This is about so much more than Mama Kits...

Like I said in my last post, God has been teaching me a lot of lessons about Him and how He can use those who are insufficient and broken as useful for the Kingdom. He's showing me (just when I need it and am ready to see it) that His plans are so much bigger than mine and that I need to stop underestimating Him by coming up with my own limitations and ideas.

To continue along those thoughts…here’s the very similar things He’s continuing to show me about Mercy for Mamas and the kits and services that we provide through my friend's ministry. 

This thing was small when Melissa followed the call God laid on her heart. A small kit for a small payment of $7 and you can save a mama’s life. It sounded like a simple thing and all of us were on board. I saw the magnitude of the fact that these kits could save women’s lives and help curb one of the causes of the Orphan Crisis and I got it. God’s using these little things to do big things and it’s awesome.

But I didn’t really get it. Because as huge as I thought I understood it to be, that was a huge understatement to what He had in mind. And I'm only now seeing just how much I underestimated Him and His purpose for this. 

Yes, I’ve seen the growth happen over the past few years - the 10,000 kits handed out in such a short amount of time - but it hit me hard on this trip: there are amazing things happening in amazing ways because of this effort and how God is using it. And I can’t shake my love of this revelation and all its facets.

This isn't just about Mama Kits. 

This isn't just about saving women's lives. 

This isn't just about curbing horrific maternal mortality rates that contribute to so many children being left with no mother. 

This isn't just about feeding some ex-pats some good food and singing some songs.

This is about changing lives in ways so often unseen. 

This is about showing women their value. 

This is about bringing women together. 

This is about equipping, encouraging, and empowering those who are called to serve the people of Uganda. 

This is about showing Christ's love in countless ways and opening doors to changing hearts in countless circumstances. 

You see, I didn't know....didn't think about...or just didn't understand just how little most of these women have someone to encourage them and love them through childbirth and in life in general. 

I didn't know they spit on each other during labor in the village. 

We have baby showers, we get excited when a friend or a neighbor or a fellow church goer or coworker is pregnant. We throw showers, we buy them cute outfits, we visit them in the hospital, we take them freezer meals, we run errands and try to give them some extra encouragement. 

That's not how it works for these women. They are often seen as an annoyance or even as competition. They are shunned, berated, spat on, belittled. They have none of the conveniences we have and so often they have none of the comfort of a circle of support either. 

Our team spent almost every day teaching women in different parts of Uganda about labor and motherhood and after we learned of some of the horrific things that some of these women faced from each other, the girls on our team that shared with these crowds made sure to focus on support, encouragement, and loving each other through this painful, beautiful process. 

We step in and give them their baby gift - their mama kit and maybe a blanket and some booties. And we try to give them encouragement and support, but we're only there for the day.  So pray that these women come together. Pray that they support each other and learn just how much this would benefit all of them to have a support system and to walk these journeys together. 

I didn't think about how the teen girls would be treated when they went to the hospital with their kits.

We visited several crisis pregnancy centers that we work with and one thing stuck out to me the most this time: the social worker at one telling me just how differently the girls are treated now that they have these kits. 

You see, the nurses/midwives at the hospitals weren't nice to these girls when they went in to deliver. They've been kicked out of their families and villages because of their pregnancies - they are not welcomed by so many. But because of these kits, the women who run this center that has welcomed them have been able to establish good relationships with the hospitals & clinics. Because of those relationships, the nurses take much better care of these girls now and they can have relatively pleasant experiences without worrying about not being welcome.  

I hate that's what it took for these girls to feel welcome at the hospital: you've been turned away from your family and you're facing delivering a baby in a country with one of the highest mortality rates - the last thing you should be worried about is the nurse not taking good care of you because you're a pregnant teenager. Knowing that these mama kits not only gave them the sterile supplies that they needed to deliver, but also gave them the open door to welcoming and friendly relationships with those in charge of their care was an amazing thing to learn. 

Pray that these girls continue to see renewed relationships in their lives. That they would see just how valued they are by the way that God works to bring people into their lives who don't judge, but that care and love for them and their children well. 

I hadn't thought through how much I value them but how they don't hear enough how beautiful they are.

It's funny to me how excited people get to see us on these trips. (If only people back home would get that excited, I'd feel pretty awesome!) To get to a village and have kids running after you and women smiling from ear to ear to see you - this strange Mzungu - it's a beautiful thing. Not because it makes us feel special, but because you can tell that it makes THEM feel special. 

Even if we don't speak the same language, even if we've never met before, they know they're special to us. We came from America just to see them. We came to pray just for them. We came with kits just for them. We came so that they would know just how valued and beautiful they are. 

The women of Uganda are incredibly gorgeous. They are strong and proud and brave. I'm pretty sure one of the sweet girls playing with me in the village one day was one of the most beautiful creatures on the face of the planet. She would blow most supermodels out of the water. But she's a kid playing in a village and living in a mud hut and doesn't have a mirror to see what I see. She's just a kid having fun, mimicking all of my faces and giggling uncontrollably when she gets to see her image in my phone. 

And that's exactly how I want her to stay, because she's incredibly beautiful, but more importantly, she's incredibly valued. And the women that we shared with could see that we cared for them. Pray that sticks. Pray that they know that we value them because we know our Father values them. Pray that they know how beautiful they are because of the fact that they are made in their Creator's image. Pray that those around them would show them their value in the way that they treat them and love them. 

I hadn't seen the different looks on the missionaries faces since I'd last been there. 

The last time I went to Uganda was on the inaugural Mercy for Mamas trip and this was a very different experience. One of the things that was the most different for me was the missionary dinners. Last time, none of us really knew what to expect and you could see that on the faces of the women that attended our events. While our team was a little nervous and we were running around trying to make sure everything worked alright, these women came not knowing what this was going to be like. They honestly looked a little more freaked out than we did!  Some came thinking we would be asking them for something, some came thinking this was just weird, some came not knowing what to think at all. 

But this time I got to see them come back (voluntarily!). I saw familiar faces with different looks - knowing that they know what to expect this time around and that it will be a good night for all of them - that was an incredible thing. I even had one woman cry when she started telling me how much she looks forward to this every time and another woman cried when I remembered her and welcomed her by name. She felt bad she didn't remember me, but I told her that wasn't the point. 

And when I was feeling all paranoid about the worship that we led in Jinja (like I always do) and then heard how much it meant to these women to just hear Western female voices leading in worship - that some of them actually recorded it just to have it for later - that was a revelation. 

I saw girls who hadn't made connections with any other ex-pats putting numbers and addresses on their phones and making connections with ministries that they can partner with. We heard from ladies who have been using the kits and just how much of an impact they're having on them establishing relationships with the people of Uganda. 

I'm thrilled to have seen what an impact these dinners can have on these women and to hear how these kits are opening doors for their ministries. I got to share at these dinners about just how much these ladies mean to us and to the Kingdom and just how much they are valued because of their Creator and their obedience to Him, but it's hard to find the words to even scratch the surface there. 

Pray that those women would be renewed and encouraged in the way that they serve. Pray that they would know that they are not forgotten and that we recognize the sacrifices that they make every day in their line of work. Pray that they are able to establish good relationships with other women like them and with the people that they serve and that they would see fruits from the seeds that they're planting. 

I never guessed how many ways we could exalt the name of Christ with this work. 

I love how often I see these boxes being used with a renewed purpose - makes me think about how God uses us in so many unique ways. 

God showed me His face on every turn on this trip like He never has before. I saw Uganda and Mercy for Mamas in a new light.

I saw women realize their beauty and worth in the eyes of their Maker. 
I saw God-glorifying relationships start and strengthen. 
I saw women step foot in a church who normally wouldn't. 
I saw women listen when they were told to support & encourage each other. 
I saw women squeal over the fact that someone sent them taco seasoning. 
I saw countless tears and countless smiles and heard amazing laughter that will ring in my ears until the next time I visit. 

I saw Him move and felt the Spirit swell.
I saw just how much He's taken this simple thing like a $7 bag of supplies and used it to make His name known and show His daughters just how beautiful and valued they are in His sight.

I saw, more than ever before, that this is about so much more than mama kits.

Uganda Trip 2014: Lessons to be Learned

Tonight, the Kansas folks from our team got to share with our FBC Mulvane church family about our trip. It was a good night to see a chunk of our team together again and get to share our stories and victories and even some epic fails memorable experiences. It was a good night just when I needed one.  To stand before the people who have supported this ministry and who prayed over our team and supported us financially and encourage us to go and serve was a great moment. To be able to share a piece of this experience with those who support my endeavors and me is always such a blessing and a great reminder of how incredible my support system really is.

I will do another post later, detailing the crazy hectic schedule that we keep while in Uganda, but today I’ll focus on what sticks out to me…what God is teaching me and the lessons he started pushing on me there.

I’ve not been in a good place. Honestly, I’m still not. I wish I could have gone to Africa and come back magically better on that “mission trip high”, but I didn’t. I’m still depressed, my life is still way less than perfect, and to be blunt, things are still a total mess. And newsflash, even with all that you're about to read - I'm still super selfish. 

But what I’ve been learning is that God is showing me Him in all of it. Even when I’m sobbing on the floor because everything feels broken and I feel useless, He’s showing me who He is and how that makes me who I am and that there are lots of lessons to be learned there.

Lesson 1: I need to stop saying that I’m not good enough to be used.

I have low self-esteem. This is a duh statement if you know me. I am constantly beating myself up over not being good enough to do anything that I’m doing. I let it hold me back from things a LOT and regret a lot of things that it’s caused me to do, say, or not do or say. But then something clicked one day in UG…because I realized that people were learning things in spite of my deficiencies.

You see, my beautiful friend Melissa asked me to write some devotions for the trip. And I did. And I worried and worried about how stupid they were and how no one was going to get anything out of them and how dumb I was going to look when people realized that I was the one that did them. I prayed and prayed over those words and asked God to make them good, but begged Him to use someone else – to use someone who was a good teacher and could actually put together something decent. I honestly thought I would send them to Melissa and Kim to proofread and that they would kindly “forget” and that would be the last time they saw the light of day.

They didn’t do that and the booklets ended up in the hands of our team members and I worried still. But guess what?! Even with my stupidity and my lack of anything profound to say, God still moved. Cause He does that, remember? It was amazing to me how many of the girls came to me and would tell me what God was speaking to them through these words that He gave me to put on paper. Each of them come from a different place in life, yet God was showing them something beautiful in its own way….He was personalizing each lesson for each person and here I was worried about looking dumb.

He continued to show me in other ways on the trip how it didn't matter whether I was "skilled" enough or "smart enough" or "talented" enough or "good" enough because He uses my weaknesses just as much as He uses my strengths.   

Lesson 2: I need to stop putting limits on how He can use me.

We had a great team of nurses and a wonderful woman that’s a doula on our team. They worked so well together and were able to minister to the women there in such a specific, tangible way. Sometimes, it was easy to feel like I wasn’t very useful because I couldn’t answer questions and I wasn’t up there talking and I wasn’t in the bus giving pre-natal checkups.

We got the great opportunity to take our team to a women’s prison and work with a great prison ministry in the Jinja area. Melissa had told me about this ministry and the woman that directs it and I was thrilled for our team to get to do this and that Mercy for Mamas gets to be a small part of this ministry and it’s place in touching these women’s lives. However, as excited as I was to go visit this place, so were a lot of other people. And when there are a lot of people who want to go there and not enough signed up for another place, some people have to go to the other place. I was one of those people and as excited as I was for my friends to get to go experience this and be blessed by that ministry, and as excited as I was to go see the progress of a place I got to visit on the 2012 trip and love on some kiddos, I won’t lie about how I was disappointed that I didn’t get to go with the prison group to minister to those women and have that experience.

We got to have a lot of time to do outreach with women in different areas and villages. While the nurses and people in charge of sharing and teaching did their thing with the women under the meeting tree, I was often with the youth girls and maybe a couple of others playing with kids or prepping meal stuff or fetching kits, etc. I will tell you right now that keeping 20 kids entertained for 3 hours is NOT my forte. Let’s be honest, keeping 2 kids entertained for 20 minutes is not my forte. I have little patience and am not creative and am not energetic (bonus that the hot sun and exposure makes my health issues flare up) and am not even always the best at remembering the words to kids songs – ha!

Even just being at the front of the bus sometimes gets to me. I throw up a lot folks. A lot of that is due to motion, so sitting at the front of the bus is a must. But guess who else is at the front of the bus. The driver. Who is Ugandan. Who speaks very little English. And I am alone, with my thoughts. And if you know me very well, this can be a very scary thing. And everyone else is further back in the bus, not feeling like they are going to upchuck and having fun bonding with each other.

So I was feeling a little frustrated at points on the trip. Not like angry frustrated, but confused frustrated. My heart is for women and ministering to them in the midst of whatever journey they are on. God has spoken that to me very clearly and I have seen Him use that calling in fabulous ways that are completely unexpected and quiet, but so, so good. I couldn’t figure out how this was happening. I serve with this ministry, I come on these trips – I do all that I do for this calling to serve women and show them Christ’s love for them right where they are. So why am I not being useful? Why am I over here playing with kids when that is definitely not my skill set? Why am I at the orphanage while the others are where I wanted to be? Why are the other girls sharing their stories and having fun while I'm staring out the front window and missing good bonding time? Why am I in the position that I'm in if I really don't have any skills that come in that handy? 

Then finally it clicked.

Because it’s a huge blessing to me when the people of my church love on my kids during service so that I can listen and fellowship and worship and the women from the village are getting that blessing by me singing silly songs and playing in the heat until I collapse on the bus.

Because it’s a huge blessing to me when I get to see the look on a woman’s face when I’ve touched her heart with something I’ve said that resonates with her and my teammates deserve those blessings too. They need them to know just how wonderfully God has prepared them for this trip and the ministry that each of them does all the time in their homes, jobs, churches, and communities.

Because it’s a huge blessing to the women who run the orphanage to sit with someone who wants to hear their story too and who wants to use encouragement and humor to brighten their day and push them on in their ministry while they see others on the team love on the children that they pour so much of themselves into.

Because our team needs to bond. Period. And because I got plenty of bonding time during activities and down time and other folks got good time on the bus and all of that is good and purposeful and it didn't matter that mine was different than someone else's because I still forged relationships that are great and strong. 

I’ve been very guilty of saying things like “God will use you wherever you are” and apparently not really believing it with all of my heart. I always felt like I did, but didn’t – I saw that clearly at the beginning of the trip.

My heart for ministry is geared towards women and their stories. I always thought I had to be directly ministering to them in order to be following that calling. On this trip, I really let God convince me that’s not the case at all. I let Him show me just how much He can use me to minister to women even when it’s not what I think it should look like.

He continues to show me back home what He’s about and that, no matter what I’m battling, no matter what the mess is, He’s good and true and steady. And that He’ll use it all – all of it – every messy, insufficient, broken piece – all of it – for His plans and His good.

And that I don’t have to be good enough, because He is. 

Giving Mercy

When I gave birth to my children in 2008 & 2009, I had great experiences. I had excellent care and great facilities. I had some various complications throughout my pregnancy and again in delivery and was fearful for my children on a regular occasion, but I was bolstered by the confidence that I had in the medical attention that they would receive were something bad to happen. I was never more than a little fearful for my own well being, even during complications, as the medical staff met every need right where it began and took care of all of my complications in a timely, efficient manner. At the end of my experiences, I was blessed to bring home a handsome baby boy and a beautiful baby girl, whom I’ve had the joy of caring for and raising since.

It wasn’t until after my childbirth experiences that I was made aware of just how special they were.  When my friend Melissa told me the devastating statistics about women in Uganda – that 15 women die EVERY DAY during childbirth – I was horrified.  When I learned that this is happening so often because of a lack of sterile supplies, I was embarrassed at my own lack of gratitude during my deliveries.  I always knew in a very peripheral way that I was lucky, but I had no idea just how big of a difference things like a clean tool to cut the cord made in my life…and the lives of my children.

After Mercy for Mamas was founded and I saw just how effective a $7 kit could be, I was inspired to begin spreading the blessing of these kits to the mamas that I know and love here at home as well.  Now, when I attend a baby shower, I include a donation card representing a kit purchased in the mother & baby’s honor.

Stop and think about that for a minute: For the price of 2 greeting cards that will probably be tossed in the trash at the end of the shower, you can give life to a mama & child in Uganda in honor of your friend or family member.

I’ve been blessed to have a lot of babies born into my family in recent months. I’ve had a great time attending showers and loving on these new moms and have been privileged to donate mama kits along with the gifts that I buy from their registries. My prayer has always been that these little donation cards that they receive would help them realize what I didn’t understand enough when I had my babies - just how blessed they are to look forward to a sterile, safe birth and just how much of a difference their baby can make to someone on another continent, even while still in utero.

To give you an idea of what these $7 kits given in their name can mean to new mamas, I asked for some testimonies from some of my family that I gave them to recently.  Here is what those gifts meant to them:

Ashley, soon-to-be-mommy to a baby girl:

“Having a mama kit donated in honor of me and my baby was a very sentimental gift.  As I prepare to bring a child into this world, I know that the one thing I don’t have to worry about is not receiving adequate care or supplies.  I know God provides these mama kits to expecting mothers that otherwise wouldn’t have access to sanitary supplies.  Knowing that at least one mother will receive a kit in honor of me having a child is a humbling feeling and a blessing.”

Kelli, new mommy to a baby boy:

“It is amazing the technology and health benefits we have in America.  To think of giving birth without the basic sanitary needs is beyond me.  If for every birth and baby shower gift here, a mama kit could be purchased as well (or instead!) then the outpouring of love we share here can be passed along to the women in Uganda! To receive a gift in your honor means that someone is willing to pass that love along and Jesus’ love as well!”

***********

To donate a kit in someone’s honor, visit the PayPal link on the Mercy for Mamas website or donate through The Hope Venture.  We’ll provide you with a card that you can give to the special recipient to represent your gift and can provide you with further informational material as well.

Why I Do It...

My friend Melissa asked me to write a post for the Mercy for Mamas blog to explain why I work with MfM.  I loved explaining my heart for this ministry and how it intertwines with everything else that God has placed in my life.  Enjoy!

http://www.mercyformamas.com/2014/02/another-perspective.html

The sweetest gift...

I love my mom.

There, I said it. Whew! Feels good to get that off my chest.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my mom. I wrote this blog about my parents a couple of years ago, but honestly, I could do a whole series on just them. My mom has been my rock through so many rough times and has laughed and rejoiced with me in all of the good ones. She's been my confidante and my mentor and my friend. She was also my personal chef, chauffeur, and maid for 18 years of my life and still takes care of me now that I'm grown and gone. She knows me better than I know myself...the good, the bad, and the ugly (even my ugly cry)....and she loves me unconditionally anyway. She encourages me and pushes me to be a better woman every day. I am so very thankful that I was blessed with such a wonderful woman to nurture me and point me towards Christ while sharing life and having fun doing it.

Don't we look good with trophies??

Uganda Post 3 - The Mamas

I wish that I could show you faces and tell you the stories of every pregnant woman we met in Uganda.  Whether it was at an event at a church, or at a pregnancy crisis center, or even at a random fruit stand on the side of the road…you need to see and know them to truly understand this.

Words fail me.  I’m not articulate enough to paint a vivid enough picture of these women and their need for His kind of love.

This is the reason we went. And this is why I knew I needed to actually go and not just offer support from Kansas.  It’s amazing to hear Melissa tell what it’s like, to hear the stories and witness things that way, but until you see them…until you hear their stories…until you see the look in their eyes when you offer them a prayer, some pre-natal care info, and a $7 kit of birthing supplies…you won’t really understand.

*Sunday, Sept 23^rd – Muyenga Baptist Church

Our church events were great.  We got to start off the week with a gathering at Muyenga Baptist Church just a few hours after arriving in Uganda.  We loved on the kids and attended their church service. Then, the men cleared out so that we could have the ladies to ourselves.  They provided us with our first African lunch of the week, which was great, and then we got down to business. 

The women at this event appreciated some pre-natal care advice from our nurse friend Agnes and another health care professional who shared with them.  Melissa shared her story with these women and we then offered them prayer and a mama kit each, along with some other goodies (sugar, tea, & soap) that we had bagged up that morning. We got to spend some really good time fellowshipping with these women and seeing the excitement in their faces over this gathering and these gifts.  It was a great way to hit the ground running.

*Saturday, Sept 29^th – Mbale (Doko)

We ended the week by the holding our other women’s event in Mbale, in the slum area of Doko, where a revival was being held by a team from TX and Pearl Haven Christian Center of Mbale.

This event was very different from our afternoon at Muyenga.  We were speaking specifically to the pregnant women, but there quite a few women there that weren’t pregnant.  The women here were different than the women we served in Kampala. Most of the expectant mamas seemed to not have had any pre-natal care before and soaked up the information that was given by the nurse that was with us there. They asked a lot of questions, which we were all so thankful for.  They were thrilled about the mama kits. 

A couple of the girls on our team shared with the women and it was incredible how they held the attention of that large crowd even while there were loud noises everywhere around us.  These women needed to hear the hearts of these people that were here to minister to them.  The women, pregnant or not, ate it up. They needed it. They needed someone to be open and honest with them and show them God’s love in that way. We then prayed over the entire group and then gave out the mama kits to them in a frenzy of trying to determine who was pregnant and who wasn’t, which is always interesting! J

I thought these two events were great.  It gave us a way to minister to these women in a practical way while giving us a way to pray for them specifically and know where their needs are.  They need care, they need birthing supplies, they need guidance on motherhood and who couldn’t use some encouragement and prayer for their relationships with God? It was encouraging to see how excited they were about these opportunities and to hear them ask as many questions as they did.  We wanted so desperately for them to get the information that they needed and wanted, and I think we left knowing that they did.

*Pregnancy Crisis Centers (Wakisa, Comforter Center, Mirembe House), Monday, Sept 24th

Now to the part that I’m having trouble with…a part of the week that overwhelms me with a range of emotions and that I find hard to put into words.

Our visits to the pregnancy crisis centers, while similar in program, were very different from our women’s events at Muyenga and in Mbale. These are different women (read: girls) in different circumstances and stages of life.  They have different needs, both physically and spiritually.

These girls are broken when they come to these places…having painful stories that need to be told and dealt with.

They are young. They are on their own, having been kicked out of their homes or abandoned by husbands, etc. They have been raped.  They have been abused, physically and emotionally.  They have wounds and scars that we can’t see. They have heartbreak that I can’t even begin to imagine.

They live in a place where the maternal mortality rate is astounding and frightening for this 27 year old to swallow, much less a 12 year old who didn’t ask for the small being growing in her belly. 

And they’ve found these places…where healing happens and hope is given.  Where the Gospel is taught gently and Christ’s love is shown through directors who love these girls and want to see them gain peace and purpose. 

We stepped into each place, just for a couple of hours.  To share with these girls.  To let them know that they matter.  To give them another piece of hope and some extra love.  We entered to overwhelmed faces, probably wondering what the next couple of hours would hold.  We shared our names and a few personal details and they did the same in return.  My stomach seized as the ages that came out of their mouths got younger and younger. 

A 12 year old girl in the group smiled shyly as she looked away from our smiles.  She disappeared for a few minutes in the middle of our talks and came back with a plastic dinosaur toy to play with on her lap. 

My heart broke...my mind ran crazy....imagining how this girl and all of her housemates ended up here.  I managed to focus my energy on the task at ahnd while reigning in those thoughts. 

Kim shared a beautiful devotion on motherhood with the girls and Melissa shared a bit about Mercy for Mamas.  Then Agnes gave the girls some pre-natal info and answered the girls' questions.

After our talk, we broke into groups to talk with the girls, pray for them, and then do some crafts for their babies.  As we split into groups, I found myself sitting down with this beautiful, pregnant 12 year old girl.  My heart just jumped as I could almost audibly hear God telling me that, as much as I had tried to imagine her circumstances, I was nowhere close...I had no idea...

Her 17 year old friend pulled up a chair next to her.  Again...I knew I had no idea how deep her wounds were.  With the help of a volunteer at the center who translated well, Janet & I got to hear these girls stories and pray for them. 

They broke my heart. 

The 17 year old had been lured to her father's house on the understanding that he would put her through school.  Instead, her father took advantage of her and raped her.  Then he kicked her out and that's how she ended up at Wakisa.

The 12 year old had been raped by a stranger hiding in the bushes while she walked to the store one evening to get her family some food. She was brave enough to come forward and the man ended up in jail, but she wasn't allowed to stay with her family while she was pregnant. 

She shared everything and I had to bite back the flood of tears that wanted to break free.  Then she said that, since coming here, she had peace.  And she is hopeful because of God and Wakisa. 

Our next stop was at Comforter's Center where we met the amazing founder Victoria and the amazing women there.  We heard incredible stories...my heart was torn for these women that fought over whether to keep their babies when they were in dire situations.  To hear them talk about deciding not to abort their babies...to hear them talk about having nowhere to go...to hear them share their hearts...was bittersweet. 

There is one woman that I will never forget.  Just by looking, it seemed that she had attempted to abort her sweet little girl that she held in her arms as she started to share her story.  She talked about how, when her baby was first born, she didn't love her....but that God had showed her how to love her baby...and then she broke down into tears as she squeezed her little girl tight to her chest. I'll never forget the look in her eyes when she looked down at her little girl....how much that look spoke to God's grace, forgiveness, and love.

I loved praying over these girls and women.  I loved sharing those sweet, sacred moments with them.  We all loved doing crafts with them and giving them their mama kits. 

But most of all, I loved hearing the peace in their voice...seeing the hope in their eyes as they told you their stories.  These ladies are beautiful.  Their wounds are being healed.  They are meeting their Heavenly Father and receiving His love and care through these centers.

And THAT is why we had to go.

Uganda Post 2 - Our Fearless Leader

I decided that the beginning is the best place to start. A novel concept, I know...so we're going to start with the woman behind Mercy for Mamas.

I'd like you to meet my friend Melissa. She is a beautiful woman and has an incredible story. Her story isn't mine to tell, but I will tell you what she means to me.

I met her back in 2006 when her Ginger husband Cody came to serve as our pastor at FBC Mulvane. I immediately knew the Busbys were cool...and they have not let me down since that first impression. ;)

The way that Cody and Melissa have served our church is beautiful. They show us truth and grace and love every day. They've shown us all what it looks like to follow God's plans for your family, no matter how much sacrifice and heartache that means.

And while my beautiful friend was in Uganda for 11 months finalizing the adoption of their sweet daughter Mercy, her and Cody offered me and my family support during the hardest time we've known.  While they were fighting for their family, they helped me fight for mine. 

Even though we weren't necessarily the closest of friends, Melissa and I shared random, encouraging emails and sometimes painfully sad moments.  She gave me positive words when I needed them and listened to my heartbreak when I needed that too, while I tried to return the favor for her and her family.

Since then, she's continued to amaze me.  Through her fight to bring her daughter home and her journey to follow God's direction with her experiences since then, she's shown the world her faithfulness in the midst of the craziness.  I've respected her since the day I met her, and that respect just continues to grow.

When she first started sharing info about mama kits and beginning to reveal her calling to start this new ministry, I was continually impressed by her faithfulness and amazed by her ability to swallow how much of an undertaking this was going to be. I'm sure it was scary at times. I'm sure she had freak out moments.  I'm sure she questioned this calling and whether she understood this plan. I'm sure she had times when she felt unequipped to take on this task. I'm sure she'll continue to have those moments as this journey continues to unfold, and that's ok.

But I can tell you that, from the moment she told me about all of this, I knew it was right.  I doubt people a lot...one of my biggest downfalls.  But not this...not for a second.  This was for sure and I was so excited for her and the entire Busby clan. And the journey that they've been on with Mercy for Mamas has been incredible to be able to witness and cheer on.

She's also got a relatively awesome sense of humor, which helps with any Beth Schafers friendship.

So after 6 years or so of knowing this amazing woman, I followed her to Africa.

I can honestly say, I don't know if I would have been so sure and willing to follow anyone else.  I never doubted my safety, I never doubted the vision.  I never doubted the necessity of our service there.  I was confident that Melissa's heart reflected His and that, as a result, the plans would fall into place and we would be exactly where we needed to be. 

I was also confident that, after a very long time of feeling like God wanted me to go to Africa, but plans never working out, this was exactly the right time for me.  And I can tell you now, on the other side of things, that was exactly the case.  This was just what God was preparing me for and why He was making me wait.

The way God used Melissa's time in Uganda to set the stage for Mercy for Mamas, and for this trip specifically, is amazing.  The friendships she formed there and the relationships that continued to grow back home formed the perfect team and plan for the 1st trip.

Our time in Uganda was incredible.  We all had amazing encounters and eperiences.  For me, one of the best of those was seeing my sweet friend take the lead for our group.  She knows her strengths and her weaknesses and is willing to take charge or ask for help when it's needed.  She followed God's promptings on her heart for the plans on this trip and did all that she could to make sure that our agenda matched His.

She's crazy in Uganda. A whole other side of her came out as soon as we stepped off the plane and I love her even more for it. She drove a huge stick shift van with the steering wheel on the wrong side and just laughed the entire time. She dances and sings like crazy to get the kids to laugh and let their guard down. Somehow, her sense of humor becomes even more find tuned and impressive. She tries new things and makes you want to try and keep up. She wears sweet sunglasses off the street and rocks them like no one else can.


She has an amazing Ugandan accent that I finally got to experience firsthand and it was one of the most adorable things I've ever heard.  She negotiates and makes people laugh when she forces them to not give her the "American" price.  She finally got to introduce her American friends to her Ugandan friends.  She got to show us all that she loves about Uganda and you could see the light in her eyes when she was sharing her stories and experiences with us.  It was amazing to see her in this different setting and to be able to feel just how much love she has for these people in this place. 

But while her crazy side comes out, her serious side impressed me even more.  To hear her get up and tell her story to the women that we shared with was touching.  To hear the passion in her voice when she tells these women how much she wants them to have safe, healthy births and how she doesn't want any more orphans in Africa makes me choke up every time.  They know how much she means it, even if they don't speak her language...you can see it in their faces. 

And to hear her talk afterward...about how much these events meant to her...how much it confirms her calling...how much she can see God using her team...that's still getting to me even as I write this.  Then...to have bittersweet conversations with her and other friends in the hotel lobby late at night and talk about our hurts and our joys...is indescribable.  She shares her heart and makes you feel safe to open yours.

Don't get me wrong...she's not a completely different person when you're in a foreign country.  She's the same, wonderful woman on each continent...I just got a much closer look at this friend when we were in this setting.

She shows you Christ's love in her own little ways and her contagious laugh.   She is passionate about giving God the glory for all of it...and the best part is, He's getting it. 

So thanks Melissa for being faithful and for letting this dorky girl tag along with you to Uganda. Thanks for doing what He tells you to and making me do the same. 

I took a poll....and I can still be your friend ;)