Overwhelmed

After carving pumpkins!! 

Well. I can tell you one thing: it's been quite a week!! Last Saturday, the girls and I went out to a very American place to eat (we had pizza!!), and on our way home, through a series of shady experiences in a taxi, one of my friends, Nahni, and I had our wallets and cameras stolen. It's just like the devil to attempt to ruin a perfect day, isn't it!! But honestly, I feel like he failed. Yes, I was somewhat upset - mostly at my own ignorance - but I wasn't as distressed as I should have been. There was just an overwhelming peace that came through me. It's just material things that were stolen; we're safe, and I'm still WAY richer than the men who stole our belongings because I have Christ. Everything is working out fine in the recovery process, and we're confident God will pay back in abundance what the enemy has stolen. In fact, I've already been informed that a loved one was planning on sending me money before the theft even happened; it was almost exactly seven times what was in my wallet!!

At Sunday School with Gerald

Our awesome Halloween costumes! 

With the neighborhood kids after our special
Halloween "program" (games!!)

Sadly though, that's not the only hard thing that happened this week. One of the employees at EAC had their house broken into and many of their belongings stolen, one of the sponsored kids in Kampala died in a fight, and one of the girls from the village also died. On top of that, many things having to do with my future have been weighing upon my heart as well as family and friends back home. I'm simply overwhelmed; it's too much for me to carry on my own. But even as I'm writing this, God is throwing His Word into my mind and heart, "When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God...," "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73: 16-17, 26) "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:2) I am overwhelmed, but He is not!

You all know I couldn't resist
putting a picture of Winnie in her new dress!

Another part of that though? I have to let Him have it all. One of the biggest lessons I learned that initially brought me to Uganda was the lesson of surrender - choosing to give everything up to Him. It's a hard lesson, and it still is! I'm learning once again to let go and trust God. Do you want to know the hardest part about it? The fact that surrender is continual; it's not a one-time deal. I can finally choose to give everything up to God, surrender it all, and then two hours later start worrying about it again and have to start surrendering again, and again, and again.... Yeah, it's hard, but this is the hope I hold on to:

"I lift my eyes to the mountains - 

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth."

            -Psalm 121:1-2

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. but take heart! I have overcome the world."

-John 16:33

Blessings to you all!! 

....and because I don't have my camera....

**All picture credit to Katie Simon and Shannon Lundberg**