he is an Artisan. Who called it? Me!

This is how destraught he was while taking it. Boys. . .

The Texans!

This was Adrienne being introduced as Francis' fiance in front of the whole church. All of the house mothers went up with her because they are her new best friends! Francis' many wives! hah

Me and the happy couple.