IN UGANDA JANUARY, '91

      Twenty-six years ago in January and February we were in a portion of Uganda that was in the main city of Kampala, a side city of Jinja which is right on the Nile River, and about 40 miles north from that Kampala to what was called New Hope Uganda.  The NHU, when we were there, we saw wonderful leaders and they did some teaching and some to fix the acre area.  We sure met met many.  We were at churches in Kampala and, suddenly, I was a preacher in a couple churches and was teaching kids.  Dave and I did what we could.  We didn't know when or how the Lord would have us there again, and we were there in early September, '94 and back and forth a few times.  Here in Omaha or there in Uganda.  We wanted to be there forever, but the Lord used us in unusual ways.  Just wanted to show a few small photos that are so special re: what we did.  Always worth a smile!  I've put the Word of God on some of these photos when sharing.  SO here they are.   OH... and we've had so many "sons", "daughters", "grandkids" from there.  We hear from them and are filled with love from several.    [AND sorry if I didn't say the words right.  I'm struggling with my dementia brain issue. AND being in Uganda several times was a God-gift!]

The leaders of New Hope Uganda.  It was about 6 years before we got there and they are still connected for these years and have thousands of workers there and thousands from several nations that are giving money and giving prayer! Dave and I love them!

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FOCUSING ON REVELATION!!

     The Lord laid it strongly on me to re-read the Revelation.  I've read it many times spiritually.  First time was when I was at a Lutheran church when I was 12.  I'd thought of it many times even when I wasn't reading the Bible very often.  For several years... at least about 20 years ... He has had me read Revelation.  I can't very well read the Bible, b/c my dementia issue is a challenge.  He had me read Mark for a few days, and I couldn't always understand the words.  BUT about 2 days ago, the Lord told me to grab Revelation.  SO I did 3 chapters today, and will read 3 every day.  The end of it is filled with joyfulness and a few of the others always grab my attentions and my heart.  Anyhow, I'll just put some of the ones that I've had for and shared for a long time and it's the first section of the early portion.  I read Chapters 1-3 today and tomorrow it will be Chapters 4-7 so this is a little of them.  Hope you'll smile.    Blessings...

31ST ANNIVERSARY!!

     Our wedding was at September 21st on a Saturday afternoon, 1985.  A huge blessing for me!
      Now, our day on this Wednesday it will be September 21st, of course. To share it now is pretty important.  I'm a very happy lady!!!  My husband is a real treat to-and-for me and to-and-for many other people.  In a few years he's working in our church, playing piano or organ at 3 other churches, and teaching piano to some kids or adults, and fixing computers for a lot of people and giving them around and about.  In this 31 years things have changed.  BUT, as usual, he's a special treat.
     A special situation was when we were in
Uganda and a special photo for us during our 10th anniversary time.  And we were there before and after that for a stretch of time.                 
       Amazingly, we were in Paris to see some friends after we had left Uganda when visiting our "son's"wedding in Uganda.

  Then we were in Paris for a couple days and we were on the
anniversary in September.  In Paris, up on that special place that afternoon when we were on the Eiffel Tower and Seine River was our 14th anniversary day.  What a blessing that was!!!
     Anyhow, I'll just show the two of us in July this year, b/c we've not had pictures taken.  I'll try on Wednesday, BUT he works at two churches all day on Wednesday, and might not get home and the weather is indicating it may be thunderstorm during that day.  So, I'll be home and he'll be around.  We'll go for lunch or dinner at some point some day.  He's a wonderful person!!

UGANDAN TAXIS WERE AMAZING IN MANY WAYS!

     This was an unusual portion that Dave and I were going into the taxi stretches in Kampala.  We were put into the taxis and taken around and about to other places.  Wasn't easy, but sometimes God put me in the place alone to get on a taxi; sometimes Dave was in other locations to work or do whatever for people, and I was put in other places.    Sometimes it went well, and sometimes it was spiritually dangerous.  BUT, it was a HUGE blessing to be there and do whatever. OH, and sometimes the people had their goats or sheep or lots of other stuff tied in the back of the taxi and the chickens or piles of food and clothes were on the floor between all the seats.  Lots of people ... more than officially OK at about 12 to 15 people, and then, NOT officially, often 20 or 30 were added in.  Hard to sit gently.  Very dangerous in some ways.   Anyhow, have never forgotten much of it, and we've LOVED much of it, and Dave and I have loved the people! 

       AND would love to be there again, BUT haven't been there since early '04 and haven't been able to go again.  SO heading to Heaven is all that counts. 

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAVEN!!

      During that time in Uganda... heading to Uganda in mid-November '03 and heading home to Omaha mid-February '04... this special time to be at Kabujagera, Uganda, was about the end of November where I'd never been in the past years in Uganda and it was a huge blessing for me.  Took photos when stepping out of my room when I woke up.  It was a wonderful pile of the clouds and trees and other things that were beautiful, even though the town was struggling with the roads and the homes, etc.  But I was filled with much rejoicing during those couple days.  AND I was a preacher/teacher a few times, too, and that was a huge blessing for me.  THEN, when leaving the town and on the beginning of the road saw this:

 Made me smile!! 

 

UGANDA GRABBED OUR HEARTS!!

    Twenty-five years ago, when Dave and I were at our first time in Uganda, we saw so many little kids in a lot of places back then and were able to give little hugs.  And I was a preacher and a teacher at churches immediately way back then.    Since it was 25 years ago, now the little ones we met are about 30, and they have lots of kids, too.  Sure would love to see them again.  Even when we were in Uganda a few more times -- a bit from '94 to '04 --  and were around towns, villages, and BIG cities,  we sure loved many then, and still love many now.  On email, fb, and some phone situations, we are blessed to be in touch with our "sons, daughters, grandkids, brothers, sisters, moms, and dads".    Still filled with love to us and from us to them.  BTW, sure would love to see this girl again, but I have no idea where and when she stayed and remained.   

I always think that when I'm in Heaven, we might be put together to smile and worship the Lord and appreciate how He dropped us together. So when I'm there, I can hardly wait to see and meet many again ... in and around our world, of course!!! 

AND these photos were during our first time.  Dave and I were walking very suddenly up a hill to a home we were staying at.  I took that picture.  Then, with another girl we really loved, were able to have a picture of the us with her.  And I was holding a little boy and he was giving me a hug.  Have known a little bit of his family since then, but have never seen him again.  Anyway, here they are...

WORSHIPING THE LORD IS ALL THAT COUNTS!!

      I've been a Revelation addict for years and years and in my present-day time these Words are very strongly in me.  I say many of them during the day and night when worshiping, spreading honor and power, and glorifying for the Heavenly Father.  Anyhow, when I found this photo again when looking around my piles of pictures, this grabbed me.
      Bless you and yours forever, and I look forward to Heaven and many of the people in those thousands of years and very local years.  Hope the Lord will put up with me there as well as He has delivered me, healed me, and shown love to me in a variety of ways and places in this world. 
       Anyway, Dave has continued to be a wonderful husband and we have served and worked for the Lord and worshiped the Lord and expect that being in Heaven is a truly good opportunity.  So, I worship and pray and glorify to and at the Lord.  Look at Heaven significantly!!
 
       [BTW, this is an explanation of how the Lord has been so special to and for Dave and I.  In September, '03,  Dave and I both thought strongly that I must go to Soroti, Uganda, as the Lord has said, and we both thought I would be killed in that area.  But the Lord strongly told me to go, and Dave heard and nodded, too, and  we felt that was very much necessary to do whatever the Lord wanted me to do.  When the timing was strongly dropped on, Dave walked with me for about an hour at the Omaha airplane location, November 10, '03, and Dave and I hugged and kissed many times and we both thought I would never be back.  Dave came the end January, '04,  when he had a way to be out of his job for a vacation. We were there a couple weeks so we could spend time with our Ugandan friends and "family" from the few years we'd been there.  And they absolutely LOVE Dave!  AND they put up with me.  DUH! When he got there when he landed... and brought a couple computers for a couple of the pastors in Soroti who had come down to meet him ... and when he arrived he saw very strongly that  I had malaria and was very seriously exhausted.  I had been in dangerous situations a number of times, but was always protected and used as a "God-gift" to many.  When I was home in mid- Feb. then until May '04 my exhaustion had continued.  Then I was OK.   Well, God had used me strongly, but He had protected me even when in serious situations. ]   

     Dave and I were at a hotel at Kampala for a couple days.  Our Ugandan son was with us for a day and we were heading to the airport the next day.  We both LOOKED good, and pleased that I hadn't been murdered, but tiredness was a strong situation for days for Dave and lots of weeks for me.

ELIA IS IN MY HEART STILL.

      This boy that I was used to pray for him when he'd been wounded and torn away from his parents months earlier by the Lord's Resistance Army.  A few days later, after shortly having been with him for only about 15 minutes, I was told that he was in the protection location the day before I was with him and hadn't been able to know anything of his parents.  When I was praying for him, he was crying and put his hands over my hands.  The language was being translated.  I found a few days later that a couple guys had been out to find his parents, let them know he was alive, and they got together.  It was a real dangerously stretch for so many family and friends then... thousands had been broken into and through so much of the danger and so many murdered.    Since he was 10 then, he's now in his early 20s.  When in Heaven, over the next dozens and millions of years, I sure want to meet him again.  Or so many of the others that I was used for by the Lord then during December, '03 and January, '04...3-1/2 weeks in both of those times.  Still love the Soroti pastors and so many of the others that I was involved with.   Miss them MUCH!

 

One of the other kids, about 12, and badly damaged.

 

       Doing what I could do whenever I could.  Jill was a huge blessing for me, BTW.  We became strong good friends then and have loved her ever since.  She's come here from England and/or Uganda and I was to see her in England shortly after our connection.  A blessing broke into my life through her.  And Dave and I were a blessing to her.  Worth a smile and wink right now!

 

HEAVEN... MY EVERYDAY REALITY!

    The Lord told me to put a piece on my blog, so I spent about 1/2 hour looking through piles of photos.  This is the one that grabbed me.  Moment-by-moment, day-by-day, night-by-night I'm worshiping, glorifying, praising, and honoring the Heavenly Father.  Even though I don't quite understand everything, and can hardly read any of the Bible any more, b/c I can't understand most of the words, even thought I could as a kid, so the dementia is increasing and focusing on the Lord in my mind and heart is all I can do.  As much as I love many family and friends and people here, I'm also filled with love regarding family and friends and people in Heaven.  So, doing what I can do and focusing how I can momentarily.
     Bless your day and your foreverness!

PEACE OF THE LORD ON MY HEART!

       Even though I've shared this photo and Word more than once over this stretch of time as a blogger, today it grabbed me again!  In May, '84, during a very dangerous stretch of my life, I was very sad and very worried re: me and my kids.  A process of divorce then.  Laying in the Psalms was a truly stretch of time in those days.  The Lord had laid a bunch of it on me, and this really said the right Word at the right time.  
       Within several months later, I was thoroughly filled with peace!! I had come back up from Oklahoma to Omaha in September, '84.  Saw friends.  Suddenly,  the Lord had healed my heart in Omaha at 2 churches.  Even though I knew my heart was a challenge, but just sleeping and doing what I could do, even though I got so stressful.  However, I was suddenly in churches with friends -- October, '84 and February, '85 -- and, not understanding what was going on at those churches at those times --- at both places healing was taking place and I had no idea that I was going to be healed.  I was 39 then.  Well, amazingly, the Lord had things dropped onto me.  So, my heart was healed then ... and He'd also done it at a church in summer of '74 when I was 28.  I'm very blessed re: His healing situations for me and millions and billions historically, of course.  I'm a "blessing the Lord" person, strongly! 
       I would have been in Heaven 31 or 41 years ago, or even when I was a kid with serious stuff connected at me strongly.  Now, at 70, it's not my heart issue, but other things.  I keep hearing I'll be in Heaven soon, and day-by-day, for several months now, when praying and worshiping I keep hearing it.  I don't mind being in Heaven, b/c I'd see a lot of people who amazingly had come to the Lord... I've been involved with many people in serious non-God situations and they came to the Lord and, in the not-distant future, were in Heaven.  Anyhow, I'm trusting the Lord for the consequences.  
      OH, and as a little kid, I was taught to be a fighter to protect me and my sisters, and I was an angry kid way back then.  I'm very grateful that the Lord officially broke into my life when I was 20.  I'd known OF Him even when I was very young, but hadn't known if or when it would be possible or important to turn to Him.  I was heading to suicide a couple of years, especially when I was 18 and 19, and because I was very sinful in Seattle.  I'm very grateful that the Lord dropped people into my life and I knew what I should do.  April 15, 1966, at 6:30 in the evening at someone's home in Tacoma that was sharing very straightful at me, I knew this was the right thing to do.  What a blessing!!
      NOW, talking too much at you, etc.  But this verse, and used on the photo taken Dave and I were in Uganda as missionaries, this has always grabbed my heart and my attention.

LEAVES AND TREES OF REVELATION!

       This is what I rely upon, forever and ever!  All we can count on.  I thoroughly trust the Words in Revelation, and this grabbed me hard and filled with joyfulness!

REJOICING AND PRAISING FOR JESUS AND HEAVENLY FATHER!!

  I count on that, even consistently. In spite of what is shared around and about our nation and the world that is filled with confusion and sometimes not understanding who and how our Lord occupies... and has occupied for thousands and thousands of years ... I focus moment-by-moment, day-by-day to the Word of God.  And I rejoice and praise for my Savior. 
      I look forward to seeing Jesus either if He comes down here to deal with our world or if I'm up in Heaven.    He is what had been counted strongly on me even when I was a young kid.  I didn't understand Him well enough then, of course, but He protected me when many fights had entered my life, even as a young kid.  I could easily have been beaten and murdered from my childhood time to when in my teens and early twenties in the Northwest.  A few times, even since then, I've been in locations where me and my friends were dealing with our serious national and international situations, and we've heard that we were going to be murdered.   Through all these years, now when I'm seventy, it's been a huge blessing that our Heavenly Father has sent angels and others to protect and keep me and mine alive.  Anyhow, He reveals secrets and is Light and fills with protection and piles of love!  And I praise the Lord and rejoice!

HIS GOODNESS IS WHAT I COUNT ON!

     With my brain and body issues now, especially since a few days ago it was indicated through a hospital that I can't drive a car any more.  So, instead of driving around and worshiping through towns and many locations, all I can focus on is serving the Lord and worshiping the Lord in my house -- day or night -- and turning my heart to serve Him more and more. 
    Sometimes I'm crying, b/c this is such a new piece of my life.  I was a protector and keeper, especially when the seriousness of my family was laid on me strongly since I was 6 -- protected my sisters who were younger than me, and I was a babysitter, especially when I was 7, and until I graduated about 10-1/2 years later when I was just shy of 18.  Touch Cookie for years.  Grateful that the Lord broke strongly and kindly into me when I was 20.  So, around our nation and a couple nations in the world, especially Uganda,  I've still been used to help and protect people.  Now I'm home.  HOPE, HOPE, HOPE to be in Heaven in the not-distant future.
      Blessings-- in spite of the fact that I'm just here now -- I've surrounded to many of my family and friends -- here and other parts of the world -- through praying and worshiping and glorifying the Lord is all I can do!

RELIED UPON THE HEAVENLY FATHER!

       I counted on His Words back then when we were going around the NW and California and back to Omaha a few weeks later.  We'd be seeing our families and friends since we were getting ready to go to Uganda when leaving Omaha.  We thought we might be in Uganda forever, but it didn't work out quite that way.   We trusted Him,  served Him whenever and wherever we were.  So it's been a huge blessing to us, even though we haven't been around the world or around the nation often enough.  But it was a huge blessing to meet and see many and help anyway, anywhere we could.  The Lord protects and uses and encourages.  All we can count on.
      NOW, as my brain and body issue is a day-time challenge, He is Who I trust and Who I focus on.  He will keep me here, use me here, and take me to Heaven and use me there.  All I count on, moment-by-moment.  I worship and focus on Him consistently and look forward to seeing Him... and many others... face-to-face. 

 [OR however our seeing/hearing/talking/walking situation is there.

Find out for sure when I'm there. 

 And, as I've indicated,

 I can hardly wait!]

REJOICING AND LAUGHING IN UTAH AND COLORADO!

     Back in the summer of '98, I had taken our Ugandan son, Sam, out there so he'd see another wonderful portion of our nation.  We were in the Utah and Colorado national parks for a few days.  Then, when heading home, we were visiting a special friend in Colorado and staying with him for a couple days. This whole trip was a blessing, and he sure smiled.  

     

 [OH, and BTW, the Word is correct:  the Lord Jehovah is our everlasting strength.   It IS!!  I count on it

 moment-by-moment, day-by-day.  

And I took the picture of this wonderful

 "baby" squirrel-ish right by us.]

 
Anyhow, just showing the two of us together on that trip to Utah at Bryce Canyon right then.  He sure smiled and loved it!

AND ARCHES NP

CHRISTMAS PIECES HERE AND IN UGANDA!

     About the December of 1992, Dave and I chose a Jesus born stretch.  It was very big and was being set aside by the shop.  I guess they didn't think people would want it in their home.  We did then, and often we do it now.  I just took this photo a couple days ago.

        AND the coffee table is filled with it!  We have to be careful when walking from the kitchen or bathroom area, b/c we could stumble against it when it's so wide.  But we love it and watch carefully.
       When we were going to Uganda in '94, we thought we'd be there forever, so other than the stable piece we had, the others were taken.  When we had a home in the Kampala area [Katelemwa] right before Christmas, and we had been given 4 kids from one family to teach ... Dave did computer and piano and other things, and I did a bit of the English class situation and teaching books ... and, even though we didn't have couches or anything people could sit on, we sat on the floor.  And we put this piece then.  And their brother didn't sit there right then in the living room.  The girls were excited and filled with joyfulness to be right there!  Never had anything like this in Uganda.

From the red-ish color on the left to the right portion with the door portion was all the living room then.  Quite wonderful. 

                           Here's one we did on a door area!

           About a year later, we were at New Hope Uganda in the house that the teacher for the Jay and Vickie Dangers kids.  We were doing what we could do.  AND the house was a lot smaller than our previous one.

      When we had just gotten there, and had our stuff to put in the place, it was quite a bit of stuff.  And this was our kitchen room and our living room.  You can see that brown seat on both of the pictures.  One on the left side in the kitchen and the other on the right portion.  Actually, that was at our table. It was quite a time.
       Well, we had our Christmas piece with us, and we had put it on a table back in the corner.  Eventually, a few kids were brought in and we held the kids and we showed all of it to them.  It was on a small table, right back in that corner that you could see.  Anyhow, one thing happened then, when a young kid grabbed one of them and broke a piece of it.  I cried.

And it's on our table, as usual.  Just thought I'd remind you.

        A miracle is that we still have used it in our homes for all these years.  It's been 20 years now since that happened. So, this is what it still looks like.  I don't cry again, but I always smile!  And I'm amazed and grateful how the Lord let us keep it.  Here it is!  I'll show the group again, and then the last piece of the men who had come to give gifts to Jesus.

  

[OH, and the rock piece is what Dave and I got in Canada at Thunder Bay, Ontario.  A week after our wedding we were at that place for a couple hours and got that rock.  We've smiled at it forever!]