Christmas

    All over the world, in most countries, in almost every single house, Christmas is celebrated. It has to be one of the most celebrated holidays in the world! To some it means: Getting presents, spending time with your closest family, and (for some) going to the Christmas eve service. For others it means, It means going around to the families who might not have a real Christmas, to give. One of the last ways Christmas is celebrated is giving to God. I mean after all, it is Jesus's Birthday! Maybe you are one of those people who are all three!

    This Christmas is going to be hard. Just last year we were in Africa. We were struggling to go through this season without my family, my friends, and (as much as I hate to say this) the real presents. It was unbelievably hard to go through some of my favorite holidays without all these key things. Now, I have all these things and I still don't feel complete. If not worse than I did last year. Yes it was different, but it really taught me that Christmas isn't really about anything, but God.

    So this holiday season what are you celebrating? 

-Lu

Invisible Children

    Tears slide down my already damp cheeks as I watch children run from there homes. I cry for those who are taken from there homes, and are forced to do things most Americans cant think about. women are abused. Children are forced to go to war. And people are murdered.

    The Lords Resistance Army has been abducting children from central Africa for 20 years. Children would go out in the day, but in the night they hid. Because they didn't know if they were going to wake up in the same place. This happened in Uganda. But it is only one country of many.

     I lived in Uganda. Uganda is mainly free now from the lra but surrounding countries aren't. No one dared to stand up and say, 'STOP.' not until invisible children. Most Americans didn't know thats was going on in this broken country, this broken Continent. But thankfully, some did. Some American boys went to Uganda and saw all that was going on and decided to help. They made the movie Invisible Children. They payed for school fees for children who had escape and had nothing. This made Joseph Koney and all the rebels move out of Uganda. God is great. He used these three boys to stop a war. Well, maybe not a war, but helped stop a war in one country. They couldn't have done this without God.

    The lra is still in other countries like the Congo But invisible children are doing things for them too. They are building radio towers to help other countries know where the soldiers are. They also met with President Obama and they convinced him to send troops to uganda. THis is definitly a miracle.

    Last night I talked to a Ugandan women who grew up in this war zone. She has an amazing story but it is only one of millions. And she was able to come to America through invisible children. She spoke in font of everybody but after I went to talk to her. I greeted her in lugandan. And her reaction made my bad day better. We began talking and it really made me miss my home. We swapped stories about Africa and our travels. And we were able to connect. So, I decided I'm going to start saving for another trip. My overall goal is to raise $4,000. It is a lot but I am hoping to bring my friend Baylee with me. I know we can make this much with Gods help.

-Lu

That Person is Me

This was written a long time ago in a journal. I was flipping through the journal and i found it. It was written on January  15 20011;

'Today I realized how sad I am to leave, how sad I am to say goodbye to all those friends. Tomorrow I'm leaving. No, I cant believe it, no I don't really want to. Don't get me wrong I really want to see my family and eat American food, but in Africa everything is harder, but in a way better. It doesn't really make sense but Africa is a part of me. I wonder why God lead me to this place, When six months later I would be leaving. I just don't get it.

In Africa we've made some awesome and funny memories. Ive met so many adoptive parents, TONS of boda drivers, and all of the Homeboyz, and lastly I found a more patient person, someone who makes more of an effort to forgive and look past the faults of others, that person is me. I'm glad that I got this far, and now I have to let got guide me.'


When I reread this it brought tears to my eyes. It showed me how changed I am. When I reread this, it showed me how I changed. It showed me more Change than I look back on now. This wasn't a lie but it seems so unreal. I  mean how much can a person change? Not this much, by myself. Then I remembered, it wasn't just me, it was God. and I think that's what made me change. It still seems so unreal, but a lot of things about God seem unreal. am I right?



-Lu

Ashes into Beauty

It may sound strange and mean for me to say this, but everyone likes to be right. We all do. So why do we deny it? Because it makes us sound a little arrogant? Because we want people to see our better side and not our conceded side? There both good answers but what I came up with is if we are wrong it bring out the ugly. God is right. Never wrong. He fixes the ugly, and makes beauty. Beauty unto ashes right? I'm learning to show God my ugly and trade it in for beauty and perfection. It's like hand me downs. I used to take them, and give them. I know what it's like to keep a shirt that doesn't fit just because it's 'special'. You know it's useless to you but to the next person it could be just as special. So, if you DON'T give away your sins and other problems you are just going to be stuck with your special shirt. Does that make sense? 


Explanation: beauty unto ashes come from a chapter in Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:3 "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."
I read this and was simply blown away. Of course I know of Gods healing, perfection, and mercy, but why did this fill m with awe? The details? No... I think it's because it's unlike another passage in the bible. it shows Gods awesomeness, power, and also it's like a poem, a biblical one. 

-Lu

God works in weird ways. Don't I know it! I mean why else would God send me to Africa just to be sent home 6 months later? He had his purposes, but that's what bothers me. I like to be in control. like I want to know whats happening tomorrow so I can get ready. I'm not a control freak but I like to be prepared. So that's why only God knowing bothers me. All the time i ask God to tell me his plans. The answer isn't what i usually want but, I know god has a plan for me. I guess it doesn't matter that I know gods plans, but it still bothers me. I look at this verse when I feel helpless and worry about tomorrow.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

OTHER NEWS:

My family is doing good. I'm still missing Africa but that's probably not going to change soon. And I have a new found love for Lord of the Rings. 

Here is another blog. Her blog is really good. She also need your prayers. Please keep my family in your prayers.

-Lu

Dreams & What if's

We all have dreams. I have them. Some are bigger than others. Others as simple as the next meal. One of the things I wish I would have done while we were in Africa is get to know our kids. I never asked them what there favorite color was, or what they wanted to do when they finished school. Now that it think about it I didn't really do much. I baked, helped cook, did the Saturday mandatory cleaning, and read. I wasn't all that close to God, my family, or our other kids. I look back on it more is see myself doing nothing. I read books and felt sorry for myself. Sorry that I could have been going to middle school, could have had a semi normal life, but then again how normal can you get with so many siblings? I think about it and realized how much more I could have done. I read peoples blogs on how they "change the world". I envy them. I had the chance but it doesn't feel like I did anything. I thought well I guess I'm here...is this really making a difference? I thought yes. I thought being the difference was just going. Not doing. I find myself dreaming of going back. Doing those thing that I wish I would have done. I want to be the difference but how? I'm 11, turning 12 in like 2 months. I want to make a difference with my writing but doubts and 'ifs' are running through my brain.
What if people don't take me seriously because I'm still a kid?
How can people take me serious?
I ask myself this practically demanding answers and god just says "TRUST ME..." I guess I'm scared. scared of people thinking "shes crazy" or like "OH yea she went to Africa blah, blah, blah." I remind myself that life isn't a popularity contest, but I still ask myself what if... I don't want to look back on my life and say "what if". I want to say, "oh yea I did..."

-Lu

favorites

Favoritism comes up all the time in my family. everyone has a favorite, sometimes they tell who it is sometimes they don't. This conversation usually comes up when there is something everybody likes and they have to choose who gets it. any one with a big family knows how it goes. it always end in an argument and some unhappy kiddos. my point of this blog post is fairness. it isn't fair how the family favorite (in my case Jemma), gets more than others. this isn't always the case but usually it happens unfairly. It also isn't fair that kids all around the world go to bed staring and we have so much to be grateful for.  like when i think about it I just get so frustrated. I know that god does all he does for a purpose and he has no intention of harming us but i often find myself wondering, WHY? I have seen with my own eyes how much hunger and poverty affect life. if you want to help go to this site and sponsor a child. : lovegodandloveothers.com this is my family's site. i write my blogs mainly on here, but some of my older blogs are on there.

i also want to say how happy i am to be back, as much as i bag on America i am glad to be back...thanks for reading my blogger.


-Lu

revovle

Revolve is this amazing this for teenage girls. There is amazing bands, inspiring speakers, GOD!!, and hanging with other girls who can relate to you.
The theme this time was DREAM ON... The speakers told there stories and I think God like spoke to me and sort of showed me his plan for my life. I wanted to be a nurse. But as crazy as it sounds I think God is telling me to be an author. Crazy huh? Anyways, if you know me personally then you know that I love to read with a burning passion. I recently read this series by:MARY CONNEALY. She writes these books were really inspiring to me because they were about girls who have real problems, but turn to God in they're struggles. I feel that that is what god is calling me to do;write stories of his great love.
Back to revolve, we say Britt Nicole, Hawk Nelson, the revolve drama team, and tons of speakers. I love revolve and think that not only me but thousands of girls, left changed.

My personal dream, that I'm going to follow is to be a published author, and be a nurse to Guatemala, and live a life for God.


-Lu

To give it all....

"So I'll stand with arms wide and heart abandon. In awe of the one who gave it all. so ill stand my soul to you surrendered, all I am is yours..."

I have heard this so many times and it never ceases to touch my heart. These words are so real and true. I feel like I have given everything to God but I really haven't. There Is stuff I want to keep from God, but I cant. Their is no escaping his love or him.
Lately I have been trying to give everything to him. If I feel angry to pray and give it all to give Him all my emotions. It's is so hard to give everything to him. You know how you tell you best friend everything except that one little thing? I want to be able to give it ALL to Him not 90% but 100%. People see me as the crazy christian who went to Africa. I don't feel like that sometimes, well its hard to forget that we went but what I mean is, I'm just another person who lives for God. I'm never going to be worthy of His love or His mercy, but He gave it to us anyways. WHY? Because he loves us. I don't know why he would love crazy sinners but God is God right?

-Lu

Obedience

Obedience is important whether your 2 or 20. I say this because i have a lot of siblings, and its pretty hard to live in a comfortable environment when no one is listening and everyone is running umuck. It's also an important skill for when your an adult because if you don't listen you cant earn money, blah, blah, blah... Anyways its pretty important, and personally I'm a talker NOT a listener. So really following orders isn't really easy for me. Sometimes its just about biting my tongue. This is what the bible says about obedience:


"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured
possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you^a will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."


That's sounds pretty good to me, just for obedience. God is good eh?


-Lu

Who would have thought?

Who would have thought I would be here right now, sitting on my bed thinking of all those I left behind in Uganda. It was like leaving here. So hard and painful. I still ask myself "Would I rather live in America or Africa?" This question still lingers in my head. I think it's not really the location, it's the people. I say that and you would think, "Then why not America?!" Well, I have people I love in both places. It's like choosing over best friends, fricken hard. I definitely don't know why God would push me from place to place, hurting my heart each place. I read this in psalms and its kind of like how I am right now;
"God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn’t hand me over to Death."

No I'm not sick, nor dyeing. Instead of death I would say, "God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't leave me."
He didn't leave me. That makes me feel so comforted. I'm never alone no matter what.
Sometimes I wonder what it's like to not have God. It sounds so lame and lonely.
I know it sounds hard and even pointless but if you take the extra minute and ask someone of the would go to church with you, could make all the difference.

-Lu

Update

We have all been adjusting very well, and I'm finally getting in the groove of things. we started school again and it's kinda starting to feel like home. It has been great  to see my family and friends, but Im really starting to miss Uganda. I miss everyone and most everything. I feel like this is the short term thing, not like Uganda was. It's not like I feel out of place, I definitely feel in-place but i miss Uganda. when i get the chance I hopefully can go back. that is what I'm praying for.

I also want to thank everyone who reads my blog, or anyone else who has supported my family in our ministry. I love you all and appreciate you.

-Lu

My Master

Job continued by saying: “So what’s new? I know all this.

The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’ If we wanted to bring our case before him,

what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense,

who could take him on and come out in one piece? 

No one. That's the answer. We can't do anything without the help of God. God is mighty and powerful. God is like the coolest super hero ever. In the history of the world. Amen. No more to say. 

What I mean is God is the world. He made us and knew that when he created the world, I would be here at 10:44 writing a blog post. He knew and he knows what I'm doing tomorrow when I don't. That might freak some people out. I think of it like this: God watches us, keeps us safe, and is there for us when no one else is. Isn't it great to have a master so good?? I think so. I don't really understand God at all. He gave HIS son to save OUR world. that is sometthing no one I know would do. People might say they would but the only person who really knows if we would or not is God. oh my goodness I feel so weak. I'm so thankful for this ultimate sacrifice.

-Lu

As most of you know I'm back. It is so weird to have non concrete floors or walls, or pizza with sauce. Also all the white people. Its so different here, all the food, wealthiness, the really different personalities between Africans and Americans. I'm just going to talk about those three things: food, wealthiness, and personalities. 

Food: SO MUCH FOOD!!! There is places to eat almost everywhere I look! Oh and its like all fried! ugh. It gets nasty after a while though.

Wealthiness: People wear name brand clothes and eat steaks and expensive food. It drives me crazy (not that i don't like a good steak.) People spend a lot of money on FOOD and clothes. I shop at target. It drives me nuts that people spend hundreds of dollars on clothes. I mean I'm not saying i would not enjoy that , but people are dying, they are starving, and we spend money like nobodies' business! 

Personalities: Africans are nice. They ask how you are when you are just walking down the road. In america people get mugged just by walking down the road. What does this tell you? It tells me that america needs an attitude adjustment. These things i don't get, when your hungry and have no money (in america) your rude and snobby. In Africa people are nicer. 

This is not about everyone but a lot of people.

-Lu

Africa or America?

I am in such a weird place right now, I can't decide to be happy or sad about leaving. I love Africa an would choose it over America any day, but I love my family so much. It has been the best 6 months ever. If only African houses had a,c and my family lived here. Sigh. And what are we going to do about all the processed food?! In Africa there is caterpillars in your cabbage, and I speak from experience. I think America can and should change America is just a difficult country. I mean is it really truly necessary to give chickens steroids because I thought steroids were illegal?  And why are we the ONLY country that calls fresh fries?! In Africa life is simple. I can't believe I'm going back.


-Lu

Living in Africa helps you realize how
powerless you are. How you are only this person, this sinner who would be nothing without God. I feel so powerless because there are 2 MILLION orphans and my family can't adopt all of them, we can't feed every starving kid, we can't help recover every drug addict. Only God can. It always comes back to God. Always. I don't understand God, because how could you love EVERYONE all the same? Not love someone more or someone less? Who can forgive no matter what is done? Only God can. Say that with me only God can. I think about what life would be like without God, but there would be nothing, nothing at all. If God hadn't made Adam or didn't do anything else, this place we are right now, wouldn't be here. Wow. God is powerful and we are weak. I am usually kind of independent. I don't like help. I'd rather bake, read, or do most everything by myself, but I NEED God. Right now I'm working on only giving God the glory and asking God for what I want (I've never been good at asking).


-Lu

Jinja Fun

Jinja fun

So I've been to jinja before, but this time I'm went with my family. So we hired a car and charged our electronics and hit the road. The drive to Jinja is about and hour and a half. The drive is amazing. There are acres and acres of tea plants and rice it's just amazing. Once we got into Jinja we went to bujagali falls and there we could put our feet in the water. It is just amazing to see what God can do. So after that we went to a restaurant and had afra-nachos. 
They were really good. (I have pics but afra-internet is super slow)
 Next we went to the source of the Nile but didn't actually go in (it was super expensive). Soon enough we ate some lunch and met up with Mrs. Tania, she came here after she sold everything she had. Hmm sounds like someone I know. Haha. She and my parents talked for a while then we sat at an Internet cafe and drank a soda and then some of Mrs. Tania's friends just so happen to be around and they said hi and guess who one of them was? Katie Davis. (She writes a blog) When I saw her I was like "Can that be Katie Davis?!" in my head, After kinda dyeing in side at the sight of her. Mrs. Tania asked if we heard of her, and I was like YES! But it came out as Uh Uh. And  she asked if I wanted a picture! A picture! I almost started crying tears of joys katie says "oh I have that shirt!" and then we took a picture. That was just like the best moment in my Africa experience. So anyways we started to go home and it was kinda horrible. All the smog and stuff. But anyways we got home and I had such an amazing day.

-Lu