Lets see so what has been going on. Work is getting busier and busier as I settle in to a 40 hour work week, doing work for different ministries all over Africa with my main focus being on the orphanage in Masaka that i went to. But an awesome thing they encourage here is getting involved with local ministries and we can take up to 4 hours of work off a week to help out with that so I have begun coaching under 7 boys soccer at the local school. It is a crack up. The kids are adorable and just so funny. The local Ugandans are really good already while the American missionary kids on the team are the kids roaring/barking at me while running around the field trying to flap their arms and fly... not exactly what i am trying to teach them, but it is my first time coaching soccer though so maybe I am doing something wrong.. :-) ha ha. I also am trying to help a little bit with the high school basketball team as well a little more up my alley so we will see how that goes.
On to the fun stuff I got to do last Friday. The male interns (the girls backed out at the last minute) and the EMI staff civil engineer all went white water rafting down the Nile River... side not real quick, which way do you think the Nile flows from the top of Africa to the bottom so Down on a map.... thats what I thought too. Turns out we are wrong... ha ha ... sorry random fact for you, back on track though.
So that was pretty amazing, how many people get to go rafting down the Nile River? It was really cool there weren't even that many crocodiles or hippos chasing our boat and I only fell out like 4 times.... Ha ha, totally just kidding, there are crocs and hippoes but not the area we were in. Not to worry it is completely safe, well for the most part. We were rafting down Class 5 rapids, which is on a scale for those who don't know rapids are gaged on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the craziest (Africa they claim to have class 6 rapids as well).
 |
| All of our boats launching into the Nile We had a really awesome guide Alex who got us safely through the all rapids. It really was completely safe I felt like. I wwasnt nervous or scared at all. There were a lot of non "rafting" types lets say out there and they were going for so i knew it couldnt be all that bad. The worst thing that happened was we all got pretty fried even though we put on tons of sun screen. The Nile also is perfectly safe to swim in. You may get a parasite, but we got drugs for that to kill those really quickly so there really isnt much to worry about. There was a couple large flat sections where we werent allowed to swim in the water because the still water could have crocidiles in it, but the guide said it is very unlikely. But crocs want to stay away from rapids anyways so completely safe. Also the water is really nice. Not too cold not too warm just right. And praise the Lord we had a beautiful sunny day. So I dont know what else to say so picture are worth a thousand words right?  Here was a view of the first rapid we went down  Our first class 4 Rapid Ya i am in all that white water, GONE :) SO fun!  SPLASH!!!!  Doing Fine Right? WRONG?! Flipped the Boat   And we are in trouble again Wait why are we about to go backwards?    Oh so we can go off a waterfall! Awesome!  Amazingly we all stayed in! |
Uh Oh another bad situation....
Going Over? I am in the Middle on the side in the Water or just in the Water floating down river
Ya thats me on the left hanging on the front of the kayak. He caught up with me : )
Here's our bang up team... Dan, Me, Pat, Our guide Alex in the pink helmet hiding, Egyptian friend we made whose name i cant remember right now because it was hard to pronouce, Tim, and Daniel ( Left to Right)
So overall it was awesome and I am doing fine, So that was big adventure recently and we are in the process of planning more, hopefully to Kenya for Safari and Sipi Falls in Uganda.
So I leave tomorrow morning bright and early for Northern Uganda on another project trip to Gulu, where the LRA rebel army (one of the big rebel groups known for abducting children and making them soldiers) started so a very war, terror and genocide torn part of Uganda so I feel like it will be awesome time to go help and serve, but also heart wrenching as AIDS and the LRA's slaughter have left tons more orphans, broken families, and disfigured people behind. So pray that we can serve faithfully and lovingly to these people. We are going to be designing facilities for the former child soldiers to learn some vocational and agricultural skills to hopefully improve their lives. Pray that we may be used.
Also, there are two non-believers coming on our project trip. May sound strange right? Why possibly would two people like that go on a mission trip with a Christian organization? That sounds insane and silly, No one would ever go on a Christian mission trip not being a Christian......EEEEEEEEERRRRRRRKKKKKKK.... lets step on the brakes real quick. Because I did that. I was those kids just over a year ago going on a mission trip as a non-believer or i thought i was a Christian and by today's American Dream standards I was a "Christian." But on that trip is where I found Christ, the GREATEST treasure and my whole life is completely upside down since then. So pray earnestly for God to move so greatly on this trip that set these people on our trip ablaze for His Kingdom and His Glory. If they see Christ on this trip like I did, there whole life may just flip upside down too. Only God can change hearts, but He listens to us, PRAY!
So with this and the message preached to me at church this morning, I feel like God continues to give me a heart to try to help disciple people and share with people the HUGE RADICAL difference between the religion: Christianity and a lover, follower of Jesus Christ the Lord, Savior, and King of Kings. I have heard it said so many ways, but is Jesus our GREATEST treasure? Is Jesus just a hobby? Then there is a good likelihood, you may not know Him. If we did, it would radically change our lives. Christ is not a hobby. He is the purpose we live. I honestly feel at times like Paul that I do hurt for the lost, but I hurt and yearn for those who claim to know Christ, but do not know Him. Like it says in Scripture that there will come a day when Jesus returns and some will cry out Lord, Lord and He will say, "I do not know you." WOW! (Matthew 7:21-23) Hard stuff. Anyways, I just want everyone to truly know Jesus, experience the Love that is really there because it is not about following rules, or going to church every Sunday or reading the bible daily, all great things, but it is about the Free gift of Grace to us from the Father through the Son for Everyone!
As always love to hear from people, anyone and everyone!
Love to all!
K2
No comments:
Post a Comment