Having not posted anything for ages, I thought it was about time to get back into 'aboutlife-ing'!  I came across this in an old parish magazine from a small church in Farnham and thought it was just right for Easter weekend, and is good for us to be reminded of this sometimes!

'Since He is wise He loves you with wisdom
Since He is good He loves you with goodness
Since He is holy He loves you with holiness

We would love to invite you all  to an evening of Prayer, Worship and Food on Sat  6thJan 2007.
Last year I was sent by God to a Christian run orphanage and school in Kenya where I discovered there was terrible abuse happening to the children.  (see blogs below for more details about my experience here and in Uganda with Max)

I know it's bad to laugh at someone else's expense!  And Father I am sorry!  But this little clip on the link below somewhat proves how ridiculous some things are in our country!  This is in Manchester apparently!  Turn up your volume, and enjoy!

 


When in a refugee camp in Uganda this summer I met this person who lived in the camp, who was wearing possibly one of the best t-shirts ever! 

It reminded me of a quote a friend gave me before I left for

If there was a film of all that has happened over the last few weeks, no one would believe it!

After an eventful 17hr hourney from Kenya to Kampala, Uganda, I finally arrived chez-Max's and was totally over excited by the running water, electricity, flushing toilet and milk that you didn't have to personally milk a cow for! - Things I hadn't seen for a long time!

Max, Triny, Jps and I then left Kampala and began the most unforgetable road trip of our life times!  We headed to the War Zone in the North of Uganda - Gulu.  We visited a few IDP (Internal Displacement) Camps where 22,000 people lived, having been forced their by the government because their villages had become too dangerous for them to stay in due to the attacks from the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army).  However, them being in the camps doesn't stop the attacks and we heard the most awful stories of how the LRA would come in the night, force the children to bite their parents to dath, so that they had no one to return to and then take the children to be in their army.

It is funny how quickly things can change and how things are not always how they seem!  Unfortunately in my last week at the orphanage and school I was staying at certain situations arose, which unfortunately I can't go into huge detail about publicly, but let's just say that it was extremely evident why God so randomly took me there and on my own!  Everything suddenly came out into the open when the other Western guests left and i was at last on my own.  I think previously visitors to the centre hadn't realised what happened because they had always been in groups so everyone was on best behaviour, and when you are travelling with someone else you tend to hang around in a group and stay with your travelling partners - as I was on my own, guards were down and I developed strong one-on-one friendships with the children there so they ended up confiding in me.

Having given quite a few sermons whilst in Kenya on how to love like a Christian  and how to stand firm and stand up for what you believe (things that I am not even close to perfect in, and was hugely hypocritical) I could hardly walk away from the situation knowing that God took me there.  I had to remind myself of my own advice to the Kenyans, that to make a change you have to stand up for what you believe and Christian love is to not walk away from something that is wrong but to change it for those who are helpless and can do nothing on their own.  It was very hard to leave when I had to, especially without this little girl called Mercy, who was around 3 years old and was abandoned as a baby, and foudn with worms crawling all over her - but now she is a sweet little happy girl who would come over to my house everymorning and eat breakfast with me and follow me everwhere - If I could adopt her I really would!.....However, I know that it was right to leave when I did and God timed my departure perfectly and I didn't have to cut anything short, although at times I felt like I wanted to!  I now know I  have a long standing commitment with the children to stand by them and up for them in the future and I pray that I never forget that and God continues to use me.  (sorry, a bit of a riddle - but will explain more when I'm back)

Things that I learnt whilst in Kenya:
    As a Muzungu (white person) never attend a church service without a sermon already prepared as you will, without doubt, be expected to preach as the guest of honour!  I gave a total of 3 sermons in one weekend which was quite hardcore considering it was my first time at giving even one!  What was even more hard core was having to sit at the front of SDA (seventh Day Adventist) service, which lasts 9 hours, and of course I didn't understand a word of what was said (except my own part in the service of course) and with hundreds of faces staring at you constantly for nine hours, there is nooo way you can fall asleep!
 

Since I have last blogged I have been busy taking classes and going around various schools trying to encourage the children to stay in school and tell them how important education is to them.  It is particularly important to their generation as all their land is being divided up into such small plots because all the families have so many children that they need to pass it onto - therefore the land that they are left with is perhaps just enough to build a mud hut on and not much more, so farming is not an option to them, therefore they musty be educated so that they can go into other jobs and help build the Kenyan economy.

Last time I blogged I was seriously bored waiting in Duabi Airport!  Oh how things can change so quickly! 
Just as I was about to board my next plane to Nairobi my name was called and my prayers answered!!!!.... No it wasn't that they had lost my luggage, an awful thought which went through my mind, but they wanted to upgrade me to business class!!!  I am now more convinced then ever that praying does work - even if sometimes it is for seriously selfish reasons, perhaps God had pity on me on my long journey and wanted to bless me with a plane journey which consisted of flowing champagne for 7 hours, a 6 course meal with fresh fruit and cheeses and the most comfortable seat/bed ever!! - Ah bliss!

I am now 12 hours into my 14 and a half hour stop over in Dubai!!  Having arrived at midnight, (after a plane journey sitting next to two guys who's girlfriends were Christians but they weren't, which, obviously brought about some good conversations) I then went to buy myself what ended up being possibly the most expensive glass of wine ever (note to self, always work out the convertion rat bfore buying something Tishy!!) so that I could chill in a lovely bar!  I managed to persuade a really sweet bar lady to let me sleep on the comfy suede sofa but she had to wake me everytime her manager was about to come - resulting in me having only about 2 hours sleep!