UGANDA – After several years of lessons, changes, and surprise blessings, we have been happily living in Stephen’s home village in Uganda for 8 months (though Stephen was in the U.S. working for 4 of those months), with our just turned two year old delightful daughter, Ann. Stephen and I will have been married for 10 years in a month and it is so interesting to reflect on all that we have experienced and learned. I am so thankful for where God has brought us now, especially as I reflect on the miracles He has done.
We both feel so much joy, peace and safety, living at our home in the village. Our compound is beautiful with family around us. Struggles will always be there no matter where you live, we have learned, but remembering the changes and miracles God has done in the lives and hearts of Stephen’s family members is a picture of His sovereignty and almighty plan through it all. We are both thankful for the peace and assuredness that we have in knowing that Uganda is where God has for us to live.
The details for life and ministry slowly come together day by day. We are not doing any formal ministry and are no longer being supported through a church. We may start a non-profit in the future, but for now are focusing on stabilizing our own finances, adjusting to our family living in the village.
Ann loves living in the village. The cousins she has living on our compound with her are Don (Dunaway, 4 years old), Baba (12 years old), Siharra (12 years old), Stephen, (3 years old) and Jovan (4 months old). Bubu (nickname for a girl, 4 years old) and Bonga (nickname for a boy 2 years old) live like 10 minutes away. Ann loves having them around to play with. She also loves having her own space in the simple, beautiful home that Stephen had built for us last year. Below is a photo of Ann and Siharra on our front veranda (porch).
God blessed me with surprise online marketing work for a company whose website I designed several years ago. My boss, Deb, really liked working with me and wanted someone she could communicate with and work with and wanted to hire me even though my marketing experience is very little. She enjoys working together to learn it and it is going well. It is very part-time and doesn’t cover all of our monthly expenses, but helps a lot as we are trying to get business ventures going. We have almost finished fencing our compound so it will be easier to keep animals and do farming.
Some people had expressed interest in continuing to support us. We don’t have anything formally set up, but we are in the process of getting a residency visa for me. We have applied for it to be for life. The cost for it is $2,000 USD. We have been able to be pretty independent so far, but are not to the point of being able to save that kind of money with what we make in Uganda, or through my online work, yet. If any of you feel led to help us with that, please let me know. We would greatly appreciate it. God has confirmed that Uganda is where He has for us to be, but some details of how that is to be worked out, only He knows.
I do want to continue to send out letters for friends and prayer warriors. If any of you do not wish to receive those, feel free to take yourself off of this mailing list. But, if you are interested in hearing about the life of an American woman living in a rural village in Uganda, as a member of the village and follower of Jesus Christ, feel free to comment back and ask questions and pray. I have switched to MailChimp because it bought out Tinyletter, so I think you can respond to this email the same. You can also email me at [email protected]. It is really interesting to reflect on the struggles in life in the U.S. and the struggles in life here in Uganda, how the worlds may be so different while people are so much the same. God is good. He is faithful and He is at work and I am excited to see all that He has planned for me, for my family, and for our village.
References & Disclaimers
- This newsletter was republished with the permission of Rachel Amai, a faithful servant of Christ in Uganda. All rights reserved.
- The Believer’s Byline fully endorses the Amai family and their ministry in Uganda. We highly encourage continued prayer and financial support for this faithful family.
