Lost Luggage

So I realize I've been really bad about updating this, lets just say jet lag plus going back to work, mom having surgery and getting sick all got the better of me. So I'll tell you a brief story tonight about the lost luggage.

I think losing my luggage was one of my biggest concerns. On my flight from Amsterdam to Entebbe my carry on was checked, which was actually a relief, I wasn't using it and it was too heavy to lift over my head, but when the flight attendant wrote down my destination she wrote down Kigali. We had stopped in Kigali for some to get off and others traveling back to Amsterdam to board. So I was concerned told the flight attendant close to our arrival in Kigali and got everything squared away. It was the one piece of luggage I didn't want to lose, it had my Bible, journals and camera in it. But I was assured it would all be okay and that it was put back on the plane. I didn't really think about the other ones being lost.

But alas I was one of the last ones that wen through the line to get my visa. When I made my way over the belt to pick up my luggage most of it was already taken off. I saw my carry on and personal luggage right away and went on a hunt for my red duffle bag that held all the donations that I had brought. If you ever lost luggage you know it's a bit of a hassle to claim it and eventually get it back, and being in another country it made me very nervous.

On Monday night Thomas told me that they had found the luggage, which I was very excited about. And then Tuesday Morning I had to actually go back to the airport to pick it up. They were obviously curious as to why I had so much medication with me and we had to explain what we were doing. I found out later from one of our translators that a friend of hers had picked up the bag by mistake. She called her friend to let her know and returned the bag to the airport.

It was frustrating at first, but I knew that God was in control and that he had a reason for everything and for why he had that happen. I didn't necessarily like leaving the clinic for pretty much the whole morning, but obviously the Lord  had his reasons.

The Perils of Luggage!

As promised I will start to write on here about my week and everything that happened during it. But for now lets just start with the travel.

I don't know about you but just the mere thought of traveling for 24 hours makes me tired, add on top of that the stress of packing for a week to go to a country you've never been to before with very limited resources. On Friday night I had my mom and dad over and with the help of my mom and cousin Beth I finished all my packing and triple checked my list to make sure I had everything that I needed. I even questioned whether or not my bags were too big, did I really need that much (and no I didn't), and would my carry on fit?

My carry on was probably my biggest concern. I was already checking two bags. One to completely donate in whatever way I could and the other with my clothing and necessities in it. But I had a nagging feeling about my carry on luggage. On Saturday after checking my luggage and getting all set to go through security I checked to see if my carry on would fit in the little box they have to test it. And behold...it was too big. The wheels stuck out too far and the front pockets made it slightly too wide. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I really didn't want to check it as well and pay extra money. So I just trusted that the Lord would take care of me and that He had it all under control.

After leaving my parents and cousin at the security check point I began to wheel myself to my gate and walked around a bit. I stopped at my gate but then decided to head for lunch. When I did as I rolled my suit case along I started to notice that it was rolling rather rough. It wasn't rolling very smooth even though the floor was smooth, at one point it felt like I ran over something and when I looked back there was a chunk of my wheel sitting in the middle of the floor. At that point I was a little annoyed but then I realized that the Lord really had a sense of humor. He was causing the wheels to lose the outer shell so that it would fit in the overhead compartment. Both wheels eventually lost all of the outer shell. But God wasn't done yet. I was still concerned about it. Right before boarding they announced that all larger carry on bags would be stowed underneath the plane because the overhead compartments were too small. So once again I need not worry about it.

On the second flight from Detroit to Amsterdam I did have to carry it on. And I learned a valuable lesson, always make sure you can life it above your head before you leave. I had to have help getting it up over head because it was too heavy for me. (Maybe by next time I'll build up my arm strength) :) So then of course I worried that I would have the same trouble on the next flight and I wouldn't have someone kind enough to lift it up for me. But alas God had that worked out too. Once again it was stowed underneath due to the full flight and little overhead space. And after a little worry that it wouldn't make it all the way to Entebbe with me (we stopped in Kigali, Rwanda) the Lord worked that out as well. (Let me just say that I highly appreciate KLM if you are flying internationally, they are the ones to fly with.) So in the end my personal luggage and my carry on made it all the way to Entebbe with me and I didn't need to worry. However my bag of donations was missing! But more on that later. :)

Back From Uganda!

Well I'm back from Uganda and I had an amazing time!!!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to post anything here at all during the week but I did keep a journal so I will post updates as I can over the next couple of days of what we did and what I experience and what God taught me (Which I still feel like I'm learning and thinking over).

Traveling to and from was definitely exhausting but everything was so worth it. I can't begin to describe how awesome everything was and how beautiful the country was. I will start sharing about everything a little later either today or tomorrow, for now my brain still seems a bit scrambled and overwhelmed.

Thanks to everyone who was praying for us!

PS: Those that prayed for team unity, I can't thank you enough. Our team was awesome and we got along so well, it seemed like we had known each other forever.

It's Here!!!

Today is the day I head out. I'm kinda nervous right now but I think the nerves will hit more on the plane. Although I have been pretty at peace with every thing. I know it's gonna be alright and that The Lord is in this all the way. My bags are packed and by the door. My parents are on their way to pick me up and I have Philippians 4:6-7 running through my head. Looking forward to this amazing experience.

The bags by the door. (Don't worry, the red duffle is packed with medications and sheets to donate to the ministry.) And the carry on has back up clothes. Just in case! But I won't let that worry me. Which also reminds me of Matthew 6:25-34.

Tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow is the Day!!!

Bag with meds packed!

Suitcase packed (minus what I need in the morning)!

Carry-on all ready to go!

Can't help but feel I packed too much and on the other hand feel like I didn't pack enough of the right things. I guess we shall see. It's better to be safe than sorry since I can't just run out and get what I need around the corner. And the ever present feeling that I'm going to forget something!

Some things to pray about:

• Get a good nights sleep
• Not have anxiety about luggage and all that. 
• Safe travel and easy transitions between flights
• No cancelled flights (or delays for that matter) 
• And the first meetings with the other team members. I really don't know any of them and for most of us our first meetings will be in the Detroit or Ampsterdam airport. 
• And of course the trip itself. Pray that we have a great impact on the people of Uganda. Pray that we get many opportunities to share the gospel and introduce them to the great physician. 

Donations!

Thanks to friends, family and coworkers I get to take this with me to Uganda! Plus some sheets that I got today! Thank you to those who donated, I really appreciate it and I know that your donations may seem like a little thing but they have to potential to have a huge impact on the people of Uganda.

Getting Ready!

Some pictures of packing and some of the meds I collected to take over. I haven't added the ones from work yet.

Have to buy some snacks for the plane and a couple other things yet. And finish packing. But first 2 twelve hour shifts, yikes!

Commissioning!

I got commissioned for my trip today. The church got to hear from me about my trip and some of the deacons and elders prayed for me. What a great experience and to also know my church will be actively praying for me as I go. My uncle took a picture. Although I'm pretty sure I have a funny look on my face.

One Week!!!!

I can't believe how fast time has flown by!

One week from now I'll be arriving at the Philadelphia airport to check in and go through all the hoopla of checking my bags and going through security and eventually boarding my first flight. To be perfectly honest all of the "pre-flight" stuff and then changing planes and layovers scares me more than the flying itself. I don't mind flying, I actually kind of enjoy it. Being up there in the clouds makes me feel a little closer to heaven and a little closer to my creator. There is a lot said about the Heavens in scripture here are a few I found that I enjoy.

"The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory" - Psalm 97:6

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

"For as high as the heavens are above, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him." - Psalm 103:11

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims his handiwork." - Psalm  19:1

Aren't those verses great! And there are many more! So for me the flying is fine, but all the ground stuff is what makes me nervous.That being said, if you would please pray that the Lord will calm my nerves about the security and customs, and changing planes. Pray that it goes smoothly and that I won't be anxious or worry.  (I know there are verses on those subjects too.)

Tomorrow at church I will be commissioned. For those that aren't aware of what that means, my church family will have a chance to hear a little about what I'll be doing and when I'm going etc., and then the elders deacons and Pastors will take time to pray over me.  I'm looking forward to it!

Other Prayer Request:

• I know it sounds simple, but packing feels like a huge deal. Traveling within the US is one thing, it's easy to go and find things you forgot. But international travel is a whole other story. Pray that I can remember what I need to pack and that I am able to fit it all in one suit case without being over the 50 pound limit. 
• Once again pray that the changing of planes and such will go smoothly and not make me too nervous. 
• Pray for the team as this is crunch week to get everything together and prepare our hearts for the trip. 
• Pray for team unity as most of us have never met, our first meeting for most of us will be at the Detroit airport. 
• Lastly pray for my family and grandma. My grandma (who is nearly 96) was diagnosed with heart failure last year, she has been gradually getting worse over the last couple of months. She is under hospice care, she uses oxygen almost all the time and gets short of breath very easily. I don't know that her life on this earth will be much longer, but I hope and pray that she will make it until October 8th. So I can tell her all about my trip since she has supported me and been excited for me this entire time. Pray that her health will be maintained for the next couple of weeks and that she will be as comfortable as possible. She has recently been retaining lots of fluid which makes it difficult to breathe, pray that the meds work to take the fluid and weight off. 

A Vessel in His Hands

I'm sitting here at the island in my kitchen debating what to put on here. It's tough deciding what to share and what not to share as the Lord is working in my heart, but here goes. It seems as though Satan is really at work, he doesn't want me going to Uganda and sharing about my Savior. He is determined to make me think about everything else. Lately it's been my choice of career. Let me first give a disclaimer, I love what I do. I'm a nurse and proud of it! I worked for two very long, very difficult years and made it through. My brother passed away in my final semester and the Lord gave me the courage and strength to continue on. I've been a nurse for two years and I really don't regret it.

But...growing up what I really wanted was to be a doctor. I had switched, if you want to call it that, my focus on several occasions going from wanting to go into family practice to pursing cardiology to trauma surgeon etc. I love the diagnostics, the mysteries that the world of medicine can bring up. But for a while I ran from dream, and when I returned to my dream of being in the medical world I chose nursing. For a couple big reasons, one being finances, the other being the fact that as a woman who would love a family in the future, I did not want to have to sacrifice my family for my career. 

So why do I bring this up? Because it's been stirring in my heart. It may be Satan trying to distract me from my trip or it truly may be the Lord stirring up that desire buried down deep in my heart. Either way I know that I need to focus on what is right now, and that is my trip and the children's musical at church. I was sitting here thinking and praying and remembered Psalm 37:4-5 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to him, trust in him and he will act." So I prayed and committed these desires to the Lord and asked that He will act in the way that He pleases. I don't know what will happen but right now I am a nurse, and I will serve the Lord joyfully and faithfully as a nurse at my job and on my trip. And I won't let Satan distract me from that. 

The other thing the Lord was teaching me today was, in no way is this about me. I have this mission journal for my trip. At the top of each page is a quote or verse. It was no mistake that on one of the pages I wrote on today was a quote from Beth Moore that reads: 

Life vastly simplifies and satisfaction greatly amplifies when we begin to realize our awesome roles. God is God. Frankly, it's all about Him. Thank goodness, He is the center of the universe. 

My role as a nurse is important when it's all about God. All the insecurities and frustrations in my life that Satan keeps bringing up and whispering in my ear make everything about me. About what I can and can't do, what I've done or haven't done; who I am and what I have or haven't achieved. It brings about a prideful, sinful attitude. I realized after reading the quote that it isn't who I am on my own. It's what Christ can and will accomplish in and through me. I am nothing but a vessel in His hands. This time is a time of purging of sin in my life to become a vessel for honorable use. In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 Paul explains this to Timothy. "Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." I want to be an honorable vessel to be used by the Lord for every good work. Whether that is here at home at my job or in my church ministry or in Uganda or another foreign country. I alone am just the vessel, the Lord is the master that will fill me up and use me in the purposes that He has for me.

Please pray with me that God will use me mightily in Uganda and that I will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy and that my heart and mind will be guarded from the attacks and schemes of the Devil.

19 Days!!!

I'll be headed off to Uganda in 19 days! I am really looking forward to it. But I have definitely felt that Satan has been at work in my life for the last week or so. I feel like he's made me see my insecurities, frustrations and sins. And I don't want to head to another country to minister with a bad attitude. Our main purpose there is not just to lend aide to the physical needs of the people, but to their spiritual needs as well. We will have opportunities to share the gospel and to lead them to the greatest Physician of all time. It will be an exciting adventure, but only for 7 short days. I pray that our team can have a huge impact in those 7 days.

If you will, I ask that you keep some things in prayer for me over the next couple weeks:

• For my ability to communicate with the people I meet and share with them the precious gift of God's son. I can be timid at times with strangers and in strange situations, so this is a big request for me. Usually I am very open about my faith and the fact that I go to and participate in my church, but find it difficult to start the conversation of sharing the gospel. 
• For packing and gathering items. I am still in need of an adapter for electricity. And the packing in a way over whelms me to think about. It's hard to know what to pack and what to leave home. 
• For my heart and the spiritual battle. As my mom quickly reminded me, "our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and authorities in this dark world." Satan has been up to no good, and I pray that I will stand strong against him. 
• I know this is early to ask but for ease of flights and transitions between flights. I don't mind the flying, that really doesn't bother me (except for my ears, they do get a little clogged and hurt). It's the security, customs, and switching planes and having enough time between that worries me. 
• Lastly for now pray for our team as a whole, most of us have not met and don't know each other at all. I pray that we will be a unified team and that we will work together well and enjoy the week ministering together. 

Thank you for your prayers and your support! 

- Liz 

The Countdown Begins...

25...24...23 and Counting!

I can't believe that in 23 short days I'll be getting on a plane to head to Uganda! It's been a pretty good journey so far and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store. 

So far the Lord has blessed me by:

• Allowing me to raise 100% of my support before the deadline of July 29th
• Encouraging me through my family, friends and co-workers and even patients that I've told about my trip. 
• Having a patient give me luggage for my trip, nice durable luggage that will be useful for I hope more missions trips to come. 
• And allowing me to get my immunizations on time, even though I paid a lot more than expected. 

I have my pre-trip information (Finally!) and I'm all ready to get started packing :) But I should probably wait a little while longer to do that. 

For those that are interested in receiving updates over the next month, possibly during my trip and after I come back, please subscribe to this blog. I tried to create an e-mail list, but couldn't figure out how to create a specific list in gmail, also I don't have a lot of your email addresses. I'll set this up to where you will receive an email every time I post. 

Thanks for continuing to pray!

*PS: If you have received this via email and did not subscribe yourself, it is because you have either supported me financially and/or expressed interest in receiving updates and are not on Facebook to see the notice of this blog starting.*