I'm Not Talking to the Back of Your Head

If I have heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times, these words come out of Charlie's mouth,

" I won't talk to the back of your head."

He says this when the kids respond to him as they are walking off or walking by.  He says it, if they are in conversation and the kid has lost interest or thinks they are finished talking or getting instruction before Charlie is actually done and the kid begins to walk off. 

 Charlie often threatens to throw something at them in these situations, to get their attention...he says,

 "One day, I'm going to throw something at you, if you are facing me when we are talking, you will see it coming otherwise it's gonna hit you in the back of the head."

*For all those worried....I'm sure this is only a threat, or if he does throw something, it's like a sock or something. * (wink)

I was thinking about prayer and how we hear from God and these words of Charlie's came to my mind.  I felt like the Lord was saying.... I hear you and I'm right here, but I won't talk to the back of your head.

I often throw out my prayers and read my Bible,  looking to get close to God and to hear what He has to say, and then the silence gets awkward or boring and I resort to my phone or move on with my day.

I have been desiring a more powerful prayer life and I've realized it takes daily repentance - turning toward Him - so I can experience more intimacy with my Father.  Often times we think of repentance as a one time thing, or limit it to a confession of sorts. 

 I do think this is part of it, but I think it is just simply facing Him. 

 Giving Him our attention, turning towards Him, and staying turned towards Him, in the good stuff and the bad stuff,  not turning away from Him.

Matthew 3:8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Maybe part of what Jesus meant when He said these words was telling us to keep turned towards Him,  every single day in every situations.   Speak to Him everyday and letting Him speak to us; not walking off in our own way, which gives Him the back of our head.  When we are turned with the back of our head to Him, we are not turned toward Him, there are only 2 directions in life...facing Him and facing away.  

I think often times...we come to Him, and feel like we get relief or forgiveness, or even instruction and insight, and we say,

"GOT IT."

And we turn around and walk away.....in our own way, and He is saying stay facing me, I'm not done, I have MORE for you.  

Oh I pray that I can stay turned toward Him.  I pray that when I start to walk off, He throws something at me....like a sock (wink).... and gets my attention so I turn towards him and stop turning away.  

28 Wedding Anniversary in Uganda

Patrick Brewer posted this about our 28th wedding anniversary in Uganda.  I had to copy to my blog and add pictures, so I could have it forever!  Thank you Patrick.

#Day4( fun day, full of joy and very funny- celebrating two things in one )

After our day in jinja, we had to get back to kireka for the most awaited day. Friday was a day to kick start the journey of cake. Friday was Reece’s birthday and we got to share aunt Patience Kirabo’s cake. Her cake was the beginning of the journey of cake. As my dad charles brewer would put ‘we have had a lot of cake on this trip than in our entire life.

Do you remember the wedding at Cana in the Bible where Jesus performed his first miracle.

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee . Jesus’ mother was there and Jesus his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone , Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘they have no wine’
4woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied “my hour has not yet come “
7 jesus said to the servants , fill the jars with water. 8 now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet’
10
(John 2:1-11)

This time round it was a Ugandan wedding at CSI , one of the members of the staff of CSI was celebrating , there was no changing water into wine, it was all about cake. In Uganda ,if one attends a party and doesn’t eat cake, that person doesn’t count it as attending a party and he would go with thoughts of “this party wasn’t serious, we didn’t have cake” I can’t tell the thoughts of others beyond Uganda about the cake issue . Ours was beyond, it was in excess. The English men say ‘To much of anything is always bad” . The cake was too much.

This day was so special and it was a long day, There was a CrossFit from Lashae Bowen that was too serious. Then it was time to pick that serious dress, shirt, shoes that you had prepared for the day. It’s in Ugandans to always dress to the nines when it comes to functions like that . I saw my American team attending a Ugandan wedding . It was a new adventure to them. The ladies in the team had to take all the time they had to prepare and look gorgeous for the day.

The first session was to attend the church ceremony where the pastor was to share about the biblical view of marriage and everything in that line.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . Wives , submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the lord . For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church , his body , of which he is the savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives , just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish , but holy and blameless .
‘For this reason , a man will live his father and mother and be united to his wife , and the two will become one flesh.”
(Ephesians 5:21-31).

That was the message the pastor based on while joining the two using a ring to become one flesh. It was all through a series from petty to serious ones. The marriage message made me doze but Aunt Kim klippert couldn’t allow me to sleep. I think I needed a nap as she said. Then after the church ceremony was getting done , as a culture , the pastor had to command the bridegroom.

“You May now hug the bride”

That’s what the culture says, the American team had a different idea about this , in America, as one member of the team explained , it’s said

“You May now kiss the bride”

Then Andule Simon was against this , he replied in disappointment
“In public? “
‘In Uganda, they don’t kiss in public , better yet, in church’
Maybe he had his own idealogy about it. Everyone is entitled to his or her own ideas about something.

Then, from the church , we had to get to the reception. Before we could set off, one member of the organizing teams comes in and says
‘The bride wants to take pictures with the team, we are heading gardens to take photos ‘

‘Since it’s her day, we will follow her lead’, one of the team members said as we found our way to enter the cars and take their direction. I liked everyone’s thought about each other, the lady were ready for the photos. I wasn’t sure why I would follow the group for photos with the married couple, but I had to follow were the lead takes us.

The ladies used one van as the men also used the other van led by past Tucker Nsubuga. We drove in the crazy Uganda traffic jam until we reached the spot were the photos were to be taken , Everyone in our van was very hungry . So my dad decided
‘We should get back the guest house, have lunch and we shall meet the rest of the group at the reception, we have tried our best after all ‘ this idea was the best to me, I don’t know about the rest.
We drove back home, had lunch and rested to make sure we are ready for the reception activities.

Time was up, we had to set off and get to the reception. Should I call it luck, because as far as I can remember , we attended two weddings. This was serious. We first went to a party we don’t know about, since the party we were meant to attend was just across. We entered and everyone welcomed us. we even took a group photo not knowing that we are misplaced , locally known as “fluckers” . We tried to look around and see if the rest of the team that was there all in vain till when we were directed to where the actual party was.

In a few steps walk, we reached the reception , and we were directed at a table. It was a table reserved specifically and a note was placed on it “VIP” I really don’t buy the idea of such privileges , it’s cool but am not a fun. It’s okay with me sitting anyone, and see someone else have something better. So some kids and I chose a table across and that’s what we made ourselves comfortable at.

I tried looking around because my eyes couldn’t see two members of the team. It was necessary to take care of a member of the team before you do to yourself . I learnt this from this trip . Each one was an eye to the other and in that case, we were all safe. Dad Charles Brewer couldn’t sit in a car unless we were all in. That was a lesson to learn. Someone’s life is as important to you as your own. Later on I got to know that the missing members were not feeling well and had chosen to stay in the van . It was a worry moment in a lovely wedding. You had to make a prayer for the two . We ate, took sodas and it was all good.

Later in the night , it was time to cut cake. And the master of ceremony announced a surprise. I asked myself , what surprise could this be at someone’s wedding? Ohh, it was good surprise. My mom and day Jenay Brewer and Charle Brewer respectively were marking 28 years and they were celebrating their 28th anniversary in Uganda at a wedding . So instead of the couples cutting the cake, they decided to call the Brewers to come and cut the cake. It was a smart move I can tell, there was dances , American dancing and African dances combined , there were songs of praise and jubilation . I saw the American team dancing to the tunes of a song from Eastern Uganda commonly known as “Kadodi”

I loved everything about this day, the first days were about doing charity, serving others before ourselves,but this day, was full of fun and jubilation. I personally Carried the cake for my mom and Dad for their 28th Anniversary celebrations.

Congratulations mom and Dad upon this day your an example the the rest of the world and congratulations the married couple. We enjoyed eating your cake.

Thank you for reading . Be blessed

Hungry and Satisfied. Exhausted and Exhilarated.

Patrick asked if our team would each give an account of our Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in Uganda.

It was a slice of heaven - in Kim's words, and she said it perfectly.  It truly was amazing to be in church praising and worshipping and hearing the Word of God for close to 6 hours straight and feeling like it was just a few sweet moments of what it will be like in heaven.

There were people from many tribes and tongues all praising the same mighty God.

  We worshipped and danced and celebrated and prayed until the sweat was running down our backs.  These people have their worship in order, they worship like it is the biggest blast and highest privilege of their lives. 

 They give their best and most in worship.

 They don't hold back, they don't save it for work or play, they give it all right there as if their very life depended on it.

  There is a joy and a freedom to come together and worship our great God.  

 Oh, if we could all grasp this concept and worship and praise and pray and seek the Lord with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. 

Mark 12:29-31English Standard Version (ESV)

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

When we first got to church, there weren't a lot of people, it was a smaller crowd, but it was full of life and love and praise and prayer. 

  After 2 hours of worship the tent felt different, so I looked back and the place was packed full of people that had slipped in and joined the service.

  The people had streamed in throughout the first 2 hours and the worship team never missed a beat, they sang and danced the same when there was a small crowd as when there was a church full.  

They weren't singing for the people, they were singing and praising for an audience of

 ONE!

The ONE and ONLY true God.

 What I realized later, was several of the churches CSI has planted out in the village,s had bussed people in to enjoy the day all together at the main campus of CSI in Kireka.  They bussed in so many people from hours and hours away, so these folks had to start their day very early, and they had come from many hours away and they came and enjoyed worshipping together as one body.  

It was a celebration!

These people love God and they love their neighbor (even if it is in a remote village from hours away) and they didn't want anyone to miss this great day, so they went to all the trouble and expense of bringing people together.  

CSI ministry team then feeds all the people that have come from the outer villages, and they bus them back to their village.  

The dedication to give people a place to meet with Jesus and to meet with other Jesus lovers is unlike anything I had ever experienced.  

Each of our team got an opportunity to share at the church service.  God had something special and so individual for each of us to share.  I remember every one so specifically:

Lashae shared a song in Swahili (this is not their main language) but there was a Kenyan man there that did speak Swahili and him and Lashae taught us and the band picked up on it in about 4 seconds and we all sang it. 

 The song has significant history to Lashae, as she learned it before she ever stepped foot in Africa, but she learned from a friend and sang it as God was putting Africa into her heart.  

She has now passed that song on to her oldest daughter, Maubry, and I know God is doing something in her heart as she sings it too.

Jenna, found her joy!  Jenna has had a year of grief, as she has recently lost her mom, but Jenna found her joy and she shared it with everyone there.  Her joy was not only found, it was contagious.

Kim, had been so sick the day before and she hung in there thru the whole service and tearfully  expressed gratitude for getting a taste of what heaven will be like.  

Alexis, shared a piece of her testimony that just blasts the love of God and how much he truly loves us no matter what we have been thru.

Brenda shared how thankful she was to be with the people in Uganda for the second time. 

Patrick and Simon introduced themselves and greeted the people so well.

Charlie and I shared a few things God had laid on our hearts, and we also got to celebrate our anniversary once again.

  We had more cake and more dancing; it was a total surprise, and a fun celebration.

We headed back to the guest house, hungry and exhausted, and  yet we were more satisfied and exhilarated than ever before. 

Slum Oasis

As we have visited the same slum area three different times in the last few years there is one place that stands out in my mind.

This little place is toward the end of the slum area.  Usually the deeper you go into a bad area when there is much poverty the worse the condition. 

  This one particular place at the very bottom of the slum stands out like a sweet little oasis. 

It has a door, which is rare, it has a little porch like step to get out of the mud and dirt, which is rare, and it has a gate, like a little baby gate, and it is clean of all garbage.  The whole thing is about the size of a bedroom, but it stands out, and looks safe and cared for and full of healthy life.

This time as we rounded the last corner as we were going thru the slum I was holding my breath thinking I had just made up that little place or thinking I had exaggerated it or remembered it wrong, or thinking maybe it would be a big mess this time and it didn't last.

Last time as we came to it, the children were safe and cared for behind the little baby gate, and the dad was sweeping the dirt outside.  This time as we came to it, the place still looked like an oasis, right in the midst of the slum,  and the dad was happily playing with his small children.  I went over to talk to him and encourage him for all his hard work and compliment his beautiful family,  and his happy and smiling wife, heard our voices and poked her head out from the curtain that was in front of the opened door. This just added more beauty to the picture of this sweet little place.

This stands out in my mind of how all of God’s children are safe and protected and cared for and provided for even if we live in rough living conditions.  Our Father is close and watchful and caring for us.  We may live in a world with a whole bunch of garbage strewn about, but if we stay close to Him, we are in His care and our lives will look different than those around us.

When we offer candy to these children as we do all throughout the walk thru the area, these kids are different.  They do not grab and they do not run up to us, they are polite and they first look at their father to see if he approves of what we are offering.  Oh if we could grasp this concept in our relationship to our Father God.  May we not reach and grab for the things that seems so sweet, but always look to the Father for guidance and direction and let Him tell us what to reach for and what to leave alone.

The pictures are not from the house or the area I was describing.  I did not get any pictures, as sometimes people feel like you are exploiting poverty if you take random pictures.

  I added this picture above instead, as this is some friends of ours.  Charlie got to baptize Eve, the mom of these 5 children when she was pregnant with #4.  Eve works at Redeemer House.  This family is so beautiful and has the joy of the Lord just bubbling out of them.  The dad in this picture is name is Moses and he doesn't have use of his legs, but he works as a baker right in the place where this picture is taken, and he is a hard working man that loves his family and cares for them so very much. This family inspires and humbles me.  

Not Recovering.....

I’ve been a bit of a mess since we got home from Uganda. 

 Ok…maybe a super big mess.  Call it jet lag, call it culture shock, call it hormones..…I honestly don’t care what you call it, and I don’t  think it’s any one of those things.

  I think I’ve had my bell rung

 (when someone takes a hard hit and is stunned for a bit.)

  I didn’t take a hit to the head, but I took a hit in the heart and my bell has been rung and now I can’t un-ring that bell and I can’t seem to get the ringing in my heart to quiet down.

I was asking the Lord for help.  Help me to know what to do with all this….

I’m not adjusting, I’m not getting back to “normal”…I don’t know what “normal” is anymore.

I feel like my whole life has changed and nothing has changed at all.

This morning I was reading John 21, with all this on my heart.

After Jesus had spent over 3 years with His disciples, and their lives were forever changed, they didn’t quite know what to do with themselves, so they did what knew before their world was turned upside down…they went back to fishing. 

John 21:3English Standard Version (ESV)

³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Jesus showed up right where they were and he told them what to do.  He told them to put their nets in on the other side, this made no sense but they did it anyway.  He had done this before when they were fishing and things weren’t going well, he told them to throw their nets back in deeper water after a long night of no success.  They did what He said both times, and He provided abundantly all they needed for the next part of their journey with Him.

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

We often want to do things that make us look smart and accomplished and spiritual and wise.  Jesus just wants us to listen to Him, follow Him, and do the next thing He tells us.

Love Him!  Love His peeps.

Even when Peter jumped in the water to get to Jesus faster, Jesus sent him back to bring to Him what He had abundantly provided so Jesus could add it to what He was already cooking up for Him.

⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

 We are back to doing what we know, and I know Jesus has some stuff cooking for us right now, and when He gives us the next thing, even if it makes no sense, I pray we jump in and swim like our very lives depended on it.

 

I don’t want to miss anything God has for us.

  I know he has so much for us here at home and in Uganda.

                 I love these beautiful people!           

A Little Taste of Heaven

We are headed home.

I am so thankful for our time in Uganda. 

I’m excited to see my kids and family at home, but my heart already aches to go back to Uganda.

When I tell you I have family there I don’t mean that lightly.

We have kids and sisters and brothers.

 

The more I get to know different family members from different tribes and tongues and nations the more I long for heaven.

Revelation 7:9-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

We spent a part of every day in a church setting of some sort, some were permanent structures with cement floors, others were tents with brick floors and others were pole barns with dirt floors, and others were a patch of grass, or a gathering on that rich red dirt.

  We went to weddings and young student graduations, and conferences and worship services, and we sang and prayed and celebrated and learned and taught in a different context every day that we were in Uganda.

No matter what we were doing our God is at the center of it all.

We have learned thru Scripture and experience and studies have shown that we can do so much to help people, we can give of knowledge and resources and support and help so many needs, but when we share the Gospel and pray to God all the needs of the people are met by Him, He is faithful and He shows up.

  When people take hold of God and trust Him with their lives and it begins to spread among a family, a village or slum or people group, then health care and education and poverty automatically begin to take a turn for the better.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but over time, there is a turn for the better.

Yes, it is still a pleasure and an honor to help when there is a need and God allows us to go and help and use the gifts and talents He has entrusted us to share, but if that is done and there is no sharing of the Gospel, it is a temporary dead end solution, we are just making ourselves and the person in need feel better for a moment or a season, we are just doing a kind exercise.   People need the Lord, and He will supply every single need you can ever have.  Sometimes we get to be the ones he uses to supply for the need, but even that is a direct gift from God that we get to pass on to whoever He tells us.

 The only thing we can do is be in awe of Him whether we are on the giving or receiving end, and everything He gives us to do or everything He gives us thru others will last for eternity.

That is Good News for all of us!!!

Sharing the Gospel and giving out something that can bring a smile is the

 BEST!!!

Harvest = Labor and Celebration

Matthew 9:35-3 (ESV)

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

 So we did.  We prayed and he said GO!! 

 We said, "Really??  Us???"

He said YES!  You Go.  And we did and we have enjoyed harvest season.

In harvest season, there is so much to do and so much to celebrate.

 Laboring in love and celebrating with joy
with the Ugandan laborers during the harvest season.