Today was incredible. My words will not do it justice. To see so many young Ugandans worshiping all out- wow!
I am way way tired and I am hoping that it going to sleep, I will forget about how much pain my feet and back are in.
Our wake up call is in 5 hours. Please pray for strength and endurance. Tomorrow is the long day.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Again
If you go to Doug's blog, you can see a picture of our registration area. It is in the mud and basically in a trash heap. Later in the day, we got a tent, but that doesn't change the fact that we were standing in trashy mud.
One of the weird things about the Passion event is how it is Passion, but different. Where else would we hang a sign with duct tape to an uncovered wood table in a trash pile? What kind of excellence it that? But here, it's what we have to do. Strange.
(You can see a bit of my red shirt behind one of the pharmacy students from Ohio.)
One of the weird things about the Passion event is how it is Passion, but different. Where else would we hang a sign with duct tape to an uncovered wood table in a trash pile? What kind of excellence it that? But here, it's what we have to do. Strange.
(You can see a bit of my red shirt behind one of the pharmacy students from Ohio.)
Thursday
Wow! Y'all are some praying fools. Not only am I not having stomach issues (which really, praise God because those porter potties are NOT getting any better), but also the LED screen is working!
Today was really long. I spent about 8 hours standing in the registration tent. The ground is hard mud and since theft is a big issue, I had to carry all of me stuff in my backpack (actually, Scott's backpack- thanks again). Though it seemed like we were slammed all day with people, our location only registered about 900 students. At the other locations, they must have been rockin, because as of tonight, we are at about 20,000 students! I mean, really, how incredible is that!?!?
We also had our first big volunteer meeting and about 300 actually showed up. Of course, I was given 53 volunteers to help with registration and I had 3 come. I am a little worried about the last 10,000 tomorrow, but I know that God will provide. Today I had great help from Caitlin (on our team), 5 pharmacy students from Ohio (Sarah, Liz, Kelly, Kyle, and Andrew) and three of the Harding girls (Megan, Haley, and Kelsey) and two Ugandan volunteers (Liz and James). Without their help, today would have been impossible.
At some point remind me to write about the kid that pretended to be Chris Tomlin and about how I got to tell the story to Chris at dinner. It was really funny.
Today was long. Tomorrow and Saturday will be longer. I am so incredibly excited to see the students worshiping tomorrow. I think that we are all going to be blown away.
I can't believe that I have been given this privilege. Thank you so much to all of you who have made it possible for me to be here.
Must get some sleep.
Today was really long. I spent about 8 hours standing in the registration tent. The ground is hard mud and since theft is a big issue, I had to carry all of me stuff in my backpack (actually, Scott's backpack- thanks again). Though it seemed like we were slammed all day with people, our location only registered about 900 students. At the other locations, they must have been rockin, because as of tonight, we are at about 20,000 students! I mean, really, how incredible is that!?!?
We also had our first big volunteer meeting and about 300 actually showed up. Of course, I was given 53 volunteers to help with registration and I had 3 come. I am a little worried about the last 10,000 tomorrow, but I know that God will provide. Today I had great help from Caitlin (on our team), 5 pharmacy students from Ohio (Sarah, Liz, Kelly, Kyle, and Andrew) and three of the Harding girls (Megan, Haley, and Kelsey) and two Ugandan volunteers (Liz and James). Without their help, today would have been impossible.
At some point remind me to write about the kid that pretended to be Chris Tomlin and about how I got to tell the story to Chris at dinner. It was really funny.
Today was long. Tomorrow and Saturday will be longer. I am so incredibly excited to see the students worshiping tomorrow. I think that we are all going to be blown away.
I can't believe that I have been given this privilege. Thank you so much to all of you who have made it possible for me to be here.
Must get some sleep.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Today in Africa
It is about 11PM here and with a 6AM wake up call I need to go to bed soon. But all day today, I thought about how I need to write a blog and let you know what is going on here. I'm afraid that if I wait until tomorrow, then there will be just as much to write then.
Please tell me that you are reading the blogs of Doug, Michelle, and Renee, Kristen, and of course the Passion blog. They are on my team and it is good to get another perspective. Doug manages to post the most pictures, which is quite a feat since the internet connection here is such a pain.
I'm going to give you a run down of today.
After breakfast, we had our usual meeting, but today all of our Ugandan counterparts came to the meeting. It took longer than usual.
After the meeting, most of our team went to Bethany village to visit an orphanage. I was really looking forward to going because even though I am in Africa, I don't feel like I have seen the real Africa. I have been staying in a really nice hotel with armed guards at the gate. I leave and go to a field on a college campus (and only a very elite 1% of students go to college here) and then I come back to the safety of the hotel.
Unfortunately, I did not get to go the orphanage. We officially opened registration at the field today and since that is my job, I needed to be there instead.
While I waited on the wrist bands to get to the field, I met with Dan, Sally, and Susanne about the touch team (essentially the informational and directional volunteer team). Then Susanne and I finally started cleaning up the field. It was hot!
When Ben (my Ugandan counterpart) got to the field with the wristbands, I was able to take a few early arrival volunteers and set up a registration table.
Here's the tough part: this event is for college and university students. I can't tell you how many stories I got today about why I should give someone a wristband even though they didn't have a University ID. But we have to be firm. It makes me so sad to turn anyone away, but I believe in the strategy to reach the people that will reach the most people. I am just trusting in God that He will take what happens here and multiply it.
Registration at the field only stayed open about an hour and a half, because the sky quickly turned dark and the bottom fell out. We are at the end of rainy season, yet it hadn't rained all week. Today made up for it. In a matter of 45 minutes, there was a good 4 inches of standing water on the field. And lots of mud.
And one of the 2 ton LCD screens that are set up beside the stage (it's the huge screen that shows the speaker and band and lyrics) was blown over by the wind and ended up face down in water. That's not such a great thing for an LCD screen.
I got some great pictures of it, but as we have already discussed, posting pictures is a pain. You might just have to wait.
After getting entirely soaked, we left the field to come back to the hotel. The van I was in got stuck in traffic and a 15 minute trip took over an hour. We got back and I took a very warm shower (have I mentioned how in love I am with the can shower head in our shower?) and then met Sally and Dan for dinner. There are two restaurants in the hotel where we can eat dinner. It's okay food, but I am ready for something different.
After dinner, we talked more about touch team and I drew out a map for them to use in placing volunteers. Maps make me happy. And I am pretty sure that my map made them happy too.
Now it is bed time.
Here is the good news:
-as of today, we have had about 12,000 students pre-register and get their wristbands.
-we have plenty of volunteers signed up and many of the American volunteers will be joining us tomorrow (including a group of 30 from Auburn)
-no one was hurt when the LCD screen fell and I heard a rumor that it might actually still be in working order
Here are the things that we could really use some prayer for:
-unity between us and the Ugandan leaders. We definitely work differently.
-pray that we would be able to pre-register the rest of the students tomorrow and Friday morning. It was make things so much easier Friday afternoon.
-pray that our systems will work and that we will not have people rush the field (I keep having visions of a soccer match in an overcrowded stadium, but on a field).
-our energy as things really kick into high gear now
-the LCD screen and equipment that got wet today
Finally, you can pray that I will feel better. I have been fine thus far, but tonight I have had some stomach issues of which I will spare you the details. Even though I missed out on the orphanage, it seems as if I am indeed going to get to experience the real Africa.
thank you for being on this journey with me.
Please tell me that you are reading the blogs of Doug, Michelle, and Renee, Kristen, and of course the Passion blog. They are on my team and it is good to get another perspective. Doug manages to post the most pictures, which is quite a feat since the internet connection here is such a pain.
I'm going to give you a run down of today.
After breakfast, we had our usual meeting, but today all of our Ugandan counterparts came to the meeting. It took longer than usual.
After the meeting, most of our team went to Bethany village to visit an orphanage. I was really looking forward to going because even though I am in Africa, I don't feel like I have seen the real Africa. I have been staying in a really nice hotel with armed guards at the gate. I leave and go to a field on a college campus (and only a very elite 1% of students go to college here) and then I come back to the safety of the hotel.
Unfortunately, I did not get to go the orphanage. We officially opened registration at the field today and since that is my job, I needed to be there instead.
While I waited on the wrist bands to get to the field, I met with Dan, Sally, and Susanne about the touch team (essentially the informational and directional volunteer team). Then Susanne and I finally started cleaning up the field. It was hot!
When Ben (my Ugandan counterpart) got to the field with the wristbands, I was able to take a few early arrival volunteers and set up a registration table.
Here's the tough part: this event is for college and university students. I can't tell you how many stories I got today about why I should give someone a wristband even though they didn't have a University ID. But we have to be firm. It makes me so sad to turn anyone away, but I believe in the strategy to reach the people that will reach the most people. I am just trusting in God that He will take what happens here and multiply it.
Registration at the field only stayed open about an hour and a half, because the sky quickly turned dark and the bottom fell out. We are at the end of rainy season, yet it hadn't rained all week. Today made up for it. In a matter of 45 minutes, there was a good 4 inches of standing water on the field. And lots of mud.
And one of the 2 ton LCD screens that are set up beside the stage (it's the huge screen that shows the speaker and band and lyrics) was blown over by the wind and ended up face down in water. That's not such a great thing for an LCD screen.
I got some great pictures of it, but as we have already discussed, posting pictures is a pain. You might just have to wait.
After getting entirely soaked, we left the field to come back to the hotel. The van I was in got stuck in traffic and a 15 minute trip took over an hour. We got back and I took a very warm shower (have I mentioned how in love I am with the can shower head in our shower?) and then met Sally and Dan for dinner. There are two restaurants in the hotel where we can eat dinner. It's okay food, but I am ready for something different.
After dinner, we talked more about touch team and I drew out a map for them to use in placing volunteers. Maps make me happy. And I am pretty sure that my map made them happy too.
Now it is bed time.
Here is the good news:
-as of today, we have had about 12,000 students pre-register and get their wristbands.
-we have plenty of volunteers signed up and many of the American volunteers will be joining us tomorrow (including a group of 30 from Auburn)
-no one was hurt when the LCD screen fell and I heard a rumor that it might actually still be in working order
Here are the things that we could really use some prayer for:
-unity between us and the Ugandan leaders. We definitely work differently.
-pray that we would be able to pre-register the rest of the students tomorrow and Friday morning. It was make things so much easier Friday afternoon.
-pray that our systems will work and that we will not have people rush the field (I keep having visions of a soccer match in an overcrowded stadium, but on a field).
-our energy as things really kick into high gear now
-the LCD screen and equipment that got wet today
Finally, you can pray that I will feel better. I have been fine thus far, but tonight I have had some stomach issues of which I will spare you the details. Even though I missed out on the orphanage, it seems as if I am indeed going to get to experience the real Africa.
thank you for being on this journey with me.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
You thought that you knew gross.
But, my friends, I am here to tell you that you don't. Because, you have not used a porter potty on a hot field in Uganda. Trust me, it was nasty and I don't usually get all grossed out by that sort of stuff.
Today, we spent about 4 hours over at the field. We did not end up picking up trash- there was a bit of a logistical problem. Apparently, over here people do not use trash bags. And so we couldn't find any to buy. A few from our team happened to bring trash bags with them, but then we didn't have gloves. It looks like the field might stay dirty.
Most of my time was spent discussing how to get the students registered before entering the field. Basically, we have two gates for everyone. Since the event is focused on the student generation, they have to show some sort of ID to get a wristband. The problem is that the field is right next to slums and when the sound starts up, it is predicted that everyone is going to want in. Add to that the fact that one of the gates is serviced by a path that is 2 people wide at the best parts, and you have a little bit of a logistical nightmare.
The good news is that as of this morning, we have about 8,000 students that have preregistered. Only 12,000 more to go!
I'm having trouble uploading photos but I will try later, for now, I have to go eat dinner.
Today, we spent about 4 hours over at the field. We did not end up picking up trash- there was a bit of a logistical problem. Apparently, over here people do not use trash bags. And so we couldn't find any to buy. A few from our team happened to bring trash bags with them, but then we didn't have gloves. It looks like the field might stay dirty.
Most of my time was spent discussing how to get the students registered before entering the field. Basically, we have two gates for everyone. Since the event is focused on the student generation, they have to show some sort of ID to get a wristband. The problem is that the field is right next to slums and when the sound starts up, it is predicted that everyone is going to want in. Add to that the fact that one of the gates is serviced by a path that is 2 people wide at the best parts, and you have a little bit of a logistical nightmare.
The good news is that as of this morning, we have about 8,000 students that have preregistered. Only 12,000 more to go!
I'm having trouble uploading photos but I will try later, for now, I have to go eat dinner.
Monday, May 26, 2008
The field
I promised pictures of the field and so I am going to try to get them posted before breakfast. It is 6:50 AM here on Tuesday. We have a full day ahead and I am starting to get tired. About 10 seconds into my morning brushing of the teeth, I realized that I had used tap water. You have never seen me spit out something so fast in my life. (Except for that one time that I took a sip of momma's cold coffee only to realize that it was bacon grease cooling off in a coffee cup. I was pretty fast then too.)
Anyway, back to the field. Here are two general pictures:
You can see what has been done on the fence and in the background you can see a women's dorm
on the right. There are also some "tennis courts" (Appropriate use of quotation marks) back there and that is where resources will be set up. Can you see all the trash on the field? In that trash, I saw several condom wrappers and another girl on my team actually saw a used one. I have a feeling that one of our jobs today or tomorrow will be to clean the field- with gloves of course.
I am try to post a picture of some kids playing on the field, but my internet connection became really slow and now I am late for breakfast. It will have to wait.
Love you all. Thanks so much for the comments- they have been a real encouragement.
Anyway, back to the field. Here are two general pictures:
You can see what has been done on the fence and in the background you can see a women's dorm
on the right. There are also some "tennis courts" (Appropriate use of quotation marks) back there and that is where resources will be set up. Can you see all the trash on the field? In that trash, I saw several condom wrappers and another girl on my team actually saw a used one. I have a feeling that one of our jobs today or tomorrow will be to clean the field- with gloves of course.
I am try to post a picture of some kids playing on the field, but my internet connection became really slow and now I am late for breakfast. It will have to wait.
Love you all. Thanks so much for the comments- they have been a real encouragement.
It is nearing noon here and y'all should be in bed getting some rest.
The hotel in which we are staying is SWANK! I'm not lying. The shower head is one of those ones that is big and round and makes you feel like you are standing underneath a waterfall. I have to remind myself to keep my mouth shut, it would be dangerous to drink even a little of the water. we use bottled water to brush our teeth even.
The veiw out my window isn't all that (it looks at another hotel and a parking lot), but out of the window of one of our other teammates, you get this:
So far today, we have had our first team meeting and we have stuffed the boxes for the hotel hospitality bags that the VIPs will be getting when they arrive. Right now, we have a short break while a few people run to the bank and to do some shopping. In about an hour, we are going to meet for lunch and for our first trip to see the venue. We have a ton to do before Friday gets here and so it is nice to have this little lull.
If you are praying for this journey, then I ask that you join me in praying that we would have wisdom in setting priorities and the endurance that we will need to get everything done. Pray for team unity and that we would all remain healthy. (Despite being sticky with bug spray, I already have bites and so pray that our malaria medication works.)
For me, pray that I would be a humble servant this week. That God would open my eyes to see needs as they arise. I am struggling with wanting to be useful, but not knowing exactly what to do. I don't feel pretty or cool enough to be hanging with these people. Pray that God would change my heart- that he would show me the truth of the matter is that I don't have to be pretty or cool enough. That by bowing down to an inferiority complex, I am making light of the fact that He has called me his daughter and that he has equipped me with His Spirit. Pray that my mind will be constantly renewed. I know that this sounds random, but just felt like throwing it out there.
It was so nice to talk to Wendy, Scott, and Momma last night through Skype. Thank you each for your encouraging words. Also, Sara, thanks for the devos- I've enjoyed them so far.
I should go.
Happy Memorial Day to y'all. Have fun and be careful today.
The hotel in which we are staying is SWANK! I'm not lying. The shower head is one of those ones that is big and round and makes you feel like you are standing underneath a waterfall. I have to remind myself to keep my mouth shut, it would be dangerous to drink even a little of the water. we use bottled water to brush our teeth even.
The veiw out my window isn't all that (it looks at another hotel and a parking lot), but out of the window of one of our other teammates, you get this:
So far today, we have had our first team meeting and we have stuffed the boxes for the hotel hospitality bags that the VIPs will be getting when they arrive. Right now, we have a short break while a few people run to the bank and to do some shopping. In about an hour, we are going to meet for lunch and for our first trip to see the venue. We have a ton to do before Friday gets here and so it is nice to have this little lull.
If you are praying for this journey, then I ask that you join me in praying that we would have wisdom in setting priorities and the endurance that we will need to get everything done. Pray for team unity and that we would all remain healthy. (Despite being sticky with bug spray, I already have bites and so pray that our malaria medication works.)
For me, pray that I would be a humble servant this week. That God would open my eyes to see needs as they arise. I am struggling with wanting to be useful, but not knowing exactly what to do. I don't feel pretty or cool enough to be hanging with these people. Pray that God would change my heart- that he would show me the truth of the matter is that I don't have to be pretty or cool enough. That by bowing down to an inferiority complex, I am making light of the fact that He has called me his daughter and that he has equipped me with His Spirit. Pray that my mind will be constantly renewed. I know that this sounds random, but just felt like throwing it out there.
It was so nice to talk to Wendy, Scott, and Momma last night through Skype. Thank you each for your encouraging words. Also, Sara, thanks for the devos- I've enjoyed them so far.
I should go.
Happy Memorial Day to y'all. Have fun and be careful today.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I'm in Africa!!!!
We made it. It is midnight here and I am tired!!! The second flight was really bumpy and I slept little.
So far, here are my impressions: It is very dark and has a weird smell.
I am going to bed but will give you more tomorrow.
Oh, and thank you Lord for giving someone the brains and capability to create Xanax. It is a good thing.
So far, here are my impressions: It is very dark and has a weird smell.
I am going to bed but will give you more tomorrow.
Oh, and thank you Lord for giving someone the brains and capability to create Xanax. It is a good thing.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Done
I think that I got it all packed. And it is only noon.
I am exhausted and the pre-flight nerves have set in.
My first flight leaves at 5:15. I will try to give you an update during the 4 hour layover in Amsterdam but it will be 3AM here, so don't wait up.
I am exhausted and the pre-flight nerves have set in.
My first flight leaves at 5:15. I will try to give you an update during the 4 hour layover in Amsterdam but it will be 3AM here, so don't wait up.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Almost on the way
Wow!
I can't believe that I leave in less than 48 hours! Tomorrow is the last day of school and hopefully the rain will hold off so that we can have graduation tomorrow evening. Otherwise, I have to return Saturday morning since I am reading names.
My first flight leaves at 5:15 Saturday. I haven't packed the first thing, but I did make a start today by pulling out the packing list that I have used on my past mission trips. I think that tomorrow night will be one of little sleep.
Some of you have asked how I am doing as far as support goes. Thank you so much for your generosity. As of right now, I am about $1000 short of covering all expenses. That is so incredible to me and again, I can't tell you how grateful I am. It is such a cool thing to see God's faithfulness in raising up supporters.
If you still want to give, it's not too late. You can mail me a check (see the very first post here for details), but seeing as how I leave so soon, your check would just be sitting around until I get back. The other option is to donate online at www.268generation.com/donate. In the comment box, please be sure that you write that your donation is for Beth Cleaveland and Kampala. It would also be helpful for my accounting purposes if you sent me an email and let me know how much you donated. Again, thank you.
I will try my best to keep you as updated as I can. I am not really sure what to expect once I make it to Uganda.
I can't believe that I leave in less than 48 hours! Tomorrow is the last day of school and hopefully the rain will hold off so that we can have graduation tomorrow evening. Otherwise, I have to return Saturday morning since I am reading names.
My first flight leaves at 5:15 Saturday. I haven't packed the first thing, but I did make a start today by pulling out the packing list that I have used on my past mission trips. I think that tomorrow night will be one of little sleep.
Some of you have asked how I am doing as far as support goes. Thank you so much for your generosity. As of right now, I am about $1000 short of covering all expenses. That is so incredible to me and again, I can't tell you how grateful I am. It is such a cool thing to see God's faithfulness in raising up supporters.
If you still want to give, it's not too late. You can mail me a check (see the very first post here for details), but seeing as how I leave so soon, your check would just be sitting around until I get back. The other option is to donate online at www.268generation.com/donate. In the comment box, please be sure that you write that your donation is for Beth Cleaveland and Kampala. It would also be helpful for my accounting purposes if you sent me an email and let me know how much you donated. Again, thank you.
I will try my best to keep you as updated as I can. I am not really sure what to expect once I make it to Uganda.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Really? Is there a option?
So I got all of my immunizations over Spring Break at a travel clinic in LaGrange. Since then I have been carrying around the prescription for the malaria medication and the one for traveler's diarrhea (honestly, never thought I would be typing that word on a blog post).
I knew that I had an annual doctor's appointment coming up and so I figured that I would just get them filled at the pharmacy in my doctor's office. Nope. They don't carry the drugs.
So, I went across the street to pharmacy that accepts my insurance. They get all of my information in and start to fill the prescription. But then I got a call to come up to the desk. Apparently, these meds are not covered. Nice.
My guess is that most of you don't take anti-malarial drugs on a regular basis. First of all they are the size of horse pills and second of all, I hear that the side effects may not be great. In addition, the 17 pills that I needed cost 10 bucks a pill!
But what do you do when the pharmacy tech asks if you still want the prescription? Is there really a choice? Who wants malaria?
I told them that I did indeed want my prescription, but since my insurance wasn't going to cover it anyway, I was going to go down the street to CVS. I have brand loyalty. (And by supporting CVS, I feel that I am inadvertently supporting my inheritance. Right, momma?) Plus, I saved 2.50 a pill.
Lesson to learn: next time, you decide to go to Africa, budget for the medication.
I knew that I had an annual doctor's appointment coming up and so I figured that I would just get them filled at the pharmacy in my doctor's office. Nope. They don't carry the drugs.
So, I went across the street to pharmacy that accepts my insurance. They get all of my information in and start to fill the prescription. But then I got a call to come up to the desk. Apparently, these meds are not covered. Nice.
My guess is that most of you don't take anti-malarial drugs on a regular basis. First of all they are the size of horse pills and second of all, I hear that the side effects may not be great. In addition, the 17 pills that I needed cost 10 bucks a pill!
But what do you do when the pharmacy tech asks if you still want the prescription? Is there really a choice? Who wants malaria?
I told them that I did indeed want my prescription, but since my insurance wasn't going to cover it anyway, I was going to go down the street to CVS. I have brand loyalty. (And by supporting CVS, I feel that I am inadvertently supporting my inheritance. Right, momma?) Plus, I saved 2.50 a pill.
Lesson to learn: next time, you decide to go to Africa, budget for the medication.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Along the Way
Someone last week mentioned to me that one of the things that blows them away is the number of times she meets someone and then in some completely different context they come back into her life years later.
Honestly, I don't think that I am ever very aware of this phenomenon in my life. First of all, my curse in life is to be forgettable. Really. You may or may not agree, but the plain fact is that I am CONSTANTLY reintroducing myself to people that I have met.
Mostly, I find it funny and a good story. But lately, I am wondering if it isn't partly my fault. How available do I make myself? Am I too reserved when first meeting someone? Do I allow my own insecurities keep me from being welcoming? Do I try to connect with people? Am I authentic at first pass?
Those can be pretty tough questions. And ones that for some reason keep coming up for me.
And despite all of that, there are occasions when an old friend suddenly comes back into my life. Amanda and I use to be a part of a prayer group that I miss terribly. For me the group was about the closest I have come to experiencing what authentic Christianity should be like. Now, Amanda is in Kenya serving the poor and sick.
I just found out that she is coming to Kampala! She is going to be volunteering alongside us. Pretty cool, huh? I am so glad that we are crossing paths again and I can't wait to see her.
Please know that I am aware that these posts have been kind of serious. I promise that there will be something funny soon.
Honestly, I don't think that I am ever very aware of this phenomenon in my life. First of all, my curse in life is to be forgettable. Really. You may or may not agree, but the plain fact is that I am CONSTANTLY reintroducing myself to people that I have met.
Mostly, I find it funny and a good story. But lately, I am wondering if it isn't partly my fault. How available do I make myself? Am I too reserved when first meeting someone? Do I allow my own insecurities keep me from being welcoming? Do I try to connect with people? Am I authentic at first pass?
Those can be pretty tough questions. And ones that for some reason keep coming up for me.
And despite all of that, there are occasions when an old friend suddenly comes back into my life. Amanda and I use to be a part of a prayer group that I miss terribly. For me the group was about the closest I have come to experiencing what authentic Christianity should be like. Now, Amanda is in Kenya serving the poor and sick.
I just found out that she is coming to Kampala! She is going to be volunteering alongside us. Pretty cool, huh? I am so glad that we are crossing paths again and I can't wait to see her.
Please know that I am aware that these posts have been kind of serious. I promise that there will be something funny soon.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Why Go?
Some of you (that is if there is someone reading this) have already heard why I decided to go to Uganda this summer. But the reminders of why keep blowing me away.
This trip is not easy. It's cool, certainly. (Come on, Passion in Africa is cool.) But it isn't easy. It is right on the heels of my busiest time of year. It is incredibly expensive and everything within me wants to rebel at the idea of raising support. I don't really know the other people going all that well.
And that's why I am going.
It's been a while since I have knowingly put myself in a position where the outcome will undeniably rest solely on God. Most of what I do everyday can be accomplished by me. And usually, the outcomes are pretty good. I live in safety and predictability.
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying, "Lord, prove your faithfulness to me by making this trip a success." I am not testing God. I am simply acting in the belief that He asks us to do things in which we can claim no credit for how it goes.
And this is a little scary. I still have doubts. I am far from raising the needed support. I still feel nervous about going with a team I don't really know and flying alone. I still wonder about my role on the team. And things certainly haven't gotten less busy. But God is faithful to remind me of why I said yes.
I am currently working through Solo: The Uncommon Devotional. Today's study was of Judges 7:1-7. It is the story of Gideon going to war. Before going into battle God pares down Gideon's army from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300 all because God tells Gideon "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it all myself,' and forget about me."
I think that we are called to do things bigger than ourselves so that we can't take the credit and forget about God. For me, one of those things is Passion::Kampala. And I am so grateful for the reminder that came today.
What about you? What are you asking God for that is bigger than you? I would love to join you in prayer for it.
Judges 7:1-7
Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh.
This trip is not easy. It's cool, certainly. (Come on, Passion in Africa is cool.) But it isn't easy. It is right on the heels of my busiest time of year. It is incredibly expensive and everything within me wants to rebel at the idea of raising support. I don't really know the other people going all that well.
And that's why I am going.
It's been a while since I have knowingly put myself in a position where the outcome will undeniably rest solely on God. Most of what I do everyday can be accomplished by me. And usually, the outcomes are pretty good. I live in safety and predictability.
Don't get me wrong. I am not saying, "Lord, prove your faithfulness to me by making this trip a success." I am not testing God. I am simply acting in the belief that He asks us to do things in which we can claim no credit for how it goes.
And this is a little scary. I still have doubts. I am far from raising the needed support. I still feel nervous about going with a team I don't really know and flying alone. I still wonder about my role on the team. And things certainly haven't gotten less busy. But God is faithful to remind me of why I said yes.
I am currently working through Solo: The Uncommon Devotional. Today's study was of Judges 7:1-7. It is the story of Gideon going to war. Before going into battle God pares down Gideon's army from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300 all because God tells Gideon "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it all myself,' and forget about me."
I think that we are called to do things bigger than ourselves so that we can't take the credit and forget about God. For me, one of those things is Passion::Kampala. And I am so grateful for the reminder that came today.
What about you? What are you asking God for that is bigger than you? I would love to join you in prayer for it.
Judges 7:1-7
Jerub-Baal (Gideon) got up early the next morning, all his troops right there with him. They set up camp at Harod's Spring. The camp of Midian was in the plain, north of them near the Hill of Moreh.
God said to Gideon, "You have too large an army with you. I can't turn Midian over to them like this—they'll take all the credit, saying, 'I did it all myself,' and forget about me. Make a public announcement: 'Anyone afraid, anyone who has any qualms at all, may leave Mount Gilead now and go home.'" Twenty-two companies headed for home. Ten companies were left.
God said to Gideon: "There are still too many. Take them down to the stream and I'll make a final cut. When I say, 'This one goes with you,' he'll go. When I say, 'This one doesn't go,' he won't go." So Gideon took the troops down to the stream.
God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink.
God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home."
Monday, April 14, 2008
Passion :: Atlanta Update
One of the really cool things about Passion is the emphasis on being the Body of Christ now and serving the least of those among us.
In Atlanta last week, every student and volunteer was asked to bring a pair of socks and a towel to be donated to local homeless shelters (it's the two items they need the most). In addition we partnered with Blood:Water Mission to provide the funds to build wells in Africa so that whole villages can be transformed by access to clean water. And finally, an offering was received on Saturday evening to help fund the World Tour.
Read about the AMAZING results here.
In Atlanta last week, every student and volunteer was asked to bring a pair of socks and a towel to be donated to local homeless shelters (it's the two items they need the most). In addition we partnered with Blood:Water Mission to provide the funds to build wells in Africa so that whole villages can be transformed by access to clean water. And finally, an offering was received on Saturday evening to help fund the World Tour.
Read about the AMAZING results here.
Going to Passon :: Kampala
Dear Friends and Family,
As most of you know, during the last 5 years I have been fortunate enough to be able to use my time off in the summers and during holiday breaks to be part of short term mission trips. Though I originally thought that I wouldn’t be going anywhere this summer, I was wrong.
You see, for the past several years, I have been involved with Passion Conferences. The heartbeat of the conferences is found in Isaiah 26:8, “ Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.” Passion exists to glorify God by uniting students in worship and prayer for spiritual awakening in the generation of 18-25 year olds. At a time in their lives when many students walk away from their faith, Passion seeks to ignite a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ and a desire to spread His fame.
My first mission trip was with Passion. I went to help serve on the prayer team at One Day 03 in a field on a farm outside of Dallas, Texas. Despite a very scary night of storms, 20,000 students gathered to worship and pray for an awakening in their generation. In January of 2006, I was able to go to Passion06 in Nashville, TN. The following year, it was only natural that I found myself in Atlanta for Passion07. At the end of spring break last week, I spent time at the Gwinnett Arena here in Atlanta to help with the Atlanta Regional Event. I tell you all of this because I am committed to the vision and message of Passion. I have had the privilege of witnessing thousands of college students dedicate their lives to live for the fame of Christ.
Now, Passion is going to the nations. The following is from the Passion website but it expresses the purpose so much better than I ever could:
Passion is a movement made up of young people who have abandoned the idea of living simply for themselves and are daily giving everything so the world can see Jesus more clearly. Passion is about the glory of God, inspiring a wave of students to taste and see that He is good and to do something now to change the world in Jesus’ name. We’ve discovered that every major city in the world is a university town, most home to hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions of students. So, Passion is off on a crazy journey to the cities of the world in 2008, uniting university students around the globe in a story so much bigger than our own.
I have been invited to join the Passion team as they travel to Kampala, Uganda. Despite my plans to stay in the States this summer, I believe that God has other plans. I am excited to see what God is going to do in Kampala, a city of 1.2 million on the north shore of Lake Victoria.
This world tour stop will take place May 30th and 31st. It will be an outdoor, 2 day event, reminiscent of OneDay03, with as many as 30,000 worshipers, led by Louie Giglio and various lead worshipers. I will be leaving for Uganda on May 24th (the day after school gets out, YIKES!) and will join the rest of the American team to prepare for the event at the end of the week. Right now, it looks like my role will be to head up the Touch Team (information and making sure that students feel welcomed) or to head up the Prayer Team. I will be returning on June 2nd or 3rd.
As I am sure that you can imagine, this is going to be an expensive trip. The plane ticket alone is $2000. When you include other expenses, I need to raise between $4000 and $5000. And I need to raise it quickly since we leave in 8 weeks. (Another YIKES!)
Some of you are long time supporters of my mission trips and others are getting my support letter for the first time. In both cases, I hope that as you read this you are excited with me, and for me. Please hear me when I say that I hope you in no way feel obligated to financially support this trip. I fully trust that God will provide the financial means necessary for this trip. If after prayerful consideration, you don’t feel led to give, know that I completely understand. I will still covet your prayers and want to keep you informed about my travels.
However, if you would like to support me on this trip, you can do so by writing a check made out to Passion Conferences with my name and Kampala written on the memo line. You can mail the check directly to me (4840 Beckford Place, Powder Springs, GA 30127) or to the Passion office (PO Box 5 Alpharetta, GA 30077).
I also ask that you would pray for the students of Uganda and East Africa. Pray that they would fall in love with Jesus. Please pray for our team as we move forward with planning a conference on the other side of the world. And it’s never too early to start praying for the flights; right now, there is a possibility that I may be flying alone, which as you probably know isn’t my ideal way to travel.
I am sorry that you are getting this through email, but because of the quick turn around time needed, this is the fastest way. My goal this year is to do a better job of keeping you informed of the trip. Thank you for your patience as I grow in this.
Please let me know if I can answer questions and thanks for taking the time to read this letter.
Love,
Beth
For more information about Passion Conferences & the world tour check out www.268generation.com
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