Happy New Year from Uganda! 2013 already! And month 7 of the race. I can hardly believe it!
As strange as it sounds, being on a new continent makes the race feel new again. As we were driving away from the airport, with sleep threatening to close our eyes, we passed some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen in my life. Rolling green fields scattered with all different kinds of trees. I enjoyed looking to the top of the trees trying to spot birds. There was a certain bird that was probably larger than a 6 year old child. It was huge. They sat at the tops of the trees and next to trash dumps. We passed huts and rondovels, and I was reminded of my time in South Africa a couple years ago. During my month in South Africa, I fell in love with the African people and their beautiful hearts. Reminiscing just got me more excited.
I’m not yet sure what Uganda has in store for my team and me, but I know it’s going to be incredible. I’ve heard rumors of an orphanage. And, we should be somewhere near Mukono Town. Not that I know what that means yet…
We’re here in Jinja now, camping right alongside the Nile River. We got in four days ago and were blessed with the opportunity to raft the Nile. Over half the squad jumped at the chance, and, as a family, we paddled, flipped, and conquered the Nile. No, we didn’t find Baby Moses. We did raft straight over a class 5 waterfall though. Now, when people ask how I spent my last day of 2012 (because they always ask that), I can say, “Oh, I was just rafting the Nile.”
I still can’t believe that this is my life. That I have been blessed to visit already 6 countries, and that I have these 5 months left ahead of me. That God has chosen me to be his ambassador to the nations. That I have been allowed to live this journey next to 50 of my best friends. That God hasn’t given up on me yet, no matter how much I fail or how insecure I am, he continues to call me back to him and love me. That I have people next to me who continually call out the best in me and truly believe that God has me here for a reason. That I have people around the world who I call my friends.
I don’t have any crazy resolutions for the New Year, and I don’t have any crazy insights to relay to you from 2012. I’m just hopeful, continually hopeful. For what God is going to do and what He is already doing in my life, in the lives of those around me, and the lives of his children around the globe.
Month 7. He continues to humble me as he calls me into more greatness.
