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
“Oh the Thinks You Can Think…”
“Oh the thinks you can think” is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books to read to Adalyn because it teaches her (and me) to dream BIG and wildly. I think that’s the kind of faith our God wants from us: to not be controlled by the circumstances around us but to dream BIG dreams for His Kingdom. And that’s what we’ve been doing at the Mbale Mission. So, please allow me to share with you some of our goals, plans, and dreams for 2018. 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.
2017 – Year In Review
Now is the time of year for reflection on what God has done in and through us in the previous year. In 2017, the Mbale team, made up of Dennis Okoth, JP Robinson, Leland Sawyer, and Peace Nanzala, continued the work of discipleship and church visitation, and I want to share with you what we’ve been doing… Continue reading
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
Adalyn Turns 5!!!
This year Adalyn was lucky to be able to celebrate her birthday over a few days. The expat/missionary community had a Halloween party on Sunday evening, so Adalyn got to dress up with all her friends. We had a family celebration with one of her favorite meals,
ninja turtle cookies, and gifts from family. And then our team fellowship dinner is tomorrow, so Adalyn’s friend Riley is baking her a ninja turtle cake. Let’s just say, Adalyn’s a very happy little girl! Here are a few questions for her to answer, now that she’s a year older… 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
Insecurities, Fears, and Truth
I want to share something that’s not easy. Lately, I have let Satan whisper lies into my ear that have made me feel alone, insecure, and unloved.
It’s hard making friends in new places, and I struggle when I see others with friendships I don’t have. I long for close friendships. Between finishing a challenging book and going through a Bible study, I have been convicted that I could be a better friend and a blessing to people I interact with. This is where I let Satan influence my thoughts, by hearing a truth but then letting him use that truth to hurt me. Continue reading
Discipleship Ministry
In August, our fourth Discipleship Cohort began meeting in Mbale. We call it Discipleship Cohort #3, but that’s a long story. It is made up of me (Leland), my co-leader John Khahuka, and 10 pastors from all across Uganda. One of the men comes from Rakai which is in the far southwest area of Uganda, almost to Tanzania. Three of the men come from an area about an hour north of Mbale. The others come from the area within 30 miles of Mbale, but we have many tribes represented. Continue reading
Sawyers In Uganda 