A Shameless Birthday Wish

Yesterday I got an email from my mother asking me what I would like for my birthday. It took me off guard a bit, because I keep forgetting that I have a birthday this weekend. This Saturday I am turning 26. Only 26. Somehow I feel older. The last few years have just felt quite, quite long.

I don't know why, but birthdays no longer seem very meaningful in my universe. Maybe after turning 21 there just isn't anything too life altering about them. Or maybe having children takes away the thrill. It is way more fun to celebrate your child's birth than your own.

In Uganda, personal birthdays are rarely celebrated. There are few cakes, no balloons or songs. In fact, many Ugandans do not know off hand the exact date of their birth. This is just their culture.

Here in the States, though, we sort of expect our birthdays to be remembered and celebrated by the ones who love us. Unfortunately as I pondered this question of what I wanted for my birthday, nothing very tangible lept into my mind. I have so much already. I am sure if I sat down and really applied my mind I could come up with a list of plenty that I secretly want, but nothing that I truly need.

Actually, the first and only thing that came to mind when contemplating my birthday wish was a want I have for the needs of others.

As it is written "Tis more blessed to give than to receive." As one who has been on the end of much joyful receiving in my life, I can honestly say that all the pleasure I found in it cannot compare with the delight I have found in giving to others, especially to those who are in most desperate need of what we have.

All I really want for my birthday is for the ministry. I want us to be funded so we can continue to develop and meet the growing needs of the children in Uganda. I want to have peace of mind knowing that they will be fully fed, clothed, educated and mostly loved every day.

As I daily labor in a ministry channel through which many others give to the poor, I remember that the blessing runs on both sides of that highway. Those who are receiving in Uganda are tremendously blessed, but so are those who give...even more abundantly perhaps.

So in light of my upcoming birthday I want to extend an invitation to not give to me, but toward the blessing that we are seeking to pour out on the little ones in Uganda who have been overlooked and neglected by so many. They have not been forgotten by the Lord, though. And they have not been forgotten by His people.

Being able to gift them in His Name is what brings me most joy. I want others to taste that joy as well. The joy and the blessing.

To view my official wish via Causes click the link below:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/273069

Where the Heart Is

For the first time in three weeks, every member of our little family is safely tucked under the same roof. Scott rolled into Birmingham at a quarter till seven, not a minute too soon! Vivian and I were perched anxiously on the couch like two hungry vultures. Watched pots never boil and stared down asphalt never produces a car. Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure I saw his headlights the minute the shone on the street.

Vivian's joy and surprise at Scott's homecoming were adorable. Her little face lit up like the sun when she saw her daddy's truck pull in the driveway. I think she had suspected my promises of his arrival were empty. She wouldn't stop hugging him, laughing and saying "I love you." Perhaps the best thing about being apart for so long, is the extreme delight in being reunited.

Our house is quiet now. I think it will be a week before I see my husband awake past eight o'clock at night. Jet lag really takes a toll on him. So much is turned around for him-the time, the weather, and which side of the road he's supposed to be driving on! It is going to take a while for him to sort it all out. Thankfully, I've got plenty of patience.

I am rather impatient, though, to tear through his luggage and find where he is storing the packet of letters from the children. He's got bags and bags of crafts and jewelry, but the real treasure lies on those crumpled pieces of paper smashed together in some remote folder. The hands that wrote those words are priceless. However, I'm going to control myself and wait until tomorrow. In my eagerness to feel connected to the kids I would quickly gobble all of their correspondence up. Yet I know that savoring it is the best way to truly appreciate them.

I know Scott is happy to be home and we are happy to have him here. But somehow, I think we both have a hint of sadness in it all. I am sad that he had to leave behind Uganda. I am sad that he had to fly away from Theophilus and Sarah and their family. I know he is too. As Scott said, he was only homesick for me and Viv. Leaving Uganda hurts. If we had been by his side, I know he would have been happy to linger on in the Pearl for many more days.

We love America and appreciate so much about it...but more and more Uganda is home. After all, home is where the heart is. It is where we want to be. Thankfully in three and a half months all three of us will be tucked snugly under some roof in Mutungo, getting ready to awake and begin a new day. Now that will be something!

Last Night Alone

At long last! This is my last night home alone in Alabama. Scott is on his way home from Uganda! Even as I type he is probably somewhere over Europe, headed into Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. In a few more hours he'll be making his final descent into Atlanta before he drives back to our home in Birmingham.

What a relief! Honestly, I am always lost without him. Although I will say I have been bearing his absence unusually well this time around. I don't know if I am just getting used to these extended trips, if I have been busier, if more folks are out there praying for me or if I've simply been given more contentment by Christ. It is probably a combination of all of the above.

For those who have prayed for me-thank you! It hasn't been an easy three weeks, but it hasn't been terribly hard either. Praise the Lord! Actually, these last two days have been the most challenging. Knowing the end is in sight has made me more conscious of time...more anxious and eager. But I just have to manage a few more hours before our family is together again.

I look forward to hearing all the news from Uganda, learning about Scott's time and seeing the many photos he took. From everything I gathered over the phone, it was a good and productive trip. I hope to pass much of that goodness...and those photos...onto the blog in the coming days. Stay tuned.