Uganda: HARD WORK!!! 26 Days.

I am surrounded by hard working people.  Charlie is seriously the hardest working person I have ever met.  Charlie’s work ethic and endurance is one of my favorite qualities about him.  There is something that makes me feel safe and cared for by the way he is willing to work so hard for our family.

Every family member in my immediate family and extended family and friends and community work and work hard.  Hard work is a gift and brings with it so many wonderful values.  Many of our friends and family, including ourselves, own their own businesses which means you can work even longer and harder. 

 Charlie is a builder.  He is a great builder, he builds many things and when he builds, he builds beautiful and sturdy buildings that are meant to last for years beyond our years on this earth.

I’ve been thinking about all this hard work and I have felt challenged in my own life.

What if we put as much time and effort and thought and energy into building relationships as we did building houses and businesses and careers and retirement? 

What if we studied the Word of God like we do a set of plans, or for a test, or a business plan, or a contract, or budget.  What if we looked at kingdom building like we do our building business and we built relationships that will last strong and beautiful beyond our time on this earth.

What if we worshiped as hard and as intentionally as we worked, or played, or ran, or roped, or hunted, or cleaned, or studied, or blogged.  

What would it look like to come into a worship service as prepared as we do for a job, or an event?

This hits a nerve with people that automatically think I’m talking about earning favor or earning salvation or earning anything with Jesus…what if the reward of working at relationship is the relationship.  What if it has nothing to do with getting to heaven or earning favor, but it is simply working at relationship because it’s beautiful and when you work at a relationship there is something beautiful being built. What if we worked at our relationship with Jesus because having a great relationship with Him is the reward that lasts forever?  What if we worked at marriage to have a great marriage and worked at parenting you have great kids?  What if all the effort we put into building relationships on this earth are the future investment that will pay off in heaven because we are going to have so many loved ones that we built a relationship with and we will all be worshipping and working for the one and only God.

We get so locked into our job, our earning a living, and I realize this is a very important part of life, and if we truly believe we are on this earth for only this time and God is the provider of all things and we have eternity to look forward to, why wouldn’t we be investing all we have (even our work), all our time, all our attention with our focus on there, not here.

What if we invested in our kids’ future in heaven as passionately as we do their education and sports?

What would it look like to pray and spend time with Jesus as passionately and as faithfully as we do our work, or even our favorite sport or entertainment pastime.

I’m all for sports and education and work and jobs and all that stuff, I’m all about it ALL, I have lived at a football field this Fall, so trust me.....I'm all about it!!!

BUT

 I pray oh I pray, we learn to put Kingdom building first and most, not because we think we will get something but because we desire to, and we will know SOMEONE and be known by HIM!!!

My prayer for our Knees Overseas today is that we work our hearts out!  I pray we work so hard we have callouses on our knees.  I pray we spend our time on our knees here and there at the feet of Jesus.  I pray we work at building relationships that will last for eternity all over this world.

I want to recognize Jesus when I meet Him face to face, but I better get familiar with what His feet look like first.  In scripture when God shows up  people just hit the floor, they can't even look up, let alone get up, so I'm thinking His feet are a good place to start.

You hear these old guys that talk about their "glory days" in sports, or these older folks talking about what it was like in "their day".....what if we have to sit and listen to the same stories a million times for a million years because we didn't invest our lives, our time, in the people we get to spend eternity with and we have nothing to contribute or share because all our stories and experiences burned up in the fire and it didn't make the cut.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15New Living Translation (NLT)

10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

Guest Post: Lashae

27 days. We leave in 27 days!

The last time I went was almost 7 years ago. This will be my 3rd trip.

My first trip I wasn't even 18 yet. I had 4 weeks of high school left. And I skipped my "senior night" for softball, I skipped prom. I missed a lot of the "normal" senior events to be on mission in Uganda. Instead of finding a dress for prom, I found myself on my knees at a neighbors house sharing smiles and being given avocados. Instead of playing my last softball game, I was playing football (soccer) with boys from a boys home. Instead of going to assemblies I got to assemble with a bunch of strangers in a little "hut" they called church and sing songs to Jesus for hours, and learn what joyful giving is as they DANCED down the aisle to give their tithes.

For my second trip I was 18, had a very serious boyfriend (who is now my husband) and was on a mission to bring my sister home! I was working for a youth ranch and just passionate about living life to bring glory to the name of Jesus. I was still pretty footloose and fancy free, I had made the decision to not go to college so I could be more available to God's call. I didn't want to be in debt and go to college just to get an "education" for a "career", when I already knew what I wanted to do, and was getting to do just that.

Faith like a child

Fast forward to now, round three, life looks a bit different than it did back then. Now I am married. We have three young girls. I am at home with the kids all day every day while Chaney is out working his butt off. And I am going to leave them all for TEN days! The longest I have ever left was for 5 days and I had the baby with me. This time all three will be home with Chaney while I am on the other side of the world. And it has been awesome to get to say "yes!" to GO this time.

For the last 6 years I have been "the sender" I pack bags for the team to take, I watch all the kids and manage things on this side of the world. And it has been AMAZING! I have been so blessed to get to be a sender. When I first started doing missions I thought it would be such a "bummer to miss out and not go" and God has shown me how untrue that is. To be a sender is to be on the team too. I get to experience the spiritual warfare, and I get to pray my face off, and see the pictures of the items I got to pack and give to people I love over there, some I still have yet to meet but that are dear to my heart.

"arrows"

But this time I got to say "Yes" to GOING! And it is truly just as exciting for me to go as it is to send. The preparation looks a little different but the excitement is the same. And to say "yes" this time around has some strings attached, three sweet pink strings actually (my girls) and a big rope (Chaney) this time I have a family to leave, to help prepare for my leaving, to return home to, to pray for while I am gone. But I also have a pretty sweet entanglement of extra prayers, I have my own little "senders" this time.

safe with daddy

I know a lot of women that say "they can't go" on missions because their job is to stay home and raise their family. Which I agree, it is our job to raise awesome Jesus-following kids that grow into Jesus-following adults, and what better way to do that than to SHOW them how to say "yes" to Jesus, even when it seems a bit crazy and scary. I am not saying that doesn't mean there isn't seasons, I've needed to stay home for the last few years. But I have always asked "is it my time to go?" Sometimes we go, sometimes we send, sometimes we show how to follow Jesus in our own home with our loved ones, and neighbors and the lonely, and sometimes we do it by going and serving across the ocean. We've been able to send Chaney on mission and support him when he was serving in the church. Whether it's in our backyard, at the park, across the country or the world, we can show radical Jesus love to our kids. AND TRUST ME ON THIS, they SEE, they UNDERSTAND, God speaks to them and can even use them. Maubry is so excited to "send" me. She prays often for my trip and it has been such a blessing to talk through it all with her and encourage her growing heart to love the nations as she learns to love Jesus more all the time.

Something so big on my heart as I raise these beautiful girls is to teach them what it means to have our eyes on eternity. THIS IS NOT OUR HOME and although I fail at it often and sometimes it is scary I try to choose to keep stepping out trusting that this life is not all I have and that if that is true then I want my girls to live that and believe that and to do wild and wonderful things for Jesus all the days of their lives.

my favorite little senders

So, as I prepare to leave in 27 days, I might have a few extra items in hand (like a "special" picture Maubry drew me and tucked in my bible) and a lot of extra love in my heart but I have so much more to share. And so much more to return to and show how awesome it is to live for God every day of the week. Here or there. God is big enough to make a difference wherever we are, with whatever we have, we just have to ask to be a part of it. And sometimes that means we get to say "yes" to going. Or "yes" to sending. I want my life to be full of more "YES"!

Uganda: Guest Post From Our Ugandan Son, Andule Simon

The following is a post from Simon. Simon is our Ugandan son. I seriously have such a heart connection with this kid. I hesitated to share his beautiful post, only because he is so kind and gracious and says so many kind things about our family, posting it here felt like I was bragging in a way, so take it however you want, but the only bragging going on here from me and from Simon is that we are bragging on our God. We are bragging on the fact that He can change your life, God can make something beautiful out of broken people. God can bring us together as family, and He can heal hearts and He can use anything and everything we offer to Him.

Here's the God's honest truth: Before Charlie and Lashae went to Uganda the first time, we were totally against foreign missions. We had this idiot idea that we had to be good enough (according to who...I don't know, but we knew we weren't), and everyone in the USA had to be saved and thriving and we had to have all kinds of money saved up before we had any business going anywhere or doing anything for Jesus.

We were against it, and God invited us in anyway. We only agreed to it because Lashae was determined and we could see that. I had a very clear, come to Jesus moment where I was reminded that God gave us our daughter and we had to trust Him with her.

We were clueless as to what we were doing, Charlie would just say he was going with eyes wide open, he had no expectation and no idea why he was going, other than to keep an eye on Lashae. What Charlie didn't realize was God was using that trip to open his eyes and open his heart in a whole new way. God is so good at being God and sometimes I think it's the clueless people that just say yes, out of a willing heart, even if it's for all the wrong reasons, that God likes to use, because people watching the process can conclude, if God can use THEM (us) then He can use anyone. Well I am here to tell you, He can use ANYONE!!

From Simon:

THERE IS ALWAYS MORE WITH GOD

For the past seven years of my life, I have seen the power and blessings of ministry. I have learnt so much from those who do ministry and ministry has indeed changed my life
My first experience with the blessings of ministry was in 2010.. This was the time i met a missionary, a servant of God, a dad , CHARLIE BREWER and this has brought all the DIFFERENCE IN OUR FAMILY. We now move with a new name of LIVING TESTIMONY due to the glory of God. The BREWER FAMILY is our God-GIVEN FAMILY and with all they are have done to change our lives, the list is endless, we are only together joyful .

Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with songs of joy, then they said among the nations, the lord has done great things for us.
The lord has done great things for us and are filled with joy .
(Psalms 126:2-3)

In the next lines, I want to share about the lessons I have learnt so far about ministry.

1. PURPOSE;
When God calls you for ministry, there is always a purpose for this call. I have learnt that ministry is always for his glory and he chooses anyone , there is a purpose for this. You meet many people along the way, with different backgrounds and stories. You may hate or love some, the reverse is true, some maybe a blessing to you or you will be a blessing to those you meet . It only depends on God's PURPOSE of you meeting those people. It depends on who and why God has brought those people for you to meet. When I met dad CHARLIE BREWER in the most trying moments of our lives , no one could tell why we met , only God knew for what PURPOSE he chose this to happen the way it did . And like I said earlier , the purpose is ALL THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR LIVES .
Have you been called by God to do his Work?
Have you moved past your fears and got to work?

2. GOD PROTECTS
When God chooses anyone for ministry, he guarantees protection. When he choose Moses in the bible, he promised to Go with him . "My presence shall go with you and I shall give you rest " . He's a working and moving God. What he promises, he fullfills.
If we pray and commit ourselves to doing his work, he protects us in whatever geographical area he sends us. I have learnt all this from seeing people doing ministry work. Are you afraid of going to places to do ministry? God's presence shall go with you . Start from where you are, use what you have, and do what you can for his glory.

3. GOD PROVIDES.
Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. ( I Peter 5:7)
Your father knows that you need these things .
As God sends out his servants for ministry, he provides them with all that Is required to do his Work. Take an example of an Army of a country . When a government sends them for security purposes, the army is provided with everything, that is needed and if all these things get used up, they are sent more. This is how the kingdom of God works when it's ministry. He provides whenever there is need. His mercy moves with us daily .

I have come this far due to the love and care of ministers of God, am still carrying on due to ministry. The BREWER family met us and changed our lives . When stopped from knowing about Jesus to living in him. A time comes when the things of God that you once hated, now you love, and the things of the world that you once loved, now you hate . It's always change and I thank God for changing our lives for his glory . With all that i have learnt and that am learning ahead of me, I ask God to lead me and make the best use of me for his glory . I don't care HOW LONG I LIVE, all I care about is HOW I LIVE . I only want to live in serving him, I want it and I will HAVE it .
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF HOW YOUR LIVING?
As for me and my family , we shall Serve the lord .
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD COMES REMOTELY CLOSE TO THE JOY OF KNOWING THE LORD .
IT NOW DEPENDS ON ME AND I DEPEND ON GOD.

#amalivingtestimony .

  In this picture, is Simon and Patrick and their mother, who I love and admire. She raised these amazing boys and she is so kind to share them with our family. You have never in all your days seen boys more proud of their mom, than Simon and Patrick.

Matthew 14: 28-33

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Something hit me today....maybe Jesus called us out of the boat (our comfort zone) because once people saw that we could be used in all our mess and little faith, and wrong ideas, it will bring people to worship Jesus and say to Him,

 "Truly you are the Son of God."

Uganda: 35 days Ministry Changed My Life

I asked Patrick to share something from his heart that I could share on this blog. Patrick is one of our kids that we have had the opportunity to know and support and love for 7 1/2 years now. This kid is an amazing writer. His thoughts are deep and he has a beautiful way of expressing himself. I was so blessed by what he shared. I'm humbled as he shares how we came to know him, and it is only by God's grace that He brought us all together and let us be a blessing to one another. Patrick is very involved in ministry right where he lives and He is sharing the Gospel and encouraging others to use their gifts and talents for God's glory. We will walk alongside Patrick as he shares what God is doing in his ministry and we get to encourage and pray and cheer for all the great things God has done!!!!

From Patrick's Voice. (Patrick messaged this to me on a small phone. I complain about all the technology I have and how frustrating it can all be and this precious soul took so long to put down his thoughts on a very small and old phone). Lord forgive me for complaining.......

MINISTRY CHANGED MY LIFE by Patrick Brewer @patricksvoice

These days don't belong to me, they depend to God. GOD, APPARENTLY MY life doesn't belong to me, it belongs to you . You have got me out of many life challenges and brought me this far . I live my life to testify . As the days come closer each day, I have the joy in seeing my American family. My Dad, my mom, my sister , and all they are coming with . They leave their places and beautiful homes to come in Africa to come and do God's work. I have witnessed and seen the power and blessings that come with ministry . There is always a reason . I love ministry, I love serving mankind. I was blessed by ministry and I want to use ministry to bless others. I was blessed by ministry for seven years now, have you been blessed? , use your blessings to bless others , and your father in heaven will bless you . I was a nobody, hopeless, helpless, fatherless at the time ministry changed my life . There is always more to ministry, God calls us and leads us to bless his people, my dad CHARLIE BREWER blessed me and my family through ministry . My theme for all the years since I met dad has been "AM A LIVING TESTIMONY" this time round, am also getting involved in ministry and I know God has a lot to do for us. This year , God has promised and I know he's having a lot in plan. Fear not because he's God. He has better plans for you . Whenever he does miracles in your life, and you think he's done enough , he does it again . This a working God daily. I will be ministering with my dad mom, sister and a lot more . I know God has placed people ahead of me to meet , I know they will bless me and maybe I will be a blessing . That's the power of ministry. I have met a lot of people whom I never thought I would ever meet. I have been blessed by many people in my life. I am somebody today because of the added effort of everyone I have met in doing ministry. The childhood friends i grew up with are the people I talk to about Serving others for Christ came to serve but not to be served. In whatever places he's placing ahead of us, he's presence shall go with us. He's a Good father , he loves us . We are only NOTHING minus GOD.

There is a purpose for MINISTRY. There is always more. You will meet a lot of suffering humans. I have got COMPASSION FOR THE NEEDY. I now give the little I have for those in NEED. Maybe you have something not so useful but someone out there can't live because he lacks that . It might be a prayer, food, a word of encouragement. Make an impact in someone's life. In my brother's words " Let's use what we have to influence change. An impact at a time. It's our time to drive through change and make this world a better place. Let's embrace Change" The places you go to are not different. It's the change you want in such places that make the difference. Be the change. doesn't matter how many people you help, just help one. One once said "I give not because I have, but because I know how it feels like to lack something" . The world needs more of this . God is always calling us deeper . Andd them our prayers start "God I want to know more of you, I want to know you more . I want to do more for you . God is always looking for more of us,more of our attention , more of our trust he wants us to do more for him and then he does more through US . We are his vessels through which he moves, speaks and Acts Allow me share this part of the OCEAN SONG(where my feet may fail) Spirit lead me where my spirit Is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever you would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my savior God bless you .

These pictures are the kids that Patrick is pouring into.  He is discipling and teaching them about Jesus and giving them opportunity to use their gifts and talents to share their joy in the Lord with all who can see them and hear them!!!

What In The Shaving Cream Just Happened?

What In The Shaving Cream Just Happened?

This happened:

We were all just standing around at Family Camp and getting ready for a family fun time with shaving cream, when all of a sudden there was an explosion of sorts and things got really really messy and wild and awkward.

For all of us witnessing this event, we didn’t know whether to break it up, call the police, hide our eyes, hide our children’s eyes, take a shower, take a shave, or what the shaving cream to do?

 We knew we were witnessing something, wild and wonderful and a bit out of control.

It was like a big hot mess that set everything in order for these 2 wild ones . 

We just stood staring in amazement with dropped jaws, and a bit of the awkward nervous laugh going on.

Me and my sisters and my mom knew something these wild hippies didn’t know…..we had just witnessed something that had nothing to do with shaving cream, and everything to do with everything else.

We walked around in a bit of a daze for a bit, talking in low tones; when we would pass by each other, we would ask if we really just saw and experienced what we think we did. We would recount the shaving cream events to each other, and process what just happened during family fun time.

We were pretty sure we just watched 2 hearts collide and explode in a big mess of shaving cream.

It was evident that the mess had set a few things in motion and even if the people involved didn’t quite know it,  we all did.

When they came this summer for a visit and announced they were officially a couple (over facebook), I told them my prayer…..

I asked God and confessed to my hippies, that God would make this go quickly…whatever "this" was and whatever His will, just let it happen very quickly.

My prayer was either quickly unite them in marriage forever and ever, or quickly get them away from each other so the damage was limited to shaving cream.  It was clear after the shaving cream dance for all to see that these two were going to live life in full speed ahead, and so either figure it out and commit together forever or quickly go your separate ways.

 Welllllll…..let’s just say, God answered my prayer.  They are engaged and getting married soon.

When they announced their engagement and wedding date plans we were not surprised in the least, the whole family was like, yep, we saw this coming at a high rate of speed. 

 We knew from the “shaving cream fight”….it was going to be all or nothing, in very quick and wild fashion.

When I see this picture I just think of my wild son who God gave his  perfect dread-head darling, and how they could not be more perfect for each other.

I feel like this photo says….

Found woman.

Making wife.

Headed to cave.

We are feverishly trying to get everything figured out so these wild, young and in-loves can get married.

The most beautiful part of their relationship is that they both love Jesus more than anything or anybody else, they both have their personal relationship with Jesus, and they want to honor God in their relationship with each other, and THAT is worth putting together a beautiful celebration for all to enjoy in very short order.

These 2 love birds have decided to not even kiss until they are married and I think that is wise and beautiful.

Uganda - 38 days!

Psalm 90:14English Standard Version (ESV)

14 

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Today, our team is talking about fasting.  I really hate talking about this for some reason, probably  because I am a bigger mess than most peeps and it seems like fasting should be reserved for the spiritual people that kinda have it figured out, or the legalistic folks that make disciplines their religion.  Honestly, I would have not thought fasting was for me simply because of the 2 reasons I stated above, BUT God's Word says different and I'm thankful for a few brave people in my life, starting with my sister, that were courageous enough to share their experiences and understanding about Christian fasting.

*I say Christian fasting, because there's a lot of diet type fasting, and I'm talking strictly about Christian fasting and prayer.*

Americans, especially hate putting themselves in "uncomfortable" situations or conversations, and I am ALL AMERICAN baby!  We don't typically like to open up about our relationship with God or any other spiritual matter, except when we are in church or Bible study.  I think this is all wrong, I think living our life and relationship with Jesus out loud is how we grow and learn  from each other and be lights in a dark world.

  So I'm gonna dive in and if you think I'm weird, you are totally right.

Throughout the Bible people would fast and pray when they really needed to do serious business with God.  Yes, He can hear us with a full stomach, but do we really get serious with him if we are just talking to him in between laundry loads and meal times and Sunday?

God can hear us and do anything at any time, but we know from His Word that fasting is a really good way to get us in line with His heart, and show Him how hungry we are for Him to move in our hearts and in our lives and in our circumstances.

A way to sum up fasting is that we are hungrier for Jesus than we are for food.

In the Bible, when people were really desperate for God to move in their lives, they would fast as an individual, or a people, or a church. Fasting is gross and wrong if it's done for reasons of self elevation or trying to manipulate God (it won't work, thank God,so don't bother)  Our team is going to "fast" something  *everyone has chosen something different* s for the 40 days leading up to the trip and also set aside a day a week for fasting from food to some extent.  There's no rules of what to fast, or how long, or what meals, because that is how is gets twisted and legalistic.  Each person on this team has a personal relationship with Jesus, and I pray God speaks to each one of us about what that looks like for each of us individually and as a team.

Trust me when I say, we don't take this subject on because we are super spiritual; the only reason we can take this on, is because we are desperate for Jesus and we are anticipating and preparing for Him to do a work in all the people going,  the people receiving us on the Uganda side of things, and all the people staying and keeping the home fires burning and kids cared for.

A big part of being the "KNEES" on this trip, is to be in prayer, and that means even as we prepare.

I struggled once again with whether to share this post publically or not....I was thinking of the scripture:

Matthew 6:17-19English Standard Version (ESV)

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

I was reminded it's all about the condition  and motivation of the heart ...and for our team, of mostly introverts, it's easier to be quiet and hidden, than to be bold and brave, and humbly admit that we are doing things that might be  considered strange in our culture, because we are desperate for Jesus and His mission and His presence in our lives and the lives of all we encounter.  

I pray for our team, that our hearts are hungry for Him and we are only satisfied in Him.

Uganda: 39 Days Til Go Time.

John 8:12 (ESV)

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Sometimes I run by myself in the pitch dark, early hours of the morning.  I can do it because I have a head lamp.  It's quite cold and lonely and dark and scary, but  I do it because sometimes that's the only way and time allotted to make a much needed run happen, and if I don't run, the day may fall apart before it really gets going.

When I run in the daylight, even if it's just the beginning of daylight, with friends, the run ends up filling so many more purposes than just getting through a run for survival of me and the people I may encounter on that particular day.  A run in the sunlight, with friends, gets my blood flowing and makes me feel joy and friendship.  The run goes by with such little effort, because the time running in the Light was beautiful and peaceful and fun,  not dark and scary and lonely.  The benefits of running in the Light last all day.  Sometimes, there's so much follow-up conversation and relationship from that brief run with friends in the rising sunlight.

As I was running in the dark by myself yesterday, with only the headlamp light, I was ducking and diving at every little movement and sound.  My heart rate was extra high from feeling - on alert - to all that I couldn't see.  I got thru it, but it wasn't as effective as it could have been and I didn't really enjoy it much at all.  It may have helped me get thru the breakfast routine with a little more grace, but the benefits of running in the dark, with only a head lamp, were pretty minimal and short lived.

I began to think about ministry and specifically our upcoming trip to Uganda.  There are many ministries and missions where artificial means are used to light the way; they believe they are doing good and doing what needs done, and they are working so hard and making it happen and getting thru the process.  Sometimes, it does work to an extent, but it is minimal and the benefits are short lived.   I don't want to go to Uganda or anywhere else to just get through it; I want to experience the joy and power of changed lives with eternal effects.  I don't want to just go thru the exercise like I do for a run in the dark with a light strapped to my head,  I want to go and run in the Light and enjoy the process.

Matthew 5:14-16English Standard Version (ESV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

My prayer for our team is that we only do what the spirit leads us to do and we don't make up anything with artificial means, or with our own power. 
My prayer is that we are completely and fully dependent on the Spirit to lead and guide and show us the WAY!  My prayer is that we operate in the power available to us thru the Spirit that the Lord Jesus promised to us. 

Psalm 18:27-29English Standard Version (ESV)

27 For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.

I sure hope we don't have any walls to leap over, but if we do, I know God can get us over it, even in a skirt! 

Uganda: 40 Day Countdown!

We are getting ready for a trip to Uganda.  Part of the fun of praying and planning these trips is seeing who God puts together to GO!

Psalm 96:2-4English Standard Version (ESV)

2 

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 

Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

4 

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

I am going to use this blog space for the next 40 days to share as we get ready, set, and GO! 

Today I will introduce the part of the team (so far) that is going from the USA.  I say it like that because there are people that are just as much or more a part of the team that actually live in Uganda.  We just get to join them and walk alongside them for a few weeks to enjoy our Lord and worship Him together.  We have 7 people (so far) from 3 different states.  I love to tell the stories of who and how God put together the team each time, it's always different and so very unique and special.

Our team is:  Knees Overseas In Love

Charlie and Jenay - Oregon

This was my first time in Uganda and Charlie's second time.
  Feb. 2011.
 Adopting Esther and pregnant with Maezie.

This was the last time Charlie and I got to go to Uganda together, and we went as a family.
Jan. 2015 - Pregnant with Cellie.

This will mark 7 1/2 years since Charlie's  and Lashae's first trip ever to Uganda.  This will be his 8th trip to Uganda.

Charlie is a Ugandan in white skins as Tucker would say.  Charlie comes alive in a whole new way when he is over there. I pray each time he goes that he brings back all the wild joy and boldness and brokenness that he operates in over there. 

This is my 6th time going to Uganda.  I have children and friends that I love as much as the children and friends in my everyday life here.  I know that sounds crazy to some, but it is just what God has done to my heart. I miss my family when I am there for 2 weeks and when I am here for the other 50 weeks, I miss my friends and family there.

Charlie and I  will spend our 28th wedding anniversary in Uganda together at a Ugandan wedding.  I can't imagine celebrating what God put together 28 years ago any better than being in one of our favorite places with some of our favorite people and doing what God has laid on our hearts to do!  It's seriously better than any extravagant vacation I could ever plan.....

Charlie and I have only been able to go together 3 other times.  This trip will be our 4th, and I can't wait to see what God does! 

Brenda - Oregon

This is her second time going to Uganda.  Brenda is a treasure to me and everyone she meets.  This lady knows how to roll with everything life throws at her, and she always comes out smiling and stronger and more beautiful than before.  Brenda is a friend and a sister in Christ and I feel completely humbled that God would put us together again to GO and share and encourage and serve our Lord and encourage our friends in Uganda.  

Brenda is very familiar with serving and praying, and this team will be marked by those 2 things. 

Brenda brings a calm and a joy to every situation and relationship that she encounters.

Brenda is a wife and a mom and a grandma and a daughter and a friend, and so much more!

Lashae - Montana

This is Lashae's 3rd trip.  This girl of mine, and I have never been together on any of our Uganda trips.  Lashae was the original one that God had laid on her heart to GO, and we said NO, and God said YES!
 We got overrode, and it pretty much wrecked our lives.  We were headed one direction with our lives and the "wreck" sent us in a different direction and it has been a wild mess ever since.
  All we can think about is going back to where the wreck happened.  Jesus took our lives in a whole different direction that doesn't make a lick of sense in this world, but it is the only thing that makes any sense at all.

 Does that make sense???

Lashae and Chaney has 3 of the GRANDest children I've ever known!
Chaney will be taking care of all the GRANDS while we are gone.  Oh this is what it looks like when a family lives on mission!

Jenna - Montana

This beautiful woman is a dear friend of Lashae's, and I consider her a daughter.  She has never been to Uganda before.  She has had a year of loss and grief and heartache and she is ready to jump out of her comfort zone and see God do something new and fresh and full in her life, and the life of people she encounters along the way. It was no surprise to me that after enduring the year that Jenna has endured, God would send her to some new territory and encounter Him in a new way and serve and pray and end this year on an adventure with HIM!

Jenna and Lashae are good friends and they do life and they do business with Jesus together, and now they are ready to GO Knees Overseas  together.  They are leaving behind husbands and my 3 amazing grands, but they have so much love and support from all the people in this photo and beyond, that we know everyone will only be better and stronger and closer than ever.  We are fully dependant on the Lord for all the people going and staying!
 These 3 families know what it is to really do life together on a consistent basis, and support  and pray for one another!

Kim and Alexis - Washington

This is a mother daughter duo.  They have never been to Uganda, but they have been on mission trips and they have caught the fire that comes with GOING and sharing the LOVE of JESUS!  They know how to take a leap of faith, not having to know all the details, but knowing in their hearts and in their bones that this is the thing God has truly designed them to do.  They are Jesus loving women, from a Jesus loving family, that live this life out in a way that stores up treasures for a Kingdom that is to come.

We have known Kim for close to 25 years, and we have known Alexis since she was born, and I am in awe and quite giddy that God would bring us together for this trip. 

This family knows how to serve in every sense of the word.  They love and serve the Lord our God first and foremost.  This family knows what it is like to be on the front lines for each other and for our country. This man of theirs, Kim's husband and Alexis' dad, is a Colonel, State Representative, and a Deputy.   This man of theirs protects and serves in so many ways, in so many uniforms, I can't even begin to tell you how safe and terrified I feel knowing he is sending 2 of his most precious gifts in this world to GO with us.  Brad's first response is to pray, and then he is a man of action; he is the best kind of first responder! 

 We are going to be going with a ton of prayer on this side of the world and also the added assurance that this man is connected to God, and connected to every type of protection this country has to offer. 

Our prayer is that we GO as a body that God has put together for this mission, for this time, and we will

 GO,

 Knees Overseas In Love.

Many people go to be the hands and feet of Jesus,  I feel like He is sending us to be the KNEES this time.  

We will go and pray and serve like we have never before.

  We will

 GO

 KNEES OVERSEAS

because we are

 HEAD OVER HEELS in LOVE

 with JESUS!  

He has given us so much and we just want to GO and do something crazy and see Him work in our lives and the lives of the people we get to see and serve,

 because we are :

KNEES OVERSEAS IN LOVE.