The Earwicker Africa Adventure

My Annual Blog Post, But Hopefully More Frequently!

2010-12-06T15:37:00.004+03:00

Blogging is such a great thing and I really enjoy reading what everyone else has to say in the blogging world, so I thought I would try my hand and this again.

So, Christmas is coming. I really have to remind myself of it all the time since there aren't too many other things to remind me here. There is no changing of season, no blistery snow storms ,no Christmas decorations (except for three little stockings that I haven't hung yet) or traditions to really make a point of it. Christmas in Africa we call it...or maybe Christmas at the Earwickers? :) I would really love to get into the season better and I am looking forward to spending time with friends and celebrating with our church family.

Maybe living in a different climate and culture is a good way to keep focused on what Christmas is really about rather than making sure i've bought gifts for everyone and competing with the neighbors for the best decorated lawn.

So, this week I think i'll make some hand made decorations with Josiah, bake some cookies and maybe even get a tree put up..for the sake of making the point that this is a special time; a special time reflecting upon the reason we're even here in another nation...the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Over the River and Through The Woods...

2009-01-15T01:48:00.003+03:00

On our way to grandma's house we decided Josiah should meet a very important person....

No Santa in Amsterdam on Christmas Eve, so Josiah took the opportunity to see what it's like to sit in His Huge chair.

We finally made it to grandma's house after a very looong journey. We flew in on Christmas Day at 12:00 am, got to Bend at 7:00 am, took a nap and then tore into the presents.

Here's Brent with little lucy all dressed up for the occassion.

The family together again!

Mommy helping Josiah celebrate his very first Christmas! What a blast.

Some Water For A Thirsty Soul

2008-12-09T16:34:00.005+03:00

Proverbs 11:25 says that, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

The Lord brought to mind this verse the other day when I was reading a similar verse in Isaiah. My soul and spirit had been feeling so dry and tired and I was asking the Lord to make me like one of those trees he talks about who are planted by the life giving water that are always bearing fruit.

I realized that the Lord was showing me that I needed to do something to receive what I was asking for. Somehow this principle works! I decided to call one of my friends right away to see if she needed a break from her 6 kids. Turns out she was feeling really sick that day, so I went to her house to be an encouragement.

It's amazing how I began the day feeling like a dried up well and went home feeling the life come back into me, just because I decided to give the little I had to someone else.

Hope that encourages you if you're reading this and are in need of a little refreshing yourself!

3rd Annual Thanksgiving in Uganda

2008-12-03T15:00:00.003+03:00

Our first Thanksgiving in Uganda consisted of a meal of Matooke (boiled bananas) and beans. We had been in country for about a week and had hit the ground running. So we ended up having a pretty "ordinary" day, helping at one of Drake's crusades.

Our second Thanksgiving was spent up North in Lira at the Higgins with the Iversons. The food was sooooooo yummy and i'm especially fond of the wonderful cinnamon rolls that Carol prepared.

This year we just drove down the street and spent Thanksgiving with our friends the Iversons. As you can see in the last picture, we had quite a spread. Everything was so delicious and the compay even better!!

Heart to Heart

2008-11-11T14:54:00.004+03:00

For some reason it seems that it's harder to decide what to title these blog posts than what to actually write as the text. (That was just a side thought).

This morning as I was reading in my bible I came upon this familiar scripture:
Proverbs 4:23- Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.

For a long time the only time I ever heard the term "guarding my heart" was before I was married, and it was used in the context of keeping my emotions in check regarding the opposite sex. There is much more that applies to this principle than just silly adolescent crushes.
Living on the mission field in Uganda generates quite a bit of talk between my husband and I about why God has called us here and what He's called us to do in order to make sure we're on the right track. And sometimes I find that I lose sight of the vision and forget why i'm here at all because of what i've learned to call, "losing heart". On many occasions it's a culmination of what people have said to me, how different the culture is and it's misunderstandings , bad experiences i've had, friends that have disappointed me/lack thereof and a myriad of other things that have caused this wilting of soul to take place. That's why this verse is so important to put into practice. In order to be moving in the right direction, the heart must be in health and kept from all the things that would want to poison it, and distract one from the purpose.

Matthew Henry's commentary of this verse put's it well:

"We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strick guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt; from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscious void of offense; keep bad thoughts out; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. There are many ways of keeping things by care, by strength, by calling in help, and we must use them all in keeping our hearts.

So, today i've renewed my commitment to do just that and watch and see the good fruit that will come of it! God's word is so good....and works!

The Boot

2008-10-29T19:15:00.005+03:00

So, Josiah and I were sitting in the car waiting for Brent to run a quick errand recently when I heard a big thumping noise by the side of the car. Simultaneously I saw Brent come out of the store saying, "Hey, I'm right here". I thought for sure someone was trying to steal the tire off our car or something. Looking behind me I saw a white vehicle stopped behind ours and a man getting back into the passenger seat. As Brent discussed whatever had just happened with the driver of the car, I unbuckled Josiah from his car seat, got out off the car, looked at the rear tire and noticed we had been slapped with the infamous "boot". There it was in all it's glory, virtually imprisoning our vehicle without us even knowing.

Come to find out, contrary to what we had assumed was the reasoning behind this unexpected turn of events, the man in the little car informed us it wasn't illegal parking, but rather mispayment of 2 parking tickets (the same as the function of a marking meter in the states). Yep, they had our licence plate written in a book and they were on the prowl for offenders. What we tried to explain to the man was that when the parking control person put a ticket on our car in these two incidents, their shift was over upon our return and there was no one to pay by the time we came back to the car. Can I honestly say we didn't really realize anyone cared too much about these 5oo shilling (meters/tickets) and didn't know how to reconcile it.

What we also found out that fateful day was that the fine jumped from 500 shillings to 20,000 shillings for every ticket unpaid. So our total fine came to 60,000 shillings including the "boot removal fee". We were stunned and there was no sign of any mercy coming from the "clamp man" for our ignorance of Ugandan parking procedures. And they explained that if we didn't pay, our car would be towed and impounded. This all came at a very bad time because we really had no money and were barely even able to buy food that month. We tried to explain this to the man, but I doubt he hardly believed us.

Why do random bad things always have to happen all at the same time anyway? The kind of days where everything runs out and breaks in your house and you have no money to fix it, when you find little worms in your bed and you have to go on dollar ice cream dates..... and then you're car almost gets towed away over pennies.

So anyway, with no mercy still in sight I quietly became overwhelmed at the whole situation and began to cry. Little did I know this would cause a stirring amongst our car captors and they immediately got out of the car and removed the boot and let us go with the condition that we would eventually pay the fees. Who would have thought that shedding a little tears would do the trick......sort of. Still have to pay the fees, but at least we didn't have to walk home! Oh, the joys of living in another culture.

So, the moral of the story is- always pay your parking fees and if you live in another country and don't know how the system works...find out ahead of time so you don't have to embarrass yourself in public by shedding a few tears.

All for now...

When You Don't Have Super Cuts in Africa....

2008-10-05T19:55:00.003+03:00

...You become your own hair stylist.

Since Brent wouldn't help me out due to the fact that the last time he cut someone's hair for them they never asked him again and because I can't just pop over to the local hair (saloon) as they call it here, I decided to try it myself. And I have to say, I didn't do a bad job, though i'm still in need of a little touch up. A bit longer in the back than in the front.

Anyone have any suggestions for an amateur like me?

School Is In Session

2008-09-05T15:18:00.005+03:00

The first week of Island Leadership School (changed from Island Ministers School), on Bunjako Island has commenced. We have 35 eager students in attendance and they're more than ready to be transformed by the word and the work of the Holy Spirit, and we've already received testimonies that this life changing work has already begun. Here are a few pictures from the first week:

The building for food storage and the kitchen.

The church building where the classes are being held every week.

Students taking a break in between classes.

The students during instruction time.

Getting ready to begin the first morning session.

Some cute, smiling faces in attendance.

Time Flies

2008-09-03T19:51:00.003+03:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay in updating what we're doing. We moved and didn't have internet for 2 months, but finally have it again. Here are a few pictures just to summarize in short what's been going on:

Josiah turned 7 months, is sitting up by himself, has aquired two bottom teeth and is talking with his newly learned syllables non stop.

We moved houses and cities. We're in Entebbe right near the Lake.

We've hosted a few teams this summer, including one from our own Westside Church in Bend, Oregon. Yay!!

It's a quick summary, but a summary none the less.

Culture Shock

2008-06-29T15:57:00.005+03:00

Whenever you go on a missions trip, you're always warned about something called.."culture shock". No, this isn't from sticking your finger in a light socket, or getting jolted from someone who's active with static electricity. Though I wish it were that concrete, it's involves more the emotional and psychological aspect of a person who's coming from one culture and stepping into another. Culture can be defined as :the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group. It's what makes up a particular people group; their language, their way of thinking, how they perceive life, and living. How another culture does things isn't necessarily wrong, just different.

Now if you've ever experienced "culture shock" which is really what I would describe and clashing with how another people group lives , thinks and responds, or what the encyclopedia describes as a term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different cultural or social environment, such as a foreign country; then you can understand what i'm talking about.

The reason i'm talking about all this after being in Uganda almost 2 years now is because I find myself experiencing it a new. It seemed to be an easy adjustment the first time over (the honeymoon phase), a bit more difficult after our visit to the states (reality setting in) and more difficult than ever after living here with a baby.

I find that the way Ugandans think regarding their children and parenting is much different than the culture I come from. The people here live in what I would call the village mindset. Everyone raises the child as a community, and everyone has their say and opinion. In America, we tend to live more isolated and private and it's offensive to give advice when it's not asked for, especially regarding parenting.

Well in my life these days, the village midset is clashing with the western mindset that i've become accustom to. Perfect strangers will come up to me and tell me I should cover my child better, or feed him if he's crying (even if he's not hungry), they will try to take him from my arms and hold him without asking, and stare in amazement when I cover up while nursing. (Nursing in public is an accepted practice here.)

Here I notice mothers covering their babies in layers of clothing and winter hats when it is 70, or 80 degrees outside because they have a cultural idea that cold weather causes sickness and death. They've become so accustom to their children getting sick and dying that they've decided it's because their children weren't protected from the weather. Knowing that the weather doesn't cause sickness (especially 70 or 80 degree weather) I have become the odd one out and am told almost daily that I need to cover my child. This is a cultural clash and is a hurdle in parenting that I must learn to climb over.

Culture is an interesting thing and I think about how funny some cultural ideas come about. It all comes from experience. And here...if grandmother (jaja) says it's true, then it must be true. My American experience has been much different than the Ugandan experience. If grandma says it's true, I check on the internet! ha.

So, all that to say. If you want to experience what i'm talking about, just come to Uganda and discover all the joys and struggles that living in another country produces.

All for now......

Uganda...From The Mobile Phone Perspective

2008-06-23T21:41:00.003+03:00

Having a phone with a camera is quite handy for capturing things you always wish you could...like funny sayings on the back of taxi's.

And naked neighbor children waving as you go by. This is quite a frequent occurrence by the way.

Makes me chuckle....

Another common site in Uganda, is women carrying large amounts of, well for instance, on this occasion...stools on their heads.

When travelling in the car, it's quite often that sleeping babies happen. Thank goodness for camera phones. Wouldn't want to miss these fine photo ops!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T21:38:00.003+03:00

I (Virginia) had my very first mother's day on Sunday. Being a mom is a wonderful new part of life and at the same time, a great responsibility. It makes me think about discipleship and how it's a lot like parenting. When someone get's saved I can't just expect that person to survive spiritually on their own; just like I can't expect Josiah to suddenly get up a walk, or talk in sentences right away. It's a careful process and takes patience. As Josiah is growing and changing all the time, i'm learning to enjoy every new thing and encourage him in it. Spiritually or naturally I pray that God gives me the grace to be a good mom. What a privilege it is!

Cat Rat

2008-04-23T22:23:00.001+03:00

We found one of these in the pit latrine (outhouse) the other night. Needless to say we're looking for somewhere else to live!!

3 Days Left

2008-04-11T00:24:00.003+03:00

We just finished up our time visiting friends and family in Nampa/Boise and had a great time....

Now we're in Boston for just 3 more days visiting Virginia's extended family and then we'll be headed back to Uganda on the 14th. It was wonderful being "home" for a little bit and we're so grateful to everyone who welcomed us back with open arms and lots of love! Thank You!

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-03-05T23:51:00.003+03:00

Yep, i'm one year closer to 30 now!

A picture with the whole party crew!

Apparently Josiah doubles as a plate/cake holder too!

A picture with all the cousins

Had to get in a little Wi boxing challenge with Elisa.

Josiah's Blog

2008-02-29T00:52:00.000+03:00

I have my own blog now. The address is www.ugandababy.blogspot.com. Don't forget to check in and see what i'm up to once and awhile.

Here in America

2008-02-29T00:10:00.004+03:00

Since i've been here in America, i've learned how to smile.....

How to stick out my tongue.............

To meet new friends..................(Ayu, who was born 1 day before me)

And family...................(My cousin Brinnay)

And, to love taking lots and lots of pictures!

Coming To America

2008-02-12T20:27:00.001+03:00

Here's my mom packing me in the suitcase for my trip to America. I wasn't very happy about this!

Sitting in my baby seat on the airplane. Those British ladies were sure nice to me and told me I was real cute.

Waiting to get on the plane to Seattle. I sure like air travel!

I was so excited that my grandparents met me at the airport.

I love America! Can't wait to meet all of you.

Me and my froggy

2008-02-03T19:37:00.000+03:00

A Hard Days Work

2008-01-23T10:56:00.001+03:00

This is me helping my dad do his computer work..........

It's exhausting for a little guy like me...............

I can get away with sleeping on the job because, well i'm just so dog gone cute!

Sweet Baby Josiah

2008-01-20T15:08:00.000+03:00

He's Here!

2008-01-16T13:05:00.000+03:00

Josiah Levi Earwicker

Born: Jan 11, 2008
7lbs and 21 inches long

I sure am cute!

My daddy thinks i'm pretty great!

I'm real long and skinny, but my mom says i'll grow big and strong.

More pictures to come............

Baby Update

2008-01-09T08:32:00.000+03:00

For all of you news starved friends and family who knew our due date was January 2nd, you can rest assured that we haven't left you out of the big event. You'll find out how long Josiah is straight from the source as soon as he's breathing air and you'll see his cute little Earwicker nose just after his features have normalized and he looks especially cute. Please be patient along with us, and pray fervently that he will come in the next few minutes!

!!!..................UPDATE..............!!!!

We wanted to give you the update on the imminent arrival of Josiah Levi Earwicker. Eight days beyond our due date, we met with our German midwife this afternoon and discussed induction. Given Virginia's emotional state (pretty disappointed over being so late when she expected to be so early - it feels like we've missed him for a month already - we've had some tearful days and nights), our social situation (Dad already had to fly back after two weeks of waiting, I need to go back to work on Monday, Virginia's folks are only here for another 8 days and really came to help with the baby, not the waiting), and the fact that the baby is in a funny position all of a sudden, we all agreed that inducing her ASAP is the best option.

Tomorrow morning around 7 (Thursday, 8pm PST), we'll head to the International Hospital and have Virginia put on a drip of some great concoction that causes the onset of labor. They say it should take less than 24 hours to have Josiah's little features on our digital cameras at that point.

Please be praying for a quick, safe, healthy, painless delivery tomorrow. We are expecting an easy delivery with no complications, and a happy little guy to take home soon after. We'll send photos as soon as we can get to some good internet access.

Love you all! Thanks for all your inquiries on the arrival status!

Worship Without Borders In Uganda

2007-12-22T12:47:00.000+03:00

Worship Without Borders (Brent's Uncle Tim and Aunt Maryl), along with Molly Nixon came to minister in Uganda for 2 weeks recently. Tim ministered to two island churches and then taught on worship in our Island Ministers School the first week. Molly and Maryl taught the Osanidde kids about hygiene, helped the nurse with some medical issues and passed out gifts for the kids, mommas and auntie's and uncles at Osanidde. The team even purchased two milk cows for the orphanage! It was a great blessing to have them here!

Tim receiving pineapples and a live chicken as a "thank you" for teaching at Pastor Kate's church on Zinga Island.

Tim ministering to the Zinga Island Church on Sunday.

Teaching on worship to the the Island Minister School students.

Couldn't miss out on the famed trip to Pastor Joash's pineapple plantation for a tasty treat!

And this is what we have started on Josiah's little baby corner in our room. We're working on getting a crib this week, but in the meantime he has a little moses basket that Tim and Maryl bought for us. So far we're going with the colorful African animal theme complete with a little Rhino/Elephant mobile. Keep praying for us as he could come any day now!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas this year!!

Thanksgiving In Uganda

2007-11-27T14:57:00.000+03:00

Thomas the turkey before he became part of our thanksgiving feast. This is authentic pilgrim style! The only thing we were missing were the Indians. (We have the slaughter video, but I thought I would spare you the disgust)

Here we are feasting with the Higgins, the Iversons, Sarah Nashif (from Portland) and Josh Shelton (from Bend) in Lira. We had a wonderful time. Thanks Carol for your amazing cooking! It was a much needed time of fellowship, rest and cinnamon rolls. mmmmm.....

Brent and I taking a picture in the new vocational building at Otino Waa.

And this little guy I found just today hanging around outside our house in Kampala. I call him Lizzy the lizard. We find new and amazing creatures all the time and we don't even have to go to the zoo or on safari to find them!

The Jesus Bar

2007-11-23T18:16:00.000+03:00

Jesus loved sinners, and He still does. In fact, He loved them so much, He came to earth as a baby, and lived among sinners for 33 years. During His three year ministry He spent time with tax collectors, prostitutes, and individuals and groups the Bible simply labels "sinners." Religious leaders, the general populace, and even His own disciples (though sinners themselves) were shocked at Jesus' freedom of movement among these people whose transgression was forefront in the minds of others.

Here in Africa, Christians have drawn pretty clear lines drawn around the issue of alcohol consumption, though the discussion is more blurry among believers in the West. Do you think Jesus would go so far as to own and operate His own bar/restaurant? Why/why not? It seems as though these Kenyans have picked up on the loving, accepting, and forgiving nature of Jesus and named their establishment after Him. Is this sign an oxymoron, profaning the precious name of Jesus, an outreach of His love to sin-benighted, straying children, or no different than the "Jesus Coffee House"?

"I Don't Know What's Happening Here"....

2007-11-16T21:05:00.000+03:00

That's what our midwife said to us while we were waiting to see her for our routine appointment yesterday, as she wheeled a visibly distressed woman to the room next to us at the hospital. It was obvious by the screams of agony from the lady that "what was happening" was that she was having a baby. As this woman stood up in the hallway to walk into the labor room she began giving birth and barely make it to the bed when 20 seconds later we heard the cries of a newborn baby. We'd heard these kind of stories before, but never actually witnessed something quite like it....until yesterday.

This experience made us realize that not all women have to suffer through labor like we thought and that really; life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get! (Praying we get a similar "chocolate" as this woman!)

...And that was our ordinary visit to the hosptial turned crazy! If you have other tremendous birthing stories you'd like to share, we'd love to get your comments. Until next time....

The 7 Month Milestone and A Name For Baby

2007-11-08T23:20:00.000+03:00

This week marks 7 months, going on 8.....getting closer to D-Day!

We're not sure how far along Brent is, but he's no match for Virginia's belly!

And here's the cute couple before they find out what parenting is really all about.....the after picture might look a bit more frantic. :)

We'd also like to announce that we've officially decided on a name for our son:

Josiah Levi Earwicker

The Weirdest Bug You've Ever Seen

2007-11-03T11:06:00.000+03:00

We had to dedicate a segment of our blog to, "the bug collector". He's been roaming around outside our house ever since we arrived here in Uganda and we've found him quite disgusting and fascinating all at the same time. At first we thought it was a weird looking spider, but when we got a closer look we noticed it was some kind of beetle that collects dead bugs on it's back. We've really kind of grown fond of our little house mate since he does have good cleaning habits! If anyone thinks they can top "the bug collector" in terms of weirdness, we'd be happy to hear about it. That's all for now, here at the Earwicker hut.

A Sneak Peek

2007-10-26T14:32:00.000+03:00

We had another ultrasound this morning and here are the 3D pictures to give you a little preview of what our little son might look like. They said all is normal and he's now weighing in at 3.19 pounds and growing. Apparently he likes to suck on his umbilical cord, and Brent thinks that's kind of gross, but a guy's got to be pretty bored in that little womb all by himself for 9 months (that's why his mouth looks kind of funny). We're pretty proud of our little one and think he's pretty cute already! Yay!

Island Ministers School

2007-10-13T11:09:00.000+03:00

We began our 18 week ministers training school on October 1st on Bussi Island, beginning with around 12 students the first week and ending up with about 45 by the end of last week! Praise the Lord! These pastors and ministers come from four different islands and even one from the mainland to study the Word of God. Please pray for the ministers that they will receive all that God has for them and also for us as we have to commute 2 1/2 hours to the island every week for the monday through wednesday 9am to 4pm sessions. Not only are these leaders being challenged as they study the word, but we feel like we're also in school learning how to face the challenges of teaching in a cross cultural setting. It's going to be a great 18 weeks!

Virginia teaching an encounter session on grace.

Brent sharing with the class on how to keep their freedom from the past.

Here the students are working hard taking notes.
Our classroom is currently the chapel at Osannidde Village.

Last but not least.....here is the 6 month milestone picture of the growing child and belly!

Exploring Uganda

2007-09-14T15:27:00.000+03:00

We had three girls from Bend, Oregon (Megan, Kristen and Whitney) come and stay with us for two and a half weeks. The above picture shows some of the wonderful things that they brought all the way from America for us (this includes pop tarts, reeces peanut butter cups, some maternity clothes and other fantastic things!)

Our first leg of the trip began on Bussi Island where we helped distribute some sweaters that were donated to the kids, put on a few days of VBS, ate lots of fish and had a wonderful few days spending time with the beautiful children at Osanidde.
Our trip to the island also included a visit to Pastor Joash's famous pineapple plantation where we shave them and eat them on the spot. We had to have the girls experience literally the best pineapples in the world! I think the expression on their faces sum it up.
And of course while Virginia and the girls were hard at work on the island, Brent was out fishing on the Lake. If you look closely the big fish actually died trying to eat a smaller fish (not small enough) and the little one is coming out of it's gills. Nice catch Brent!

Our next destination took us up North to visit Bob and Carol Higgins in Lira. After quite a few hours in the car driving on bumpy, pot holed roads we finally made it for a wonderful tour of their orphanage Otino Waa Village.Brent joined in on a game of Simon Says at an Otino Waa VBS and here he is above right before he lost for putting his hands in the air when simon didn't say!
Our next stop...Murchison Falls National Park for Safari. What a beautiful place! Here we are at the top of the falls for a quick pic!After our time at Murchison Falls we spent a few days in Gulu where we were able to minister to the kids in one of the IDP camps. We sang songs, played games, told bible stores and shared the gospel. Many received Christ as their savior.
Also while in Gulu we stayed with Pastor Espiritu who has a church in town, leads the IDP camp outreaches and also has been given radio airtime on 3 different stations to lead discussions and preach the gospel. While we were there he invited Brent to help lead a discussion about the bible on one of the live radio talk shows. The above picture shows Brent doing a great job sharing with the people the truth about the word of God.
On one of our last days back in Kampala we took the girls to Owino Market which is the largest semi outdoor market in Kampala. It happened to rain quite hard the day we went, so here we are trying to stay dry while we weave our way in and out of this crazy place! As you can see, it was quite an eventful two weeks and in the end we were all glad that we made it back home in one piece!
And finally, the latest on the belly....here it is at 5 and half months with 3 and a half more months to go!

Experience The Day With Us....

2007-09-07T12:13:00.000+03:00

The following video of our ultrasound shows that we are indeed having a boy. The view is just of his two legs (femur bones to knees) and "in between". It's not a full shot of his body because the view is from underneath him. He was moving around a lot during the procedure, so that's why it looks like moving blobs most of the time. :) Look closely. Enjoy!

This next one shows more of his body a bit better(legs and cute little bottom anyway). He's a squirmer!

Here's one of his strong, little heartbeat.

It's A Boy!!

2007-08-28T23:00:00.000+03:00

We had our ultra sound today and found out that we're having a little baby boy! He was moving around so much it was hard to get a clear shot of him, but we will have some video soon of the live experience. We're excited to have a little Brent around soon!

Catching Up

2007-08-17T19:59:00.000+03:00

Since our last post......

We traveled to Nakifuma, Uganda where we assisted with a crusade and taught a two day seminar.

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary in the cold Kenyan countryside as we joined a medical ministry team with some friends from Boise.

We just returned from a week a half trip to do Island ministry with a 7 member YWAM team from New Zealand. It was a packed week where we did children's crusades, church planting, seminars and even a women's conference!

We're now preparing for a team of three girls that are coming from Westside Church in Bend, Oregon next week to see Uganda and do lots of children's ministry. It's been a busy summer for us so far and we would appreciate your continued prayers for health and safety as we continue to travel and minister.Last of all, here's the latest news on the growing belly! It's growing...really...

We Got A Car!

2007-07-10T21:01:00.000+03:00

After taking public transportation and motorcycle taxi's for almost 8 months now we have our own vehicle! Yay! It's a '95 Toyota Landcruiser, perfect for the crazy African roads!

The Three Month Pooch

2007-07-04T17:22:00.000+03:00

Today marks the end of the first trimester (3 months) and we call this the 3 month pooch. It will only get better from here folks!

This pictures is also for people like Kristin Downs who said they had to "see it to believe it". It's true that even I can grow a belly! :)

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.....And this just in....

We also had our first Ultra Sound today (7/5). For some reason they only gave us the picture showing the baby's head (a whopping 2.53 cm)! During the live procedure we were able to see the baby's whole body including little hands and feet, the heart beat, the spine and the cute little head! What a little squirmer this little one is. He/she was swimming and doing acrobats all over the place. The doctor said everything looks normal. It was a fun first "introduction". Hopefully the next ultrasound we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl!

Stay tuned for more baby/ tummy updates!

Celebrating the 4th of July in Uganda!

2007-07-02T15:12:00.000+03:00

We've had two 4th of July parties already in Uganda and it's not even the 4th yet! We had a great time on Saturday getting together with a bunch of American missionaries at one of their houses, eating hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pork and beans and even a yummy confetti cake to celebrate the 4th of July. We were able to hear from each of them what they've been doing here and their heart for this nation and also share about our time here. We met a younger couple who just moved here a month a ago from Michigan who will be teaching a discipleship curriculum to young adult leaders who will take the curriculum to the high schools. It was refreshing to have some fellowship with some like minded/hearted people that all come from the same place, speak the same language and most importantly are working for the cause of Christ.

Yesterday's party was put on by the American Embassy for all Americans living or staying in Uganda. There were probably over 100-250 people there from all walks of life; Non profit organizations, missionaries, government workers, families, young adults, etc. Brent even got to meet with and shake the ambassadors hand!

Right now we're trying to get our work permit to be legal for at least a year and we'll be starting that process tomorrow, so please pray for us that we have favor with the immigration officials here. Thanks for checking in!

Our Little Neighbor Friends

2007-06-17T18:45:00.000+03:00

For Fun

2007-06-10T17:48:00.001+03:00

"Silly boys!"

Good changes and sad ones.....

2007-06-08T12:07:00.000+03:00

We got internet at our house today and we're so excited! Now there's no more trying to find an internet cafe that's working...we have one here right in our living room. Now we can chat with ya'll all day long!

Also....our friend Seth Brown goes back to America on monday the 11th. It's crazy that 3 months have gone by already and we'll be seeing him off just a few days from now!! Here's a few pictures to sum up our wonderful three months with him here. We'll miss ya son!!

Baby News!!!

2007-05-12T12:43:00.000+03:00

For those of you who haven't yet heard, Brent and I are expecting a new little earwicker around Jan 4th. Please keep all three of us in your prayers!!! Yay! (Sorry, no pictures yet to show) :)

Around East Africa In 10 Days

2007-05-01T16:38:00.000+03:00

It's been quite a whirlwind these past few weeks. Last minute we were invited to go to a mountain village in Kenya to teach at a seminar and help with a crusade, so we hopped on an overnight bus from Kampala to Nairobi and then a smaller bus to Meru. All in all it was almost 24 hours in travel time on horrible, crazy, bumpy roads included with loud "bootie" music for our "sleeping pleasure"...I mean nightmare. :)

We had a wonderful time encouraging the church people and meeting fellow believers!The church building is strategically set between two bars..so needless to say we tried sharing the Lord with quite a few drunk men. On one occasion , one of these drunk men took Brent to all the different bars to meet his friends and invite them to church. It was definitely a different ministry trip all together!!!

The host home we stayed at was beautiful and the couple that hosted us were fantastic! WE have seriously never eaten so much in our whole lives. We ended up eating 5 meals a day and should be 100 pounds heavier. If you really love food and hospitality then Kenya is the place for you!!!

The monday we returned from Kenya we immediately packed up and headed to the airport to fly to Rwanda....but due to heavy traffic and public transportation we missed out flight. So....we went all the way back home late at night and had to wait until the next evening to catch the next plane. We did finally get on the plane the next day and made it to Rwanda. What a beautiful country it is! We were invited by a family friend to come and meet some pastors and business people who were looking for investment and ministry opportunities. We learned a lot about the Genocide that took place in 1994, went to the memorial where thousands of bodies are buried in a mass grave and heard via video, testimonies of people that had survived the atrocities. There was even a young man with our team that had escaped with his family to America during that time and had returned to Rwanda for the 1st time. We were privileged to see first hand the restoration God is doing in that land!

We definitely hit the record for being in 3 countries within a few days time. Whewww...now it's time for a rest. Until the next adventure........... :)

The Great Adventure is online....

2007-04-09T18:34:00.000+03:00

We have a new fun video on our website. It's all about "The Great Adventure". Trust me, you don't want to miss it!

Some More Pictures...

2007-04-07T18:53:00.000+03:00

Teaching the kids how to bead necklaces

Sharing the word with the kids

A first time playdough creation

Fishing for Candy

VBS AT OSANIDDE VILLAGE

2007-04-07T18:18:00.000+03:00

Brent acting out the story of Jonah and the Whale

Seth with his new found little friend

Esther and Virginia

Eating the best pineapples in the world!

Wings Over Uganda & A Friend Comes to Visit.

2007-03-17T18:16:00.000+03:00

We had a fabulous time in Karamoja preaching in a prison and a few schools, witnessing many salvation's and deliverance's at the crusade, and of course getting our pictures taken with the indigenous cattle people!

One of the highlights was one of the nights at the crusade Jon Dunagan (an evangelist from Oregon) demonstrated reconciliation and humility when he washed the feet of Drake Kanaabo the Ugandan Evangelist before the whole crowd. Not only that, he had two pastors from warring tribes (these tribes are the ones who fight and kill each other for cattle and have been for many years) wash each others feet demonstrating how the love of Christ can bring even enemies together. It was powerful, as these men began to weep as they humbled themselves, demonstrating the unifying love of Christ!

To get to and from Karamoja we flew with MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), which was a wonderful 1 hour flight as opposed to a 13 hour drive! On the flight back the pilot let Brent co-pilot and Brent flew us to Kampala apart from the landing part of it. I think Brent was thrilled to get to brush up on his skills! Way to go Brent! We were humbled though by a group of Ugandans who came 21 hours by truck, standing most of the way to help with the crusade. These were some of the most passionate dedicated believers we've met.

A few days later we were privileged to receive our friend Seth Brown from the U.S who will be staying with us for 3 months. He's been here two days now getting over the jet lag and culture shock, but off and running and ready to step into what God has for him here.

Thanks for all your love and prayers, keep checking in often for more updates!!
Our latest video is also online, so go to our website and check it out!

Mice, Geckos and other assorted creeping things!

2007-03-06T17:52:00.000+03:00

What a week it's been! We had a wonderful relaxing time out on Kalangala Island for 4 days to celebrate our birthdays and to take some time to pray and evaluate the last three months. Brent did get a pretty bad sunburn on his legs as we were canoeing our way on the water,but recovering well. It was so good to take time on the quiet lake and seek God and be refreshed again by his presence and re-surrender our hearts again to Him and His will for our lives. Not that we have a whole lot more details than before, but a lot of Peace. Praise God!

We did return though to Little Tom Mouse and his friends in our house, climbing the walls, getting in our clothes and trying to eat our food. They're so frustrating cause they're so little and cute, but they're terrible house guests! Does anyone have any good ideas about catching mice? They're really hard to catch and I don't think they like cheese as is commonly thought. We tried it..didn't work...arrrgghh

Another thing, I was using the pit latrine (Virginia) the other day and I saw the Gecko climbing the inside wall of the door like I normally do but when I shut the door he must have been in between and got squished because he flopped to the ground unconscious. I didn't do CPR or anything, but I did feel really bad and had Brent remove his little body. That's the sad story of the week. Geckos are a funny creature. They show up when are where you don't expect them, especially the shower in the mornings!

If you ever get a chance to come to Uganda, you'll definitely find all sorts of fun assorted creatures. Big vulture birds that land on your roof and poo on you as you walk below, cockroaches that find their way into your bedroom, big ants that invade your kitchen, mosquitos and sorts of fun things.

Well, we're headed off again tomorrow to Moroto, Karamoja. It's a region in the NE part of Uganda where the people run around naked (so we hear) except for their AK47's that they use for cattle raiding and robbing. It's been a real unstable part of the country and we're believing God and His church to take some serious territory this week! So please pray as we'll be flying in tomorrow and coming back in 6 days. Thanks so much for dropping in!!!

The Return of the Earwickers...

2007-02-26T18:02:00.000+03:00

Thank you to all of you who prayed for our time in Congo. It was a successful trip, aside from having to pay extra visa fees due to the fact that Congo doesn't have any drivable roads, so we had to go back to Uganda from the first Congolese city and enter back into Congo to go to the next one, not very far away. Craziness!! We found that there is much need in Congo. No schools, proper roads, hospitals or medical facilities, clean water etc. We did find though that the church is strong and seemingly unified. This is our favorite part about crusades. Seeing the church come together for one purpose; it's heavenly!

The United Nations is heavily patrolling the area because there has been much unrest and many rebel groups are present in Congo waiting to stir up trouble. The local people even tell us that it wasn't long ago that Cannibalism was a common practice among some of these rebel groups. We continue to pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will transform this Nation into the one that God has purposed it to be. It's a country rich in natural minerals and potentially could be the richest nation in Africa, but due to rebel control this isn't possible unless some serious change happens.

Please pray for Congo that the church would seek out His treasures of darkness and that many would be saved, transformed and that a Nation would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!!

God bless and we love you all!!

Off To Congo...

2007-02-03T16:11:00.000+03:00

Just letting you know that we're headed to Congo to help with a crusade and teach at 3 seminars. We leave Monday the 5th and return around the 18th. Please pray for us as we prepare to go. We'll travel by bus to Paidha, Uganda for a crusade and then travel over the border to Congo. We're excited to see what God is doing over the border from us, and we'll have the full report when we return! Thanks for your prayers!

Those Who Hunger And Thirst After Righteousness…

2007-01-19T17:04:00.000+03:00

Mukama Yeba Zibwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Since we last updated you on our adventures here in Uganda we've been quite busy traveling and teaching in various village churches.

One thing we've come to realize in our two months here in Uganda is that people are hungry for the Word of God. We traveled to a town called Misindi where we (along with Drake Kanaabo and team) were invited to share the gospel with 2,000 new police recruits at their training camp.

After sharing in song and in the word around 1,000 recruits raised their hands for salvation. But the amazing thing was that when we handed out bibles (and we had plenty for everyone) they started fighting over them, like ravenous animals. We weren't sure what to think! Either way in that moment and in other experience we've come to realize the vast need for training and the Word of God.

Brent in two instances already, so passionate about people having their own bibles (which is rare due to the expense) after teaching has offered to get people bibles that don’t have them. So, today we’re going to go on a Bible hunt and get Bibles for these believers.

So when you think of us, please pray that God will give us the wisdom we need to help fill this need for His Word and that God’s Kingdom will be extended everywhere we go.

We’ve also come to realize the things we took for granted in the US,

like clean drinking water, clean air and drivable roads are now much more difficult to come by here in Uganda. We’re learning how to boil water and filter it, buy it bottled when we can’t boil it and take much care in how we use it. It reminds me of the time Jesus met the woman at the well and asked her for a drink. He translated our need for temporal water that runs out, to spiritual water that becomes a fountain, springing up into eternal life. How precious and necessary is the natural water that we drink, but how much more the living water that Jesus gives!

In response to our previous post, we hope you all had the chance to “sing for a moment” as the back of the Ugandan taxi suggested. We’ve found it to be quite a funny, refreshing thing to do. You should try it!

Our newest video should be working now. The end cut off the first time we posted it and then it wasn't working at all. We also have posted some more pictures on our website and their real cute, if you’re into cute things like that. J

Most of all, we would love to hear from you more often, so please if you get a chance and think of us, send an email, a text message or a make a quick phone call. We’d love it because we miss ya’ll! Okay, hope you’ve been updated and Check back soon.

Just a reminder to...

2007-01-14T18:42:00.000+03:00

Back from Mbarara

2006-12-17T19:26:00.000+03:00

Our trip West to Mbarara was a great success! Pastor Naboth and his wife Alice welcomed us into their home set in the beautiful countryside surrounding the town. We ate mountains of local food (got a little sick, but it was so worth it!), and in between large meals, preached the Word of God. People were bussed in from the surrounding area, and in all, there was about 500-600 people packed into the small church, most of them leaders of small village churches. We had the opportunity to impact all of these churches in a few short days.

Pastor Naboth had a vision a few months ago about fish falling from heaven with birth fluids all over them (you know, like a newborn?). He got up from where he was outside under a tree, and went into the church. Two pastors were behind the pulpit scratching their heads, confused. They didn't know what to do to reach people, when all the while they were falling right from the sky. The Lord said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..." These laborers were confused, and so the theme of the conference was "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." Pastor Naboth was out to train pastors to reach their communities.

We took a long bumpy taxi ride (waited a couple hours for the taxi to fill up) and were too exhausted to preach the first night, but spoke on prerequisites to fulfilling the Great Commission, and the 5-fold ministry the first morning. Worship was wonderful, and many local "artists" came and sang and danced for the group.

Virginia preached on Saturday on the Value of the Kingdom, and Brent on Sowing and Reaping. Afterwards, a pastor came up saying, "I have a confession to make: when I first saw you two, I thought, 'these two are so new...what will they teach us?' but we have been blessed by your ministry!" Praise the Lord that it doesn't matter how old you are - His Word is still the same!

7 people were saved on Friday, and everyone at the conference committed themselves to reaching lost people in their communities. A young girl even gave us a papaya as an offering. It was a great success.

We're out to Bussi Island on Tuesday...no internet for a couple weeks. We'll update when we get back!

Kikiri & Buwenge

2006-12-12T16:03:00.000+03:00

The last two weekends, we've been travelling to larger villages and preaching in "Redeemed" Churches. These smaller churches are part of the mother church "The Redeemed of the Lord Evangelistic Church Makerere" in Kampala. Last weekend was a place called Kikiri (pronounced "Ki-ch'-ir-ee"). This small church has around 400 members and has been meeting in their unfinished building with a makeshift roof. This week, they got the needed funds and put a new roof on their building to keep the rain out.

The presence of the Lord was sweet in this church. We couldn't understand most of what was being sung (they do have a few songs in English, but even those are a little hard to understand!), but we could sense that the Lord was pleased and had come to inhabit the praises of His people.

Brent preached about the purpose that Jesus has called us for as His disciples: to be with Him, and to go out and preach. He talked about the need for both prayer and work, not one or the other, and that we can't get stuck in the prayer closet without acting on what we learn there, and we have no power to minister on the street without the secret place.

This week, we travelled to Buwenge (2.5 hours East of Kampala) to a relatively new church with a couple hundred people. The two services melded into one 4 hour meeting where Virginia (African name = Gini) preached a fabulous message about being established in the Lord, and Brent (Matthew) taught on having our foundation firmly laid on Jesus alone. The people didn't understand our altar call, so almost the entire congregation came forward for prayer. We forgot that everyone here seems to have some sort of ailment or need, especially in the villages. We prayed for maybe an hour for every need we could think of - salvation, healing, barrenness, marriages, new business ventures, financial miracles, and on and on.

At the end of the prayer time, Pastor James had another altar call for those who wanted to be saved. About 7 people came forward and testified that they had been saved! In talking to the pastor afterward, he mentioned that this was not normal for his church and that he wants to have a new focus on evangelism.

The service felt like the early church. New believers being born, the Church rejoicing, sharing in all things (we saw some eggs, bananas, and "jack fruit" in the offering baskets). We didn't have any requests for the baptism of the Holy Spirit...we'll have to teach on that soon.

We made some new minister friends as well - last week, our man Solomon and his wife Colette drove us to Kikiri, and this week, Enoch and Peter chattered away about all their questions about US culture, instructing us in Ugandan ways (we aren't supposed to look people in the eye when we talk to them! This is a hard one, even when we make conscious effort - try it out yourself!). We're blessed to be with these humble, faithful ministers who have been going to the bush to teach for awhile now. It seems the encouragement in the Lord is mutual, so we're grateful for that.

That's all for now. We're headed to Mbarara on Thursday for a 4 day conference where we'll be preaching/teaching each day. We didn't have much notice on this one, so pray for the grace of God to enable us to do His will.

Over and out.

Living in Kampala

2006-11-30T16:06:00.000+03:00

Well, we're back to our homestead from our trip to Kapchorwa. It was very successful and we will soon have some video of it on our website. Brent just posted a video on our website today of our travel here and tour of our house. Check it out!
We're discovering that our new life here feels alot like camping. We sleep under a bug net, our sink is outside so we do dishes and laundry outside,we cook with a propane cooker,use the pit to go to the bathroom and kill alot of bugs that like to share the space. It's definitely a great place, but I can't help but wake up in the morning and say...Brent, doesn't it feel like we're camping? He agrees.
We tried to do our laundry today. One bucket for washing, and one bucket for rinsing which turns out to be alot of work and then hang the clothes out to dry. One problem...it likes to rain here unexpectedly. So as we sit here in the internet cafe, our clothes are hopefully drying inside our house(you know, hanging them where you can.)
This is our new missionary life....It's great!
We will be leaving this sunday to preach at a church about an hour away. Please pray as we prepare to speak this weekend. Also, we are meeting with Drake today to finalize our travel plans for the next 3 months and it sounds like we may get to be apart of a crusade in the Congo in February as well as be at Osannide Village (the orphange on Bussi Island we visted this summer) for christmas. It will be the first christmas these kids have had since coming to the orphanage. We'll definitely need to get pictures of that!
This is our update for now. We'll check in soon. So good to get your comments and hear from you. It's such an encouragement to know you are praying for us. We love you all!!

-Brent and Virginia

The Big Move

2006-11-24T15:46:00.000+03:00

Last week, while saying goodbye to everyone we know and love in the US, we felt extremely loved. Thanks to everyone who blessed us during this transition. You've made it a great one (and quite a bit sad - we miss you already!)

We spent our first two days in Africa shopping for household necessities (bed, carpets, bug nets, refrigerator, etc). Coupled with the 10 hour jet lag, this effectively wore us out. Our house is bigger than we originally thought, with two large bedrooms and a good sized kitchen, dining, and living room. No sinks or toilets in the house, but we do have running (dripping) water for the shower. Praise the Lord for cold water in a hot climate. We're happy to have our own place, and we'll even have internet installed on our phone line in the next few days.

Right now, we're in SE Uganda in a small village called Kapchorwa assisting with an evangelistic crusade. Brent is teaching in the mornings at the seminars, and our landlord (Drake Kanaabo) is preaching in the evenings.

We're running low on internet cafe time, so we'll post more later (with pictures). Please keep praying for souls here in Kapchorwa, and that the local churches here would have grace to bring them to full maturity in Christ.

Over and out.

FOUR DAYS TO GO

2006-11-14T20:41:00.000+03:00

Well, the countdown has begun! We're busily making last minute preparations, saying our final goodbyes and getting ready to launch into this new adventure. Actually taking steps to go to the mission field is so much different that we thought, the preparation part of it reminds me of getting ready to be married. You work and work, and then there's that moment that you're driving off from the church thinking...now we can relax and enjoy the purpose of what all this preparation was for. Uganda...here we come!!!

Thank you to all who have encouraged,blessed us and believed in the call of God for our lives. It makes all the difference in the world to have that kind of support. Thank you!

Lots of Love and gratitude,

-Brent and Virginia

Check Out Our Website

2006-10-20T08:10:00.000+03:00

www.pleadthecause.com

It's kind of under construction, but it's going to be cool!!

So the latest news is that we're flying to Uganda on November 18th. One way tickets! Can you believe it? :)

News of Note

2006-09-13T07:18:00.000+03:00

Cascade Life Commission officially started yesterday, as brent will be assisting to kick off the new year and then transition out the end of this month. See www.cascadelifecommission.org for details on the program.

I've started a new job working as a care giver for Altzimers patients. It's a very rewarding job as it involves helping people like I like to do, but hard sometimes to deal with the difficult issues that go along with Altzimers. Oh, how I am learning and growing in things that I never thought I would be. Praise God, it's great!!

We are having a garage sale this Saturday the 16th and will be selling lots of stuff to prepare to go to Africa. Please come and check it out (if you're in Bend). Please continue to pray that we will hear clear direction from the Lord on details in the coming weeks, although this is what the Lord spoke to me(Virginia) this week as I was asking him to speak to us about the who, what, when, where and how:

Acts 1:7-8
And He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

Upon the authority of God's word, we are believing that the Lord has all the details in hand and that most importantly we will go in His power in order to do what Jesus did wherever we go.

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in.

"You Are Most Welcome!"

2006-08-14T22:25:00.000+03:00

This is what we would hear from the people in Africa wherever we would go.
They were so kind and hospitable that we really did feel welcome and invited. We had a great month long scouting trip to Kenya and Uganda. We both feel that we learned alot of valuable things being with so many ministries and pastors, and were grateful for the one on one ,(behind the scenes) look into the lives of people working hard in God's harvest field.
At this point we are seeking God for confirming details about when we are to go back long term. It's an exciting time for us and wouldn't want to be anywhere else than right in God's will, loving Him by loving and serving people that need Him!

Thanks to all our friends and family for all your love, support and prayers as we have been and are learning to take these steps of faith. We love you!!

We're back from Africa

2006-08-07T06:47:00.000+03:00

I will let the eyes of a little orphan child tell the story of our journey to Africa.......

What's happening with the Earwickers?

2006-05-15T07:04:00.000+03:00

We're going to Africa!!