An Update - Long Overdue...

It’s difficult to even recall everything we’ve been up to these past several months—And I’m sure all of you can say the same as another summer season comes to an end! Looking back through pictures is a great way to jog my memory so I’ll share some of my favorites with you here….

Ministry:

Construction on the new choir training facility at Music for Life (African Children’s Choir) is moving along quickly. The project seems to be running on schedule despite some materials issues and the start of a new rainy season upon us now. About 30-40 men are working 6 days a week on this project and we anticipate the project to be about 95% complete by the end of the year.

Choir training center for Music for Life - African Children's Choir

It is encouraging to see the opportunities this project provides for the men onsite. They are earning a steady income and are paid weekly which is not often the case here. It is not uncommon to work on a construction project for weeks or maybe even months at a time before being paid, if you are paid at all. Earning a weekly income through projects with eMi gives stability to their families and a sense of self-worth to the men putting in the hard labor. Men are being trained in areas like masonry and carpentry giving them a marketable skill for the future. And the weekly onsite chapel gives them an opportunity to grow spiritually or even hear the Gospel for the first time.

Weekly on-site Chapel

This past week we attended church with Tatyabala, the site foreman. The men’s ministry of the church was leading the service and several other men from site were a part of the service as well and invited their fellow co-workers and friends from the project to join them this week. It is exciting to see the relationships these men have move beyond simply being co-workers at a construction site and into even a simple invitation to join them for worship at church. Providing men opportunities for work through construction is important but it is in hearing the truth of the Gospel that lives will be changed. We were grateful for the opportunity to support them in joining them for worship. Pray with us for opportunities to encourage these men to walk faithfully and for those who still need to hear of God’s transforming love.

Changes ahead—Next project:

With the Music for Life project ending at the start of the new year we are looking ahead to the next project Matt will be working with. This project is the second phase of a secondary school (similar to high school in the States) for Amazima Ministries (https://amazima.org/). We will be moving to Jinja, Uganda—about three hours from where we currently live. Jinja is famously known for holding the “Source of the Nile River” on the north side of Lake Victoria. This move was quite unexpected for our family after finally feeling settled into our home in Akright but we can see the Lord’s hand through it all. Jinja is a smaller town with a lot happening and we are excited for new opportunities to get more involved within the community. The thought of another move, even within the same country, is daunting and it will be difficult to again say goodbye to new friends we have made here. Please pray for this transition and that we can support our children well through another season of change.

Family:

We have a new WALKER since we last wrote—although it seems impossible that she has only been walking for less than 4 months the way she RUNS and climbs on EVERYTHING to keep up with her siblings now!

    

        

June and July brought birthday celebrations—a Tea Party for our newly FIVE year old (how does that happen?!) and a dinosaur themed park party for the new THREE year old! Thankful for friends to celebrate these special days with us when we are so far from family and friends in Michigan.

In August we were THRILLED to welcome our first visitors, my sister and two of her boys, into our home! It was so wonderful to have them here with us and share this new life we have here with them. Matt travelled back to Colorado for 10 days for the eMi World Staff Conference that happens every five years. Although it was a whirlwind of a trip, he was able to meet other eMi staff from offices around the world and spend time learning more about the work eMi is doing globally. His time away overlapped with our visitors so unfortunately he missed the time with my sister but we are thankful he was able to be back in time to spend just over a week with the boys. The goodbyes were no easier the second time around but what a blessing it was to have that time together here!

We have started school at home and I have a very eager kindergartener on my hands! She is reading everything these days and loves it when I give her math problems to solve. Our equally eager preschooler likes the idea of “school” but is much less interested in sitting at the table together most days. And their baby sister just gets frustrated with all of us because she’s lost her playmates while we are working!

You are looking at a future "Real Lion" and "Waitress" :)

Between family hikes, playing at local parks, seeing friends, and welcoming new eMi families to the area, we have found these months to be full. The Lord has sustained us and there is no doubt He will continue as we look at a new season of change on the horizon.

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2

Thank you for your support and prayers for our family! 

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58