So I`ve come away from Kasana, leaving all my lovely kiddies
behind with the wonderful staff team that God has provided…..and I`ve realised
that I haven`t written anything on my personal blog since OCTOBER; Shame on me!
But then babies and blogging don`t really go together. Since baby Stella came
to stay just after I last wrote, I haven`t really had much time to myself. I
can`t remember the last time I got to read a book or watch a movie. But I`m not
complaining; Stella is a precious little girl who has won my heart BIG TIME!
Hopefully most of you will have seen and read about Stella`s
progress on FACEBOOK but if you haven`t then here it is:
God has transformed a starved, distressed, wounded and
abandoned baby girl into a content chubba wubba who loves stuffing her face
with porridge, ‘swimming’ in the paddling pool/boat, having cuddles with her
new family, sleeping all day but not so much at night and is not so keen on the
physio that she has to do to make her stronger!
 | ||||||
| Stella enjoying a swim with Tom & Sam.
As well as caring for Stella, the last 5 months have
involved lots of Christmas parties, hospital visits, staff envisioning, moving
into our amazing new classroom with 4 new children, a short break away over new
year with my Kiwoko hospital chums, finishing the Esther bible study with
Justine and Annet, recruiting and training new staff (including Stella`s
Auntie!) and not a lot of sleep!
Meet our 4 new children who have joined ‘The Treasures
Class’:
Wilson (12 years) seen here helping at Hope Family.
So a few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to take some
time out to re-energise , to pray and to seek God`s guidance. For a while,
since a trip to Estonia in July to visit my lovely friends the Heaths, I have
felt that God was calling me on a new adventure, bringing me into a new season
but in the midst of all the activity at Kasana it was hard to actually sit
still for long enough to listen to what He was saying; why do children always
decide they need your attention just at the moment you sit down with a nice cup
of tea to pray, read your bible or just simply to relax?
Hassan on Christmas Day
Allen & Carol preparing for a swim.
Some of the SUPER DUPER (but slightly crazy) Special Needs Staff.
Becca, Natasha and I on Boxing Day.
|
And so on Saturday, after a trip to Sparkles (a nice cheap
spa in Kampala) to have all the dust and dirt of the past few months scrubbed
off my feet and my toe nails painted, I went to stay at a lovely little guest
house in Entebbe (where the airport is) and relaxed………………..
I enjoyed an afternoon chill out, a little trip to the local
market where I found a few bargains (including a nice MONSOON top for less than
a quid!), an evening watching Downton Abbey series 4 (thanks to my lovely
friend Natasha,) followed by a FULL NIGHT`S SLEEP! On Sunday I went off to the
Botanical gardens where I found a spot in the shade to sit, listen and write
down all that God had and was speaking to me whilst watching a family of
monkeys playing and pulling leaves off the tree and eagles swooping around! I
enjoyed skyping with the Dendys who have recently gone back to the UK for their
‘Home Assignment’. And then later in the afternoon I caught a rather packed
‘Matatu’ (public taxi) to the Lake Victoria Hotel pool and burnt my back and
legs (one problem of alone time was not having anyone to put suncream on my
back but I have no excuse for my legs!).
On Monday, after a leisurely breakfast at the guest house
and more time with God, I caught a bodaup to the Lake Vic again and enjoyed a
quiet morning by the pool until my friends the Browns arrived to liven things up
J
I am now enjoying time at their house in Kampala, continuing
to seek God but doing fun things too (I have just finished making Jam tarts
with their youngest son Silas.)
Later this week, or perhaps after my return home to Kasana I
promise to write again and tell you more about the next step of my adventure
with God.
For now, I will leave you a verse that I read this morning
which I sense I need to memorise to encourage me in the months ahead……
'It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He causes me to stand on the heights.'
Psalm 18 vs 32 & 33.
