Sundays in Uganda

After several days in country we were encouraged to take Sunday as a day of rest. 
We enjoyed a wonderful day swimming in the pool and watching and evening storm 
pass by. The rain never came but the breeze was delightful. Bill and I were talking 
over a delicious BBQ lunch about all the amazing things that have worked out for 
us so far. I decided a great way to spend Sunday would be to make a list of all the 
ways God has answered our prayers so far:

*We were concerned about sleeping on the plane. God answered this prayer by
giving us an entire row to ourselves on both flights. This allowed two of us to lay 
down completely while the third enjoyed a movie or a meal.

*We had a 3 hour layover in Brussels at 1am our time. This had the potential for 
disaster with Cara, essentially waking her up in the middle of the night. We again 
experienced blessing when we discovered that our layover gate was next to a free
toddler play area. Cara had a blast with all the games. What could have been a 
disaster was a delight!

*I was worried about feeling God's presence in a foreign country. When I took a 
team to the Dominican Republic in July I struggled with the language barrier
(everything was foreign, even music). It turns out that our hotel plays american 
christian artists at every meal and sometimes throughout the property. Having 
familiar music is a great comfort.

*Having two small children in a foreign country is sure to dominate my time. I am 
concerned that I won't have the time I need to recharge and reconnect with God. 
At home I have scriptures posted throughout my day to encourage me and remind 
me of my source of hope and strength. As we walked through the property of our hotel 
on the first morning I was overjoyed to see that scripture is painted on the outside of 
every building on the property. There is a visual reminder of hope everywhere I look.

*Food was a concern for our family. You have all met Bill and Cara is a typical
preschooler. Today our lunch was grilled chicken, pasta, french fries, watermelon 
and a cucumber tomato salad! Cara still struggles at some meals but breakfast has
been good for her and we have been able to make peanut butter sandwiches at 
breakfast to stick in our pack in case lunch is difficult for her.

*Water diseases is a concern in Uganda. However, our hotel has a deep, deep well 
that provides clean water! Showering, brushing teeth, etc is all okay! They also provide 
several water bottles each day for when we leave the property. Who would have thought 
this was possible in Uganda? (We even have hot showers!)

These are all small things but they have had a huge impact on our stay so far. I am 
sure it is possible to equate this all to luck, but I know better. Each of these things is 
God surrounding us with his love. These are extra things. Our trip would have been 
fine on a crowded plane or having to bursh our teeth with bottled water. It just confirms
for me that our God is able to do abundantly more than we even ask or imagine. We
have found favor in following where He leads us. It doesn't mean that every day will be 
without trouble, but noticing the little things God has blessed us with reminds us in the hard 
moments that we are not doing this alone.