Painting TRUTH
" In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ...The mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and shares together in the promise of Christ Jesus." Eph 3:4-6
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:8-10
"Therefor he is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Heb 7:25
Painting can be very tiring, especially when you have to keep your arm up and make sure every stoke is perfect. The last few days I have been working at Chicago Hope Academy, a small Christian school. I am painting Bible verses on the walls so that eveyone who walks through the school can remember God's Word and live it out. Today was my third day painting. A few of the teachers, office secritaries, and students have stopped by to talk with me and make comments. Kiwa and I have chatted a few times between his to and fro from maintaining the school building. Kiwa is a middle aged man who shines Christ. All he can talk about is the Lord and what He has done for him. He is very simple and doesn't take pride in his postion or social status but rather in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today Kiwa stopped by while I was bablancing myself on a countertop with a paintbrush in hand. He started talking and I just listened. Truth just spilled from his mouth as he talked about the simplicity of reading God's word and praying. He knows he does not have strength to live everyday on his own or even overcome sin, so while he works or at home he prays and trys to encourage everyone he meets.
Kilwa's words were very encouraging to me. I think he has had a rough life yet knows his worth in Christ. He has this glow about him and is rubs off on the people who talk to Kiwa.He sticks to God's word and doesn't let students or others puh him around.
Sometimes I try so hard to do what I "think" God wants but I end up frustrated with my efforts. Above are a few verses I found while reading. This is how God sees his children. It's so simple. We can't do anything on our own but His GRACE is perfect and His promises for me and you will NEVER fail. He might use a simple man or woman to remind you of his grace and love.
Sitting in the Father's lap
Someone told me I should try to keep up on updating my blog- i have to admit this is a weak point of mine-blogging that is. Tonight Ill keep it short. I find myself in a place searching and yet often times missing Christ. He desires to express His love for us in a personal way, but i skirm like a little kid trying to get out of dad's hug. God is the full expression of love. He is the perfect dad and doesnt force anything on us but loves it when we choose to be with Him. This life on earth can be so dreary and oppressing without Jesus' forgiveness and blood covering. Thank God I am called his child.
In Max Lucado's book he quotes 2 Thes 3:5 "May the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience."
It's short but sweet I think. Watching tv with my mom tonight made me feel spiritually and physically sick. I can see how ugly sin truly is, and how refreshing the Lord's love is. God the Father looks at me as perfect and acceptable because Jesus loved me on the cross. Even when i completely mess up he is ready to forgive and let me sit in his lap again. Sometimes I even try to figure out my problems or questions about the future...it is the most frustrating place to be. But when i give up trying and sit before my Father he leads me into his love and makes my path straight. Am I satisfied in His presence and love?
Coffee and the Word
It has been far to long to update this blog but I am very thankful for suffient power and access to the internet than I did in Uganda. I would first like to appoligize to my friends who have wanted to hear how I have been doing and what's going on right now since arriving home in early June. I am very sorry but would like everyone to know I am so grateful for the encouragement, prayers, emails, and questions since coming back to the chicago land area. The more Ive talked to people the more i realized how blessed and how i was covered in prayers while living in Tanzania and Uganda. So THANK YOU and THANK THE LORD!!!!!
Since coming home it has honestly been an awkward adjustment to society, family, friends, and my relationshio with God. It's hard to explain but it has taken some time to get use to going into a grocery store, a clean bathroom, or even sleeping in a bed! All these things i had no idea would feel so foreign after being gone. I see now how many things use to clutter my life and time. Nonetheless I see God's awesome hand in my life-and not because of where I went or did-but because of God's changing power in my life. I truly believe god brought me to Tanzania and Uganda to peel away myself and my old character to show me the power of Jesus in me and to bring Himself glory. There were times that were very rough and yet they were used to peal off my oldself to become more like Christ.
This summer flew by faster than any summer I can remember. Although it has gone by quickly I am so grateful for the people i met up with...both from DTS and friends/family from home. Tim Dyk came out from Washington to visit with my family but also to start a realtionship after praying and being apart for 6 months. It was a very good time and I was able to show him all the chicago highlights but most of all catch up and be together. Later on John Vicory and Mrs. Vicory traveled from Denver to Chicago for his second benefit show at Fitzgerad's where many close friends and family came out to buy his photos, hear about the different ministries they could support, and hear Sharon and my friend Mo sing. It was a night to behold and I believe God connected many people where God moved in the conversation.
In August God opened up a door for me, Sharon, and David (my bro and sis) to work at a privately owned Christian Coffee shop called Elijah's. It was a prayer request I had in Uganda and it is such a cool place to work and talk to people about the Lord and serve coffee! The atmosphere is really chill and I love talking to the "regulars" that come in everyday for their lattes or dip coffee.
Two weeks ago I jumped in a van to go on my church's junior high leader's retreat! Every Tuesday I will be helping out with the junior highers to know God and make him known. I never thought I would go back to the juior high years of my life but the students are so cool to hang with and God is teaching me so much through their lives already!
Many people have asked me, "so what's new for this fall?" Its a question I have been asking myself and don't have a clear answer for. In October of last year I heard about a YWAM photography trip that would travel around the world and focus on the oppression and injstice of women and children around the world with Biblical training, world view studies, and photography training. After a really really long time of praying and seeking God out all I have heard and understood is that I am to be patient and wait. So for now im trying to be patient, stick to what's infront of me, be responsible, and allow God to lead.
Waiting is one of the hardest aspects of the Christian faith. It's hard to believe Jesus, Paul, Abraham, and the disciples had to wait on the Lord before starting any of their ministries. America is set on the fast track we don't like to wait for anything. I find this trait in myself and have to lay it down again and again so that in everything I am moving, breathing, and listening to God.This is where I am soooooo grateful for God's Word and how He humbles me when I feel so hopeless. Last Sunday at church the guest speaker taught out of Isaiah 50 and how God's servant was faithful to him even in the darkest hour. I really like this verse...
"Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will triumph...trust in the Lord and rely on your God." Is 50:7-10
Thanks for taking the time to read this and also for your prayers! God is in control and when I cannot trace the hand of God I can trust his heart...even if I have to wait.
Pig's Head and Slashing
Here's the first weekly update!
One week ago a good friend of mine, Sara who is Nigerian, came to the Hopeland base to work on staff with the AIDS conference. Sara and I met each other in Tanzania when I was on outreach and she was in the middle of her YWAM School of Biblical Studies. Last week myself, Sara, and my other friend Sara took a trip to the Nile River, which is close to Jinja Town. It was quite the adventure. We jumped on the back of local motorcycles and went down to the source of the Nile, sailed on a wooden boat, and ran into a thunderstorm! Needless to say, we were all fine and felt exhilarated after sailing on the Nile River and Lake Victoria even though we were wet!
(Sara(Washington) Sara(Nigeria) Me(Chicago))
(Lake Victoria-the source of the Nile.)
This last week at Hopeland has left me very tired and sleepy but I feel a sense of accomplishment. For any improvements to happen on base the leadership must be informed and have detailed plans about the future changes for the conference. Lucy (my leader) met with the head Hopeland Leaders this last week to discuss plans to decorate, clean, and build up the base to prepare for the conference. We got the OK on everything and now starting to move in full gear. There are five weeks till the starting day of the conference! Yikes! It's a little crazy but the Lord is blessing the works of our hands as we run around and plan!
One exciting new aspect to our team is the joining group members from Tonga! A group of YWAM missionaries from Tonga came to Hopeland last November and are committed to serve in Uganda for two years. There are eight Tongans who have put aside their other commitments to help our AIDS conference team to prepare for May 27th. Having them part of our team is a true blessing because of their undivided commitment to prayer, strong hands, and good attitudes. It is a pleasure to work with them, pray with them, and be their friends.
Every morning we meet outside at 6am to walk around the base and pray. At times it is very hard to wake up but I believe it is vital to seek the Lord's face in everything we do. After that, we have tea and biscuits for breakfast then start right away on slashing or a meeting to go over the day's schedule. Everyday this week I have slashed for about two and a half hours….my muscles are looking a little manly! Jk There is a lot of tall grass that needs to be cut down and we don't have a machine to do it. Overall it is not too bad since the Tongan men can do twice as much as a normal person!
(conference hall...area after slashing)
The Tongans are good friends of mine now and I enjoy working with them. All the staff played a game called 'Secret Angel' this past week. Each person picks a name out of a hat and secretly blesses them for a week. The person who is blessed is called the mortal and the blesser is called the angel. I was the moral of Zachious, who was my secret angel. He blessed me all week with little gifts and yummy food. A few days ago all the Tongans invited their mortals to have a pig feast! The pig was amazing and I even had the chance to hold the head! Yuk!
(Pila, Lupe's husband, and me eating the pig's head...jk)
My main project this week is designing and transforming the hang out room, called 'The Common Room'. There are many repairs needed to be done but also a touch of artist love in the room. It's a bit of a challenge to plan out a nice looking room with a small budget but I will try to do the best with what we have! The Common Room will be turned into a café for the conference for our guests to sit down and relax. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to help out in this area!
A few of my team members Rachel and Rob are leaving to go back to Australia and Canada. Their time had ended here and they both feel it is God's timing to go home. It is hard to see them go but I know God is my strength. They leave this week and last night our Makapala team went out for a special good bye dinner. It was so nice to just sit back and think about all the memories starting from Hawaii up till now. I had a curry dinner and when I woke up this morning I felt sick. I feel better now but I want to take it easy this weekend.
(Conference team out for dinner!)
Friday night all whole base celebrated together for a wedding fundraiser. There was plenty of African coffee, cakes, and dancing. The Togans put on a benefit dessert night to raise funds for a YWAM couple that is getting married in a month. In Uganda, it is custom is to ask family, friends, and the local church for money to put on your wedding. It seems strange to us from Western cultures but here it is normal to ask others to support you.
It was a night filled with laughter. The Tongans put together some of their Tongan dances and then a few Ugandan women shook there bums to a local Ugandan dance. It was a night to behold...I joined in dancing also!
Overall this week has flown by and I can't believe all that has happened. Praise God!
A few points of prayer:
1.Commitment to prayer and seeking the Lord daily
2.God's protection from sickness and from discouragement
3.To work diligently and dedicate everything to the Lord
4.More applications for the Conference
5.Conference Finances (we still need about $70,000) we are sending a PEPFAR applicaion in for US funding and contacting others for support.
6.Finances for a laptop computer for my work as well as preparing for this fall's photogenx trip
I didn't realize how crazy this week has been until I started writing. I truly appreciate your prayers and I would love to hear back from all of you if you have the chance. If you have questions or want to know more of the details I will do my best to keep you updated! You can email me at Rudytudy88@gmail.com.
YWAM Hopeland, Uganda- My home
(little girl I met at the Torch Clinic)
(Preparing nuts for peanut butter)
I would love to use this site to keep everyone updated with what I am working on here in Uganda and how God is moving. I realize I had started another blogspot page but I feel this one will motivate me to write weekly updates. For the last month and a half I have travelled quite a bit. I first arrived in Uganda after my two months outreach in Tanzania. My Tanzania team left to go back to Hawaii for a debriefing week to complete their YWAM Discipleship Training School. The Lord has called me to extend my time in Africa and graduate my DTS on the mission field!
Right now I am living on the YWAM Hopeland base here in Jinja, Uganda. Since graduating my DTS I have joined a team of staff to put together the first international YWAM leader's conference on AIDS and compassion. My role is to oversee the hospitality here on base and for our guests attending the conference on AIDS starting May 27 to June 3, 2007.
At the moment, I live in a room with 5 other girls who were with me in Makapala, Hawaii. They as well are dedicated to serve on staff at Hopeland for 3 months. We girls love to chat outside our rooms and reconnect as friends since leaving Hawaii to go on seperate outreaches. On base there are about 70 people who are involved in different ministries and schools. The AIDS conference team includes about 12 people including myself.
The first few weeks our work seemed slow and not much was being accomplished towards the conference but after much prayer and delegating responsibility, we have seen much progress. Everyday my faith is being challenged and strengthened as I depend on God for our financial needs, physically protection, and blessing over everything I do. My daily chores include: working in the kitchen preparing rice and beans, cleaning my room, killing snakes, ants, and mosquitoes, meeting with leadership to discuss future plans for the base, praying, and much more. The Lord is seasoning my faith as I work.
Although I am adapting to life in Uganda I have experienced a huge lesson about faith and waiting on God. For the last three months I prayed for a way to go to England for a week for my friend’s wedding and to spend time with my dad's family whom I havent seen for 7 years. For weeks I prayed, waiting for God to give me the 'ok'. There was no clear answer and I became nervous as time and money were running out. As I continued to prayed I felt I was to be very honest with God and tell him what I was thinking. Now I see he was preparing me for a time of faith.
(Rob and I preparing food)
I remember sitting down at the office computer one week before the date of the wedding praying, “Lord, I want to dedicate my desires to go to England. I pray that you will open the doors or close them. If you open them I will dedicate everyday to you.” At that moment I felt I was to just buy the ticket and see where God would lead. The planeticket was bought and I was shocked that I would be leaving Africa after 4 months to go back into western culture and visit people I know!
(Nate, Mary, me, and Ben at the wedding)
To make a long story short, God did bring me on a trip of faith. Everyday I dedicated my time and resources to God. I wanted to be fully available to Him since he blessed me with a trip to England. Before leaving Uganda I had no idea who would meet me at the London airport or who I would stay with. Needless to say God continued to answer my prayers and made my path smooth all the way to London and back again to Uganda. While I was in England I was able to share my story and faith with a number of people on the airplane, family, and friends. The Lord blew me away by how gracious he is and how he makes everything work together for good.
(England-St. Paul's Cathedral behind me)
Back in Uganda I shared with my team of God’s faithfulness and about my trip. The Lord used me to speak into the staff and push them to wait patiently on God while walking in faith. Now, I am looking ahead to the conference but also spending more time with God and learning to have more faith.
