October 19, 2003
Good morning friend. Today I am staying on site with Cottage #1 while the others have been transported to church. There has been a new willingness from the staff to assist in transporting children and mamas to “morning prayers”—we can be changed–praise God. We all have surrendered much to get here and yet are still quick to draw lines and raise boundaries over which we will not yield– 
as though to say, “This is as far as I am willing to go.” The curious thing is that we think we are choosing the good when we say that–it is the pathway to some new misery!
This morning I will go down to the gazebo and pray with the children and share the story of Jonah and Auntie Janet and I will sing as many hymns as we can. She loves to sing and we trust as the children mill around and play that their spirits are absorbing profound truths of the faith.   
One day as Robert and I walked hand in hand to the dining hall he began singing with such fervor “Great is Thy Faithfulness“.   It melted my heart to hear that precious African accent and wonderful pitch remember and sing that song with such gusto. What do you think God will do with a boy with such a heart?
Mike made it to the Post Office yesterday and they had a note in our box that said there was a package waiting to be picked up. Of course when he went to the package pick up spot it was closed. We will have to pa
y some shillings (about 50 cents worth)to the Post Office because they have been kind enough to hold the box! Things are so different here–every service performed is seen as an opportunity to raise revenue–since there is almost no taxation on individuals it makes sense to recoup business expenses this way. I will let you know about the package after Mike retrieves it tomorrow.
 I trust that you are worshipping well to day–I listened to Jeff’s sermon on Jesus as Physician for our souls and was wowed by the boldness of that Word. How would we be blessed if we believed the sufficiency of our God?
I am grateful for these hours alone in the house–drinking coffee–listening to praise songs and eating toast with cranberry jam. Talk about refreshment of soul–this is it! I do not miss things much at all–but privacy and being alone at times is a longing that about knocks me down. As with the leaves there in Asheville–I did not know the magnificence of alone time when I had it in abundance! I savor this like the finest treat…it is. I join the psalmist and “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.”
Love to you,
lissa
October 21, 2003
Dear Girlfriend,
Today the housemothers and I will be discussing the 6th chapter of John–I’ll be re-teaching the lessons that I learned from you in that passage years ago about whether we want Jesus as Bread King or as He is –the King of the Universe. Tomorrow we head out to Jinja and our boxes are supposed to arrive and be delivered by the time of our return Friday.
It cost another $500 to get those things through the customs maze–they open each box and if you have too many towels or sheets, or new things they charge you as though you are a business bringing in things to sell.
We are being helped so much by a Ugandan agent who will usher our things through and try to advocate for us.     Jane–I wish you could have seen Casey’s face as she opened the box from you yesterday. She was as thrilled as could be and immediately rushed next door to share her good fortune with the Coiner girls. Lisa immediately requested to borrow “A Knight’s Tale” and Casey allowed her to have first viewing. She loved the bracelet –it looks so much like Casey and she had it on going to school this morning.
For me–I soaked off the red mud in a bath and climbed into bed on my heating pad with a book and don’t remember waking or wincing with joint pain last night! Thank you,thank you my friend!
I pray that we both will grow more and more like David who had learned to despise sin in himself and in those around him. He longed for holiness–he was longing for heaven! I hope your eyes rest on the faithful in this second day of ACTP.
Love to you,
lissa