GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME!

MY FOREVER FOCUS!
MOMENT-BY-MOMENT,
DAY-BY-DAY.

[OH, AND WHEN ON A TOUR BOAT IN PARIS, SEPTEMBER 21, 1999, WHICH MIRACULOUSLY WAS OUR 14TH ANNIVERSARY.  WE HAPPENED TO BE THERE VISITING ONE OF DAVE'S WORK FRIENDS WHO HAD MOVED THERE FROM WISCONSIN. WE WERE DROPPING IN AS WE HAD LEFT UGANDA AFTER SAM'S WEDDING WITH ADHE. WE WERE IN PARIS FOR 2 FULL DAYS.  SEEING THIS HISTORICALLY WONDERFUL NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC CHURCH, 
WE COULDN'T NOT TAKE A PHOTO.  
WHAT A TREAT!]

DAVE'S FRIEND FROM WEST AFRICA.

OFFICIALLY GETTING ON THE BOAT.

HE LIGHTS MY LIGHTS!

I WROTE IN MY BIBLE AT THIS VERSE IN FEBRUARY, '05:

    IT FEELS DARK, GOD IS THE "LIGHT-GIVER."

HEAVENLY JOYFULNESS FACE-TO-FACE!

UGANDA BOOK, PTN. OF CHAPTER 16, RE: BONIFACE

The portion of this is based on the hospital issue re: Boniface who is in a very serious situation and how Cary [me] and Jill went with a pastor.  This is very truthful.

 ==================

      When they walked into the hospital, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and stared at them. Pastor Joseph said, quietly, tears in his voice, “What I hate is going to the hospitals and walking through the wards. There’s so much needed and so much pain.”
      Cary, when seeing Boniface, had her heart broken and her eyes began to flow water a bit.  She couldn’t risk others seeing this, so she turned towards a window, and readjusted her tears.  Then she stepped back to where Joseph and Jill were.  And about thirty men in that room in their beds were watching everything since Joseph had come in.
        Boniface looked and tried to respond, but his eyes were shuttering and his body shivered.  When Cary touched him, she looked horrified.  “Jill, he is very, very filled with fever.  I’ve never felt heat expanding.  At first, I thought it was hot here because of sunniness and no windows open.  However, the heat is on him and spreading from him.”
      Joseph said, “Yes, Cary.  I knew this.  I’ve been in this room a number of times, but never felt anything this hot.  I was nearly crying, too.”

      Joseph took a sweatshirt and sweatpants out of a bag and set it aside for now.  He also showed him the toothbrush and a toothpaste.  Ipullet jumped by him and showed him a piece of dish soap and body soap.  She was filled with joy.

To help him sit up, Ipullet held his hand and drew him up. Joseph said he would take a photo of Boniface and Ipullet and Jill and Cary.  The only place it could be taken was on his bed-sitting position.  Cary, sitting next to Ipullet, and not right by Boniface, she felt the heat radiating from his body. Boniface looked very painful and leaned and bent and groaned.   
     When Joseph was preparing to pray for him, Joseph drew Cary and Jill and Ipullet together, and all held hands.  Joseph prayed very intensely.  “Our dear Father, we love you and we can trust only you to bring healing to Boniface.  We know your heart is for us and for him and, no matter what occurs, we trust you.  With all that’s been occurring in our part of the world for these months, and many are in heaven with you now, we know you are the only one who knows the conclusion.  However, we love you.  And, besides Boniface, please touch these thirty other men in this room and the many ladies in the room across from us. As I’ve said, we love you and we trust you.  Bless you, dear Father.”
      Cary prayed with her eyes open, and, looking around the ward, saw the sadness on people’s faces.  They had obviously become attached to these dear kids, even when they've gone through many of their own serious problems.
      As they were leaving the room the doctor approached.  “Thank you for coming and for providing the pain medicine and the sweatshirt and sweatpants for him.  That will help.  Our hearts have been turned to these young people, especially the girl.  She has served her brother in ways none of us have ever seen before.  Such love pours from her.  We know he is in serious condition, but we are hoping the surgery tomorrow will turn all of this around for them.  Thank you, again.”  He nodded to each of them individually. And they were thankful for his thankfulness. 

UGANDA BOOK, CHAPTER TWELVE

This is a short piece of Chapter Twelve.  But wanted to share the photo.  Would make you smile and rejoice, too.  

=================================

..... Cary wandered out near the door.  She suddenly saw a teenaged girl who had a large plastic cup with water, and she had a small girl, about four years old, who was standing in front of her to look at the door and try to see the ladies who had come in.  This girl was wearing a fancy dress, most people in Cary’s world would have worn them in weddings or other special places, and hers was torn all the way below her neck and down to her tummy.  The piece on her shoulders were torn, too.  
 Cary rolled her eyes, popped towards Jill who was still inside, and turned her eyes towards the door, so Jill could see this girl, too.  They both were absolutely amazed how this little girl was so happy to be wearing this worn-out and broken dress.  All Cary could think of was, after taking a picture of her, that if any of her granddaughters or any other kids were complaining about not having enough beautiful dresses, and frustrated that their parents could not buy more for them, Cary wanted to have this picture put on the bathroom mirrors to have the kids hit reality.

==============================

HIS PEACE AND REST

WHEN I WAS FOUR, HE USED THIS DOG TO KEEP ME FROM RUNNING OUTSIDE OF THE YARD AREA.

  THE LORD PROTECTED ME THEN, 65 YEARS AGO.

I HAD BEEN A FIGHTER AND PROTECTOR 

FOR PEOPLE, SINCE I WAS A KID, AND FILLED

 WITH SIGNIFICANT SINFULNESS.

MANY YEARS LATER, AFTER I HAD COME TO HIM WHEN I WAS 20, WHEN SIGNIFICANT SITUATIONS HAD BROUGHT ME BACK TO BEING A FAMILY "FIGHTER" OR PROTECTOR, THE LORD DROPPED THIS VERSE ON ME

 VERY, VERY STRONGLY.

IT WAS OCTOBER, 1970.

I KNEW THEN, AND KNOW NOW, THAT HE IS THE ONE WHO WILL AND CAN FIGHT FOR ME AND ANY OF MINE, AND FOR ALL OF US WHO TURN TO HIM TO TRUST HIM, 

MUST POUR MORE AND MORE PEACE AND REST.

ALL I CAN DO, MOMENT-BY-MOMENT, 

DAY-BY-DAY, FOREVER AND EVER.

 

HE IS OUR LIGHT!!! FOREVER!

I COUNT ON THIS FOREVER!!

TANDEM BIKE PREACHING

This is a chapter of my Uganda book.  I worked on it last night and this afternoon.  It truly did occur in December, '03 when I was in Soroti.  Not very fictional at all.

=================================================

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Jill and I were not dressed like this when going to church that day.  These are working clothes at the office and around and about Soroti.  The church service was wonderful!,

      Cary and Jill had gotten up and started to dress.  Their door was tapped.
      When Jill opened the door, Anne smiled and said, “Ladies, are you coming to the church?”
      Jill said, “Yes, we are!  Do we walk with you or go on our own?”
      “Well, Allen left a while ago to plan his sermon in the area.  And he took a bike so the people will see it as his part of teaching and preaching.  When will you be ready?”
      Jill looked at Cary and shrugged.  Cary said, “Oh, a few minutes.  Gotta do hair and brush teeth.  Then we’ll truly be ready. And look forward to time with you.”
      “I’ll wait for you on the gate. I’ll visit my Uganda boy who is a guard around this property.”
      A few minutes later, Cary and Jill walked right to her, carrying their Bibles, and Anne was smiling happily to join them.
      When they started walking a different direction than Cary was used to, she said, “In the few days I’ve been here, I have never walked on this main road.  I’ve always walked through the IDP place near the YWAM or going downtown on side roads.  This is much different.
      “Anne, was this where the Brits left years ago? There are a number of special-looking houses and parks and, possibly, their church.  Really does looks different than other places I’ve seen.”  Cary looked pretty amazed.
      “Well, Cary, yes.  When the Brits left all those years ago, and the Ugandans thoroughly took over, their leaders kept this special”..and she rolled her eyes towards the edge of the park and said, “but since the people rushed in here, sometimes any kind of normal situation has changed.”  She pointed across the street.
      Mostly things looked really neat, but then Cary looked across the street and said, “What is going on?”
      Anne nodded.  “I know and I’ll tell you.  The reason I brought us onto this side of the street is because on the other side there’s a huge tree with many tendrils rooted into the ground that is used as a public latrine by men.  They pop into the tree to pee.  And, as you have noticed, it doesn’t smell very nice and we can’t thoroughly avoid it.”
       Jill and Cary smiled.  Jill said, “Thanks, Anne, for helping us not be buried in lots of smelly stuff.  This IDP situation has really hurt so many people.  Breaks my heart.”
      A few minutes later they walked into the church yard, Cary was shocked.  She said, “So many people may go into the church, but they might stay outside in their IDP camping portion of the church yard. I better go around and about town more often to see these situations.”
    Anne rolled her eyes, ”Of course, Cary.  As you know, this invasion situation added about one hundred and thirty-six thousand people to the town, and the town was in the fifty-thousand range when this hit.  So it is very difficult and unusual of where and how to stay.”
      They walked into the church.  It was large, although filled with cuts on the walls and the floor and the seats.  About a couple hundred Ugandans were there.  Cary, Jill, and Anne were the only “Muzungus”.  Many starred at them.
      A few minutes later the official pastor Johnson entered.  He led in prayer and he talked so clearly about the necessity of having joy in the midst of sorrow and suffering. He said it was important to rely on the Lord and worship him no matter what was happening.  The people nodded and agreed, even though most of them were IDPs, not local town members..  After that, he poured hymns out.  Cary and Jill were a bit shocked to hear and sing the Issac Watts hymns.  They rejoiced with that, but when the song “I Will Enter His Courts” began, they held their arms up high for worship and were truly filled with joy.  They kept grinning at each other and smiling at the people, few who could sing in English language.  The music was the same as usual, but the wording was quite unusual.  The Teso language was very hard to follow. 
      Allen was introduced as the preacher, and he shocked them a bit when he walked up and brought his tandem bicycle.  He immediately said, “This tandem bicycle is an illustration of marriage.  The man rides in front and controls the steering and brakes, but his wife is behind pedaling and sharing the work.  As one or the other needs, they can take a rest and let the other pedal.  But, overall, it’s a team effort and they share the work and the results of their labors.  And, all of you need to see how it worked in our Bible.”  He smiled.  “Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were IDPs in Egypt.  They needed this ‘bike’ or their donkeys and needed to focus on moving forward.  In our present-day world, that’s what husband and wife need to do, also.”
      When an interpreter filled these words in to all the people, many of the people clapped and smiled.
      As the church was breaking down, Cary and Jill were visiting some of the IDPs. Allen stood right with them and they were so happy to spend  time with him.  He pointed out one of his favorite Teso ladies.  She sat on the porch area.  He said, “She was a charismatic Catholic and has been in this town for weeks and weeks, since the LRA had invaded her village.  She truly loved to worship, and, because she is Catholic, a non-Catholic pastoral man in another town had told me that  she really didn’t know the Lord.  Oh, she truly does.  And she does much for many, helping many even though she has lost all of her home pieces through the invasion.”  He smiled a her. “Oh, and, in spite of her own tribe, she calls herself ‘Mary’.  I don’t even know the actual name.  She relies on this and shares with great smiles.”
      Cary smiled and tapped Mary’s shoulder.  When she looked up, Cary said, “Thank you so much for sharing and worshiping our Father.”  Mary smiled and nodded.
      When Cary and Jill were looking for Anne and getting ready to walk to the complex, Allen said, “Ladies, we’re taking you to lunch.  You’ve blessed us to be here, so we’ll try to bless you.”  Allen winked.  Cary and Jill laughed and hollered, “Thank you!”

MY UGANDAN FRIEND/YOUNG SISTER, GERTRUDE, IN MINNEAPOLIS

      What a treat to see her and her husband last week when we were in the Twin Cities.  Hadn't been able to see them for several years.  Dave and I and Don and Trudy rejoiced together.
      In Fall, 1989, she had come to Omaha with the African Children's Choir, because she was one of the leaders.  When a church here, where I had been a member several times over the previous years, and they would be singing there, the secretary contacted Dave and I.  LaVerne knew we planned to go to Uganda, and, because the ACC was going to be there,  she wanted us to have this leader and a couple of the singing kids.  Trudy and two young girls came and were with us for two nights and several very important discussions re: Uganda.  We had a wonderful time together.
      When we arrived in Kampala in January, '91, we were picked up by the main leader, Robinah, of the ACC and were staying at her house and working at her local kids location.  We had brought piles and piles of clothes and books and many other things.  
 

       That's a whole story by itself.  Trudy and that huge group had shortly arrived from U.S., Ireland, England, and other locations.  She whipped over to where we were staying, and we rejoiced together.  She told us so much of what had happened re: the university situations and took us around and about.  We walked a lot.

This girl was one that stayed with us in '89 and this was in Uganda in '91

      We were very heavily involved during that several weeks before we came back to Omaha.
      She was married, a couple years later, to a man who lived in Minnesota and had been a fairly short-time worker in Uganda.  However, he stayed longer when they met, and  were married there  When they arrived here, we were invited to their "wedding" recital south of the Twin Cities.  We had such a wonderful time with them.
      For years, we went to their portion of Minneapolis and they were in a part of the downtown area and heavily involved in a huge and wonderful Baptist church with a famous pastor, John Piper.  We went to that church a number of times.  Dave absolutely loved it!  Sometimes I went up to their home on my own, because occasionally Dave's family or other people with serious circumstances  needed someone there.  
      Somehow, about 14 years ago, we could hardly connect with Don and Trudy.  They had moved and somehow the emails, address, phones didn't work any more.  I began to think, after a few years of dealing with so much and missing them, that somehow we had offended them and they had left us.  I knew they had at least two kids.  Didn't know much else.
      Miraculously, we connected about a month ago.  Since we were going to the Twin Cities we arranged the timing so Don would be off work and the kids would be home.  What a treat!!  We rejoiced and smiled and blessed and hugged.  I met  a few of the kids.  The girls were staying and the boys were going on a camping time with a family connection. The oldest boy is in Hillsdale College, in Michigan, and Andrew was provided much of the finances, because of what he was doing so overwhelmingly.  So we couldn't see him this time, but saw him when he was a young, young one.
      We enjoyed the whole time at their house and Trudy will be going to Uganda in December to see her mother, brother, and others.  When she goes, I'll have to send a few notes, cards, or anything to her friends that she'll connect with, because they are OUR friends.  Oh, I want to go, but can't.  Heavy sigh.
      Again, meeting Trudy in '89 here, being with her/seeing her in '91, '94-'96 in Uganda was a real treat. And several years in the Minneapolis area.  What a huge blessing, because we now are together.  They visited us in Omaha a couple times many years ago, and, hopefully, they and their 4 kids can come and hang out and go to the zoo.  What a blessing that will be.

Their 2 girls.  The 3 boys were gone.

      So, couldn't not share about this when it was such a gift from our Lord.

      [BTW, in an album I have many, MANY photos from the past years with us together and around and about.  But I've not been able to download them lately.  Oh, well... as I often say, "Life gets complicated."  And I didn't want to wait re: sharing this piece about Trudy.]

HE TEACHES, HE COUNSELS

IF THE LORD CAN AND WILL DO IT FOR THIS BUG,

HE CAN AND WILL DO IT FOR ALL OF US

AND ALL OF THE PIECES IN THE WORLD.

I TRULY COUNT ON HIM!

AND, BACK IN MAY, 1984, THIS VERSE WAS 

LAID ON ME WHEN MY LIFESTYLE SITUATION 

WAS HEADED FOR SERIOUSITY 

AND I WAS HEARTBROKEN.

MY LORD, 18 YEARS EARLIER-- APRIL 15, 1966 -- WHEN I HAD BECOME A CHRISTIAN, HE TRULY WAS MY COUNSELOR.  WHEN THE SORROWFULNESS WAS POURED ON ME IN '84, HE TOLD ME WHAT TO DO.  I TRUSTED HIS INSTRUCTION, AND WENT FORWARD WITH 

WHAT WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

I'M A VERY BLESSED "BUGGY" LADY,

BELIEVE ME!!!  

HE IS MY "IT", MY HEART OF THANKFULNESS.

SING PRAISES, SING PRAISES

HIS CD,  "TIMES RUNNIN'" -- 

HE'S WRITTEN THE WORDS AND MUSIC--

DONE NEARLY A YEAR AGO IN NASHVILLE.

HE GAVE ME 4 CD'S WHEN VISITING.

WHAT A TREAT...AND I'VE GIVEN SOME AWAY ALREADY TO BLESS PEOPLE WHO WOULD LOVE TO SING ALONG.

I WAS VISITING HIM AND HIS WIFE, MARY LEE GENS, WHO HAS BEEN NAMED "DUCKY" FOR YEARS AND YEARS

I'VE KNOWN THEM FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS SINCE WE CONNECTED IN SPIRITUAL MAPPING/WARFARE, AND I ENDED UP GOING THERE IN '05 TO SHOW THEM AROUND AND ABOUT WHAT THE SPIRITUAL ISSUE CAN BE FOR THEM.  MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE ALSO VISITED THERE A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THESE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH
 IT'S ABOUT 650 MILES FROM HERE. 
[WE USUALLY ARE AT MY DEAR FRIEND, SUSAN'S, ABOUT 550 MILES FROM HERE, AND USUALLY DO THE EXTRA HUNDRED OR SO 
TO GO TO SEE THEM.]

HE AND DUCKY HAVE BEEN PASTORING FOR YEARS AND YEARS IN BAUDETTE OR ANYWHERE ELSE 

TO BE SHARING.

AND BOTH OF THEM ARE STRONGLY 

WORSHIPING PASTORS.

A HUGE BLESSING THEY ARE!

 

 

SING AND PRAISE!

MY LONG-TIME DEAR FRIEND SUSAN HAS THIS AT HER HOUSE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.  IT'S IN THE BEDROOM WHERE I STAY WHEN VISITING.  I MADE THIS FOR HER FOR CHRISTMAS IN 1977 IN OMAHA WHEN WE BOTH WERE HERE.  I COLORED IT WITH HER HAIR COLOR 
AND HER FAVORITE COLORS.  

WHEN VISITING A FEW WEEKS AGO IN SEPTEMBER, I SUDDENLY DECIDED TO TAKE A PHOTO OF IT.  TODAY, WHEN READING THE WORD OF GOD IN THE PSALMS, 

AND WRITING THIS DOWN ON MY PAPER, 

SUDDENLY THIS PHOTO GRABBED ME.  

SUSAN HAS PRAISED THE LORD FOR MANY YEARS, 

AND I HAVE, TOO.

[THE BLESSING FOR ME IS THAT SOMETIMES 
WE PRAISE TOGETHER!]

BLESSED BE "MY ROCK"

HE IS UPON THE WATERS

HE'S MY LAMP!

HE IS WHO I RELY UPON, FOREVER AND EVER!

MY DARKNESS IS DIMINISHED

AND THOROUGHLY FILLED WITH 

HIS LIGHT IN MY SPIRIT.

SHOWERS TO COME DOWN...

AND I SO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS!!

DAY BY DAY,

FOREVER AND EVER.

MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY!

BORN IN REDWOOD CITY, CA.

SHIFTED TO OMAHA, NE, WHEN 4 YRS OLD.

FIRST DAY AT BOYD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

SHORTLY BEFORE BEING 5 YEARS OLD.

GRADUATION

AND SHE IS A LONG-TIME, LONG-DAY WORKER

FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.

SHE HAS 5 KIDS, A GOOD HUSBAND, 

AND LOTS AND LOTS OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY

AROUND AND ABOUT.

HER BIRTHDAY PUTS HER AT 45.  SHE AIN'T A YOUNG 'UN ANY MORE.  

[AND IN 9 MONTHS, I WILL BE 70.  HOPE SHE WILL KEEP 
PUTTING UP WITH ME.]