Just a brief post as I've been thinking about some things a lot recently. Most of you probably know that we plan to live and work in Africa long term after finishing residency. God has given us an incredible desire to serve in this way, and He often breaks our hearts for the people with whom we will live. Even though our current life and work situation keeps us busy and thinking about things far removed from Africa, God brings us reminders of why He has asked us to do something against the mainstream.
There is a young woman who is only a few years younger than us named Katie. I do not know her personally, but have been following her story for some time through her writing. She went to Uganda shortly after graduating from high school, expecting to stay only for a year. But God changed her in mighty ways during that year, and she could never return to be the same person before she went to Uganda. She now lives in Uganda permanently and has taken 14 girls (and counting) in to be her daughters. She started and runs a sponsorship program and feeding program (which feeds >1,200 children daily), provides basic medical care (despite no formal training), opens her home to the lowest and least of society, and serves in every way she thinks Jesus would have served. She is, quite literally, the hands and feet of Jesus. When she writes, she pours out her heart and says some of the most moving and convicting things I have ever read. I am left humbled, heartbroken, and challenged each time. She reminds me why God has asked us to move to Africa, why we will leave our families and friends, why we will work harder than we do in residency and yet be so much more fulfilled by our lives and work than we could be here. She reminds me that although the problems are so much larger than we are, we
CAN and we
WILL make a difference, one person at a time.
I encourage you to read Katie's writing
here. But be prepared. She does not write to provide interesting stories. She writes to bring truth and reality to our content and complacent world, to open our eyes to the injustices of the world, to remind us what Jesus actually meant with His message, and to stir us to action to bring His message of eternal life and healing. If you truly let her words penetrate your heart, you will never be the same.
Today was cookie baking day with Grandma Cindy. Before we got started, Charlotte opened a beautiful apron that Grandma made for an early Christmas present!
But then she wasn't interested in baking. She pulled off the apron (bottom right of picture) and sat down to read. Here she is reading part of the Christmas story and she's opened up to her favorite part, King Herod and the Wise Men. What a strange kid.
She wouldn't come in to the kitchen to help until we got to the good part...licking the cookie dough off the beater.
Yum!
Mama and Charlotte
While the cookie dough chilled, we made wreaths (corn flakes and marshmallows). Charlotte was in charge of the red hots. The one right in front of her got a little overloaded.
Then we took a little break to decorate Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas tree. Charlotte had lots of fun playing with the ornaments. Here she is making a rabbit pull a poodle on a sled and to her left is another poodle on a sled. Those silly poodles.
Now that the dough is chilled it's time to roll it out!
Grandma showing Charlotte how to roll it out just right.
Yep, that's a Play-Doh rolling pin!
And after the baking comes the frosting...and the sprinkling...and some more sprinkling...and then just a little bit more.
Until it's just right!
Charlotte's collection of frosted Scottie dogs. She did them all by herself. Nobody else will want to eat them as there was a fair amount of licking fingers that went into the making of these.
The finished product(s)! What a lot of work. What a lot of FUN! What a lot of deliciousness!
See you next time Duluth!
