Answered Prayer

I've really missed all of you, and am so happy to be home. Thank you for sending us to Uganda, and for covering us in prayer. The Father answered prayer so clearly, and my heart is filled with gratitude -- both because of receiving the answers themselves and because of the tender love the Father demonstrated to us in answering them. When He so clearly shows Himself to be involved in our lives in caring and gracious ways it's like nothing else. It causes my heart to soar, knowing that He sees me and provides for me and loves me.


I know that we don't always live in those triumphant moments, and I stand with those of you who are not experiencing that right now. Yet I hope my testimony will encourage you to hold onto hope, and to truly believe and trust in His love for you, too.


A few weeks ago, I asked for prayer because I was tired, and was feeling apprehensive as I considered the month ahead. To be honest, I was in some ways dreading the whole ordeal. For months I had been getting plenty of sleep, and was not really overly taxed, and yet I seemed to always feel fatigued. For the past three weeks, the tables have turned wonderfully. I have not gotten nearly as much sleep, nor as good. I've stayed up late and risen early, often with several wakings during the night. And yet I have had all the energy and vitality that each day required. Through a grueling week of missions prep with ORU and our time in Uganda, this has remained steady. The last couple of days in Uganda I finally began to feel worn down, but by then the primary ministry was over, and we were enjoying a more relaxed time of visiting friends and being refreshed. I am convinced this is God's gracious gift, and I am so so thankful. Thank you for praying for us!


In addition to that, the Lord provided all the funds we needed for this trip, including money for our kids to live on while we were gone. Bob, as many of you know, was in a rough place physically as well. Though the trip was difficult for him in that regard, and he did experience pain throughout, he was stronger and had more endurance than I've seen in him for some time. Even after re-injuring his knee at the very beginning of our travels, he managed to do all that was asked of him for the entire two weeks. Again, the grace of Jesus.


Jill's return to Uganda was perhaps the most special part of the whole thing for me. Throughout the trip I would look over and see her smiling face next to me, and could hardly believe this was finally happening. There have been times over the past dozen years we thought she would never go to Africa again, and so again this trip was a great gift. She was reunited with a number of very special people to her, and she brought joy and encouragement wherever she went. The Lord also used her to bring much needed mother-nurturing to the ORU team, and we were so thankful for her calming and gracious presence on more than one occasion. The last time I was in Uganda, it was heavy on my heart that Jill needed to come with me next time. When I mentioned that to a couple of friends there, they wholeheartedly agreed. Over the nearly three years since then, I've wavered in that conviction a number of times, but again the Father proved Himself greater than my doubts. I can't say thank you enough to all of you for helping to get her on this trip. We are so so grateful. You all are amazing.​