GOD IS AWESOME, FAITHFUL, AND TRUE!!! Trip to Uganda, Africa Part 1

WOW! There is so much to say! We were blown away by the loving kindnesses of God, by His faithfulness, His tender mercies! After a whirlwind ride on the eagle wings of God to the uttermost parts of the earth, we are still soaring. Our hearts want to burst. Oh how very, very grateful we are to God. Thank you to all who prayed for us and our children these past weeks.

Yes, we want to go Back!  Psalm 126 says so well what we feel.

“When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing, shouts of joy and triumph! Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done Great Things for them!' The LORD Has Done GREAT Things for Us! We Are GLAD!"

At the beginning of this journey with God, I had the impression that God wanted us to spy out the land that He had planned for us to claim for Him. Way back, Pat and I started to pursue a path for overseas missions. He gave us a dream, He sold our home, we would attend some mission training, then He’d drop us back near home territory. The scenario happened again and again. I’d cry and wonder what was wrong. Each time God would remind me that it was the Journey with Him, the relationship building with Him, trusting His plan that counted. It was not my plan for great works for Him that He wanted. We, as a family, as individuals, had so much to learn.

God definitely used us each place He took us. Yet, He taught us more, showed us our sinful hearts and drew us closer to Himself through all the trials.

So now, we looked back and saw our journey through the desert, through Egypt. The years in bed sick, the plagues we have gone through. God had not placed the dream in our hearts for no reason. Just as Joseph’s dream was for a time yet to come, his hope to return to his home for a day in the future, so is our dream. Our family had to be brought together, our lives needed to be shook up through trial, sins confessed, our relationship with the Lord, deepened and refined.  We are not there yet, but “We have called to the Lord and He has heard our cry.” We believe that He will take us all the way through to the Promised Land.

We have been sent to ‘spy out the land’, and it is Good. Yes there are giants in the land, obstacles along the way that can discourage us and send us crying back to our desert.

BUT… We will remember the mighty works of the LORD, we want to choose to trust in Him. Just as He delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh, parted the seas, killed the giants, fed them with manna and quail and gave water in the desert, so He will do for us. He will bring down those giants in our land.

Already He raised me up from a sick bed, provided for all our needs, feeding us often from the mouth of ravens (dear friends who’ve blessed us over the years), kept our marriage through many a storm in these past 35 years, and gave us 6 beautiful children,  who know Jesus and are seeking to serve Him. Our 5th grandchild is soon to make her appearance also and we praise God for each one!

The very first day out I, Sheree, was tested. I hate being late and Pat is slower than I’d like. All morning little things kept popping up that needed attending to and I was ready to blow. WE’LL BE LATE. Panic was in my heart. At the airport, he could not find a parking place and I was inside at the ticket booth fretting…. Where was He????? Ahug!!!      I prayed. I sang… “I am Trusting Thee Lord Jesus” over and over. Ok. Gabriel found him in the airport going the wrong direction… he would have found me eventually... “Yes God… I need your help… calm me.” Ok, got our tickets, in the area to wait… BUT… ice and snow were falling and no plane. We left our phone at home and our computer was not able to work without paying for internet… can’t ask anyone to pray. (I knew there were people praying; what was wrong with me?) We’d fly soon… Nope. We waited. Late to take off. I counted the flight time. Our little time between flights was being eaten up. Finally on the plane.  Good, we will make it on time… Oh no. Now what…? De–icing… spraying the whole plane twice?!  NOOOO!

There was no way we would catch our next flight. We’d miss them all. “God you know we only have a few days there in Uganda. I don’t want to spend it in the Newark airport!”

I knew in my heart that it was an attack from the enemy. I was out of sorts and that is not like me. It was intense!  “God help me! Forgive me for my fears." I cried out to Him and ‘He heard my voice.’

HE did. Up above the clouds God revealed Himself. I had been looking at the clouds, so gray from my view on the ground, seeing all the circumstances from down below. Yet God was above it all. Now I was there too. In the Sonshine! Wow! What a difference that view made! The clouds were white and fluffy, beautiful!

There was good in them. He was teaching me through them. I was on a journey with God. Pat and I were not going on a vacation. This was not our idea. It had never entered our minds till 2 months ago. God told us to go. He was taking us on His journey, on His timetable. He wanted us to see His heart, His work and He wanted US to share the ride with HIM! We had no great job to do, no vision for our plan. We only had the excitement that God was up to something and He chose us to be part of it. I weep now as I think of the awesomeness of God’s grace on us!!!! What love!!!

My heart calmed and I enjoyed the ride. We landed in Newark just 10 minutes before the plane to Brussels was to take off. We were told that international flights generally do not wait. They fly on time and this one just closed their gate. YET...

Remember, I had been pretty much bedridden for nearly 2 years. I did not even walk well through Aldi’s. Pat did all the shopping. I was not in shape. Well…. God had me run. A Longggggg way. Pat out ran me. The airline folk said they would hold the plane as long as we made it in before take off. (How is that holding it?) Oh well, we ran!  Pat got there and the gate was closed. He told them. “My wife is back there…” He dropped the bags and ran back to pick me up. I had just stumbled and dropped my 2 bags. (They were heavy as we carried school books for the base director’s child.) I was wiped out, but we made it and GOD OPENED THE DOORS. We struggled in as the plane crew cheered. Truly God’s hand had carried us.

We realized our check in bag would not make it and we were glad to have put extra clothes (just a few because of having 30lbs of their books with us) in our carry on. We were on our way to Uganda. We could deliver the school books and make it on one outfit if the rest did not come with us. GOD WAS TAKING US ON HIS JOURNEY AND THAT WAS ALL THAT MATTERED!

To be continued...