Life as I know it...

I feel as though I haven’t had a chance to breath these last couple of weeks. It started with the move and unpacking then I got sick and spent almost 5 days at home in bed. Everything at the home has been going really well. Please continue to pray for the kids. I don’t want to mention any names because I feel like that really invades the kids privacy but just be in prayer for them. For them to be strong in their faith, to be healthy, and to do as they are asked. Being one of six to raise 46 children isn’t an easy task. We are always being pulled in so many directions and being asked a million and one questions about everything. But as I think about it more and more I know that right now I wouldn’t change my life for anything. I love all the children God has brought into my life with a passion and a love that I’ve never felt for any one. I’m so proud to be the “mommy” of these children. God has blessed my life so richly and I am so blessed to have all the people he has placed in my life. Thank you everyone for your prayers and love and encouragement I know I have said this before but God has used each and everyone of you to speak into my life and I am blessed.

As a side note I’m going to be doing a news letter and would love your e-mail address so that I can send you all the updates. Please send them to rmbishop09@gmail.com and I’ll send you the updates once a month. God bless!

Love,
Rochelle

Oh being sick in Uganda!!!

I’ve realized how very selfish and self centered I become when I’m sick. I want to be comforted and I want my mom. I become very bratty and I feel so sorry for all those around me. Some of you may say that it’s ok to want to feel comforted and comfortable but I think we have it all turned around.
God hasn’t called us to a life of comfort in anything but him, He hasn’t called us to have big houses and fancy cars. He has called us to lay everything down, pick up our cross and follow him. What does our cross look like? What is standing in the way of us following God 100 percent? What do we need to put down in order to let God have our full attention?

Someone I love reminded me that when we feel our worst we tend to think only of ourselves before others. We forget that God is still here ready and willing to listen and instead we concentrate on how we can feel better. When this person first told me that I was being selfish and that I needed to stop looking at my situation the way I was and start praying for others and leave myself in the back ground, I was hurt. I wanted to tell this person that they didn’t know what I was going through that they had never felt malaria and they would never understand. Instead I said that I understood and that I would do as they suggested. So the next day the Lord brought someone to me that I don’t have e very close relationship with. But she wanted to see my new house and visit, so she came. I was still feeling very weak and tired but I didn’t want to turn her away so I invited her in and we sat at the only piece of furniture in our dining/living room, a table and four folding chairs. The conversation started with many long pauses in between sentences. She is not a talker and my brain wasn’t working very well. Anyways this went on for maybe 45 minutes before I told her that I thought I needed to lay down again. I guess she didn’t hear me because she went on talking but this time about personal things. We talked about the Bible and I tried my best to answer the questions she had. All the time praying for God to give me the words to speak. Our time ended in prayer and I sent her on her way back home.

After she left I realized just how much I miss being able to talk to girls and give them hugs and love on them. Even the girls I see every day at OOH always come up and hug me and when I give them a kiss they have huge smiles on there faces and if I forget one of them they are always quick to remind me. J
It brings joy to my heart knowing that God can use what we see as so small to glorify him. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and he wants our weaknesses to become our strengths and for our strengths to become even stronger in him.

The first day and even the second day of malaria I was only thinking of myself and what I needed and all my prayers were for Rochelle. But what I’ve learned is that God can use something like Malaria to break us so that he can build us back up. I know that my heart was broken and God is now able to show me the places where I’m weak and the places where I need more of him and less of me. I think little by little God is breaking down little parts of my heart to fill them up again with him. It’s been a hard transformation so far but I know that I’ll be a stronger and more Christ like person when he completes’ his work

Answers to prayers!!!

Once again I want to thank you all for your prayers. One of my prayer requests was that My friends and I would find a house to rent here in Jinja town. Well praise God we have found one! It took a lot of looking and knocking on random gates but we found it! and another thing is that it is right around the courner from the Home where both Anna and I work and it's not far from where Famke, another roomate, is working. It's perfect, and God just dropped it into our lapps. He is so faithful, even when I start to doubt, the Lord shows me once again that he has everything in control and that nothing is impossible for him. Sometimes it's hard to learn these lessons but I know that I have been growing because of them. I have a closer more personal relationship with God then i ever have. In times where i'm freaking out and wanting answers now, God tells me to wait on him. When circumstances seem overwhelming and like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. God reminds me that he is there walking right beside me holding my hand and leading me to the place where I need to be. When things get hard and it seems like they will never end the Lord holds me in his arms and comforts me as only he can, reasurring me that he is and always has been in control and that he loves me and is here for me. I just need to call out to him and ask him for help.

Another thing that I have been praying about is coming back to Oregon in late June of 2011. I wasn't going to tell anyone just yet but I would love it if you all could pray with me about that. Please just keep this in your prayers. Thank you!

Thank you all so much for the e-mails and love that you've shown me. God has been so good and he has used so many of you to show me his goodness. May the Lord continue to bless you!

Thank you Lord!!!

So a couple of things real quick.

I want to thank you all for the prayers about my work permit. On friday this last week I went to Kampala and picked up my passport, Where they had written the work permit!!! I was so excited to finally have it in my possession. So I am legal to stay for another year before I need to apply for a work permit again.

Thank you Lord!!!

I am now posting prayer request's and praise reports on the right hand side of this page. If you would please join me in prayer for these things I would greatly appreciate it.

With the Joy of the Lord,
Rochelle

Life goes on.

Well it has been 8 days since my good bye to Judy and Malia. At times it seems as though it has been a lot longer than a week. I am trying to stay busy so that I don't have to think about them to much. I don't know if it's a part of my copeing or if i'm in denial. Sometimes I think that they are just on furlough and they'll be back in a couple weeks but then i'm reminded that they are now living in MI and I honestly don't know when i'll see them again. I have been able to talk to them on skype a couple times so far and that has really been helpful. Malia is adjusting well and loving the fact that she gets to be around her grandparents. :)

So this week has been hard but not as hard as I thought. God has been so faithful. He is bringing new people into my life everyday and renewing old friendships. I am so blessed to be able to have so many people who love me. I have also learned to not take for granted the things the Lord has blessed me with. Everyday there are children in my life and this expirence with Malia leaving has made me want to invest into the kids around me. God has renewed my heart and instead of being bitter or angery that he allowed me to love those two and then he took them away, I have been able to use that love I have for them to love others. God is teaching me to love with my whole heart. Not worrying about if it'll be broken or if these others will leave, but looking at life as my chance to show people how much God loves them.

So I guess the point of this blog is just that even when our hearts break and we may feel like God is pushing us to far. We can know that He is our comforter, protector, Saviour and most of all our Father. God is and will always be there for us. It doesn't mean we will never have broken hearts or go through tough times but it does mean that He will always be there to hold us, comfort us and bring us through whatever trials we may face in this life. I know that loving people is hard and it is a risk. But I also know that it is worth the risk to love someone. It is better to have loved and lost then to not have loved at all.

God Bless!

In the words of Malia "Listen, Obey!"

This blog is really hard for me to write and i'll probably shed many tears while in the process.

Judy and Malia have gotten their answer to prayer. Last week the US Embassey in Kampala called Judy and told her that she and Malia have been approved and that they could leave Uganda and soon as this week! It is really exciting but at the same time very hard. I'm so excited that Malia will be able to give big hugs and kisses to her Grandparents, uncles and Auntie's but at the same time I wish I knew that her and her mom would be coming back to Uganda. The more I think about it the more heart broken I become because I really have no idea when I'll be able to see either one of them again. Over the last eight months I have come to love them as my family. Judy has been a wonderful, Godly big sister to me and Malia has been a complete joy with her random hugs and kisses, to her sweet and caring personality. They have both found a very special place in my heart. I didn't realized it would be so difficult and I know they haven't left yet so I want to spend as much time with them as possible. I just spent the morning up in their apartment talking to Judy and taking in every silly and endearing thing that Malia did to heart knowing it may be one of the last times i'll be able to witness this part of her life. I don't know how I'll say good bye when friday rolls around but I know that I will make the effort to keep in touch with them and keep them always in my prayers.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to pray for Judy and malia and please don't stop. They have a lot of ajusting to do still and will need all the prayer they can get.

On another note I found out that my work permit was approved and now I just need to go pay for it and hopefully pick it up shortly there after!!! Praise the Lord!!!

I wasn't going to share this but the Lord keeps putting it on my heart and I think that others can learn from my mistakes. A couple weeks ago I was walking the 3 miles home from Our Own Home and I passed this man who was pushing a bicyle with large water containers on the back and one of his flip flop straps was broken. As I passed him by I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to give the man the flip flops I was wearing. Well i kept walking and started to argue with the Lord. "Why should I give him my shoes Lord? what am I going to walk home in?" But as I continued to walk away from him the Holy Spirit kept speaking the same words "Give him your shoes." So I finally turned around and started to walk very quickly back up the hill toward where the man had been and as I walked I looked for him and it was as though he had disapeared. He was no where to be seen. I felt dejected and my eyes were already filling with tears because I knew I had openly disobeyed the Lord. Well needless to say I went home in tears and heart broken. The scripture that came to me was Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
The lesson I learned, that I hope to encourage you with, is that when the Lord ask's you to do something, don't ask questions just do it. If it's the Lord, know that he has your back.

Thank you all so much for your love, support and your prayers! If there is anything I can be in prayer for you about just shoot me a message at rmbishop09@gmail.com.

God Bless!!!

God is good and all the time!

I still have a peace that is surpassing all of my understanding. It's completely God and not I. It brings me such relief to know that the Lord is in Control and that I am where I am today because of his great will and timing. I know without a doubt that I'll be living in Uganda for the rest of my life serving where the Lord calls and doing whatever he asks of me. Please continue to pray with me. In all things, doors to open as I move forward, finances to be all that is NEEDED, and for all that I do to be of the Lord.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33

I am excited for the future and what God has planned for me but at the same time I am also excited for the here and the now of what his IS doing in and through me.

Some specific prayer needs:

Moses has been sick. Pray for a full recovery.

My work permit still isn’t done. Pray for the immigration officers to be quick.

Judy and Malia have been delayed. Please pray that the Lord would give Judy peace and work everything out in his timing.

A place to live when the pastor and his wife come back on the 1st of Oct. Somewhere safe and somehow close to Our Own Home since I don’t have a vehicle and will have to walk to and from.

Pray that the Lord would continue to bring people into my life that I can pour out God’s love on and encourage.

Thank you all for reading and for praying with me. May the Lord bless you as you have blessed me.

In Christ,
Your friend, Daughter, Niece, Granddaughter and sister,
Rochelle

Learning...

First of all i have to apologize, I haven't been very consistent in writing blogs. I could make the excuses that I have been busy, which is true, but no excuse. I'm sorry.

As I go through life here in Uganda I become more and more used to the culture and the slower way of life. Know one is in a hurry, which I like, but at the same time it is not very helpful when I have a certain amount of time left on my visa and the people in immigration haven't processed my work permit yet. This last Tuesday a friend and I made the two hour journey on public transport to Kampala. Where we were hopefully going to be paying for our work permits. Well of course we get there and look in a couple different books and find our file number in one but not in the other. The second one is the one that counts because this means that they have looked over your file and have either approved or denied your application. The way things are done here however means that you just never know when things will be done and there are no phone numbers to call to see if things have been completed so you use your time, energy and money to go and see. :)

God has been teaching me his timing and what it looks like to be patient. Yes it is frustrating but I know that God is in control and that there is really nothing I can do except pray and trust him. I have been reminding myself constantly that it was the Lord who opened the doors for me to stay and it will be up to him whether I stay or go. It would break my heart to leave but, it would break my heart more to not be sensitive to the Lords leading.

Please continue to keep the whole process of the work permit in your prayers. And whatever the Lords will is that he would prepare me for the out come.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6

On that trip to Kampala the Lord revealed a vision to me. I have been praying and seeking the Lord about this vision and I would ask you to pray with me as the Lord leads you.

"I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning ANYTHING that they ask, it will be done for them by My father in heaven.
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:19-20

As I continue to live by faith I am reminded of Philippians 4:19 "And My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Rochelle

I must decrease so God can increase!!! It's not about me!!

I don't know if I should be writing these things but I have to be honest. So here goes...

Why is it that when we are faced with the chance to live out our faith in God, things seem so much harder?

This last month the Lord has been breaking my heart of pride and self-reliance. I never new I was struggling with these things until someone I love and respect said something that got me to thinking.

My pride was in the fact that I wasn't like the people I was living around. I realized that I have so much being here in Jinja. I am staying in a western style home with almost all the comforts of where I grew up. Yet, was I called here to live so comfortably above the people? Am I called to minister to the Ugandans and then go back to my "rich" mans home? What does it mean for me to be living with these people? How can I show them God's love and not be living like them? Do I think I'm better then they? Am I trying to show them that white people do have money and that if you become a christian you'll have money too? How Do I show people God's love without them thinking that if they come to Jesus they'll be "rich"?

The Lord revealed to me that I was becoming calloused to the poverty and to the people around me. His People. I realized how selfish I was being and that I was becoming a bad witness. My heart is being torn apart. I am being humbled and brought to my knees daily. Sometimes over something I have already been taught. The Lord is "cleaning house" so to speak, with my heart.

Jesus came to the earth as a man. He never seemed to be in want for anything. God always took care of him. Provided all he needed. Yet he wasn't a rich man.

I am struggling with the question. What does it mean to live, serve and become like the people of Uganda?

About a week ago we had a guest speaker come and teach in our mid week bible study. He told us the story of when he first came to Uganda and how God had told him to live by faith.
I was convicted because that is something the Lord has been telling me over the last nine months that I have lived in Uganda. Faith is the key to living as a missionary. People have let me down but the Lord still remains faithful.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Please be praying with me that the Lord would reveal to me what it means to be his servant. I am called to love and serve the people of Uganda. Lord what does that look like?

Some people think me unwise for being here without consistent monthly support and having no idea where I'll be full time.

I don't have the answers. But I do know that God works in mysterious ways. He has already provided ministry opportunities and opened the doors to thing that I never thought would be possible.

This journey has been hard, challenging and stretching for me. My faith and whole person is being transformed and the only thing I want is to be more and more like my Father, Saviour and Redeemer, God.

Random!

So I decided that this bog will be about random things that are normal
to me but may be weird to people who have never been to Africa.

I live in a western style home with indoor pluming, electricity and even Internet access.

I ride side saddle on the back of a motorcycle to get to, and most of the times from, Our Own Home. Then I pay the strange man for taking me.

1000 Ugandan shillings is equal to about 50 cents.

Most of the time I eat food that you could easily find on a dinner table in the US.

The temperature is rarely ever below 80, unless it's raining, and even then the temp. drops to maybe 68.

The roads are uneven and have a lot of potholes.

It is very green here. Uganda is the Pearl of Africa because of it's beauty.

To get to Kampala or any near by cities, I ride in a mini bus called a coaster. If things are a bit closer (like the YWAM base) I take a 14 passenger van they call a Matotu or taxi. They always squeeze at least 6 more people then they are licensed for and the vans are almost always “coming apart at the seems.” so to speak.

We have hot water in our taps. Yes you do need to turn on the water heater before you hop into the shower but it heats up fairly quickly.

Sending boxes to Uganda takes about three months where as large manila envelopes, stuffed with all sorts of goodies, takes about two weeks.

The dirt is red, therefore everything that touches the dirt becomes red as well.

We hang our clothes out to dry. Very effective if the sun is shinning. Then when they are taken off line they need to be ironed to kill the eggs that were lain by mango flies.

Oh Uganda I love it!!!!!!!

Hey so this is going to be a very quick blog. It's mainly a praise report. We were able to turn in my work permit papers which is a huge step towards getting my work permit!!! Praise the Lord!!!

Now all I need is $250 in a week when I have to pay for it! :)

Thanks for all the prayers!

In Christ,
Rochelle

Please join me in prayer!!!

Sorry that this blog has been a long time in coming. So I'm going to try and be better about posting new blogs.

Some of you may know that I have had a very frustrating time trying to get a work permit. I want to remain legal in this country but the government here has been very difficult and not very willing to help. On Friday of this last week some of the people I work with and I went to Kampala to turn in the paperwork for our work permits. Unfortunately the paperwork was not excepted by the immigration people. So we have to go back and try again. :( It has been a very frustrating time for me because I am once again coming to the end of my most recent visa. Please pray that they will accept our paperwork when William goes back on Monday.

When they do accept the paperwork they will tell us to come back in a week to pay for it. The cost for a one year work permit is $250. So I will need the total amount when they tell me come back.

If you have been meaning to send me support please send it sooner than later.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to house sit for the pastor and his wife for three months starting on Wednesday. Rent will be the same at $100 USD.

Please pray for continued health and for the Lord to use me how he needs to.

That is all I can think of to write for now. I know the Lord will provide all I need and I also know that he uses his people to do this.

I have five people who have pledged to support me at the moment, but the need is still there. I will need to pay rent at the 1st of every month, buy some groceries and I will need to pay for my work permit. If you have thought and prayed about supporting me at $10 a month but just haven't sent the money please do it.

Thank you for all you prayers and support!
God Bless!
Rochelle

I just realized that there is a lot to say and so I better update everyone now.

The first thing is that God has been stretching me in matters of faith. As my last blog said I was planning on going to Kenya to renew my visa. Well it seems that the Lord closed the doors for Kenya. I also had tried to get a special pass, which would allow me to be in the country for a total of five months. Unfortunately the immigration of Uganda denied my application for a special pass and I decided to go to Rwanda to try and get my visa there. Well I was very blessed because Judy and Malia decided to come with me and we stayed in Kabale, which is in southern Uganda, and on Sunday crossed over the boarder into Rwanda the next day for about an hour then crossed back over into Uganda. Getting my new visa however didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. The person giving me my visa took advantage of the fact that I was a white person and told me that I needed to get a work permit and stop crossing the boarder. So he ended up making me pay $50 and gave me only one month. It's supposed to be $50 for three months! I was on the verge of tears as I walked out of the immigration office. I don't understand how people who have power could be so cruel. I have not had a good time with getting my new visa's I guess they frown on people who are here without a work permit.

I have been working at Our Own Home for two weeks now. I enjoy the work I do there. I get to spend a lot of time with the kids which I like but at the same time I wish there was more that I could do. I am looking forward to house sitting for Jesse and Bev when they go on furlough! :) It was such a huge blessing when Bev told me that I could house sit for them while there gone. This way I still have more time to look for a place to stay and to raise money for support.

Thank you to everyone who is a financial and prayer supporter!!! You are very much appreciated!!!

That's all for now, more to come later!

Blessings,
Rochelle

Lord draw me closer to you everyday!!!

Hey everyone!

Some things have taken place since my last blog. First off I have been very blessed to have such amazing people in my life. Every day is an adventure and a challenge, but God has never left my side and he continues to speak through my friends and family.

Second I want to give God the glory for a certain friend stepping out in faith and pledging to give $10 a month. I know life hasn't been easy for her so I feel so very blessed that she is taking this incredible step. So I just need 99 more people.

Third I have been able to view two apartments in the last week, which in itself is a huge blessing because apartments, in nice buildings and safe environments, are hard to come by here. So this is a huge answer to prayer! Thank you Lord!

Fourth next week my visa expires and I need to go to Kenya to get a new one. Now to some of you this may appear easy but alas nothing in Uganda comes easily. I will be traveling by bus to Mombasa. There is a YWAM base there that I will be staying at for five days. Please pray for safe travels and also money for the visa's. I will need $50 for a Kenyan visa and $50 for a Ugandan visa.

Last but not least I started my new volunteer job on Wednesday and so far it is going really well. William and Holly are amazing people and I am so blessed that the Lord has brought them into my life!

May everything I do be for the glory and furtherance of God's kingdom! Amen!

Oh the Journey of it all!!!

This new opportunity has presented itself to me this week, but I'll start from the beginning.

For the past month I have been feeling like the Lord wants me to learn more about the administration side of running an organization. As i prayed about it, that desire became stronger. I didn't tell very many people because I wanted to know that this was what God wanted. If any of you know me very well, you know that sometimes I get excited about things that don't end up working out, because that's not where God wants me. I wanted to make sure that this was God's will.

Well this last week it was confirmed through a couple who has home for HIV/AIDS kids. They have 40+ kids. They have also just had a baby of their own. William has been doing all the admin stuff but is realizing that he needs help. So as he and his wife, Holly, prayed about it separately they both felt like the Lord had told them to ask me. They had, had no idea that I was even interested in anything to do with admin work. When they presented this idea to me last Saturday I almost started to cry because this was something that the Lord had been speaking to me and he spoke to them without me even knowing. I Believe that this is from the Lord and so we've decided that this is where he wants me for now.

However this is still a volunteer position and I will continue to need monthly support.

I need your continued prayers and as I try and search for a place to live. My rent will go up significantly so my expenses will as well.

Below I have posted my budget and I am praying for 100 people to come along side me and support me at $10 a month. It's only $120 a year! That's nothing! Please pray about supporting me. I have more than 100 friends on facebook so I know this is possible!!!

God Bless!!!
Rochelle

Monthly Budget

Health Insurance- $50

Rent- $325

This covers:
Electricity
Water
Fully furnished apartment

Food/Groceries- $80
A) bug repellent
B) eating out
C) malaria meds
D) food for breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Transport- $50
(a) Boda’s to and from work
(b) Going to Kampala
(c) Going to neighboring country for visa’s

Phone- $10

Visa’s/ work permit- $100. Three months/ $250 yearly.

Misc.- $40.
A) money for Moses (the little boy I'm supporting)
B) days away i.e. going to Kampala for the day or a weekend.
D) other needs

Airfare- $2200. Yearly

Savings- $250. monthly

If you are interested in supporting please e-mail me at rmbishop09@gmail.com. Thank you and God Bless you!!!

The Beauty of the Lord astounds me!!!

Dear friends and family,

After getting Malaria and then being healed from malaria, life has gone back to "normal." I'm still not completely sure what my normal is but life has gone back to the way it was before. This last Friday I went to the hopeland base here in Jinja for the 50th celebration of YWAM. It was an exciting day full of music and updates on all the east African YWAM bases. I was able to see some of the people that went through my DTS with me. And reconnect with old friends. It was fun and also very exhausting at the same time.

On Saturday Calvary Chapel had a R.A.C.E day for the children of Jinja and surrounding villages. Race stands for Running According to Christ's Example. It was a way to tell the kids about Jesus. We had the gospel presented after each race. It was done in Luganda (the local language) and about 50 of the 300 children excepted Christ into their hearts!!! It was very exciting! We had around 40 something staff and 4 different races, Sugar sack, relay, 40 meter dash and three legged. All the children were signed up for one race each. After all the races were completed there was an award ceremony followed by juice and popcorn. All in all it was a great success!
After the Race some friends and I went to the Jinja Nile Resort and went swimming.
It a was much needed time to relax and cool off, after an extremely HOT day!!!

Sunday was a pretty emotional day because some of our friends are leaving for furlough and another was leaving for good. Also it was the day Judy was scheduled to leave for home with Malia. So Judy had planned to take Kelli and I to a guest house in town for our birthday's. Mine was last Thursday and Kelli's is tomorrow. It was so nice to be able to get away with both of them and relax, talk, swim, eat some amazing pizza and just be girls.
I, of course, got burned pretty badly, a sad result of being in the sun all day and forgetting to put on sunscreen. What was I thinking!!! Here I am 24 and I know that I have pale skin and burn supper easy and yet I always forget sunscreen! I blame it on growing up in a place that is only sunny about two months out of the year!!! :) Oh well you live and you learn! Or at least we hope we learn! :)

Life seems to be busy lately. I have been trying to research different organizations in east Africa to find out if I can get involved with one that is a NGO(non government organization) or a NPO (non profit organization) But unfortunately I have not had very much success.

Please pray for the Lord to open the doors to where he wants me and where he can use me. I want more than anything to be in his will. So that is why I am earnestly seeking him for my life, in every part.

Another letter about finances is coming within the next couple of days.

Love you all and thank you so much for all your love, prayers and support. God Bless!

In Christ,
Rochelle

Oh Malaria, why do you poison me so!!!

The week started out pretty normal. I was still pretty tired and emotionally worn out from the trip to Kitgum. I was really hoping, as I said last week, that I would feel God wanted me in a certain place. Well that still hasn't happened. I still feel like the Lord wants me to go North but I don't think it is supposed to be now. So I have been at a loss of what to do next. On Thursday Judy and Malia had their court date. So we got up early and headed to Kampala to appear before the judge. I was aloud to sit in the court room with them and I was very nervous because the Judge was a hard looking woman. I thought for sure she was going to ask me why I was there. But she didn't she just talked to the lawyer and never even looked at us. Then on Friday at 1:45 am I woke up shivering even though I had all my covers on. It was a long night to say the least. At 7:45 or so that morning I was so tired and my head was hurting so bad, I was still cold and my back was so achy. When I told Judy she right away said that it was malaria and told me to go get tested. Off I went, not really having the energy to walk and was thankful when a boda came by and I had him take me. We went to one of the clinics in town and it was still closed so I had him take me to another one on the other side of town. They pricked my figure and I ended up waiting for about 20 minutes before the test came back positive. I was hoping that it was malaria because then I could get treatment and be done with it sooner. :)

Friday Judy got legal custody of Malia. So now she is working on getting her passport and other things to travel.

Now I am trying to get better. My appetite is returning a little by little. I am drinking a lot of water and sleeping a lot as well. I will hopefully be fully recovered in a day or so.

Man I really hate being sick.

Please keep praying for a full recovery! Thank you! :)

Philippians 1:6

Warning: this blog may be longer than I intended!!! :)

My story begins on Saturday the first of may in the year 2010.

5:00am is not a time I usually like to see. Normally I am studying the insides of my eyelids very intently at that time. I was told that this was the time I was to get out of bed and get ready for the two hour trip to Kampala, where we would then board a bus to Kitgum (Northern Uganda). We arrived in Kampala at 7:30am and after stopping for a potty break, headed to the bus park. Surprisingly we had no trouble finding the bus park thanks to Abdullah our driver. At 7:45 we boarded the bus and at about 9:20 we pulled out of the park and headed into the Kampala traffic.

Everything was going really well for the first hour or so. I think Malia and I were sleeping and Judy was reading her book, when all of a sudden we heard a very loud BANG!!! my eyes popped open and both Judy and I reached for Malia so she didn't go flying out of her seat. We soon realized that the tire had been shredded and the driver pulled over to the side of the road, which only left five inches for cars to pass us. After about five minutes we started moving again! thud thud thud went the tire and this went on for about 20 minutes until we reached the town of Luwero and he found a safe place to pull over. We all climbed out of the bus and sat on the side of the road for a good 20 more minutes before we heard the driver start the engine. Everyone climbed back on and off we went. We reached Kitgum at around 5:30pm and waited for Summer (the mom of the missionary family we stayed with) to come and pick us, as they say here in Uganda. We were shown the place where we were staying and after we ate a little food and fell into bed exhausted.

On Sunday we attended the Church Zain and Summer are pastoring, Calvary Chapel Kitgum. It is a very small church of about 20 people, including the children. The teaching was on Matthew 23 and even though I've read this passage many times, the Lord was able to reveal even more to me. :)

Monday we hung out with the family and then took one of there church members to the hospital because she broke her ankle that morning. On the way to the hospital we passed by the church where i had stayed with my DTS team four years ago. It was really weird to be back there but this time with different people.

Tuesday we went to a place called the Infant Care Center. They house about 14 children and their care givers in two rooms. The children are so cute and we brought them mango's and bread. It was fun to just hang out with them and play the hokie pokie, color and take pictures. Also on Tuesday we went to a near by village and had bible stories for the kids. It was really exciting!!!

We decided to head home, back to Jinja, on Wednesday. The bus ride both there and back were about eight hours! Not so much fun when you have a four year old sitting next to you, kicking you and wiggling in her seat. She needed to run around and it was impossible because well we were on a bus with 40 other people. :) Oh well we all made it to Kampala safe and sound. In Kampala we had to take boda's to get coaster's to go back to Jinja. I was on one boda and Judy and Malia were on another. I told the boda's to go to the old taxi park and off we went. Unfortunately Judy was in front and she had no idea where to go because it was her first time taking public transportation and my boda decided not to listen to me and took me to another part of town where they also have coasters that go to Jinja. I was really upset when we got there however because I knew this was not where i had told him to go. I lost it! I was so upset and every time I would talk to him it was like he wasn't listening to a word I was saying and he'd just turn and look at my lips. It was like he was trying to listen to what I was saying but he wasn't getting it. I called Judy and our boda drivers talked to each other then they came to where we were and we climbed aboard the coaster and started the two hour ride back home.

By the time we got home we were all so tired of sitting and hungry from only eating cassava and chapati. We went down to the main house after showering and ate dinner with the "family."

So I guess all in all I'm really glad that I went to Kitgum. I still have a lot to pray about in the coming weeks and months but at least now I know what's up there.

Please keep me in your prayers i have a lot of decisions ahead of me and i want to make sure that know matter where I am, I will be where God wants me. :) Thank you all for your love and support!!!

In Christ,
Rochelle

This week has been so busy for me and I love the things the Lord has been able to show me.

On Monday to Tuesday I went to the YWAM base, where I had completed my DTS four years ago. I needed that time to fast and pray. I was able to talk to the Lord with no distractions, well except my own thoughts that is. :) One thing my dad has told me more than once is that when he left for Isreal in 1990 he was excited about going and spreading the word of God. But he soon realized that he had brought himself with him. I never really understood and maybe I still don't, but I got a clearer picture of what that ment this week. I had a room to myself and it was really quiet and I was so excited to talk and to listen. Well I did some talking and when I went to listen my mind took over the thinking part. I started to make list's of what I needed from the store and on and on my mind went. Then it was clear, I had brought myself with me! All the distractions I thought I had weren't there but I was still having a hard time consintrating. The reason was me not the other people in my life, even though i'm sure they do play a part :). It was an awesome time realizing that I needed to be able to be quiet and just be in the presents of God kneeling at his feet. Being able to hear his voice, feel his presents and let him be in control of the things that worry us. I am still learning what this means and how to apply it to my life.

On Wednesday I was hanging out with Malia. We went to Ossie's Cafe in Jinja town and had lunch, then it was off to Amani to visit the babies. :) we then hurried home for her nap and biblestudy later that night. It was a wonderful day.

On thursday I woke up at an ungodly hour (6:30 am) to get ready for a long day in Kampala. Judy and I have decided to make the long and dusty trip to Kitgum, which is in Northren Uganda near the Sudan border, on public transport. It's going to be Judy and Malia's first time on public and I want things to go as smoothly as possible. :) The Pastor and his wife were headed to Kampala as well so I got to ride with them. I was dropped off on one side of town and then took a boda (motorcycle) to the bus park which was on the other side of town. But I was able to ask some questions of the bus workers and find out where the bus park was. Then it was off to the store to buy some snacks and kill time until Bev and Jesse were ready to head back home.

We leave Jinja tomorrow at 6 or 6:30am so that we can get to the bus park and hopefully get on one of the first buses leaving to Kitgum. Please pray for a safe trip. It's a 8 hour bus ride on dirt roads at high speeds.
We will be visiting a missionary family who has resently moved up there with their 11 children. They are going to show us around to different orginizations that work with children. I am hopefull that the Lord will show me the place he wants me. I have been prayerfully considering moving up North perminately within the next couple of months. This will be a great oppurtunity to see what's there and if this is where the Lord wants me.

So keep us (Judy, malia and I) in your prayers over the next 5 days. We won't have access to internet while up there so don't get worried if you don't hear from me for a week.

In Christ,
Rochelle

"For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." Phil. 1:8-10