Faced with a significant bill in advance of our first round of private vaccinations Nikki and I have been praying.
Last week we all had the vaccinations that are available free on the NHS - 4 days of feeling like someone had repeatedly given us "dead arms' - on both sides.
The thing was - that it was necessary we order and start to pay for those that are not available on the NHS - principally the Hep B vaccines. This is a course of three injections that whilst available on a fast track sequence for Nikki and I, are unavailable for the children in this form - so we had to step forward trusting that God would provide in order that the children are safely innoculated....but we needed the cash to be able to start (remember we're a family of 6 so when the bill is £70ish each for the Hep B alone it soon mounts up) and right now our cash flow situation is not helpful.
I remember a time when my wife and I were just engaged and I was having jitters (after all we had met in April, were engaged by the end of June and were due to be married later that year in November - we hardly knew each other!) Nikki had flown back to the US to start preparations and I sat down for a chat with Rev Clark in Nottingham. I explained that I was nervous "What had I done? Was I mad?" He looked at me with a smile and said "Congratulations, you're now learning what it means to walk by faith."
Today at church we were blessed and were given exactly what we need in order to get in the game. Apparently a family thought that an offering to our mission was more important than a new TV and another family agreed to have a dinner party to raise funds as well as donating a gift to make up the amount.
Step by step we move closer and the Lord meets us on each step.
Again Nikki and I are humbled and uplifted by the love and generosity of our church community.
And again we are reassured that the One who places the fatherless in families wants us there.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Flights Booked!
So we have finally booked our flights!!! We go from 22nd July to the 13th August (as we're adding a personal safari to the end) with the rest of the team returning on the 9th.
Another of our church family (whose husband used to work for BA) also managed to help us on this and saved us £500 on the total ticket price!
Now that the flights are booked the prospect of the trip has become VERY real..!!!
Many people around us think we’re crazy for taking the children - others are really supportive and many we know in missions have said we'll have a blast and having seen footage and looking on websites we are sure we will!
Our 2 eldest (8 and 6 yrs) are moved by homeless people on the streets and by the NSPCC ads etc on TV. They sense the injustice of the suffering of people and are moved to make a difference. I know of no better way of them becoming advocates of other children that meeting, playing and making connections with the children at Watoto.
Of course there are some dangers - malaria is one and rabies when we go on safari - though these can be managed and I don't believe any dangers to be any worse than in this country. Just turn on the news or go out in a city centre on a Friday or Saturday night at 12am and you’ll see some messy humanity. There are places to go and places not to go in any city and there you'll also find hurting humanity - the same in every country.
Our minds are focused on the safety of our family and team. We have asked the advice of friends of ours who lived in Kabul during the Taliban days whilst working for Tear Fund. The Dippers are now back in the UK and Andy works for Release advocating and acting on behalf of Christians imprisoned and tortured for following Jesus.
When our children come home from school (and after they have done a chore at home!) they are keen to research on-line such topics as Ugandan dress, money, animals, weather, population etc etc. Nikki has bought a large poster board so they can print pictures out and create a large poster of everything they have found out about Uganda - I've just bought a Ugandan flag which we're going to hang on the wall and use as a prop for photos to fundraise with!
They’re generally excited to be going to Africa to play with and help other children (though not looking forward to the mosquitos and jabs!). Ruby is happy because she knows she is going to make friends and Samuel is blissfully unaware!
I cannot say that we’re without some excited nerves - I wonder about the idea that Christians need to feel “peaceful” about something before they step out. Surely if we are stepping out into the undiscovered we’re unlikely to “have a peace about it”.
We’re aware that our flesh wars against the Spirit so we’re not expecting to be without a sense of tension, which will motivate greater planning, awareness and observation until we are settled and we finally know that which is at present unknown.
We have researched the political situation in Uganda also - there were riots in Kampala last September caused by the government banning the movement of the Kapaka (Bugandan traditional king) from freely entering an area in which he is popular. Speculation is that the Kapaka’s trip and the ban were politically motivated with an election approaching in 2011.
Anyway, all is peaceful now and Lonely Planet explains "...and the capital Kampala is safer and friendlier than most in Africa. Winston Churchill called it the ‘Pearl of Africa’. He was right."
We cannot wait!
Another of our church family (whose husband used to work for BA) also managed to help us on this and saved us £500 on the total ticket price!
Now that the flights are booked the prospect of the trip has become VERY real..!!!
Many people around us think we’re crazy for taking the children - others are really supportive and many we know in missions have said we'll have a blast and having seen footage and looking on websites we are sure we will!
Our 2 eldest (8 and 6 yrs) are moved by homeless people on the streets and by the NSPCC ads etc on TV. They sense the injustice of the suffering of people and are moved to make a difference. I know of no better way of them becoming advocates of other children that meeting, playing and making connections with the children at Watoto.
Of course there are some dangers - malaria is one and rabies when we go on safari - though these can be managed and I don't believe any dangers to be any worse than in this country. Just turn on the news or go out in a city centre on a Friday or Saturday night at 12am and you’ll see some messy humanity. There are places to go and places not to go in any city and there you'll also find hurting humanity - the same in every country.
Our minds are focused on the safety of our family and team. We have asked the advice of friends of ours who lived in Kabul during the Taliban days whilst working for Tear Fund. The Dippers are now back in the UK and Andy works for Release advocating and acting on behalf of Christians imprisoned and tortured for following Jesus.
When our children come home from school (and after they have done a chore at home!) they are keen to research on-line such topics as Ugandan dress, money, animals, weather, population etc etc. Nikki has bought a large poster board so they can print pictures out and create a large poster of everything they have found out about Uganda - I've just bought a Ugandan flag which we're going to hang on the wall and use as a prop for photos to fundraise with!
They’re generally excited to be going to Africa to play with and help other children (though not looking forward to the mosquitos and jabs!). Ruby is happy because she knows she is going to make friends and Samuel is blissfully unaware!
I cannot say that we’re without some excited nerves - I wonder about the idea that Christians need to feel “peaceful” about something before they step out. Surely if we are stepping out into the undiscovered we’re unlikely to “have a peace about it”.
We’re aware that our flesh wars against the Spirit so we’re not expecting to be without a sense of tension, which will motivate greater planning, awareness and observation until we are settled and we finally know that which is at present unknown.
We have researched the political situation in Uganda also - there were riots in Kampala last September caused by the government banning the movement of the Kapaka (Bugandan traditional king) from freely entering an area in which he is popular. Speculation is that the Kapaka’s trip and the ban were politically motivated with an election approaching in 2011.
Anyway, all is peaceful now and Lonely Planet explains "...and the capital Kampala is safer and friendlier than most in Africa. Winston Churchill called it the ‘Pearl of Africa’. He was right."
We cannot wait!
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