Our all-grown-up kids decided that it would be fitting to gather last weekend for the last time we would all be in our house together for a couple of years. The dream was that we would relax and enjoy each other, eat some homemade food, and generally begin the process of saying goodbye. Jeff and I were behind schedule for packing/storing/moving by Wednesday the 31st so that our renters could move in. I was a little concerned about all of the things that were left to do, but was assured that the worry was needless.
Sunday was a day filled with progress toward our goal, but I was still concerned about our move-out day of Wednesday. We did spend time together, and even fit in a little pool time, but most of the day was spent packing.
I am so glad that Rachel and her boyfriend, Scott, came. Rachel took one look around and could see that relaxing would not be a major part of the agenda. They finished packing up the china cabinet (which took much longer than I had imagined). Rachel was an encouragement to me as I went through the rest of my closet, deciding on the destiny of things that I hadn't worn for ages (most went to the Salvation Army). She did most of the bending and all lifting required, saving me from back pain later in the day. Jacob and Jonathan were both helpful in other ways, but I worked side by side with my daughter, learning to appreciate her diligence and positive attitude as an adult.
At bedtime, I looked around, excited that we had made so much progress, yet still concerned about what remained. How in the world would we be able to get everything finished?
Just then, Jeff came in with a huge smile on his face. He had received a text from the young man who would rent our bedroom asking if he could delay his moving until August 14 (which is the day we depart for Uganda). It didn't take long for Jeff to respond. Praise the Lord!
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Surprise! Friends who are like family Part 2
My precious friends from women's Bible study decided to surprise me with a party to say goodbye. I was very touched. There were many clever decorations made of maps, hearts, arrows, and crosses. There was a globe with a crystal heart on Uganda. And a beautiful cake. (Pictures are included below because a picture is worth a thousand words).
The centerpiece of the party was a circular puzzle of the world with Africa in the center. How they found a map with Africa as the center is beyond me. We sat in a circle, and each person held a piece of the puzzle and said something about me, then added their piece to the puzzle. I was in tears. My friends are so kind.
The very center of the puzzle is the piece with Africa. I was given the piece but was not allowed to put in in the puzzle. I am to keep it until I return, and will place it then to make the puzzle complete. More tears. I've decided to carry the puzzle piece with me take photos of it in various locations.
Now, those of you who know me well (or even a little bit) know that I do not like being the center of attention. So this was way way out of my comfort zone and left me exhausted - but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Such a sweet time of fellowship. Thank you, Table 44.
The centerpiece of the party was a circular puzzle of the world with Africa in the center. How they found a map with Africa as the center is beyond me. We sat in a circle, and each person held a piece of the puzzle and said something about me, then added their piece to the puzzle. I was in tears. My friends are so kind.
The very center of the puzzle is the piece with Africa. I was given the piece but was not allowed to put in in the puzzle. I am to keep it until I return, and will place it then to make the puzzle complete. More tears. I've decided to carry the puzzle piece with me take photos of it in various locations.
Now, those of you who know me well (or even a little bit) know that I do not like being the center of attention. So this was way way out of my comfort zone and left me exhausted - but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Such a sweet time of fellowship. Thank you, Table 44.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Friends Who Are Like Family Part 1
We still have nearly 3 weeks before we leave, but folks are making sure that they have a chance to gather together to wish us well, ask questions about what we think life will be like, and pray over us. I have been touched by these "wish you well" gatherings on a very deep level. Two of the gatherings were this week, and we now officially feel beyond loved by my friends. On Sunday afternoon (after being commissioned in church) there was a BBQ with our Small Group. Our host and hostess went above and beyond in terms of decking their house with all things Ugandan. We enjoyed food, fellowship, and a sweet time of prayer.
Friends. We will miss them for a season.
Friends. We will miss them for a season.
Monday, July 22, 2019
3 Weeks, 2 Days
3 Weeks, 2 Days to go until we are on the plane headed for Uganda.
That is not very much time. Of course, it doesn't really matter how much time is in front of us, I don't think it would ever seem like enough time to complete everything that I need to do. Every time we cross one thing off the to-do list, we add at least one more. A couple of days ago a friend asked how I was doing. The first thing out of my mouth was that I was about to have a meltdown because there wasn't a place of calm in my house. There are boxes everywhere, some sealed and ready to send to storage, others still open and partially filled. Our family room is overtaken by all the contents of my kitchen cabinets (when else would be a better time to have work done in the kitchen?)
But enough of the whining. I am so excited about life right now!
For my non-Facebook friends, I am going to copy a post about the generosity of the Raincross Quilt Guild ladies:
Definition of generous
a. characterized by a noble or kindly spirit : MAGNANIMOUS, KINDLY; a generous heart
b. Ladies of the Riverside Quilt Guild
I went to my last meeting of the Raincross Quilt Guild this evening and was overwhelmed by the generosity shown to me. My guild friends kept stopping by where I was sitting and handing me boxes and bags of sewing supplies to take to Uganda. They gave me notes of encouragement. And I can't forget the cash people kept handing me to purchase anything else needed. Friends. Generous.
Yesterday I was once again thinking about the Raincross Quilt Guild, thanking God for each lady who gave. I began thinking about how to best spend the donated money ($420 total!) and grew excited about the many sewing supplies that could purchased and taken with me. I knew could buy more than enough to fill a duffle bag to the brim. This led to the "I wonder how much I can buy and not exceed what we are allowed to carry in our luggage?" question. But then ZOOP! A thought rushed into my head - why not use the money to purchase 2 treadle sewing machines in Uganda? I had a friend (Pam) who had already donated enough money specifically to purchase one machine already. With the addition of these machines, I would be able to have 3 ladies using machines at one time. Amazing to think that one area of our home could be designated for community sewing. Such a blessing!
Come and visit us! We have space!
You might wonder about having enough space in our home to house three sewing machines. I had shared with many friends that I was picturing us living in some sort of small abode, and was praying for running water and a flush toilet. Well, very early one morning about a month ago my phone started exploding with text message notifications. Then photos began popping up on my phone. Unbeknownst to us, Adam (a pastor from our church in Riverside who was chaperoning a group of high school students) teamed up with Pastor Martin (who we will be serving with in Uganda), and did some reconnaissance on housing for us. They found three potential places, all with running water and flush toilets. The choices included a small 1-bedroom furnished apartment, a cottage, and a large unfurnished house.
I struggled with the decision. I do not want to be one of those "rich Americans" who flaunt their wealth. I had thoughts of not deserving such a nice place since, after all, we were going to serve in a sacrificial manner. It just didn't "jive" with what I had thought that our living situation would be and was resistant to choosing the large house.
But then a couple of things happened that changed my mind. The first was that Pastor Martin, a Ugandan who is held in high regard in Gulu, recommended that we select the large house. He said that we would not be perceived as the big ugly wealthy Americans, but as people who were willing to care enough about the area to establish ourselves with esteem. He also expressed that we could use the extra bedrooms to house visitors. I could use some of the space for sewing classes.
I was reminded of the verse in Isaiah that that says God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 58:9). I was moving to Uganda with my idea of what things would be like. While I was open to helping in whatever way asked, I had placed a limit on my thinking. I had a paradigm shift from going out and being visitors in the community to becoming a part of the community. A larger home would allow us to invite people in and show them hospitality. We could use the space for classes and gathering times for the ladies. The extra bedrooms could be put to use by pastors visiting from out of town for training. So we chose the larger home. Yes, larger. Four bedrooms plus a guest house with an outdoor place for gatherings.
That is not very much time. Of course, it doesn't really matter how much time is in front of us, I don't think it would ever seem like enough time to complete everything that I need to do. Every time we cross one thing off the to-do list, we add at least one more. A couple of days ago a friend asked how I was doing. The first thing out of my mouth was that I was about to have a meltdown because there wasn't a place of calm in my house. There are boxes everywhere, some sealed and ready to send to storage, others still open and partially filled. Our family room is overtaken by all the contents of my kitchen cabinets (when else would be a better time to have work done in the kitchen?)
But enough of the whining. I am so excited about life right now!
For my non-Facebook friends, I am going to copy a post about the generosity of the Raincross Quilt Guild ladies:
Definition of generous
a. characterized by a noble or kindly spirit : MAGNANIMOUS, KINDLY; a generous heart
b. Ladies of the Riverside Quilt Guild
I went to my last meeting of the Raincross Quilt Guild this evening and was overwhelmed by the generosity shown to me. My guild friends kept stopping by where I was sitting and handing me boxes and bags of sewing supplies to take to Uganda. They gave me notes of encouragement. And I can't forget the cash people kept handing me to purchase anything else needed. Friends. Generous.
Yesterday I was once again thinking about the Raincross Quilt Guild, thanking God for each lady who gave. I began thinking about how to best spend the donated money ($420 total!) and grew excited about the many sewing supplies that could purchased and taken with me. I knew could buy more than enough to fill a duffle bag to the brim. This led to the "I wonder how much I can buy and not exceed what we are allowed to carry in our luggage?" question. But then ZOOP! A thought rushed into my head - why not use the money to purchase 2 treadle sewing machines in Uganda? I had a friend (Pam) who had already donated enough money specifically to purchase one machine already. With the addition of these machines, I would be able to have 3 ladies using machines at one time. Amazing to think that one area of our home could be designated for community sewing. Such a blessing!
Come and visit us! We have space!
You might wonder about having enough space in our home to house three sewing machines. I had shared with many friends that I was picturing us living in some sort of small abode, and was praying for running water and a flush toilet. Well, very early one morning about a month ago my phone started exploding with text message notifications. Then photos began popping up on my phone. Unbeknownst to us, Adam (a pastor from our church in Riverside who was chaperoning a group of high school students) teamed up with Pastor Martin (who we will be serving with in Uganda), and did some reconnaissance on housing for us. They found three potential places, all with running water and flush toilets. The choices included a small 1-bedroom furnished apartment, a cottage, and a large unfurnished house.
I struggled with the decision. I do not want to be one of those "rich Americans" who flaunt their wealth. I had thoughts of not deserving such a nice place since, after all, we were going to serve in a sacrificial manner. It just didn't "jive" with what I had thought that our living situation would be and was resistant to choosing the large house.
But then a couple of things happened that changed my mind. The first was that Pastor Martin, a Ugandan who is held in high regard in Gulu, recommended that we select the large house. He said that we would not be perceived as the big ugly wealthy Americans, but as people who were willing to care enough about the area to establish ourselves with esteem. He also expressed that we could use the extra bedrooms to house visitors. I could use some of the space for sewing classes.
I was reminded of the verse in Isaiah that that says God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 58:9). I was moving to Uganda with my idea of what things would be like. While I was open to helping in whatever way asked, I had placed a limit on my thinking. I had a paradigm shift from going out and being visitors in the community to becoming a part of the community. A larger home would allow us to invite people in and show them hospitality. We could use the space for classes and gathering times for the ladies. The extra bedrooms could be put to use by pastors visiting from out of town for training. So we chose the larger home. Yes, larger. Four bedrooms plus a guest house with an outdoor place for gatherings.
Monday, June 24, 2019
7 weeks to go!
Just 7 weeks until we take off on August 14th for a year (or more) of volunteer
service in Uganda!
service in Uganda!
This year, I plan to teach 300 ladies how to sew.
Many of these women are refugees who have fled South Sudan,
leaving everything behind.
Jeff will use his skills and talents for leadership training,
business development, and church planting.
Many of these women are refugees who have fled South Sudan,
leaving everything behind.
Jeff will use his skills and talents for leadership training,
business development, and church planting.
We are touched by friends who are asking
how to help us in our work with the people in Uganda,
so I thought that I would explain some things about the trip and
how the finances work and provide some ways to help out.
So this post might be a little lengthy.
how to help us in our work with the people in Uganda,
so I thought that I would explain some things about the trip and
how the finances work and provide some ways to help out.
So this post might be a little lengthy.
Some are surprised to hear that we are not being paid
by a church to volunteer in Uganda.
However, this is quite normal.
We are very fortunate in that our church, The Grove,
is making a monthly contribution to cover 15% of monthly living
expenses and 23% of one-time start-up expenses.
by a church to volunteer in Uganda.
However, this is quite normal.
We are very fortunate in that our church, The Grove,
is making a monthly contribution to cover 15% of monthly living
expenses and 23% of one-time start-up expenses.
One time costs include things such as airfare, visas, work permits,
generator, solar backup, etc. Ongoing monthly costs are rent, food,
and supplies for classes.
We are responsible for all other costs while living in Uganda and
doing our projects such as teaching sewing.
While in Uganda, we still have the expenses of maintaining
our home in Riverside.
We are being creative with generating income by renting out
our bedroom and my sewing room (as another bedroom),
and selling some comic books, paintings, and a car.
generator, solar backup, etc. Ongoing monthly costs are rent, food,
and supplies for classes.
We are responsible for all other costs while living in Uganda and
doing our projects such as teaching sewing.
While in Uganda, we still have the expenses of maintaining
our home in Riverside.
We are being creative with generating income by renting out
our bedroom and my sewing room (as another bedroom),
and selling some comic books, paintings, and a car.
We are limited to three 50 pound checked bags each
for our stay in Uganda, which does limit the things we can take.
We are unable to receive packages in the mail
because it is quite unlikely that they would ever reach us.
for our stay in Uganda, which does limit the things we can take.
We are unable to receive packages in the mail
because it is quite unlikely that they would ever reach us.
Some very, very generous family and friends have already
come alongside us to partner with us financially.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
come alongside us to partner with us financially.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you again to those who have been asking to help
and be a part of the team.
Imagine empowering women by teaching them a skill
they can use at home and in the marketplace. And men
and women will be acquiring important business and leadership training.
That’s what you do when you partner with us in Uganda.
If you would like to help with this important work,
in addition to praying for us,
here are ways:
in addition to praying for us,
here are ways:
1.Partner with us by making a tax-deductible monetary contribution.
*To make a one time monetary donation to pay for airfare,
visas, work permits, household things such as furnishings,
solar backup for the generator, etc.:
visas, work permits, household things such as furnishings,
solar backup for the generator, etc.:
*To make monthly donations for ongoing needs such as rent,
food, utilities, and sewing supplies for classes:
food, utilities, and sewing supplies for classes:
Some items are specifically for our sewing classes,
others are soccer balls and jump ropes to use with children
and give to schools.
and give to schools.
There is also a duffle bag to transport the wish list items.
Items that you order will automatically be shipped to our friend,
Shirley Moran, who will be meeting us there for a three week stay.
Items that you order will automatically be shipped to our friend,
Shirley Moran, who will be meeting us there for a three week stay.
The link to the Amazon wish list is here:
Thanks for reading this long post.
And thank you for considering partnering with us.
And thank you for considering partnering with us.
Much love to you!
Yvonne and Jeff
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Thoughts about packing my sewing room.
Thanks to the hard work of my 2 sons, Jonathan and Jacob, my longarm quilting machine is disassembled and ready to be put into storage. It was satisfying to watch my sons as they carefully labeled dozens of parts so that someday it can be reassembled.
Packing up my sewing room has led me to a great deal of introspection.
The sewing room has been a quiet place where I have grown spiritually by reading the Bible and praying at the start of the day. It has been my place to allow creativity to flow by sewing and quilting. I have enjoyed the physical process of making things but, more importantly, I have experienced joy while thinking of the person who would receive the quilt. So packing my quilting tools has been bittersweet. The empty room will allow us to generate income which will help us in Uganda, and in Uganda I hope to touch lives - even by teaching ladies there to sew. And that thought brings me joy.
Packing up my sewing room has led me to a great deal of introspection.
The sewing room has been a quiet place where I have grown spiritually by reading the Bible and praying at the start of the day. It has been my place to allow creativity to flow by sewing and quilting. I have enjoyed the physical process of making things but, more importantly, I have experienced joy while thinking of the person who would receive the quilt. So packing my quilting tools has been bittersweet. The empty room will allow us to generate income which will help us in Uganda, and in Uganda I hope to touch lives - even by teaching ladies there to sew. And that thought brings me joy.
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| After |
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| Before |
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| During |
Friday, June 7, 2019
Generous friends
One of the things that I do in Uganda each year is teach how to sew. A favorite is making purses from beautiful Ugandan fabric. I find it very satisfying, I had lunch with Kathie, a good friend, yesterday. She asked me if I thought that I would get tired of being in Uganda and sharing with the ladies there the skill and fun of sewing. My answer did not take much thought - it came from my heart. No, I don't think that I will ever get tired of teaching and helping others. I am sure that is not what she meant (helping others) but that is what makes me tick. Find what makes you tick, and pursue that passion.
The opportunity to sew would not be possible without the help and generosity of many friends who donated supplies. Thread, scissors, needles, thimbles, tape measures - all things that are now available to use. Thank you for your giving attitude. Thanks for helping me pursue my passion. And thanks for making a difference in the lives in ladies in Uganda.
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