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Uganda Journal, Entry #7

You may be wondering why my blog goes from entry number 5 to number 7.  It is because I have attempted to write another entry several other times prior to today but have not felt good about publishing my thoughts yet at this point.  Today however it is less than a month before we leave for training in upstate New York.  I have prayed very hard that God would give me the words to sum up my thoughts and let you know what has been happening in our lives, so here goes! 

Our lives have been even busier than normal, but that is mainly due to a change in my art plans and resulting preparations for the summer.  As I said earlier I had tried to clear my schedule up for the summer  as much as possible, but then Steve Gruber who is opening a new art gallery and artist hub in Elkhart, Indiana (near my home), asked me if I would be interested in putting work into a 2 person exhibit.  The other artist is Mark Vander Vine, whose work I really respect, so I was thrilled with the thought.  In my mind I was thinking the exhibit would be in the fall at the earliest, but it turned out Steve wanted us to do the exhibit for the official opening of the gallery which was mid-June,  this coming Thursday.  (This was a little less than 2 months from the time he asked us!)  So between art fairs, a three day workshop I taught and 4 day workshop I took, along with a few artist demonstrations and talks, I have been painting like a wild woman!!  But praise God we were able to deliver a great body of work last night for the exhibit! 

I just began reading a book the Word of Life sent to us, called The Next Mile.  This book addresses what commonly happens to someone who goes on a Short Term Missions trip, a: STM.  It talks about how too many people view the STM as a separate isolated experience rather than one of many spots on the Timeline of Life that God uses to build them to be better servants.  I have had several people ask me if I am excited about going to Uganda.  I am excited, but surprisingly enough I have found myself just as excited about events here in the states.  I am totally excited about opening a new working art studio where I can teach classes.  I am even more excited about working with one of my former youth group gals who is now a single mother of three rambunctious boys.  I am hoping that I will soon be able to get out on the streets of Elkhart and paint scenes from life near my studio.  I am already praying that God will go before me and bring people along who might end up wanting to develop a friendship with me and with whom I might be able to somehow be a blessing.  Basically I think I have a pretty healthy view about Uganda.  While I pray about it and my witness on the trip every day, I also am looking at it as just one more way to serve God and grow in my faith. 

One quick additional note about growing a person’s faith:  Since Tim and I have committed to help with this STM, we have heard people talking about stepping out on faith a number of times.  I really think that is the key to genuinely experiencing God in the fullest way possible.  Since last Sunday was Father’s Day, our pastor preached on topics relating to men.  One specific part of his sermon related to stepping out on faith as we grow older.  As Christians we can live life with purpose and continue to step out on faith even as we age.  Or we begin the process of retreating and making sure we will always be comfortable and well provided for.  Pastor Brown’s message made me all the more determined not to be drawn into a complacent lifestyle…not to yearn for a perfect home that is three times the space we need, with grandiose finishes such as marble counter tops and everything looking like the photos in a home décor magazine…  Not to yearn for or waste money on things that will have no eternal value, but to continue to strive to invest in other people’s lives and in eternity. 

So as we travel to Uganda, please pray for us.  But also pray for our return, that God will continue to help us to step out in other ways on faith and experience Him in ways we never dreamed possible!  I pray that each of you reading this blog, knows God in a very personal way and as Pastor Jim preaches, that you know that you know that you know, where you will spend eternity.  Please contact me personally if you have ANY prayer requests, comments or questions about what I have shared, or the Christian faith.  God bless each of you!  Until next time!  Diane