And so it begins. My husband just packed the truck full with the little bit of furniture we have. The pink desk. Our lopsided shelves. Now the china bowl from Zanzibar with the crack in it that I love because she said it reminded her of us, is empty on the floor. I remind myself …
Give thanks for the morning sunrise I am well enough to see. Give thanks for the husband still warm in bed, his arm over his head in dreams. Some days we give thanks because we don’t know what else to do. Because if we truly look we can see the gems shimmering through the …
For some reason, before this year, I had never actually watched the African Queen. Which seems absurd from someone who spends most of her time in East Africa. I decided on my sabbatical that this was a wrong which needed to be righted. What struck me most was the determination of Catherine Hepburn. She …
“and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:3 Most of you know I love *LOVE,* I love weddings, wedding dresses, flowers, and yes, even Valentine’s Day! This year, I want …
So the rain pours sweet and cold. Washes away the dusty road grime. Cleans us. Fresh, like His love. I’m driving home after a long, sweaty day. I hold the tears back. 7 hours at the hospital. No food. No water. Only to find out another one. Another one has HIV. And she’s pregnant. Alone …
We sidestep trash and puddle-filled stench. We move through the narrow corridor of buildings in the slum. And there in the midst of it all, we find glory. In the small, dark room we huddle. We’ve come to love. To stay. In solidarity. When Niclete starts to sing, tremorous and brave, the women start …
When the baby stops breathing I feel the stone harden heavy in my chest. I am not there, but on the phone I expel quick words and urgent instructions. I feel the fear clutch. Not again. A thousand unanswered questions. A hundred expectant dreams. Not yet fulfilled. But I dream still. I say the …
Many of you know the struggles we’ve faced the last few months and so many of you have stood with us in prayer. Today I felt like the hand of God reached down from Heaven and answered many tear-soaked prayers. So I just want to say thank you. To God. And to you: I …
There is the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” but I think it’s more fitting to say, “Be careful what you pray for.” I’m sitting in my little prayer room which is sparse except for a yoga mat, a map of Uganda, a camping chair, a concrete floor strewn with tissues. But …
I see you. God says, as my heart breaks. I know. He says, as I turn into the covers to cry. If you ask Him for compassion, if you ask Him, to help you love. He will blow your heart wide open. Love, such a beautiful thing. But it hurts too. Last week, my …
Many times when people come to visit Zion Project in Uganda, they often ask me, how did you manage to get this thing started? Well, the short answer is, Non-Profits for Dummies and lots of late nights and frappuccino’s. But nothing, nothing prepared me for the challenge of doing the whole process all over again …
It’s funny that I used to think Gulu was my dream. Was really living life on the edge. I used to think it was pretty adventurous that I learned how to drive a Toyoto truck on a road full of long-horned cattle and never killed a pedestrian. Today I saw a mzungu girl (“whitie”) driving …
