Sipi Falls

So last weekend, my fellow interns and myself were blessed to get to go on our first get away travel intern weekend to Sipi Falls....

A quick little background of what I had seen this far in Uganda is all flat very little elevation change and I hadn't seen a mountain in about 3 months since I left Colorado, which does have mountains for those of you not familiar.

Now all the sudden we get to Sipi which is on the border of Uganda and Kenya and BOOM mountains.

It is a little sad to see how the public transit Matatu (an old beat up VW bus looking thing) could barely I mean barely like people walking were keeping up with us going up these hills.  I guess in the car's defense there were 16 people in the van with a desk on top.  Too bad we didnt get a picture of it, it probably was a site to see.

So we got there and were pleasantly greet by one of the people working,  This place was truly amazing... So i honestly really don't know a whole lot to say, so I figure I will go with the ol' picture is worth a thousand words kind of thing with lots of pictures.  But on one hand I just wanted to share a few things from our trip.

Though I am not complaining at all by any means.  I do love it here!  I consider it a true joy to be here and such a blessing the Lord has chosen me to serve here, but you do make a few sacrifices and I am the first to admit my sacrifices are few compared to many missionaries.  So I didn't realize until we got to go here a few things that were so amazing for all of us.  You would've thought we had been brought to the Promised Land with how excited we got about a few little things... Hopefully you will find it entertaining.... Its the little things.

So we got to the resort just in time for lunch and served some really good pasta, but what came with it was CHEESE, SALAMI, and CRACKERS.  Oh my goodness, please do not take this for granted.  This simple combination is a blessing and like James 1 says all good things come from the Lord well this combo is from the Lord.  My goodness it was amazing so I think we raved about that all afternoon until we went hiking and saw more of this beautiful place.  But we also got cheese with just about every meal, Oh man it was incredible.  I LOVE CHEESE.  Such a blessing. Cheese is expensive here so it is a true treat.

Then with dinner, we had fresh homemade rolls and bread and with breakfast too I forgot about that.  Just like my Mom makes.  Another thing not to be taken for granted.  Good bread is hard to come by so ... Aww Man it was incredible.  It was like you know an appetizer at a nice restaurant that has good bread and you eat too much of it and ask for more because you are bored and eat while you wait for your real meal.  Well, although the food was so delicious, we asked for more bread almost instead of our meal because it was SO Delicious and such a treat!

Also, at night here because we were at about 6,000 feet of elevation, something you will never believe happened... It got COLD.  I got to, yes Got to wear a sweatshirt.  Oh man I hadn't done that in 8 months.  And yes that means I didn't go to bed sweating and sticky like many nights in Kampala though it has got much better since we now are in the heart of rainy season as well as Tim and I couldn't take it any longer and broke down and invested in a fan.  Glorious.  But anyways so ya in Sipi I got to use this foreign thing to me called a blanket, I believe that's the word for that soft cuddly thing you place over you while you sleep to keep warm... he he... sorry once again ...I am not complaining at all just so appreciative of these things.  Another thing we honestly probably rejoiced in all weekend of how much we LOVED the Cold.  It was awesome.

Last, but not least, they had not only a beautiful shower, but it also had this other thing foreign... water pressure to shower and feel nice and clean as well as it was a nice warm shower.  Notice I said warm because they do have hot water for your shower here in our apartment.... But your choices are burn your skin hot or ice cold.  So that was our topic of conversation at breakfast most mornings after we showered.  When someone came up for breakfast that was the first questions, "Hey have you showered? ... Oh my goodness Ya I did it was amazing.... What I haven't showered yet?! ... Dude you gotta try it?  Whoooo. Its amazing!


It may not look like much, but it is wonderful!

So ya just a few things the Lord blessed us with and obviously I cannot repeat enough that it really isn't bad at all.  The sacrifices are so minimal and absolutely worth it.  I don't want to discourage people from coming here at all.  It is an awesome place in need of help so still such a great experience and blessing in my life!!! I LOVE IT!


That's Me swinging on this vine next to the waterfall


Completely safe....


Until Dan fell on the rocks below, which we have a video of, but the internet is a little too slow to publish, but crazy and couldve been a lot worse, but Praise the Lord he is fine.




The view right outside where we were staying such beautiful lush greenery and waterfall.  Pictures do not do it justice


For those who followed my travels in Morocco and the finely designed structure bridge there, here is one in Sipi



Ya look at that view and you can see how flat Uganda is in the distance



That is Sipi Falls.  300 foot waterfall and we are hiking to the bottom.  You can repel down next to it, but we chose not to.. (Your welcome mom... he he jk)

Almost to the bottom




The pool at the base of the falls


The Group with Hannah in front thinking she is Magellan, sorry to break it to you Hannah, but you didn't discover Sipi Falls.





This is our hut on the right where the boys stayed.  Girls on the Left.



A better view of the falls outside our door



The third of the 3 waterfalls here.  So there is Sipi Falls, the one by our lodge and this one above our lodge a little hike away



Now you can see Hannah to get some perspective of how big things are.


By the way all these pictures are by Tim who is missing from a lot of pictures bc he takes them, but gotta give him all the credit.  He is a stud photographer...


Our girl interns. Jess in front just got engaged last friday.  Her Fiance flew to Uganda, surprised her and proposed on Lake Victoria. I know right?  Studly move!  Props Adam.  Well done sir.


Look at that view down the mountain from the top


Our friends who came and sat with us, very intrigued by us Mzungu (white person) they don't see us too often


Young Olympians Hopefully!


Our Guide Jasper.. Does it look safe to swim in Jasper?


Okay, I can test it... that little girl pushed me in....

jk, I jumped and was in the process of doing a cannonball to splash the children


Tim & I gave it another shot.

Yep God made all of it.



WOW




Well Done Tim!


This is our Album Cover


Or Maybe this


Or that?



This is for Dan's Solo Album


This one for his Christian album










I know isn't this Indescribable?  That's my God, hopefully yours too

I know its a lot of pictures, but you can see how good Tim is of a photographer!  SO glad he is here to capture just a taste of this beauty.

Intern Pics


Does something look wrong?


Here's all of us. Daniel on the left just got out of swimming in the waterfall....

Just kidding... Unfortunately, Daniel couldn't come, but we missed him and wanted him there so Tim also being a photoshop expert. Added him in there.

Hope you have a great day... Thanks for looking along and playing with me.  Love to hear or see what you are doing, what you are thinking, maybe even a question for me?

I love hearing from people.

That's all for now.

Prayer

So I am heading to Sipi Falls this weekend.  Suppose to be a truly beautiful place.  I am very blessed to go there and see more of Uganda, but I guess you can be praying for my safety as we (all the interns) travel.  Unfortunately, the internet died so I didn't get to finish writing this before I left for Sipi Falls, so I am already back safely.

But I thought I would share just a little something real quick on something God has been revealing to me and hammering home to me in the past few months.  This whole concept of Prayer.

It is a kind of strange thing sometimes and there is a lot in the Bible about prayer and I take so for granted sometimes.  I don't bother talking to God in a meaningful way some days, I don't feel like it or I am tired or so many excuses always come to mind.  Especially, those times where I don't feel God's presence as I come to pray.  I feel like the only one is hearing me is the dogs outside my window here.  God doesn't feel like He is there like He does sometimes.  Am I doing something wrong?

Well, here is one thing that God just revealed to me in James 1:5-8

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."


So these verses I feel like basically are speaking of praying and asking God for things, but following that with Faith that God will actually answer those prayers.  I so often pray for things because I feel like I should pray for this or that, but don't really care about it that much or really think God cares enough to really want to do that usually just with small things you know?  Like I am feeling sick God please take this away heal me, but it is not accompanied by any faith.  I feel like oh God is too busy to want to take away this He is doing so many other things and my sickness isn't really a big deal or I lost my sweatshirt (again) God doesn't want to help me find it though....


But I would argue that is completely false.  Are we not talking still about the same God that didn't even spare His own Son just so I could be adopted, all of us could be adopted into His family.  He cares about all of us and everything.  This leads me also to Matthew 7:7-11:


"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"


So God does want us to ask him for anything and everything.  Jesus goes so far to say here that even though we are evil or wicked give good gifts to our children, somehow God our Father in Heaven doesn't want to give us good gifts.  Where did we get this misconception?  As we read in James above, God gives generously.  So God wants to give to us and give generously to us.  Don't misunderstand or confuse this with some sort of prosperity Gospel that God wants to bless you and make you healthy and wealthy because that is False.  But God is Good and wants to give to us generously.


So God wants to be generous why doesn't He just give to us what we want in our prayers like it says here...  What I feel like God showed me through James was that He wants us to expect Him to work and give what we need so we see Him work and provide and answer prayers.  How often I look back and see WOW God was so in that and provided there and in that way, but totally missed it because I didn't expect to see Him.  Darn it, but thank you James for showing me to look for God.  Obviously, we still can see that God is Good and answers prayers even when we don't expect it because God is Good.


Anyways, last little bit I thought was insightful from James 4:2b.. starts off talking about not having because we do not ask.  Oops, don't forget to ask God.  


Lastly, I guess I don't want to end that if we ask and expect God to work that He has to do it and another insight from the following verse James 4:3 talks about asking and not receiving... Wait what I thought Jesus just said ask and He will give me, what the Heck?!  Jesus tricked me... No He didn't.  Finish the verse and it says it because we ask wrongly to spend it on our own passions... WOW... So not only is God good because He gives generously to us for asking and expecting, but He is also so good that He sees some things we ask for actually aren't good for us.  God is above and beyond time so knows the future for us and how this certain answer to prayer might lead us into sin.  How merciful is our God?  To do this and Not give us sometimes.  So this is where that other aspect of faith comes in... Expect God to work and answer prayers, but if He doesn't it is because He has looked into that option for us and knows it isn't what is best for us.... whether it is a better job, more money, a girlfriend/boyfriend, kids to get on track, or whatever.... Though we don't understand why He won't answer... We throw our hands and cries up to the Father expecting Him to work, but fully trusting His Goodness.


One other little add on, if you want to learn about an amazing man of prayer, read about George Muller, a missionary from the 1830's, I just started his autobiography.  It is killer.  He prays and expects God to provide and He does in miraculous ways.  Just the basic premise is that George refuses to ask people for money.  He only asks God and at the end of the last chapter he says he has now gone 4 years without asking anyone for a temporal need such as food and money and God has provided everything as well as excess for him to begin 5 orphanages, 3 schools for the poor, distribute 6,000 bibles and support other missionaries in south East Asia.  Incredible.  I recommend it.  I also just finished Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Bershears.  Also, a great book to address a lot of challenging questions...




Love to all and always love to hear from people.  


In faithful service to the Lord empowered by His Spirit hopefully showing people Jesus along the way!


K2

RESTORED

Last night, I was so blessed to get the opportunity to go to see Watoto's Restored Tour, which is there incredibly children's choir integrated with dancing and story telling by all these children from Gulu.

It is a truly amazing show about Love & Forgiveness and the source of it all, JESUS.  Jesus has redeemed these children, shown them love and forgiveness as well as given them hope for their future.  The child performers are all from Gulu district where the majority of the atrocities of the LRA took place.  All the performers have been affected by the LRA.  Most of the boys in the show had been abducted by the LRA and forced to become child soldiers some younger than 10 when they were abducted and forced to kill.  Majority of the girls were abducted by the LRA as slaves and captives, often raped by many of the soldiers as well as given to the commanders as one of their many wives.  Some of the girls were even forced to become soldiers as well.

You wanna know the amazing thing?  We didn't learn this by someone telling us about these tragedies who is an expert or historian from the area.  We heard it straight from the victims.   All those things mentioned above we heard straight from the children as they told their stories.  Some had been raped and seen their whole families killed right before their eyes before the age of 10.  Some had done the killing and the raping on stage... TOGETHER.  In between songs they would take turns standing up and sharing pieces of their stories throughout, ending with them sharing of how some of the boys had killed the family of a girl on stage with them. Think you would want to stand on stage with someone who killed your family and relive the story, I sure wouldn't.  Here's what is more amazing, they finished their story saying to them, with tears in their eyes, so heart felt,

I FORGIVE YOU!

Child after child stepped forward to say who they forgave... all the commanders, soldiers and even them forgiving the leader, Joseph Kony, who by the way I learned he is literally possessed by a "spirit" most definitely demonic and possibly Satan.  They shared he could perform these signs and predict things and claims to be sent by God.  Sounds like Satan to me.... But they FORGAVE him.  HOW?

Every single child said One Name, the Name above all names, the King of kings, the Lord of Lords,

JESUS CHRIST... 

that is how you spell forgiveness.  Because of Jesus these children have been given life and hope and been forgiven and redeemed.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to His great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." ~ 1 Peter 1:3

Wow that verse is just packed full of so many things.  Did you catch it though?  How this ties into what I was talking about?  So many things in there.

God's Great mercy... what did He do in His great mercy?  God in His mercy forgave us.  He crushed his son with our sins in His great mercy (Isa 53:5).  He forgave us on the cross.  So that we may be as it says born again.  These children have been born again because they were forgiven.  Because of the great forgiveness they have received and love that has overwhelmed them in Jesus, they cannot help but forgive others.  They understand that God the Father loves them too and wants them to be born again like they have...  But to What?

This verse answers this to.... HOPE... and what kind of hope?  A Living Hope.  Jesus is not dead.  The Tomb was empty.  He is alive.  He has given them a living hope.  The children's hope had been dashed... there hope was dead.  Dead hope is no good...  Is this what all other religions trust in though?  A dead hope?  Abraham & David (Judiaism) are dead and tombs worshipped, great men of God after His heart, Muhammed (Islam) is dead and his tomb worshipped where his bones remain,  Buddha's tomb worshipped where his bones remain, dead hope, ... Is there a temple at Jesus's tomb to be worshipped?  NO!

The Tomb was empty and Jesus is alive giving children like this and people like you and me and EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

A LIVING HOPE!

This living hope will change lives and change the world if we understand the Gospel and let it change us.  It will...

"...These men (Early Christians) have turned the world upside down..." ~ Acts 17:6

That is what real faith in the Living Hope does.  It turns the world upside down.

Let's turn it upside down with guidance by the Holy Spirit with the Living Hope on our lips all for the Glory of God the Father!

In Faithful service to the Living Hope Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

K2