As Usual He Exceeds Our Expectations

Before I left the U.S. I prayed seriously for wisdom and discernment about what God had in mind for the Rock's future with the mercy homes and the scholars. Mark and I have felt He wanted us to have more faith and realize He is multiprocessing and many times exceeds our expectations. I have to admit things have been crammed packed with one open door after another.

Just to give you a sneak preview, during the dinner for the graduates the manager of the restaurant told me the hotel does internships for university students and that I should talk to Human Resources which I did Friday and they have agreed to review our scholars for internships. Also I was able to set up an appointment for two of the scholars with Daks Courier/UPS affiliate in Uganda for next Monday after an initial introductory meeting. The ATM machine at Barclay's ate my card Thursday night so I had to meet with the branch manager to get it back and she told me they were hiring university students as contract employees instead of doing internships. She said she was glad to help get their CVs to the Human Resource Department.

And if this isn't more than enough to be excited about we have the possibility of an open door with a commercial agriculture project that could be a large piece of the self sustainability puzzle. God is very big!! Lutaaya, Junior, Ken, and I have our second meeting Monday afternoon to present a proposal so we need lots of prayers. The first meeting all of us prayed in the car on the way to visit a farm manager that God would guide us and open or close the door. We spent several hours learning so many things about crops and livestock, then met the key decision makers who just happened to stop by the main office for the project. Anyway we were all so excited about the comprehensive elements of the project that we could hardly believe God had put this in our path.

Let's pray that God will be in all the details and the proposal will be embraced before I leave Uganda.

A Great Graduation Celebration

Last Sunday night we had a wonderful dinner celebration. Christine, Emma, Sam and Junior are the graduates and blazing the trail for the rest of the scholars. The discussions throughout dinner ranged from who believed in paying "bride prices" when they got married to how many cows they needed to being amazed at how much things have changed in their lives over just a couple of years.

I was really moved as I looked around the table and enjoyed the camaraderie among the group. They have become such great friends. Christine told me at the cottage after the dinner, "these guys are different than any around. They are serious and so focused and treat us like their sisters...so caring and protective." This was such great encouragement given some of the challenges ladies face in Ugandan culture. The teaching we are doing is taking root and exciting.

Thanks a million to all of you who are helping the scholars. I wish you could have been a fly on the wall at the dinner because you would be smiling from ear to ear!

Zucchini In Bread…Really!

As we mixed the ingredients to make zucchini bread,in the cottage in Uganda, Joanitah, Christine and Esther shook their heads. I could tell by their expressions this recipe was too weird for them but they were great sports. They are not used to the unusual, American cooking combinations but they quickly “picked up” as they say.

With the addition of the cinnamon and other ingredients and the fact that I told them they could lick the bowl they liked the new flavor. The evening was an evening of firsts for them…baking with a cooker, making bread out of vegetables, making new friends and staying with me in the cottage. They are a wonderful group of gals and there was a special bond spending time in the kitchen together. When girls get together they are the same no matter where they are from anywhere in the world.

Also I forgot to mention we did pedicures and manicures. Was this a typical gals night or not!

The next morning we went to church together then on to the Rock fellowship at Ben’s. It’s a great blessing to be able to encourage these wonderful young people.