6 Months Later

So, as you know, I have done an absolutely terrible job of blogging this year and somehow the last post I did was 6 months ago! I honestly don't know how it is November already. This year has absolutely flown by.

I try to post daily on instagram to keep everyone updated about what's going on, but let me hit a few key things from the last couple of months for you here. And then if you bear with me through that, I have a bit of an update about what's next for me.

May

In May, I got to go out to Nakabango a couple of times with Heather to see the progress of the piggery that HHFA was building. Since then, she's doubled the piggery and has many more pigs (including adorable little piglets that I can't wait to go out and meet). This is also the month that I hopped over our wall on our compound (this is no longer doable because we had it rebuilt) to rescue two puppies that children had tortured all day and left tied up so tight that I could hardly get the scissors under the rope to cut it off their necks. 

June

In June, HEAL had a business graduation for 5 ladies in our program which is always exciting. And then Heather and I got to do some traveling to places we hadn't been before in Uganda. We got to go out to Hairy Lemon Island which was a lot of fun (minus the fact that I got bit by a bunch of tsetse flies which I have pretty severe allergic reactions to) as well as travel out to Itanda Falls. The beauty in this country is still something that amazes me every time I travel. 

July 

July was the month that Heather and I were in America for two weeks for the Alaskan cruise that we went on. An Alaskan cruise has been on my bucket list since I can remember and we had such an incredible time... I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was the first cruise I've ever been on. God is so good. And this world that He created is so incredibly beautiful. We got to do some many awesome things in Alaska...going on a floatplane was the coolest experience I've ever had in my life. Plus whale watching, tramways up mountains, hiking, cool train rides, meeting adorable puppies that might one day run the Iditarod, and we got to eat so much delicious food! Everything was just so beautiful. We had a couple of days in Nashville to see Heather's family before the cruise so I also got to catch up with some good friends! 

August 

August was a bit of an adjustment month for me. Helene was brought onto the executive team of HEAL as Programs Manager. So a lot of the responsibilities that I had were given to her. I got to go out to Balawoli with Heather to meet the women that she has been doing Bible study with out there. It was awesome to finally meet these beautiful women that have captured a special place in her heart. She got to distribute Lugandan Bibles to those who could read as well as blankets, a bucket, and mosquito net to every woman which was an amazing thing to get to witness. Heather and I spent a night away at the Haven (the first time she's ever been) and I also got to give blood again! 

September 

September I did a lot of work on the website. I retook all of our staff's pictures and redid the staff page. This was also a hectic month because Tina only had 30 days in the country and there was a lot that she wanted to get done. The last week she was here, Tripp and Olivia also came back to visit HEAL and spend Trey's last week with the ministry in Uganda with him. They all left at the same time, Trey leaving for good (which is why Helene was brought in and roles have changed). The last week of September was one of the hardest I've ever had with the ministry. I had to create new contracts for all 51 staff members as well as create contracts for our 52 ladies in our artisan program. I had to get payroll ready. And then payroll day, I had to pay and explain new contracts to all 103 people. It was a lot of work that needed to get done in a matter of about 3 days and this was during the same time Tina and Trey were leaving. It was just a lot and was very overwhelming, but I made it through it and I'm thankful that there won't be a time like that again!

October 

This past month has literally flown by. Helene and I have been holding down the fort and trying to keep everything running smoothly on a pretty tight budget. I've been doing a lot of work trying to get the preschool license folder ready to submit to the proper authorities. We are very close to finally having all of the pieces we need in order to submit it and get the ball rolling on getting officially licensed to have a preschool (unlike America where you have to submit paperwork for a license beforehand, here you have to have everything in place and running before you can submit for the license). I got to take some of the interns out to Wildwaters Lodge for the day which is one of my favorite places in Uganda. I did a ton of work in the garden trying to keep it alive. I carried between two and twelve jerry cans (between 80 and 500 pounds) out every day to water it (we recently had a spout put in close to the garden that we can connect a hose to so no more jerry can carrying!) because we weren't getting any rain at all. 

What's Next? 

So I've been getting a lot of questions as to whether I am coming home for good this December (because that would be the end of the two year commitment that I made two years ago haha). The answer is no. I am coming home mid-December and I will have a full month at home, during which time I have to figure out what I'm doing with all of my stuff in New Jersey. I'll most likely have to get a storage unit to keep whatever I'm deciding to keep and then I'll sell or give away everything that I decide I don't want/need. Then the plan is that I will be coming back here. I was asked to do this because of Trey going home and having so much transition within the ministry leadership wise. 

Helene has taken over a lot of the responsibilities that I had but I still oversee all of the finances for the ministry, including expense reports and payroll at the end of each month. The ministry is currently in the process of finding someone to replace me. The goal is that they will be able to find someone by mid year next year so I can have a few months to train them in what I do, then I will be moving to Nashville later in the year to do fundraising and marketing for the ministry stateside. I honestly love living in Uganda and could be here forever, if I could use the gifts God gave me to the best of my ability here. However, the gifts that God has given me, I believe, will be much better used stateside for the ministry. My passion is fundraising and event planning. So while I'm good at numbers, it's not my passion. I'm doing it because the Lord has called me to do it for such a time as this, and I fully believe that He has been preparing me for what is to come. 

So that's that folks. I'll have another year here in Uganda and then will be moving to Nashville later next year. I appreciate everyone who has been following me on this journey that God has me on. If anyone has any questions about anything, please feel free to reach out to me and I will do my best to answer you. As always, I know there are many of you out there praying for me, and that is something that I do not take lightly or for granted. I am seriously grateful for your prayers. This work is not easy and we see hardships here every day that are not even really comprehensible in the states, but our God is good. He is the one that sustains me and gives me the strength to face each day. God bless you.