out with the old and in with the new

Wow Im finally posting a blog and I choose to do this blog now because as I am typing this it has been exactly one month almost to the exact time that we have been back in the United States. Wow and what a crazy month it has been. I started school at 9am the following day after our return and woke up at 8:20 it was awesome haha. School has been busy and crammed full of papers and tests and books. Yet even though my life has gone back to "normal" it isnt the normal that I am used to. My life has changed so much in ways that are almost too hard to explain and sometimes I dont even know whats going on, I just know that I am different. Life in general is good for the most part.
 Struggles haha. I think I have had more struggles in my life since I have been back then I did before I left. But there is a difference in my struggles. Because I am not struggling with a painful experience or trying to overcome some sort of addiction or something. I am struggling with what God is doing in my life and I cannot get enough of it. I wanna know what he has planned and how I can accomplish His will faster. When I came back, I had a meeting with my pastor, Pastor Joe, and he asked me to come up with 10 words describing my trip on how God changed my life. This was no easy task. I saw and experienced so much in such a short amount of time, how could I possibly express all of that in 10 words? Well in the end I figured it out :) I found out exactly how God changed me. I came up with " He took me, broke me, and built me back up" God forever changed my life on this trip. God had a plan for me on this trip. I didnt bring anyone to Christ, I didnt save anyone from death, but I was changed. Gods plan wasnt for me to lead a HUGE revival in Africa, His plan was for me to be changed so that I can more readily accept his will for my life. He helped me find myself and who I am to be in life. I realized so much on this amazing trip.
Ive struggled with people not being so excited about my trip. I came back and almost expected life to change in a drastic everyone will be different type of way, but only I was changed. It was hard seeing people not being that interested when I have so much to tell. I wanted to show and tell sooooo much from my trip but its like life just moves on. I really struggles with life just moving on without waiting for me to tell everyone.
  Lets see here so I know that God changed me and me made me into Jeremy Byrnes Man of God. I know think more about every choice I make. I am no longer living for myself. I am living my life for God even more than before, my kindergartners, my youth kids, my kids from Africa, Zane, my family, my church family, and my friends so that when they see me, they dont see a boy trying to find his life in a world of sin. But a man who is fully dependent on God in life and who is able to conquer the sin that is around him. Uganda has forever changed my life and I look forward to going back in 2013 if not sooner. One day after I have accomplished my goal of becoming a dentist/orthodontist I would love to go to Uganda and work for a few months and just pull teeth for the people there because they dont have any dental help.
Another positive note is that I told the team while sitting at Two Friends for dinner that I wanted to lose weight. Well ive lost 15 almost 20lbs since our return and I hope to continue this :)
God Bless

- Jeremy Byrnes

A few pictures... =)

 Gay teaching Sophie the ropes. =)

 Lynn showing Nicholas some new tips!

 Jeremy with Zane (of course!) =)

 At church on Sunday we were there for a baptism.

 The day we met with the local women's group and heard their stories.

 Jeremy with the local community kids that found their way into our day camp. =)

 At the top of Murchison Falls!

 Loving us some rainbows!

 They were lining up!

 Last day of class....

 Jessie and I on the sunset cruise down the Nile!

 Hippo!

 Elephants! =)

Giraffe!

Can I get some more hot water please?

I’ve discovered I can take a longer, hotter shower in Jinja than I can in my apartment in Reno.  What gives? =)

It’s good to be home.  It’s nice to see friends and get back into a routine.  Those of you who know me well, know that I am in love with routines and to-do lists.  Which makes Africa an adventure, as there is no concept of time and no point in having a to-do list.  =) But… oh how I love not needing a schedule, a watch, a plan in Africa!  It’s freeing to just live life.  To slow down and enjoy every moment, not needing to rush off to a meeting, a coffee date, a church event.  There is something simply beautiful about taking a deep breath and truly living in a moment.  This is easy in Africa.  It’s easy for me to check-in, engage, and experience.  

Can I go back now? =)

I love my job with Fount of Mercy and I love the work we’re doing in Uganda.  I secretly wish I could go back every 6 months… but my schedule, routine, and to-do lists won’t allow it.  So alas, I will continue to return to the lovely country of Uganda every 2 years for 2 weeks.  And I am thankful for that.

Since returning to the states I’ve been asked, “ What was your favorite part of being in Uganda?”  I’ve been asked, “Will you return?”  I’ve been asked, “How has this trip impacted your role with Fount of Mercy.  I’ve been asked, “Are you changed?”

So many questions to answer… I love it.  I love that people have a desire to know, even if for a moment.  I love having the opportunity to share.  After my first trip in 2008, I knew I could not stop sharing.  I knew I could not deny the responsibility I now felt to do something.  I knew that I would return.  The same is true after this trip.  I love these people; I love what they teach me.  I love that they challenge my perspective, my theology, my passions.  I love that they live life to the fullest, having little of what we experience here.  They remind me of truth, of grace, of passion.  And… I am changed because of their impact in my life.

So… 2013… I’m anticipating greatness. =)

~Rebecca Brown
I'll post a few pictures tonight! =)

certain, yet unsure.

Since being home, I feel restless, exhausted, and... out of place. It's weird being home, even though I was only gone for two weeks. Today was my first day back at work and the weight of how small I've been living started to come down on me. It became very real to me how content I've been just to stay in my own bubble, when there is so much opportunity out there waiting for me to seize it! I'm not sure if this weight will wear off as normal life becomes more and more... normal. Or if it's the kind of weight that will cling tightly to me until I do something about it. Hmm.

The past two days of being home have also been hard because I've been back in my own head. When I was in Uganda, my time, energy, and thoughts were pretty much constantly on the work we were doing there and the people we were with. I spent very little time just sitting and digging around in my thoughts. And honestly, it was a great. I now feel unsure of how to think now that I have entire work days to just... think. And think. And think.


I miss Jinja, as I suspected I would. Though I did not grow especially close with any of the kids, I miss those small moments of exchanging smiles, hugs, and laughter. Juggling, dancing, playing, taking pictures, running around, teaching, learning. I hope it all sticks with me forever. It was one of the most challenging experiences I've ever had, and an amazing adventure every step of the way.


I'm certain that God was with me in Uganda. I am certain He is with me now.
I am only unsure about how He will use the time I spent there.

Though I may never know, I press on to search out the weight in my heart and the thoughts in my head. I press on to not only do life, but live it. Confidently. Knowing that I in my own strength cannot teach, love, or reach out to anyone. But that in Christ, I am love and I am light to those in Uganda, in the U.S., and in whatever country my next adventure will take place.

-Jessie

Pictures

Jessie teaching her photography class.

Jeremy playing with Zane.  Zane had maleria when he was 2 years old.  his mom took him to get an injection, but it was an expired dose and his leg got infected.  They had to amputate it.  Zane LOVED Jeremy.

Eustace interpreting for Jessie's class.

Our sports leader (aka slave driver) working us out!

Having dinner at the Gately on Nile restaurant.

Heading home...

Currently, we are sitting in the Red Chilli Hideaway cafeteria... eating breakfast and waiting for our driver Fred to come pick us up to head to the airport. There are mixed emotions as we prepare to travel home. Having just had an incredible experience on safari... with truly breathtaking moments... some of us are ready to get home, and others are sad to be leaving so soon. While up at Murchison Falls, we went on a game drive and saw lions, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and more! We hiked to the Falls and spent some time cruising the Nile. It was so beautiful and I think everyone is thankful we had the opportunity and took the time to do it.

As I leave Uganda, I am thankful for the work God has done in me during this trip. I sense an awakening in my spirit that I have been longing for for some time now. I deeply love the work Fount of Mercy is doing here, and am grateful for the opportunity to be on staff with such incredible women. I learned much about the deaf culture in Uganda and was blessed by the sweet students we worked with. Here's to the next season of preparing teams/individuals to travel here this summer to work with Fount.... any of you want to go? =)

I have lots of thoughts in my head... as do the rest of my fellow team members. I imagine we'll all continue to blog for the next couple weeks and upload some pictures. =)

Love to you all... we're on our way home! Entebbe to Dubai, Dubai to San Francisco, and San Francisco to Reno... here we go!

~Rebecca Brown

My Closing Thoughts

Well, our week of working with the children and young adults of HODASSU has come to an end.  We are all very drained in many ways, and looking forward to a day of rest preceding our safari adventure that will start on Wednesday.
As I look back on our week I am think about the preconceived notions that many people have, myself included, about doing mission work in Africa. No doubt many of the thoughts that come to mind when we think about Africa is the AIDS epidemic, as well as the many other diseases that have dramatically changed the face of this continent. We think about the orphans that these diseases have left in their wake, and about this children who are left to fend for themselves perhaps having to raise other siblings. We think about children with no shoes, one old pair of clothes, who get few meals a week. Well, while we wouldn't have to look very hard to find these things, I was very surprised that our experience on this trip has been very different. The group that we have been working with as near as I can tell all live with their families (perhaps not with parents, but some sort of relative), they are fairly well dressed (probably wearing some of their best for us), they all have have shoes or sandals (although many choose not to wear them when doing sports), I've even have seen one or two with cell phones. By some standards they are pretty well of given there surroundings.
However, just because they are not plagued by some of the main problems that we think of when we think of Africa, doesn't mean that the don't have there share. For deaf children in Africa, which is the majority of those that we have been working with, living in housing situations with two maybe even one parent and many other children they are often the outcast within their own home. With so many children to take care of, often due to family members dying and having to take care of children that are not there own, parents have little time to focus on teaching and raising a child who is deaf. Because of this these children grow up with their own parents thinking they are useless, unable to communicate, unable to help around the house, behind all their siblings. Even many schools are unprepared for the deaf, while their are schools for the deaf most don't have classes for children under a certain age. So, they are placed in regular schools where they can't hear the teacher, and thus fail the first year, and then they are passed the second time through just to keep them moving through the system. A pattern that continues until they are old enough for the deaf school, by which time they are very behind.
Such are the kids we have been working with this week. Children who have been viewed as less than much of their lives, yet from the first morning when we saw them they greeted us with genuine smiles on their faces, something that didn't change the following mornings. Such strength to choose joy when it rarely an option given is uncommon, and inspiring to behold.
I often wonder about people in parts of the world such as this, who live such difficult lives. Whether, they are stricken with some horrible diseases, or orphaned at a young age, or in such poverty to not be able to afford shoes, or to be deaf in a society that views the deaf as useless. I wonder about the strength it must take to live through that, and why God choose to have me born in America? Would I have the strength to live the life of a deaf child in Africa, or did God choose for me to be born in America because I don't have that kind of strength? I know God does not burden us with more than we can bear, so perhaps we live the lives we live, in the countries we live because God in His infinite wisdom knew that this was the life we could handle. Irregardless of the answer I am thankful to have the blessings I have, I am thankful for those who choose joy even when it is not an option given them, I am thankful for the time I have spent with these kids, and I thankful that even in a seemingly small way that we were able to bless there lives in the same way that they have blessed ours.

Matt Brown