Partying for P7 Results

I have had very little sleep the last few days and I will have very little for the next few but as my dad always says: you can sleep in heaven!

Let me share with you my experiences this last week, and yes, they were QUITE the experiences.  On Monday we found out the P7 results on their final test called PLE.  The results are a big deal because they show how good your school is and they determine if your P7 students can go to secondary school.

Sylvia was super nervous but we found out what they were and…they were all good! They were the best grades that the school has ever had.  Of course that caused some major praising…

That night we had worship team practice and the whole worship team caught on with the excitement. We sang and danced a little more than normal, which means we were gettin’ down.  At one point we ran in a line around the church singing and shouting on the top of our lungs. Never in my life have I experienced that at an American church.  Jesus really does fill you with joy, and when you get it, sometimes you just explode!

The next day I came and little to my knowledge, they were planning a party to celebrate the good grades.  A few things about that day were…different.  First of all let’s talk about goats.  There is a plentiful supply of them in Uganda.  Well, on this day they decided to go all out so they got a goat for the party.  They bring a big goat and it is obvi scared, I mean I would be too if I were that goat.  So I ask, “Who is gonna slaughter it?” Then they point to one of the deacons. 

Well anywho I preferred not to see them slaughter it so I stayed away from that area for a while.  Then, minding my own business, I walked past it.  The goat. Poor thing.  The throat was slit and they were cutting off the skin and fat.  Ew.  Sorry for any vegetarians out there- disregard this part!

As that was happening, I got summoned to go with the P7 students around Mutungo on a truck.  They painted the results on a big sheet and hung it on the truck so we could show people and attract more people to the school.  

We boarded the back of the truck, blasted music, and rode around Mutungo shouting. It was. So. Fun.  If we did that in the U.S. , the po-po would catch ya.  Oh the thrills of living overseas…

We returned to school and the goat had turned into multiple shishkabobs.  We started the celebration, and at the end we all ate goat.  I thought I would have a hard time eating it after I saw it slaughtered, but call me crazy, I ate it and it was delish.

                 Roasting the Goat(I thought it would be better                       to not take a picture of the actual goat....)

                            P7 PLE Results

P-P-P-Praising!

Sometimes I wonder how and why God is so good.  Like, seriously, He's awesome. 

Teachers arrive in about 2 weeks and the teachers quarters has no roof.  There is no money to rent places for them to stay and no available places for them to stay. It sounded like a hole to me. We needed $2500 to put on a roof. Bigger hole.  "How the heck do you raise that kind of money so quickly?"

In all of this, I forgot just how big God is.  So, 2 days ago I decided to totally give it up to God and not have it as a burden any longer.  I got to Mutungo, walked back to the teachers quarters, and as I circled it, I prayed. And prayed. And prayed.  Then next day I did it again.  I think faith grows though prayer.  Mine certainly did. 

Well, my mom emailed me this morning and said that $1500 was in my church account and that someone was going to donate the remainder $1000 needed.  

Let me tell you, when I read that email I was out of my mind excited. I wanted to scream but I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I just had a mini dance party in my room, by myself. No, I'm not ashamed..

To God be the glory. 

And to put a cherry on top, I had the opportunity to share my testimony to a group of Ugandans today and I got to give them this recent example of how big, real, and wonderful God is.  

 

The Flesh Follows You Wherever You Go

It's true. No matter where you go, your flesh follows you.  You can't even run away to a foreign country and expect to have a fantastic relationship with God automatically.  The flesh follows you.  It followed me to Uganda, and I still have to fight it every day.

I thought I would be a stronger christian than I had ever been before while being here.  Turns out, I still face a battle every day of waking up early and spending time with Him.  Sometimes I lose, and my intimacy with the Lord suffers because of it.

I'm not perfect.  Know that I have "dry" times.  Know that I struggle with spending a quality time with God.  But He somehow pulls me back in every time.  It amazes me how I come to times where I put little to no effort to getting back on track with the Lord, yet He still, time after time, pursues me.

To be totally vulnerable, I have been slacking on spending time with God for the last few weeks and I have felt the effect of it.  During this time, I was praying that He would give me discernment for what He wants me to do here and what He wants me to do with my future.  Then Psalm 119:105 was somehow thrown in my face over and over again, in different places at different times.  "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

It's like God saying to me, "Samantha you are asking me to show you the way, but I will show you through My Word.  Why don't you start reading it more?"

I often get what I like to call a slap in the face from God.  And sometimes that's just what you need-a slap in the face to get you to straighten up and return to the presence of your Creator.

I've been slapped and I am now returning into His mighty, wonderful, and peaceful presence.

We are almost there!

I'm not completely sure how, but we have raised about $4,500 for the teachers quarters! Praise our dear Lord!

However, we still need $5,000 more to complete it.  It wouldn't be so urgent if school didn't start so soon. But it does.  School begins in the beginning of February and we need to get a roof on and floors in.  

Our initial estimate was $15,000 but we recalculated it and it will only take $9,000-$10,000. However, if by some miracle we can raise $15,000 total then we could close the main school building with windows and doors.

We are totally trusting the Lord with this and I am eager to see what else He does.  I want to ask you to join me in prayer and if you are able, to donate financially. The info for where to send it is in my blog post: "Tis the season to give: A big step of faith."

I am so thankful for all of you and the encouragement you pour over me! 

Here are some pics of what has been completed so far. Pretty sure it all happened in 2 weeks- they are fast workers!

        

                            Progress!

                 

                             This is the school building that we are trying to close with doors and windows