Sometimes we forget about the challenges of living over seas. The every day life stuff is hard, but you get used to doing things differently to live well. We get excited when we grow something in our garden or find something new at the supermarket. We deal with hand washing all our dishes, cooking all our meals from scratch, crazy drivers and bad roads, always being stared at, and the constant battle against bugs. We even adjust to the heat of dry season and the amount of dirt that’s everywhere. Continue reading
Reflection
Dad Fails!
Not to be outdone by Gina’s post “Mom-Fails”, dad also fails big time! Yeah, that’s right, I know what you’re thinking: “Not you, Leland. You can’t fail. You’re too awesome.” But sadly, I fail. Daily. I too often enter into the social media world while leaving my wife and child sitting at the table in mid-conversation. I frequently read articles on ESPN or Reuters instead of engaging with Adalyn. It’s not uncommon for me to be short and rude with Adalyn (and Gina) after a long day of ministry. I fail, and regularly have to ask forgiveness from my daughter and my wife. Continue reading
Mom-Fails But God Never Does
A friend of mine and a fellow mom of a 5-year old posts some pretty real and humorous mom-fails that she’s had. And it made me think about how we all have mom fails. Wether it’s when my daughter says “I hate…” and I realize “hate” sounds so much stronger coming out of her mouth than when I said it. Or when I was too busy doing other things that I kept telling her no when she asked me to play and then after she had gone to bed, I realized time with her was more important than marking things off my to-do list. Or when I see my daughter sitting by herself when other kids are playing but she doesn’t want to talk to me about it. I worry that I’m scarring her. I worry that I’ve failed her. Continue reading
Women’s Discipleship
As you know, I have started a women’s discipleship group made up of Ugandan women from several local villages around Mbale. These women come from churches that have had a pastor or church leader who has either been in a discipleship group or is currently in a discipleship group. And this style of ministry is completely foreign to each of the ladies. Continue reading
Whom Shall I Fear?
You hear me when I call; You are my morning song.
Though darkness fills the night, it cannot hide the light.
Whom shall I fear?You crush the enemy underneath my feet.
You are my sword and shield, though troubles linger still.
Whom shall I fear?I know who goes before me; I know who stands behind.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.
The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.My strength is in Your name for You alone can save.
You will deliver me; Yours is the victory.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?I know who goes before me; I know who stands behind.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.
The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.And nothing formed against me shall stand;
You hold the whole world in Your hands.
I’m holding on to Your promises; You are faithful.
You are faithful.And nothing formed against me shall stand;
You hold the whole world in Your hands.
I’m holding on to Your promises; You are faithful.
You are faithful; You are faithful.I know who goes before me; I know who stands behind.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.
The one who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine.
The God of angel armies is always by my side.The God of angel armies is always by my side.
Send Me, I’ll Go
About a month ago, I was talking with a friend who shared that when she was 16 years old, she prayed the prayer “Send me, I’ll go.” Now, she looks back at her young, naive self and realizes she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She probably would have still said that prayer, but her eyes are open now that she serves in Africa. Continue reading
Be Present
“Be Present. Wherever you are, be all there.”
I have had more truths revealed to me in these past 2 years than I have probably had in my whole life. God has been faithful in this journey and He continues to mold me to be more like Him, or at least I hope there’s positive change.
Lately, I have been wrestling with the idea of striving. My whole life, I’ve been a striver: someone who always has to be doing something, someone who needs to excel, a perfectionist, a little OCD…in school, in work, in my marriage, and in my parenting, I strived to be good. And there’s nothing wrong with striving to be good at something. But I’ve discovered my identity was wrapped up in striving. I found myself looking to what I could be doing rather than being present in what I’m doing right now. Continue reading
Christmas Fun
We thought we’d share our Christmas fun and traditions with you this year. We had a different experience than last year because Leland’s parents came to visit for 2 weeks, so we had a lot of fun together as a family.
Blessings of Others
Leland and I have been keeping a “blessings book” from the time we started this journey to prepare and become missionaries. We had never imagined being missionaries, so we knew on tough days, we would need to be reminded who’s got our back. And wow, we have 
been humbled by the amount of love we continue to receive from our friends and family. Sometimes out of sight, out of mind is common, and we expected that. So it’s been a blessing to still receive kind notes, encouraging words and goodies that remind us of our loved ones. Continue reading
1000 Gifts Reflection
I finally finished reading the book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp and I’ll tell you, it’s been a long journey off and on to read this book. The language is poetic and sometimes hard to read. But I’ve read it purposefully and intentionally because the concept is powerfully life-changing. Continue reading
Sawyers In Uganda 