A Special Phone Call

I called today and it was already evening in Uganda. It was nearly nine pm when Scott picked up after a lot of ringing. In fact, I was just about to hang up and try again later. When he did at last answer I knew why it took him so long. The background noise was deafening. He probably didn't hear the call. Thankfully the chaotic sound coming through the phone was clear as bell to me. I knew exactly what it was, and it was music to my ears.

Each night before they crawl into bed, the children at Ranch on Jesus convene together for a special time of prayer and praise. From where I was sitting at my dining table the sound of it was similar to a derailing freight train. Scott held up the phone, though, and I was able to make out the scratchy words "Holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty."


The drums were beating and the children's voices were echoing inside the room. I shut my eyes and pictured their shining faces and swaying bodies.

"Does that make you, homesick?" Scott asked. Of course, he already knew the answer. "Do you want to say anything to them?"

"Just tell them I love them," I said.

"Wait-here..." He held up the phone again and all at once the children shouted together "Mama Jamie, Mama Jamie, how are you?!" Then they shouted "Kyamagero, Kyamagero, how are you!?"

Kyamagero is our daughter, Vivian's, Lugandan name. She looked a little confused at first. Then she said quietly, "Hi, kids." Scott held up the phone so the children at Ranch could hear her. I prompted her to speak a little louder. When that didn't work I urged her to sing a Ugandan song. Then clear as a bell she began singing, "Higher, higher! Higher, higher, higher, higher." The kids erupted into cheers and laughter. They were delighted. So was I.

Then Vivian started to cry, "See kids! See kids!" She wanted me to turn skype video chat on the laptop so she could see the children in the screen. Unfortunately that wasn't going to work today...but maybe tomorrow. We said our goodbyes and I was reminded once again of how very odd and blessed her little life is. I am also reminded of how blessed I am. What a privilege to be a part of the lives of so many children. They fill my heart with joy. May really can't get here soon enough! Then we'll truly "see kids" Viv!

Over Here

As I wrote last week, I get the blues when Scott is gone. It drives me a little loopy that he is right there in the midst of the children and the ministry. I love it for him...and I am bummed out for me. But I strive very hard to take a positive outlook on my time here flying solo in the States. Rather than mull over all that I am NOT doing this month (i.e. sitting at Ranch), I am doing my best to look at the opportunities three weeks alone can afford.

Each time Scott heads for the airport, I create elaborate plans in my head about all the tasks and projects I am going to accomplish while he is away. Because we are so deeply engaged in ministry, our house is often an afterthought. The house is clean enough. It just isn't organized or run efficiently. For instance, after two and a half years in this home, we have yet to rehang our bedroom closet doors. We also have numerous unhung photos and possessions that still haven't found a home in a drawer. The organic nature of my housekeeping methods has lent itself into a hodgepodge weedy garden of old papers, random toys and "stacks" of "stuff."

I always dream of using my time during Scott's Uganda trips as a productive cleaning marathon. I envision myself happily scrubbing, sorting and discarding...whistling while I work, just like Snow White would. In these very real imaginings of mine I seem so peaceful and energized. I can practically reach out and hug myself for being so pulled-together and proactive. I know Scott will walk hazily back through the door in February and be astounded by how fabulous and transformed our home is!

Well, he's been gone six days and I think things look worse than when he left. Ugh. In my defense, I spent the weekend in Atlanta. Nevertheless, I've been home over 24 hours and have done piddly squat. (And, yes, that is a word!)

Last night I thought hard about organizing my desk. I ended up, though, eating an entire bag of popcorn on the couch while watching a CNBC special about the history of McDonalds. I excused myself because I was tired from driving. I also excused myself because last night was the last night of television in our house for a long time.

Today, some distant controller in a programming office flipped the switch that cut off our cable. Why? Because last week Scott made a phone call to kill our cable service for good. Why? Because we wanted our life back.

When we were first married in 2005 we had no channels. It was nice. A year later we broke down and got basic. We wanted to watch "the news." We didn't watch the news, though, we watched Dancing with the Stars. We did watch the heated 2006 TN senate race, though. That actually bore more resemblance to Dancing with the Stars, though, than actual news. We found we enjoyed TV together and we didn't watch in excess. Although a few months into it I noticed that we didn't play Scrabble as much as we used to, or invite friends over as much. We had TV to help pass the time.

Fast forward a few years-the good ole TV was still with us. 12 channels. Nothing fancy. I noticed again, though, that the harder we worked in the ministry the more we were drawn to plop down on the sofa in the evening and flick the remote. Even if we didn't know what was on, we did know what we didn't want to be on: our brains. We were tired...exhausted really...and TV became an easy way of tuning out for a while.

So when we got upgraded to 67 channels, neither of us was complaining. That was six months ago.

As much as we wanted to turn our brains off, though, we couldn't. Many evenings, Scott and I would sit at our laptops working side by side on reports and ministry emails...in front of the TV. It had simply become a habit...a pattern...and this is when we knew we had to do something SOON.

We talked a couple of months ago about unplugging it for a while. But that never happened. We talked about watching less. That didn't really happen either. The truth was, we were both hooked. We no longer knew how to live without the TV. That scared me. We both started thinking about the hours wasted...the time we were losing....and the crap we were ingesting. And one verse from the gospels kept coming to my mind. The one where Jesus talks about cutting off your arm before it infects your whole body.

We hated to admit it, but that was simply what it was going to take. A big giant saw to hack off our connection from cable television. Otherwise we would go on justifying and excusing it until the Lord returned.

I knew that if Jesus came back tomorrow I would be filled with regret over how much of the last few years I have wasted in front of that machine. I wanted to stop it before it got worse. Sure, I have poured hours of my life into loving orphans and serving the poor for Him. But I've also spent a lot of time sitting on my butt, neglecting my home and in an imaginary world.

When I stand before the Lord I long to have many wonderful stories to recount and relive. Stories about where He took me, how He provided, did miracles and whispered to me. What a shame to think I may be missing out on many of those special providences and gifts because I am too worried about who will win this season of Project Runway.

Now, I am not trying to preach that cable is evil or always a waste of time. I am just saying that our family does not need this. Actually, none of us need it. But we had personally come to a point where we thought we did. Therein lies the problem. We don't need this thing to make us happy or help us deal with the exhaustion and speed of our life. We have the Lord for that. We have His people for that. We're turning off the cable so that we can turn to them.

I'll admit it, life without TV feels strange. I'm not used to it yet. But we'll get there. I don't like it, but I LOVE it. I love it because I know I am stepping out from under the grip of something that was unhealthy and holding me back from all I could be in Christ. Right now it feels a bit of a void, but an exciting void. I now have hours in the evening to bake, write, read, talk and reconnect with others.

I also have one less distraction from tackling my tired little house. I'm not searching for Snow White perfection, but I would like to use my time to tidy this place up. So, hi-ho, hi-ho, its off to work I go!

Over There

I have been waiting to post an update on Scott for the mere reason that I haven't had much to report. He's doing well. In terms of "action" taking place in Uganda, all is relatively quiet and normal. Scott didn't have any special events or projects planned for this trip. His main goals centered around plans, meetings, and people. It is, I would say, a predominately relational trip. He is there to listen, encourage, learn and love people.

So all I can say at this point is that he has had some good conversations and some hard conversations. At the end of the day, that's just part of life and ministry, I suppose. Just be praying that God supplies the wisdom, patience, kindness and grace everyone needs as we press forward and wait on God together. It may seem like those two actions "pressing forward" and "waiting" don't really go hand and hand. It is a mystery, but they do.

Help for Haiti: Mission of Hope

The nation of Haiti may be over 7,000 miles away from Uganda, but today I'd like to simply use this blog as a means of pleading for the Haitian people. As one who has seen the developing world firsthand, I can only too clearly imagine the devastation and panic this massive earthquake wreaked upon this little nation. The news is full heartbreaking stories and unbelievable images.

I have been wondering what to do. I am sure many have been wondering what to do.

During my husbands absence this month (he's currently in Uganda), I had been planning to challenge myself by eating only from my pantry and limiting my trips to the grocery store to essentials. I was doing this in an effort to save some funds and clear out my overstocked cabinets.

As I look at my many boxes of cereal, cans of soup and stashes of snacks, I am convicted by the tremendous fortune I have to be able to not only give my family what they need today, but to inexpensively store up MORE than we need for the future. Yet there are so many women in Haiti...and also in Uganda...who struggle each regular day just to put something meager into the stomachs of their children. I take for granted just how much I have, and I too often forget those sisters who have nothing.

So I am deciding to immediately donate my weekly grocery budget to relief effort in Haiti. It isn't as much as I wish I had to give, but it is something. I wish everyone knew just how far even a few dollars can go in a developing nation. SO many hungry stomachs could be fed on what seems like insignificant change. When everyone gives a little, the sums add up fast!

I do want to say, though, that when crisis like this spring up, it is always incredible to see the sweeping response. But as one who works in full time poverty ministry, I often see that at the end of the day, when things quiet down, it is easy for us to slip back into our old routines and forget about our brothers and sisters suffering under the crushing hand of oppression and corruption. I hope and pray this disaster will only open people's eyes to the filth multitudes of families daily live in, the basic needs that are denied countless children and the trap of poverty that cripples and destroys much of the world's population.

Haiti needs us NOW. But they also need us TOMORROW. So hold onto these images and feelings in your heart and stir them to mind in the coming days when it is tempting to move on or become numb. Yes, the plight of the world's poor is frightening and difficult to get your head or heart around. But the plan Christ could have for you to be His hands and feet is far more powerful, exciting and beautiful than you could possibly imagine. Trust me. I know from experience.

Just as all the spare change and extra dollars given toward relief work and Haiti will add up, small and regular gifts toward orphan relief, community development and international mercy will add up to make a LARGE daily impact in the world. We could permanently dent hunger and provide the world with clean water if every Christian in America gave just a dollar or two a day. So simple and so amazing!

With that being said, I will say that I have personally chosen to give to Mission of Hope: Haiti, a smaller Christian non profit that I learned of through my childhood church. I deeply appreciate the BIG work being done by organizations like Samaritan's Purse, Compassion International, and World Vision, but as a director of a small non-profit, my heart lies with the "little guys."

The staff of Mission of Hope have long been in Haiti sacrificing their lives. And long after the reporters, peacekeepers and relief workers have moved on they will STILL be there...building the kingdom and loving people. Mission of Hope is giving to Haitians immediate needs right now, but a gift to them will ALSO empower their staff to keep serving in the coming days. Mission of Hope also has a local church. I personally think that is VERY important.

So this is me simply asking you all to send what you can or will, and to consider giving through Mission of Hope. Think about what you can possibly do differently this week or month in order to send something toward those who are hurting in Haiti.

Lastly, remember to pray for the future of Haiti. For many years it has been trapped in the bondage of darkness and oppression. I am making it my prayer that this disaster will shake many toward the hope that can be had in the light of Christ.

Bon Voyage Blues

I've been in a bit of a funk the last few days. Initially, I thought it was a post holiday let-down. Then I figured it might be the ridiculous cold snap we've been experiencing in the south. I'm sure these are both key contributors to my bluish state. But at the end of the day, I think the thing that was really plaguing was Scott's imminent trip to Uganda.

Have I not mentioned it before? Yep. Scott's headed back to Uganda. In fact, as I type he is winging his way across the Atlantic on a KLM jet.

I meant to write something up about it earlier, but time simply escaped me. We moved into the new office, got our staff settled, held a board meeting, closed out 2009 and were busily gearing up for 2010. The Uganda trip sort of got placed on the back burner until departure day popped up at our doorstep!

And truthfully, it wasn't just that we were busy. It is just that these trips have become second nature. Almost routine. I don't meant to diminish their importance. Trips to Uganda are VERY important and key in our service to our Ugandan children and relationship with our Ugandan partners.

It is just that planning a trip to Uganda no longer feels like a big deal. Uganda isn't a foreign, far off, mysterious land. It is a familiar, happy, nearby place. Getting there takes a lot of time, but the familiarity of the trip makes the lead up to it natural. It was so natural this time, in fact, that Scott forgot to take his malaria medicine until last night! He's supposed to take it a week in advance. So pray no hungry mosquitoes decide to prey upon him this week!

I get sad when Scott leaves the country for obvious reasons. Being alone with a toddler for three weeks is not an easy task. I pine for Scott's company and feel lonesome. It is doubly hard because I am ridiculously jealous of his location: UGANDA. It is difficult knowing he is soaking up the sun in 80 degree weather with some of my favorite people in the universe. I'd give anything to be there with him. However, that is not possible. Truthfully, I am content deep down inside. These solo trips are important and I support them. Still, it isn't easy.

The next three weeks Scott will be spending his time in Uganda ministering with the folks at Ranch on Jesus, planning for the next year and developing strategies for moving forward. A lot of key decisions need to be made as we step out in faith for another year of serving little ones in the Pearl.

I will be posting regular updates on the blog as frequently as I have them, and we will make sure to update our ministry Newsflash with plenty of new photos and stories upon his return.

Please pray for Scott while he travels. Pray for clarity, peace and unity as he and those at Ranch work together. Please also pray for me, though. Because I'll need it. It's going to be a long three weeks!

In with the New: Places

As I mentioned yesterday in "In with the New: People," this time last year, Scott and I were double-handedly operating the entire ministry out of a tiny room in our house. We knew early in 2009 that we HAD to get the office out of our home. Not only were we outgrowing the square footage, we were driving each other a little nuts. The work was always before us. Scott and I are both prone to be workaholics. Staring at the files, undone projects, etc. tempted us into putting in unhealthy hours.

But just as we weren't sure how we could afford new employees, we weren't sure how we could afford decent office space. We explored a couple of super cheap options, but at the end of the day, they just didn't sit right. Office space kept inching its way to the back burner.

Yet in the spring when we got commitments of service from Ashleigh, Lauren and Hannah, we KNEW we HAD to find something quick. We started seriously searching, reading the classifieds and shopping around when I stumbled upon a little ad on Craigslist. It was for office space in Trussville, about ten minutes from our home and convenient to I-459. The landlord had renovated an old elementary school into office suites of varying size. It was just what we were looking for. The best part-it was affordable!

We signed a lease for a modest 4 room office suite at the Ruffner Office Park! It was going to be a leap of faith to pay the rent, but we were terribly excited about our new little nook for Pearl Ministries.

We thought we'd have plenty of room to grow for a year...we thought. Then several things happened. As I wrote earlier we hired Ashleigh and Lauren full time and gained another intern.

There was easily enough space for 4 people in the office, but there wasn't enough for all of our "stuff." I'm not just talking about office equipment, files and normal stuff. I'm talking about an entire African craft store.

Growing the Ugandan craft aspect of the ministry was lucrative and opened dozens of new and exciting doors. We greatly expanded and developed it once we had Ashleigh on staff. Our inventory grew, causing our space to shrink. We held team meetings at a tiny round table surrounded by woven baskets, paper beads and large black plastic crates. It was a tad stressful.

Ornaments4Orphans really threw us over the clutter cliff . Ornaments are small. Christmas trees are NOT. For a time, a large white plastic Christmas tree sat in the center of the office shared by us girls. Every time Lauren rolled her chair backwards the branches ate her alive!

Scott started exploring the possibility of storage space. He first looked at options within our own building. There was large room we could rent. But what really caught Scott's eye was the large office unit two doors down from ours. It had recently become vacant when the construction company that used to reside there went under. It had a private outdoor entrance, a storage room, a reception room, conference room, 3 private offices, work space, an open office space and a kitchen! It was pretty sweet...and pretty affordable. Scott...always the visionary...was tempted.

Then the deal sealer happened. We hired Josh Lewis. Our modest office had room for 4 people...not really for 5. And since we were moving in a direction of growth, it seemed like that bargain priced mega office down the hall might be the way to head. The price was still a wee more than we wanted to pay, so my barter-loving hubby proposed a deal to the landlord and much to our delight, he took us up on it.

So what have we been doing the last three weeks besides wrapping up the financial year, our Christmas fundraisers, and welcoming new employees? We've been MOVING! As of this past Monday, the move was complete. In the post below I'm including several photos of Pearl Ministries' new Birmingham home. I thought it would be simpler to do them in their own post. The rooms are still a little plain, but at least in these photos there's a cute baby for decor :)

Please pray that we will use this wonderful space wisely. Please also pray that the Lord would provide the money needed to pay the rent each month!

New Office!

Check out these photos of our new office space! Above, Scott is entering through our private side entrance! Below, the reception area. There is a small desk in there now. (I took these before we had finished moving.)

Below: Josh Lewis' Office. It is now furnished.

Below: MY office! That's right, folks, I have my own office! Technically we're going to call it the Ranch on Jesus office as I am only there 12 hours a week.

The Kitchen! Still in process of being cleaned.

Ashleigh and Lauren's space below.

Looking down the hall into the storage room.

Craft Storage!

We thought we had plenty of space here, but we filled it REALLY fast. I can't believe we fit all of this in our old office!

Well, that's all for now, folks. I didn't post photos of Scott's office or the conference room. In a month or two I will post some updated pics after the decorating/furnishing is complete. Stay tuned!

In with the New: People

There have been SO many new developments going on in the ministry lately I don't know where to begin! It seems each time I sit down to write...another new development occurs. So in an effort to keep things concise...and yet thorough, I'm going to break up all this newness into two posts: People and Places. I hope they will sum up the majority of things. It's all quite exciting.

It's hard to believe that a year ago today Scott and I were managing this entire ministry out of a tiny room in our home almost all by ourselves. We had a bookkeeper and board of directors, but in terms of operating things...we were flying solo. This was NOT healthy for our marriage. It was way too intense. We figured we were each doing the work of 4 to 6 people. Help was needed desperately. The problem, though, was how we were going to hire employees if we had to pay them.

Scott and I lived through an extended period with no/partial pay. We considered ourselves blessed if we had enough to support our family at the end of the day. How in the world could we add another soul to the payroll?

If we were to keep serving the children in Uganda, though, we were going to have to grow. Otherwise, we'd be headed down a path of inevitable burn-out. Two people can only do so much! It was going to take a lot of faith in the God who owns all those cattle on all those hills.

Scott and I talked, debated, whined, complained and pondered what to do. In the mean time, God was doing what He does best...taking care of it.

In March 2009 we got a random email from an old college aquantiance, Ashleigh Luther. She mentioned she had been living/working in Birmingham for a while (where we also work/live) and had heard about our ministry in Africa. Ashleigh graduated from Covenant college with a community development major and was interested in putting it to use. She was interested in hearing more about what we did in Uganda and how she might "fit" with it.

Just out of the blue!

A week or so later Ashleigh was sitting in our little home and we were dumping our guts all over her. Looking back, I'm surprised she didn't head for the hill country. Scott and I were simply so eager and excited at the possibility of even having another team member we couldn't stop talking. Shockingly, Ashleigh agreed to go to Uganda with us in May AND to work for us during the summer while she considered the possibility of a longer tenure.

A few weeks later we met Lauren Ford. Lauren was a friend of a friend. She was on the verge of graduating from Samford University with an International Relations major and she wanted to go into non profit work. She was looking for experience and we quickly snatched her up as an intern.

Lauren and Ashleigh at a Craft Festival this past fall.

We also acquired an additional intern in Hannah Copeland, another college student from Virginia who spent her summer serving the ministry particularly with her photography skills.

Within a matter of months we had more than doubled our sets of hands without really trying. Praise God!

After the summer we hired Ashleigh part-time as a program director. She was key in helping develop/research opportunities with the African crafts as well as designing many of the ministry's publications. Lauren also stuck with us and continued serving the ministry in whatever way needed-coordinating events, finding volunteers, etc.

Still, three part time staff (me, Ashleigh and Lauren) members and one full time (Scott) was not sufficient to manage the many innerworkings of a growing nonprofit. Everyone was getting paid for part time work...but in reality everyone was working 40+ hours per week. The fall was a little nuts.

Things really got nuts when Scott flew off to Uganda in September, leaving us girls to manage things on our part timeish schedule. But it was in that crazy month that an even more "random" and unexpected door was about to be opened in the most unusual of ways.

In late summer I got an email from a gal named Kerry at my local church. She'd won a photo contest. Her good friend, Allison Lewis, has a photography business in Birmingham and Kerry had won her first photography giveaway. Kerry wanted to give ME her prize: a free session and a print credit!!! This was quite unexpected, but as Allison is REALLY talented, I was pretty elated. Somehow those cheap Target studios I'd been frequenting just never "caught" Vivian. I was eager for something more. (Check out Allison's website HERE.)

Kerry told me I would probably hit it off with Allison pretty well. She also had a young family and she and her husband were in process of adopting their fourth child from you guessed it...AFRICA. Originally the Lewis' had hoped to adopt from UGANDA, but the Lord ended up redirecting them to it's neighbor, Ethiopia. So needless to say, she was interested in our ministry.

I kept all of this to myself and breathed not a word of it to my hubby. I was planning to have the photos taken while he was in Uganda and surprise him on his birthday once he returned. It was a fabulous session and Allison was great. To view some of the insanely cute photos Allison took of Vivian click HERE.

Long story short-Allison and I began emailing and one thing lead to another. I blurted out (shocker) about how we were understaffed and she mentioned that her husband, Josh, would be really interested in any opportunities we had open. Long story REALLY short-Josh Lewis is Pearl Ministries' new Chief Operations Officer. He joined the Pearl payroll the week before Christmas!

Josh, Allison and their three kiddos: Abby, Jack and Izzy

Josh has years of experience in management and is highly trained in a lot of practical skills we NEED. He and Allison have long felt a tug on their hearts to use their gifts and talents in full time Kingdom work particularly with orphans particularly in Africa. Pretty cool, huh?

Josh has been a great addition to our little team. He's lifted a large burden off of Scott's shoulders as he now manages the growing staff and oversees their programs. (Scott's also pretty excited to have another man in our estrogen heavy work environment!)

Josh and Allison have wonderful and generous hearts. Not only does their presence help make the work load lighter, but hey help ward off some of the loneliness that creeps in as we struggle to pour ourselves out for these kids. The company is quite welcome!

I've already mentioned that Ashleigh and Lauren have been a part of our PMI team since the summer. What I've yet to mention is that beginning this past Monday, both Ashleigh and Lauren are FULL TIME staff! This is huge. Having the devoted full time attention of four people is just what the ministry needs to begin the year right. That puts us at 4 full time employees (Scott, Josh, Ashleigh, and Lauren), one part time (me), and our newest college intern, Caroline, who began this week!

I am still a little stunned and speechless when I compare January 7, 2009 with January 7, 2010! And y'all...I haven't even shared all of the goodness yet! I'll have to cram the "Places" stories into a post tomorrow.

Please be in prayer for our growing team. We so often see Satan attack us harder when we take great strides forward as we have done this month. Pray the Lord will protect us, encourage us and unite us as we press forward to bring the gospel to hurting children in the Pearl. Lastly, please pray for provision. We are all operating in faith, trusting that God will provide the necessary funds to keep all the children in Uganda AND ourselves fed and sheltered. I know He can, so I am not afraid. Even though the world would tell us this is NOT the time to hire new people.

To close, I think one of the biggest takeaways I get from this story actually comes from Kerry. She seems at first like a small player in this little tale, but she is instrumental. Without her I doubt I ever would have met Allison or Josh. Kerry could have kept that prize...or she could have given it to another. But that small, kind gesture did much more good than give me some invaluable snaps of my Viv. It helped innumerable children in Africa. Kerry probably had no idea at the time, but God used her in an extremely BIG way...probably bigger than any of us know right now.

So just remember as you go about your day to day task, loving people where you find opportunity and giving in little ways where you have chance. You NEVER know just what God will do with those small seeds you plant and kind things you do. As His hands and feet, He works through you even when you may not realize it. So when you feel a little tug or nudge on your heart to do a small thing for someone else, don't brush it off. It may be bigger than you realize.