The Long Awaited Update!

The West Side of the School Building

I’m sure by now I’ve ruined my reputation as a blogger (not that I ever really had one), but the thought of blogging while I’m in Kansas kind of freaks me out. I’d rather talk to you all in person! However, considering the amount of time I’ve been back home to talk to people one-on-one since I started college, blogging about it is probably a more realistic way of letting you all know how God has been moving in Bethel Ministries.

In my time since being back in the states, God’s blessings have continued to pour out abundantly. Thanks to some donations upon my return home, we were able to continue in the construction of the school building and buy a second piece of land across the road from our first piece. The school building is coming along really well. With our current proposed budget, it looks like it will take around $4,000 to reach the point of being ready to put the roof on and then $2,000 more to finish roofing it. On the second plot of land we bought, we planted a garden to provide for some of the food requirements of the children, and now they’re getting ready to harvest! We’ve also had numerous new sponsors and donations over the past few months. Really all I can say is that when God makes a promise, He keeps it!!

The Front of the School Building, you can see where the doors will be!

Another really awesome, but scary (why do I find myself saying that phrase so much?!) thing that God has been bringing up in regard to Bethel is the conviction of defining Bethel’s goals and plan of action. If you know me very well at all, you know that I’m not a “planner.” It’s one of my many weaknesses that has been a definite struggle in the course of starting this ministry, and as I continue learning through college, I am becoming more and more aware of my lack of intentional planning and definition of the objectives of Bethel. That being said, God has brought people alongside me that I believe are going to be instrumental in defining these things for Bethel. As people interested and invested in God’s work, I just want to ask you to be praying for direction and discernment within this group of people. I hope to be updating you soon on this, and I’m SO excited to see where God leads us. As He has promised in Philippians 1:6, “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I am confident that God has a good and perfect plan for the ministry He has started!

Again, thank you for your continual support and encouragement! Abundant blessings!

Some of the kids in front of the school building!

Home Sweet Home! (+ procrastination time)

Last picture with my kids! 

Well. You'll be happy to know that I haven't yet ruined my reputation as a terrible blogger... considering my last blog was in June (I think...). But for those of you who actually take the time to read this (and not just scroll through to find the pictures), you probably already know that I'm back in good ol' Soldier, Kansas. Actually, I've been back for a little over a month now. Coming home was such a crazy experience! It was like trying to learn a new culture again. I felt like I had completely forgotten everything that was considered "normal" and "acceptable" and had to watch other people to figure those things out again! So, yeah. That was interesting.

In front of Buckingham Palace
on the way home

Things with Bethel have been absolutely mind-boggling. We're actually preparing to buy our second piece of land and build some more!! Wow. God provides.

I miss my kids and Ugandan family like crazy.

And I miss the way of life there - church, work, time-management. Everything.

But I'm content in being here because I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and I've seen God's hand at work. Which is more than I could ever ask for.

In front of Big Ben! 

I'm headed off to K-State at the end of this month to start pursuing a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Leadership Studies.  And I'll be speaking - anywhere and everywhere about what God is doing in Uganda. In fact, if you'd like me to come share somewhere, PLEASE contact me! Telling people about what's happened is one of the things I'm the most excited about being back in the States for.

So, yeah.... I'm back. Things aren't perfect (but when have they ever been?). I can't form complete thoughts (which really isn't that out of the norm, either... Mom swears I have ADHD), and there are lots of different things to work through, but I'm here. Just doing life and waiting in anticipation for what God makes happen next! Thanks for jumping on the journey with me!

Blessings!

With both of my bros for the first time in FOREVER!

144 Toothbrushes.

It was after midnight, and I found myself sitting on the cement floor in our living room completely surrounded by gifts for the Bethel children. Things ranging from hydrogen peroxide to socks to jump ropes were everywhere, and there I was, in the center, counting toothbrushes. One hundred and forty four toothbrushes. And as I counted the last one, something made me stop and think:

“These toothbrushes are for my children!”  (No. We don’t have 144 children. Don’t worry!)

“Some of them will get to brush their teeth with a toothbrush for the first time in their lives!!”

………

                ……………………..

“How and why was I chosen to be the one?

                ….the one who gets to be blessed enough to bear these gifts?

                                ………..who gets to see their joy in person, face to face??”

I always find myself asking that question. And really, I know the answer – only God. Only God could work such a miracle! And if He can work that awesome of a miracle in my life, I have no doubt that He’ll work even bigger and greater ones in our kids’ lives. And the gifts that our children received as I went to Kagarama for the last time before I leave were nothing short of a miracle!

I wish with the deepest part of my heart that all of you could have been there the day we gave the gifts to our children! Seeing the joy on their faces was one of the most amazing things I've experienced. For the vast majority of them, this was the first time in their lives that they've ever received a gift. As we started pulling the first gifts out of the boxes, there was this murmur and air of excitement that rushed through the children. Some of them, when we called them to see if clothes or shoes would fit them, would simply stare at us in complete shock. I can only imagine what was going through their minds!

                “Who? Me? Really???”

….. And as they’re making their way to the person holding the article of clothing:

“Dear God, PLEASE let it fit! Or at least make me grow really fast while I’m walking so it won’t be too big for me! Oh, wow! It still has tags on it. It’s….. NEW. God make it fit me!!!”

Seriously though. I had to teach our kids how to use bubbles. They had no clue.

And the basics. Toothbrushes. I don’t know why the toothbrushes are hitting me so hard. Maybe it’s the fact that for most people I know, a toothbrush is just a “given.” The thought of living without a simple toothbrush is absurd. But yet, that’s the reality my kids are living in. No toothbrush. No shoes. One pair of clothes. No electricity. Running water classifies you as rich. Make your own soccer ball out of plastic bags (if you can find enough, that is). Write on banana leaves for lack of paper. Porridge. Posho*. Beans. Posho. Beans. Porridge. Posho. Beans. You get the picture…..  

But then I got to see firsthand. I got to see them receive clothes, shoes, book bags, pencils, books, bubbles, toys. God really put some stuff in perspective for me. These children pray for God’s provision. They pray for healing. And now they’re realizing that God is faithful. No matter how long it seems to take Him – He will never forsake them. They’re seeing God’s miracles right before their own eyes. And I’m SO blessed to be a witness to it all.

God is faithful. So. So. Faithful.

“You (God) have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat…”

-Isaiah 25:4

*Posho is not really explainable to Americans, but it's a mixture of water and corn flour that ends up solidifying.... I can't even explain the texture. Maybe like cornbread but less dry? Or mashed potatoes but more dry. Yeah. Not explainable. 

All the kids with their gifts! 

Boys checking out their new shorts!

Babra's new skirt!

Magid in his new shoes! 

We have a parachute!! 

Loyce with her new gifts! 

Motherhood.

Over the past couple months, I’ve experienced something I never thought I would be prepared for (especially before I was married!!). What’s that?

Motherhood.

Over the course of a matter of weeks, I’ve become the “Mama” to four children aging 4, 5, 7, and 9. While our children at Bethel are almost numbering in 50, these four are the ones who are actually living with us.

Ibra!! 

The first to come was Ibra (4). He’s the “mama’s boy,” and is so stubborn sometimes, but darling all the same. I’m going to have SO many stories to tell on him someday! Once, he up and kicked a full flask for no reason. It broke, and he ran away (trying to avoid punishment! Haha, right…). He also used to fight sleeping so much!! We could put him in bed and he would just cry and scream! Other times, he would keep quiet, but 10 minutes later, he would walk back into the sitting room where we all were. (Reminds me of my little brother!) But he’s so sweet as well. He loves snuggling and trying to walk around in my shoes. He also likes to “help” clean the veranda and even bathe himself sometimes. (And he goes to bed by himself now!)

Gideon acting tough.. 

The next two that God blessed us with were Gideon (7) and Monica (9). Gideon is full of energy! He bounces around everywhere and is always either playing or working. I think the only time I’ve ever seen him sit still is when he’s eating which, like every 7 year old boy, he’s ALWAYS hungry!! But he’s such a big help around the house! He helps clean the veranda out front, keeps the younger ones entertained, and even helps bathe his little brothers! One day, he and Nelson spent the entire day catching grasshoppers! He’s also such a father to the younger boys as well as the other kids around the neighborhood. One day he told me he had 21 children!! (And he started naming them!)

Monica looking smart! 

Monica is a hard worker, but loves to have fun and laugh. When my sisters (Deborah and Jeb) are home from school, they all have a blast together!! (Although they like to stay up WAY too late.) Monica absolutely loves schooling! Every day she comes home, she has to tell us what happened at school that day. Sometimes, after saying goodnight to her, I can come back into the room an hour or two later and she’s still awake reading! She came home so proud one day because she was the only one in her class who knew how to read Luganda (their native language), so she had been called to teach the other students how to read it! Her passion for learning is going to take her so far!

Nelson all excited about his shoes/socks!

Nelson (5) is the most recent child to join us. He’s from Kagarama, but was in such bad health condition that we realized we needed to bring him to stay with us so he could receive the nutrition he needs. Despite the language barrier, he’s adjusted so well! He’s a very intelligent boy and is very good on following directions. But that doesn’t mean he can’t put Ibra in his place! Sometimes while he and Ibra are playing together, I hear Ibra start wailing. Of course I have to go “take care of the problem.” Most times it consists of Nelson hitting Ibra or something of the like for whatever Ibra was doing that was out of line. Even though most times I know Ibra deserved whatever Nelson gave him, I still have to make both of them realize that what they did was wrong. One of my favorite moments with Nelson was when we brought him back his first pair of socks and shoes. His smile was the BIGGEST!!

All 4 kids! 

I’ve learned so much through my kids. They’ve been difficult, impossible, ridiculous, and absolutely lovely. There are so many challenges. Ibra, although young, knew a language from East/Northern Uganda. Gideon and Monica speak Luganda (Central Uganda), and Nelson speaks Runyankole (Western Uganda). The problem? I speak English. Try disciplining children who don’t understand what you’re saying! But God is good. Most times they know what they’ve done wrong! However, language barriers are a problem in more areas than that. Monica woke up crying one morning because of a dream she had. Mommy had to translate for me. And still I could only comfort her with the few Lugana words I know. I can understand when my kids are hungry, or want water, or want to sleep. Basics like that, but when it comes to counseling them, building their faith, encouraging them? I simply can’t. Not yet. But I’m learning. Little by little, I’m learning the language. And I’m realizing that words aren’t the only thing that comforts and guides children. But God has used my children to make me realize His great love for us. No matter how many times Ibra drop-kicks a flask, or Gideon complains that he’s hungry, or Monica uses up the battery on my phone, or Nelson wets the bed – no matter how many times my kids annoy me, upset me, or challenge me, I still love them. I love them more than I can express in words… and I’m human. How great does that make God’s love for us?!

But I can tell you one thing for sure…. Mothers deserve a Mother’s day like every month! Not just once a year!! 

The Latest at Bethel...

Well.... I obviously fail at blogging. But there's SO much to update you all on! God is so good and His faithfulness continues to just blow me away.

The foundation of the building! 

Mommy and I recently spent a week in Kagarama with our children there. It was absolutely amazing. We started building!!! The first building we're working on is a 3 room set of classes. Eventually all of the rooms will be part of the school, but for a while, as we're building the dormitories, the children will sleep in one of the rooms. Anyways, the foundation is almost finished!! It was so amazing to watch the bricks being put into place. It was just one of those moments when you realize, "Wow. This is really happening."

But seeing the building wasn't the only wonderful thing.

During our time there, God began to grow even more love in us for our children (although I didn't think that was possible). I started to learn their personalities and see how God had moved in their lives since the first time I went to Kagarama. On the day we arrived, we had the chance to talk to all of our children as they were waiting for supper. 12 of them decided to be saved that night. It was amazing! Through the week, I was able to laugh with them, comfort them when they cried, sing with them, and just pour love out upon them. And I realized how blessed I am! I never deserved this great calling. I was never worthy of it. But despite the fact that it's SO hard, the abundant blessings that God has poured out upon me far outweigh the struggles.

Working on our English - DANCE! 

Helping carry bricks for the builders.

With our 3 kids here in Masaka
Monica, Gideon, and Ibra

We also have 3 of the Bethel children living with us in Masaka right now (Monica, Gideon, & Ibra) because they were from this area. Along with them, we're planning on bringing Nelson (see previous post) to come and live with us so we can take care of his needs. We're also preparing to send them Monica and Gideon to school in the next week or so. They're SO excited to start schooling.

The two biggest needs we have right now are sponsors for our children and more financial provision for buying a second piece of land and building. But we live by faith, and we know that God is going to provide because it's not our ministry - it's His! Give Him all of the glory, honor, and praise - He alone deserves it!

Other than that, I'm preparing to head back to Soldier, Kansas in June. It seems to be approaching so quickly... Seems like just yesterday I was moving to Masaka! But I know some big things are going to be happening in this next season of my life, and I'm so excited to share with everyone I can about God's work here!

Please be in prayer for Bethel and our children!

Abundant Blessings!

Nelson Ahimbisebwe

This son of ours is called Nelson Ahimbisebwe. As we were recently in Kagarama, we became aware of his condition. Although he's smiling in this picture, he's very weak and only sits watching the other children play. Because he needs extra nourishing food and care, we've decided to bring him to live with us for a time as we bring him back to health. In order to do that, he needs a sponsor asap... If you're interested, contact us!

Bethel Children

This hansom young man is 10 year old  Elisa Mushaija.
He previously lived in a nearby village with his
parents, but when both of them died of AIDS,
one of his relatives brought him to the church.

This young man is one of our awesome sons,
Godfrey Ndyanabo. He's 10 years old. When his father
died of AIDS, his mother left him with some neighbors
and moved to another district. Then, the neighbors
brought him to the church. 

This great son of ours is called Francis Mugarura. He's the
older sibling of Augustine and Vastina. Nothing was
ever known about the father, and their mother died. 

This is one of the older boys at Bethel, Denis Turindwamukama.
He's 7 years old and was brought to the church
by his mother after his father had died of AIDS.

This little guy is Edison Mucunguzi. He's 5 years old.

As his father was dying, he sold everything to pay for treatment.

When he did eventually pass on, he left his wife and 

children with nothing. 

Ibrahim Kyambade

Hey all! This little guy is Ibrahim Kyambade (or Ibra for short). He's 3 years old and has just come to stay with us here in Masaka, but will hopefully someday be able to stay in Kagarama. Anyways, Ibra needs a sponsor as soon as possible due to medical needs.

Ibra's mother recently died in childbirth along with what would have been her third child. Because Ibra and his elder brother were not the biological children of the woman's current husband, they were left without parents. While the older child was taken into another orphanage in the area, they were not able to take in Ibra  due to the fact that he tested HIV positive, so he's been staying with his grandmother. However, the grandmother's health hasn't been good, and she's not able to properly care for Ibra's needs. When we heard that he had been sick and needed help, we felt burdened to care for this child of God. He has many medical needs that need to be taken care of as soon as possible, which is why we're so urgently looking for a sponsor. If you've been touched by his story and feel led to help out the new son God has given us, please contact us as soon as possible! Blessings!!

More Sponsorship Children!

These are some more of our awesome kids at Bethel. If you feel let to sponsor one of them or just want to know more, contact us at lmichelle14@yahoo.com, emily.c.holliday@gmail.com, or surrenderuganda@gmail.com. Blessings!

This is one of my wonderful sons, Augustine Turyasingura.
He's 11 years old and is the middle child of the three
in their family. (His older brother is Francis, & his younger
sister is Vastina.) Random fact, "Turyasingura"
means "we shall be victorious."

This is one of our little guys, Barakatu Rubagasira.
He's 5 years old and along with his two siblings
 (6 year old Shakira & 3 year old Sharifu) were refugees from
the Dominican Republic of Congo. Their parents fled with
the children, but both died after reaching Uganda.

This is one of my beautiful daughters, Beaty Nabukera.
She's 5 years old and has two older siblings (Sarah and Joseph).
After their father died, their mother brought the three
to the church and left them there. She's a bit shy around us right now,
 but we know that as God starts to work in her heart, she'll open up!

This is one the awesome daughters God has blessed me with.
Her name is Catherine Barireta, and she's 8 years old.
She's the middle sibling of Clinton (10) and Sam (6).
 Don't let the picture fool you! She loves to smile and is a really sweet girl!

This is Clinton (Catherine and Sam's older brother).
He's 10 years old, which makes him one of the "older kids" in Bethel.
As with many of the other boys his age,
he steps up to help out and work whenever help is needed!

This sweet son of ours is called Daniel Nimwesiga.
He's 4 years old and has one older sister, Maxencia (6).
Their father was killed in a fight around Christmas time,
and afterwards, the mother left them at the church,
unable to care for them herself.

Hope Restored!

Right now, I feel like jumping up and down and screaming like a little girl. I feel like embarrassing myself completely by dancing around like a maniac. I feel like shouting to the whole world how good God is. (I also feel like I haven’t written a blog post in a really, really long time, but that’s beside the point.) Our God is good and faithful and absolutely amazing.

A new church we ministered to.

The majority of last week I was in Western Uganda with Mommy, Daddy, and my brother Eddie. The plan was to go minister to a church there and then a few days later go to Kagalama (which actually we found out is Kagarama… but they pronounce “l” and “r” the same! What?!). But anyways, I went thinking that I would be listening to Daddy, Mommy and Eddie preach, and then do all my work in Kagarama. Ha! Was I wrong. The Saturday before we left, I spoke at a youth prayer and fasting day at our church because God had really been laying it on my heart to speak His words and thereafter, receive His blessings. After that absolutely amazing experience, I thought that the calling of “speaking the words God gives me” was over and done with – and I was relieved!!  Speaking is not my forte. But God, as happens SO many times in my life, had a different plan. We ended up preaching in two different villages - spending Monday and Tuesday in a village called Nyamishwiga and one day in a nearby village, Rwampanga (yeah, try to pronounce those!). So, three days of ministering, and guess what?

I was called upon to preach.....

   ...Three times. 

As I listened to God’s words come out of my own mouth and felt the power of the Holy Spirit within me, I came to the realization of how great our God really is. I saw Him moving in peoples’ hearts and encouraging them – through an 18 year old girl from the middle of Nowhere, Kansas who has no college education and has never taken a public speaking class in her life. And again I was reminded of a verse that I shared with people so much before coming to Uganda,

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…so that no one may boast before Him.”

-1 Corinthians 1:27 & 29

And this one:

”For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

-1 Corinthians 1:17

But do you know what happened after that?

P1 and P2 classes.

God’s abundant blessings began to be poured out, and I didn't even realize it! After ministering for those three days, we left early in the morning on Thursday to go see our kids in Kagarama. Can I tell you how awesome our God is? When we arrived, what I saw made my heart overflow!! Where our children had been devoid of hope and afraid, God came in and did a mighty work! As we arrived, my sons and daughters all came rushing to the car. They surrounded me as I got out, full of smiles and laughter and greetings. One of my little guys even came up and hugged me – that’s a first for my children! God placed a divine hope within our sons and daughters! He has started opening their hearts to the love that we have for them, and they’re responding. God is SO good! I wish I could put in words the overwhelming joy I have just thinking about how God is moving in my children, but words simply cannot express. Not only that, but when we reached home in Masaka, God’s blessings continued to be poured out. I received awesome news about provision for our children, provision for the buildings, and sponsors. God is SO good! And He is faithful. Glorify His holy Name! Praise Him! He is worthy of all the honor, all the glory, all the praise. Worship and praise His name with me, because He is a mighty, caring God who will NEVER fail us, and will ALWAYS fulfill His promises!   

 Blessings!

With Tumusiime
 (one of our 2 new little guys)

With my children! (Plus some!)

And Sponsorship Begins!!!

After what seems like the longest time EVER, I'm finally able to start introducing you all to the beautiful children God has blessed me with (44 of them!!). The love I have for them is truly God-given, and I hope you feel that same love and choose to sponsor one of our kids. I'll be posting more profiles over the next few weeks, so keep checking!! I'm praying that God will tug at your heart for one (or more!) of these children! Currently, our sponsorship fees are going to be $50/month. This will care for all of your child's needs - food, schooling, medical, etc. For more information, contact us!! (emily.c.holliday@gmail.com or lmichelle14@yahoo.com)

This is one of my sons, Abel Pasika. He's 10 years old.
One of the older boys at Bethel, and you can definitely tell!

This beautiful daughter of mine is named Airet Kyarisiima.
She's 11 years old. She was orphaned when her
father died of hernia disease.

This is my son, Alex Bakamushaba. He's 10 years old,
and along with his elder brother, Deus, is one of the older kids at
Bethel who really steps up to help.

I couldn't help but post Alex's brother as well!
They're so sweet! This is Deus Ahimbisibwe.
He's 11 years old and just like his younger brother
 is a great helper and sweet kid!

This is one of my little boys, Alexander Tumuramye.
He's 5 years old and is from the Kagalama area.
His father died, and the mother has never
been seen or heard of.

This sweet little daughter of mine is named Anna Tumuramye.
 (Although she & Alexander have a name in common,
they're not related.) She is 6 years old and has one older brother.
They were orphaned when their mother died of AIDS.
She's a sweet little bundle of joy!

This is Anna's elder brother, Kavari Natuhwera.
He's 8 years old and as I said for Anna,
they were orphaned when their mother died of
 AIDS. Like his sister, a sweet kid!

God's abundant blessings!!