THIS!!!
Mark 10:28-31
28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
These pictures are the definition of this verse.
We only *give up* a week or 2 at a time and look what God has given us for children, property, brothers, and sisters....
I can't imagine my life without these people and places.
Above is Mulondo Patrick is so dear to our lives. We have seen him as a student and now as a grown married man. We have hosted him in the USA and he has taken care of us in so many ways in Uganda. Patrick is the contractor on this Redeemer House Guesthouse being built behind us.
Andule Simon! Our son for many years and now we have now added Annette to the family. She took care of so many things at CSI Guesthouse and her and Maezie bonded over dishes and laundry.
Angel (on the left) of course takes care of the kids when I am there. She kept them several times for me while we were there, TRUST me....they were better cared for in her care, than in mine. I let a lot of things slide...like bathtime, and Angel keeps them squeaky clean and fed! She even washed their feet before we headed to the airport.
This is Angel LOVE!!!
My beautiful Sister Helen and her hubby Robert. This lady sings with a voice that touches my soul. She is one of the quietest and shyest people around until you put this lady behind a microphone singing for Jesus, then she sings with power and conviction.
Her voice gives me holy chills.
Before the crusade, it was HOT and the worship team had a long hot ride to the RH property. I was sitting with Helen and her voice was barely a whisper and sounded so dry
( I was freaked out thinking she wouldn't be able to sing)
I offered her some water, and she replied, "No thank you, I am fasting."
The whole team had been fasting all that long hot day. They were fasting for Jesus to come and bless the crusade. I was humbled and concerned that my singing Powerhouse Helen would not have a voice by the time it was crusade time. My concerns were ridiculous, she stepped up on that stage when it was time, and came with all the power in Jesus name and she brought the house down.
That girl sang long and hard with power and beauty and never missed a note or move.
This is my beautiful Joanita. She is the wife of Mulondo Patrick and there is a small part of me that takes a little credit (hehe) for his marriage to her. Patrick and I were at an adoption conference in the USA and I began to "quiz" him about his relationship with this beauty queen. He had no doubt that she was the ONE for him, but he was getting everything else in his life in order and set before he married her.
I told him if he knew she was the one, quit wasting her time and his and marry her NOW...they could get the rest in order together.
He listened to me :) and I think they are both pretty happy about my advice.
Seriously, people, this is the house we stayed in for 2 nights. We were right on the Nile. I honestly did not want to leave. It was gorgeous! Owned by a beautiful family, and staffed by wonderful people and connected to a thriving ministry.
The whole place and everyone in it SHINE with God's beauty!
Maezie was never without her baby and pregnant belly fix. The girl obsesses over pregnant bellies and as God would have it, just because He is kind, He gave her a sweet belly to rub while we were there.
This is no random belly either, Emma has been in our lives since Lashae and Charlie's first trip to Uganda and we never miss a little visit with her when we go there.
Family!!!
This is a beautiful FAMILY photo. I told Tucker and Irene I wanted a picture of their family (even though Divine was at school; so we missed her in the photo session) and my kids jumped in without even thinking twice. I kinda laughed and then took the picture. When I saide FAMILY they knew they were a part of it, so they positioned themselves right in there.
This is FAMILY!!!!
FOREVER FAMILY!!!
Pastor Tucker and Irene are some of our best friends in the
WHOLE WIDE WORLD.
I can't put into words what this family means to me.
God put our families together at a time that I needed guidance and friendship like never before.
The funny part is we met this family in the USA.
Only God can make those connects that will last for eternity.
This is Brian. This man is one of the busiest guys in all of Uganda. He was not able to come to the crusade the first day, and I knew that I felt a missing piece, but I also understood his absence.
He has a million things going on. When I saw him from a distance show up the second day of the crusade, I felt my whole body relax. I was shocked about how that happened, I didn't even realize I was tense.
I saw him show up and the next thing I knew he was behind the microphone praising Jesus with all his might. Brian is younger than me, but so much wiser.
He is like a big brother to me.
When I learned of a situation at the crusade it was confirmed why I felt the peace of God when my big wiser younger brother showed up.
There was a witchdoctor that showed up and tried to create chaos in a sneaky way and as soon as Brian got word of it, he handled the situation without hesitation and without a scene.
The witchdoctor was not scene or heard from the rest of the crusade.
These ladies are 2 of my best friends in all the world. When I prayed for Patience, God gave me a living breathing Patience (pictured on the right) with skin on. She lives up to her name and she is a gift to me. Irene is a mama like me, and I love her and admire her for the wife and mother and friend and ministry leader and most of all the way she loves Jesus.
Every moment I can get with these friends is a gift from God.
I could go on and on and post many more pictures, but this is a glimpse of what this verse means to me.
A snapshot of how God puts into action this verse. I pray He sends us more places, for the sake of the Gospel, because I know the benefits. I feel the LOVE!
Simon and Patrick's mom is a gift to me! These boys are sons to me! This family is FAMILY to us!
God's Kingdom and ways are so upside down in this world.
The world would say we are giving up time with our family, and using money that could be used for lavish vacations or nicer things.
Time with these people in these spaces are the biggest most lavish gifts of love I could ever hope for.
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