July 17th 2009

I feel bad for taking so long to get this up....

"We arrived in Kampala yesterday @ 3pm. it was so exciting! we walked off the plane onto the runway that was a cool experience and gathered our luggage. We were greeted warmly by a man named chief fire...well thats his nickname :) and introduced us to our global partners. We loaded up our luggage and got on a bus, and 2 vans. I was in a van. There were 3 ugandans in the car their names were Allen, Esther, Ann, and Joy..i guess 4.. It took 45 min to get to our Hostel or new Home. On the way there we saw alot of Kampala and at one point boy cme up to the window and us a bag of sugar cane. Allen had to teach us how to eat it. It was hard and funny you don't swallow it, but it's kinda like gum, get the flavor our then spit it out. When we got to the hostel C -trippers ( kids that were in Uganda for 2 months) were screaming and welcoming us. They were so excited! There were a bunch of little children with them holding up signs that read " Welcome B trip to Uganda!" as soon as I stepped out of the Van a little girl ran to me and gave me a hug, Her name was Joy. The children live in the neighboorhood and leave at dinnertime. We saw kids EVERYWHERE, walking home from school, they just wonder around on their own in the Big city. The biggest form of transportation is bodbodas- a motorcylce or vespa. you can even ride them like a taxi. The driving here is insane not many laws...C team is really nice and imformative. Its really comforting to have them here. There is one girl in my room from C team, the other 2 are from my trip. We start ministry on monday which i am excited for! One thing is for sure, no one is here on accident, God is up to awesome stuff, I hear there is a revival in Uganda and now is the best time to be Here. Its neat to be apart of it! I'm excited to meet pastor Ssempa. There is just so much to say and tell and so much more to hear and learn! we are all so excited to be here. Oh and one thing all of us were prepared to get dirty and gross and really do hard things and God has provided us with comfortable beds and showers its quite comfortable here. It is such a blessing."

Day 1- July 14th/15th

We left this morning. Its midnight in Dubai, and 4 o clock in Kansas...weird..anyways the plane was nice ( real nice) I don't know where those 14.5 hours went! I sat in an aisle seat in the middle section nest to my team leader, Emily. It was fun, we watched Hannah Montana the movie, ate lamb and slept, played bowling ( I dominated and Emily quite when she realized she was going to loose) and slept and talked and slept...haha the weirdest part was watching the sun go down and then seeing it come back up 2 hours later..I think I got maybe 6 hours of sleep? The airport in Dubai was empty, though it felt like morning it was dark...I've been off the plane for 5 hours and now it feels like night...We are at a hotel and it is really nice <3 I get a big bed to myself! My roommate Leah ( you'll hear alot about her in the future) is from FL and is really sweet. The hotel gave us a free meal to an all you can eat buffet! Praise the Lord! let me tell you, there are no picky eaters in my group, everyone was excited to try EVERYTHING and you know it was very exotic food, I found mushrooms and was very happy.
We got 4 hours of sleep...I haven't slept that deep in awhile ( texas was rough) I feel so refreshed! They eat mushrooms for breakfast, so I had some more, not too many..but seeing it is 10 pm kansas and stomach time, I think I'll be ok...later on the plane....They are serving mushroom omlettes and the smell is making me feel sick.. For the first time on the trip I am listening to music... wow..really? I finished reading Amos and Obidiah and Lamentations I don't like reading about Isreals time of seperation but it makes the Grace and Mercy of God even more Great. Sometimes you have to go through the tough times to appriciate the good things...Sadly for Isreal it took alot of them to get it.
Everyone is so excited to get to Uganda today! Most of us still can't believe its happening! I've been talking to alot of kids on my team about how and why Uganda..and let me tell you, NO ONE is on this trip on accident, God's hand was in it the entire time. No one got here on their own and we were all just about last minute.
Its interesting just in these last 24 hours God has really lead my heart to the Middle East..flying over Iraq, Being in Dubai and being up close and personal to the people of Islam ( airport security) seeing the women being covered from head to toe but still looking beautiful, but also oppressed...I think I want to do something with woman in Isalm. We'll see where God takes me. Part f me wishes we were staying in Dubai, Dubai was very diverse, there were people of all nationalities. There is still so much to see and learn and experience and I want to be open to it all. I still am so humbled by God's Grace in giving me the opportunity!

I Promise!!

So I Promise I will be typing out my Journal on here soon and adding pictures from that day! but school has started and I have quite the schedule! I knew this would happen...But I promise As soon as I can I will get pictures up..I have some up on facebook, so if you want to find me because you can't wait any longer! Friend me - Kara Jane Evans

Used

Wow what a summer! All that I expected plus more! God Moved in Uganda this summer, He was moving 6 months ago, He is moving today, Uganda is on the Brink of change and it is so exciting to see it happening. Waking up every morning and seeing God everywhere it was overwhelming to be in the midst of his Glory. Hearing God Speak, and Seeing lives changed, hearing yourself and knowing you don't have the words to say and yet here you are saying things that you never thought of and know it is the Holy Spirit, Wow. Being Used by God is incrediable. Not only that but Fun :) I spent alot of my time playing with children, and holding them, running with them, Singing with them, dancing with them, Putting on silly skits for them, and then talking with peers, and sharing Gods love with them, and answering questions for them, informing them, and then there was hut to hut ministry where we did laundry, pealed planta, and talked to new moms and prayed with them. The neatest thing for me, more so then ministry, was just being with kids from all across the states and bonding with them, and hearing about there struggles and victories. We had no drama over the course of 1 month being together 24/7. It was great! we all had the hearts of servantude, and just really loved each other, I learned that I'm not the only one living in a barren Town! it was encouraging because now I have girls to go to, Now I have people I can ask to pray for me and to encourage me, and I am so sad that we are seperated, what Got me though is how i have never met any of them, and yet I feel like I have known them all forever! It was neat to go somewhere and just Praise God, we are of all ages, all backgrounds, all different churches and traditions but we all know how to praise God, we all know the same songs, and have been to some of the same confrences and camps, it was just great. I am so sad its over, but I am excited to take what God has given me and run with it, I know that God has amazing things planned for my senior year and I want to be Used By Him!

Here are a few Pictures from My Trip, More to come later :)

My Awesome Roommates and MAG This is alittle boy in an orphanage for disable kids,
He loved water bottles