As
I wrote this it is early afternoon on Monday. I just received an email
from Pastor Doug that they have just arrived in London. They are all
doing well and have a little time before boarding for Entebbe. Just
wanted friends and family to know they are half way here!
When Godfrey came to pick me up on Saturday, I was surprised when I jumped in to find Vivian, Joan and Jonathan with him! We went on a shopping adventure! I am glad that the day before the market was too busy for us to find parking. It was much more fun to have them with us. Godfrey uses them to learn more about shopping and budgeting by bringing them with him. We were able to make decisions together about what was needed for the house. The money that you have all given to support Raining Hope helped to purchase much needed supplies!
We also went into the central market to buy matoke (bananas) and meat. It makes it all so much more fun by doing the shopping together! Jonathan said, “I love doing the shopping and helping Uncle Godfrey!”
We stopped by a favorite restaurant, Ozzie’s to pick up bread for the house. Godfrey left me in town to do a few more errands. He went to drop off the supplies and the kids to make room for our trip to buy beans. When he came back, I had him come with me to pick up paintings from Rita that we were having framed for the house.
The town was full of Muzungus that afternoon. On one side of the street it was really busy. So we crossed over to the other side to visit my friend Faith. When we crossed back over to go to the Source Cafe, I was so engaged in the conversation with Godfrey, I wasn’t looking down. In front of the Source Cafe the bricks and pavement are extremely uneven. So yes, my sandal got caught on the pavement and I went flying! The beauty of being behind in my updates is I can tell you that I am doing fine (Monday). But when it happened I was holding my reading glasses. They hit the ground in my hand and broke. My sandal that got stuck was a foot or so behind me. Godfrey was stunned probably more than I was. He kept saying, “Sorry” which is culturally what someone says even though it is not their fault. But he had not noticed that I said I was bleeding at the palm of my left hand. As I turned to go into the Source to get a napkin or something to stop the bleeding, I didn’t notice he wasn’t following. I came out looking for him, but he was no where to be found. Then I noticed him crossing the street coming toward me. He had gone to buy bandages and medicine to take care of the wound. He quickly took on the role of Dr. Godfrey! We went back into the van which became our little hospital. I can be strong and courageous until you put antiseptic onto an open wound! Godfrey kept wiping the wound and trying to pull off the skin that was broken. I finally said, “Let me.” He was sure that I couldn’t do it because I was injured. I told him, “No, I can do it.” What was going through my mind was our other girls that are dealing with is so much more than a little injury! I thought, if they can do it, so can I! But let me tell you...it was not an easy moment nor was it one of my most graceful ones! Also, my first thought was actually, “How am I going to garden today?”
I survived what I thought was the end of it. But no...we then stopped at the pharmacy to pick up more bandages. A pharmacy here is more like a small clinic. He talked to them to tell them what happened. When the woman looked at it she said, “We need to clean it so there is no infection. Sit here and I will get what you need.” Let me tell you, there is a reason why in eight years I have never been injured. God knows what we can handle! She cleaned out the wound THOROUGHLY. She saw some small stones in the cut and wanted to make sure nothing was left. I leave it to your imagination to feel what I felt! After that they applied more stinging stuff. They kept saying, “You are going to be fine!” I felt like such a baby! I think I deserved a lollipop after all of that!
What I didn’t notice until I was in the van on the way to the clinic that I had also scraped up my arm and elbow pretty good. They gave me ointment to put on throughout the day. I am also on some kind of tablets or antibiotics I think to ward off infection. What an adventure. The kids didn’t even know until we talked about it during our devotions.
I told them the funny story about how the medicine hurt. I showed them the bottle and said, “This bottle is not my friend!” They roared in laughter. But I turned it into another object lesson about how the medicine hurt but was needed for healing. So in our lives, sometimes we go through things in life that hurt. They again gave examples of things that are discouraging and hurtful in their lives. Many were the same things as the list from the night before. Yet, God uses those times to grow us in our walk with Him. I talked about very painful times in my life that I now praise the Lord for. I had to go through those times and circumstances in order to be where I am today. Again, they got it. I am thankful for the situations I am finding myself in that they are being turned into lessons we can learn from. But at this point, I really thought I could do without the falling down! But until tomorrow’s update and you will see how this turned into something more.
I also talked about Ezekiel 47 how Ezekiel was given a prophetic vision by God. The angel of the Lord leads him deeper and deeper into the river that flows from the temple of God. I read a devotion about going deeper from my “Reckless Devotion” book. The devotion talked about God drawing us into the river so we can be immersed in Him. We talked about going in the Nile River and being ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, neck deep then fully immersed. The purpose was to illustrated the deeper you go the harder it is to walk on your own. The deeper you go the less you see of yourself and the more you see Jesus in you. So to illustrate it, I used 5 of the kids. We got sheets to cover each one up to their ankles, knees, waist, and neck. The last one I had completely covered with a sheet. The devotion said, “Ezekiel came to a place of immersion. I am continually contending to be in this place in my life. I pray a holy hunger rises up in you, too, so you will begin contending for a life of full submersion and enter the place where your will is totally subject to His will, your spirit to His Spirit. This is the place there the miracles can begin to happen...Surrender to Him and let the river flow. Go deeper still.”
The kids got the visualization of this truth. They all want to be fully immersed. They all want for Jesus to be so visible in their lives that they become invisible. Amen!
I keep notes so that I can go back and write the updates knowing that I can’t always write them the same day. So I came to today’s notes and realized the story I told you of watching Henry lead the choir actually happened on Saturday! So as I looked back on what happened Friday, that is when we all practiced the song we will do next Sunday at church together. We are choreographing a song for me to sign and the children to dance behind me. I am also using Esther to sign with me in the front. It was so interesting to be a part of watching Henry do his part with the choir. He said, “Mama Kisakye, I hope it is ok but we go over and over one part until we move to the next part to make sure they get it.” He was more concerned about slowing me up. I assured him I would follow his lead. He just beamed with confidence!
We finished the night having matoke! That is one of my most favorite things to eat! We have a new cook that is a joy to have in the house. When I told her that was some of the best matoke I have ever had, she was so well pleased!
Godfrey prayed a beautiful prayer over me as he dropped me off this evening. It is overwhelming to look back over the last eight years and see all that God has brought us through. It is overwhelming to know that God has entrusted me with this ministry and this family. Of all the places in the world, I am thankful that God sent me here to become a part of this culture.
As the children say, “God is good, all the time, and all the time God is good and that’s His nature, wow!”
When Godfrey came to pick me up on Saturday, I was surprised when I jumped in to find Vivian, Joan and Jonathan with him! We went on a shopping adventure! I am glad that the day before the market was too busy for us to find parking. It was much more fun to have them with us. Godfrey uses them to learn more about shopping and budgeting by bringing them with him. We were able to make decisions together about what was needed for the house. The money that you have all given to support Raining Hope helped to purchase much needed supplies!
We also went into the central market to buy matoke (bananas) and meat. It makes it all so much more fun by doing the shopping together! Jonathan said, “I love doing the shopping and helping Uncle Godfrey!”
We stopped by a favorite restaurant, Ozzie’s to pick up bread for the house. Godfrey left me in town to do a few more errands. He went to drop off the supplies and the kids to make room for our trip to buy beans. When he came back, I had him come with me to pick up paintings from Rita that we were having framed for the house.
The town was full of Muzungus that afternoon. On one side of the street it was really busy. So we crossed over to the other side to visit my friend Faith. When we crossed back over to go to the Source Cafe, I was so engaged in the conversation with Godfrey, I wasn’t looking down. In front of the Source Cafe the bricks and pavement are extremely uneven. So yes, my sandal got caught on the pavement and I went flying! The beauty of being behind in my updates is I can tell you that I am doing fine (Monday). But when it happened I was holding my reading glasses. They hit the ground in my hand and broke. My sandal that got stuck was a foot or so behind me. Godfrey was stunned probably more than I was. He kept saying, “Sorry” which is culturally what someone says even though it is not their fault. But he had not noticed that I said I was bleeding at the palm of my left hand. As I turned to go into the Source to get a napkin or something to stop the bleeding, I didn’t notice he wasn’t following. I came out looking for him, but he was no where to be found. Then I noticed him crossing the street coming toward me. He had gone to buy bandages and medicine to take care of the wound. He quickly took on the role of Dr. Godfrey! We went back into the van which became our little hospital. I can be strong and courageous until you put antiseptic onto an open wound! Godfrey kept wiping the wound and trying to pull off the skin that was broken. I finally said, “Let me.” He was sure that I couldn’t do it because I was injured. I told him, “No, I can do it.” What was going through my mind was our other girls that are dealing with is so much more than a little injury! I thought, if they can do it, so can I! But let me tell you...it was not an easy moment nor was it one of my most graceful ones! Also, my first thought was actually, “How am I going to garden today?”
I survived what I thought was the end of it. But no...we then stopped at the pharmacy to pick up more bandages. A pharmacy here is more like a small clinic. He talked to them to tell them what happened. When the woman looked at it she said, “We need to clean it so there is no infection. Sit here and I will get what you need.” Let me tell you, there is a reason why in eight years I have never been injured. God knows what we can handle! She cleaned out the wound THOROUGHLY. She saw some small stones in the cut and wanted to make sure nothing was left. I leave it to your imagination to feel what I felt! After that they applied more stinging stuff. They kept saying, “You are going to be fine!” I felt like such a baby! I think I deserved a lollipop after all of that!
What I didn’t notice until I was in the van on the way to the clinic that I had also scraped up my arm and elbow pretty good. They gave me ointment to put on throughout the day. I am also on some kind of tablets or antibiotics I think to ward off infection. What an adventure. The kids didn’t even know until we talked about it during our devotions.
I told them the funny story about how the medicine hurt. I showed them the bottle and said, “This bottle is not my friend!” They roared in laughter. But I turned it into another object lesson about how the medicine hurt but was needed for healing. So in our lives, sometimes we go through things in life that hurt. They again gave examples of things that are discouraging and hurtful in their lives. Many were the same things as the list from the night before. Yet, God uses those times to grow us in our walk with Him. I talked about very painful times in my life that I now praise the Lord for. I had to go through those times and circumstances in order to be where I am today. Again, they got it. I am thankful for the situations I am finding myself in that they are being turned into lessons we can learn from. But at this point, I really thought I could do without the falling down! But until tomorrow’s update and you will see how this turned into something more.
I also talked about Ezekiel 47 how Ezekiel was given a prophetic vision by God. The angel of the Lord leads him deeper and deeper into the river that flows from the temple of God. I read a devotion about going deeper from my “Reckless Devotion” book. The devotion talked about God drawing us into the river so we can be immersed in Him. We talked about going in the Nile River and being ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, neck deep then fully immersed. The purpose was to illustrated the deeper you go the harder it is to walk on your own. The deeper you go the less you see of yourself and the more you see Jesus in you. So to illustrate it, I used 5 of the kids. We got sheets to cover each one up to their ankles, knees, waist, and neck. The last one I had completely covered with a sheet. The devotion said, “Ezekiel came to a place of immersion. I am continually contending to be in this place in my life. I pray a holy hunger rises up in you, too, so you will begin contending for a life of full submersion and enter the place where your will is totally subject to His will, your spirit to His Spirit. This is the place there the miracles can begin to happen...Surrender to Him and let the river flow. Go deeper still.”
The kids got the visualization of this truth. They all want to be fully immersed. They all want for Jesus to be so visible in their lives that they become invisible. Amen!
I keep notes so that I can go back and write the updates knowing that I can’t always write them the same day. So I came to today’s notes and realized the story I told you of watching Henry lead the choir actually happened on Saturday! So as I looked back on what happened Friday, that is when we all practiced the song we will do next Sunday at church together. We are choreographing a song for me to sign and the children to dance behind me. I am also using Esther to sign with me in the front. It was so interesting to be a part of watching Henry do his part with the choir. He said, “Mama Kisakye, I hope it is ok but we go over and over one part until we move to the next part to make sure they get it.” He was more concerned about slowing me up. I assured him I would follow his lead. He just beamed with confidence!
We finished the night having matoke! That is one of my most favorite things to eat! We have a new cook that is a joy to have in the house. When I told her that was some of the best matoke I have ever had, she was so well pleased!
Godfrey prayed a beautiful prayer over me as he dropped me off this evening. It is overwhelming to look back over the last eight years and see all that God has brought us through. It is overwhelming to know that God has entrusted me with this ministry and this family. Of all the places in the world, I am thankful that God sent me here to become a part of this culture.
As the children say, “God is good, all the time, and all the time God is good and that’s His nature, wow!”
Immersed in Jesus,
mama eydie kisakye
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