Every time that I look at the calendar I am shocked at how fast time is going! I cannot believe that it is already March first and I have been in Uganda officially for two months! Life is so good! I cannot believe at times how much God has blessed me, it is far more than I could ever deserve. These last two weeks have been really “normal” by my standards and there are no earth shattering, funny or super exciting story’s to share. I can only tell what God has been teaching me, and before anyone sends me angry messages about how everything is a good story, I do know that everything is interesting I just mean nothing out of the normal.

                Probably my biggest learning curve in the last month, and even since coming to Uganda, came last week at our Thursday night bible study. I cannot really pinpoint what made me realize this or come to the decision that I did but I came to have a new theme, not only the next three and a half months, but for the rest of my life. The theme of the year for our Watoto 360 class, and the entire church, is Fresh Start, last week I realized that along with that my theme needs to be surrender. One thing that I know about myself is that I have a hard time with trust.  I may say that I trust someone or something but ultimately I still like to be the one in control. When something matters to me I will do all that is in my power to make it happen and often I find it incredibly hard to let another step in and believe that they will do as good a job as I desire to do.  I have always said that I trust God and I know in my head that he requires me to live a life of surrender to Him, and for the last 19, almost 20 years I have done a very good job of letting myself believe that I have given everything up to God. I haven’t. He is one person that I trust completely and know will always have my best interest in mind but I still don’t give everything up to him. I still like to hold onto many of my dreams, my fears, my hopes, my future and my past. It is as if I tell God, “ok you can have this little piece of me but I am going to keep the rest”, or at other times I will say with all sincerity, “ God it is yours, take it all,” but then as life starts to become hard again I take back all that I have given to Him.  Well after last week’s revelation I can say with honesty that I have begun to truly let go. I am not perfect and both of the above situations will continue to apply to my life but I have started to truly surrender. It seems that since making this my theme every time I turn around God is showing me another area that I have yet to give up to him and each time I let something go I find that it is a bit easier than the last.  I am learning that just because I have surrendered something to The Lord does not mean that I no longer care about it, I do not throw my hands in the air and say “God whatever you want to do I don’t care go ahead,” but it does mean that though I still care deeply I do not worry. I still present my prayers and petitions to Him, and I will still labour in prayer but I no longer worry about the outcome.  This is a journey that I am just beginning and I know that there is still so so much that I have to work on, but already I have been blessed with the peace that transcends all understanding in many of the areas that I have given up. For that reason I can say with confidence that God is so good!!! He is so far above anything that I can ever understand or deserve but he loves me and walks with me every step of this journey that he has placed me on.

                To end on a lighter and fun note, last week we were again in Subbi village, this time not doing sports ministry but just spending time in the homes. I was incredibly blessed to be in cluster six where there is no shortage of small children to play with. After some wandering around I found them all and Thomas and I sat down to teach them duck duck goose. It was not exactly the game we would play at home with the kids but it was fun none the less. After that Thomas taught them all how to be monkeys by lifting them into the trees nearby and in order to keep some sense of order when they had received their turn they were to go sit with “Aunty” Jess.  There is one thing that no one mentions to you when you are coming that I have come to realize is quite important, and that is the difference between African hair and Muzungu ( white ) hair. Theirs does what it is told and does not move! It is not slippery or soft but course and when it is put in small braids ( plaits) it needs no elastic in order to stay in. Needless to say I have quickly learned that my hair ( being blond especially) is a novelty. When Thomas told the kids to go sit with me he could not have predicted that I would not move for the next forty or so minutes as I became the center of an impromptu salon.  At any one time there were eleven pairs of hands pulling and braiding and running their fingers through my hair. I have seen the pictures and it was quite a sight! With one little girl, Hope, sitting in my lap and eleven others all around me I was in my element. When Thomas told me it was time to go I was quite sad and had no idea how to get up!! It may sound easy but when you have twenty-two little hands in your hair it can be a challenge! The other somewhat funny moment came when I found that my sandals had been peed on , or as we say here susued on, by a little one who didn’t quite make it inside. Well needless to say I did not wear them until later when we could find water to wash them with. When I came back up top carrying my shoes my house mates had a good laugh at the story.

 So there you have it my last week has been normal for me, challenging, but rewarding. The two things I would ask prayer for is guidance into the future, not only for myself but all my house mates as we try to discern what God desires for us after 360. Also if everyone could keep Rashidah in their prayers. We went to visit her last week and it may be the last time we see her as she is going to try to move in with some other friends. She originally moved to the place she is now when she was expecting and was promised help with the baby. Now that she is childless she is seen as a burden and is not being cared for as she should be. She hopes to find work and move and though I am saddened by the thought of losing this friend I do understand and will do whatever I can to help her. So if everyone would pray for her I would be incredibly thankful.  May God bless you all at home, you are in my prayers and I thank you for everything, each prayer and encouraging word means the world to all of us over here.