The final countdown

Well we are nearly there. Tomorrow evening we will be at Heathrow airport waiting to board our first flight on our way to Uganda! We have 2 days of traveling to get to Rukungiri. I'm so excited I wish I could just click my fingers and be there now! Yesterday we received an update on all that team 2 had been doing and what team 3 (that's our team) would be doing. It sure is going to be a busy 2 weeks as we refurbish a dormitory and build the internal walls of a new dorm. These dormitories will make a huge difference to the children that will be using the latest addition to the school. I have to be truthful and admit that I am lazy, I love nothing more than to spend the weekend in my onesie watching trashy T.V so this is probably going to be the hardest I've ever worked! If you're the praying type please pray for energy and a hardworking spirit for the trip!

Before I go and leave the other half and my youngest daughter we're spending some quality time today. Chipman is off at work with Dad so they can spend father son time and Beebie is at home with me watching movies in our pj's before heading out for lunch  with Grandma. The most exciting bit is date night tonight. My husband and I rarely get the chance to go out together without children so we are both looking forward to an evening out tonight. The plan is to have a lovely dinner together in town and I have to say I can't wait. We have never been away from each other or the children for this long before so that brings challenges all of it's own. Please pray for strength as we prepare to spend this time apart and that we can find comfort in God when we feel lonely.

While I'm in Uganda I am really looking forward to sharing God's love with those we meet. I have been thinking, as Mission Direct recommend in their handbook, about my testimony and have really been struck by Paul's words in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 7-10. We all try and change things in our lives for the better but ultimately it is God's grace given to us through Christ Jesus that will change everything! I am really holding these verses close to my heart as I prepare for our trip, without God I would not be embarking on this great journey. If you get a chance please pray that as a team we can show those we meet in Rukungiri why God is so great and to share His grace.

Checklist ticked by God

Well our checklist is going well, we've had all our jabs, got our malaria and chorea medication, a suitcase full of aid and raised all the funds we need. I am so grateful to everyone who has donated, sponsored my silence, bid on auction items or bought crafty bits from me to help us raise all we needed plus an extra £6 for the project. God has provided so well for us both and I feel incredibly blessed!

Now that our trip is only 7 days away I am a big ball of emotions. My tummy is full of butterflies which are equal parts excitement and trepidation. I am so excited to see what God has planned for me In Uganda, to see what the country and people are like and to get stuck into building and immersing myself in a different culture. I am nervous about what the food will be like, how well Chipman will travel and how we will cope without all the modern conveniences we are used to here in the UK!

So with all of this whirring around sleep has been hard to come by so at 1am the other morning I decided to put it all down in my journal. As I was writing I glanced up at my last entry, which I'm slightly ashamed to say was in January, and my closing prayer caught my eye. As I re-read through it I saw that all that I had prayed for had been answered. Not just one thing but all of them. Chipman had his injections and even though he really didn't want to he bravely battled through and even had 2 in one sitting! Our funds have been raised and we have even had enough to give a small amount extra to the project. £6 might not be a lot but considering that 7 weeks ago we still had £700 to raise it's not bad! We have got loads of toiletries, clothes and teaching stuff to give to those we will meet in Rukungiri. And lastly after emailing the team to explain a little of Chipman's difficulties with Aspergers and ADHD I got a beautiful email from another team member that made me feel so reassured that we would be well supported. These were not small things to ask for but then God is not exactly small himself and has been known to do much bigger things - I could list them all but that would make a very long blog post and they're all in the Bible! So when I looked back at that journal entry and saw how God had answered all my prayers I was blown away by God's faithfulness that was there in black and white.

 As soon as we booked our trip people have been asking how we will do it all in time, what will we do if we can't and my answer has been that it's in God's hands. Sometimes when I gave that answer it was because it was the right thing to say but in reality there was a little bit of doubt as the date drew nearer and the funds left to raise remained the same. But it really was in His hands. He has been in control of it all, my trust was not misplaced, even when i didn't feel it. He was right there orchestrating this amazing trip. God is one who fulfils His promises, is always there and listens to little ol' us. Our God is quite simply AMAZING!