I was going through my closet tonight in search of a box with memories in it. Well, I found a box of memories, but not the box I was looking for. This box was better though. It is a box that contains memories between the husband and me; letters, ticket stubs, pictures, etc. There were two letters in there that I had sent out as a mass mailing before I left and one when I came back from Uganda the first time. Oh, these letters brought smiles to my faces. I wanted to take the time and type them up and share them again. Because God is so amazing, and many of the prayers are still my prayers and I hope yours too.
Letter 1:
Dear:
I hope this letter finds you in good health, amazing spirit, and full of God's abundant love! As I am writing, there are 17 days left until I board a plane and head to Uganda for about 33 days, however, as you are reading this, I am either within a couple days of going, or am somewhere in the air heading towards God's call for Bekah and me this summer. I cannot express to you the excitement I have to be finaly living out God's call for me this summer, as it has been a mission trip planned for 17 months!
This is a simple letter to ask you to keep us in your prayers, but to specifically keep us in your prayers May 28th (when we board the plane) through June 19th (when we land back in Kansas). Of course, we ask for your continued prayers as God prepares us to go, and as God adjusts us back to American life, but your abundant prayers are crucial during that time too. God has called you to be in our lives, and in turn, you are touching the lives we will encounter as well by being a prayer partner--how amazing to think about!
There are some specific prayers I already have written up, and that my friend will be e-mailing out and posting on facebook daily, but as we are there, Bekah and I will have some more prayer requests, and you will be able to access those through our blog. Bekah and I are going to try to update our blog twice a week, with one update being from each of us. In addition, I will try to stay on top of the e-mails, but no promises.
Finally, this letter contains a prayer bracelet. I encourage you to wear it, hook it to your keychain, hang it on the fridge or anywhere else you will see it daily and remember to pray for us, and the lives in Africa.
May Go abundantly bless you this summer, and thank you for your amazing love and support,
Jessica Elsen
Letter 2:
7/18/10
Dear:
Hello, it is true, I am back from Uganda, Africa. In fact, today marks the official two and a half week mark that I have been back in Kansas. I want to express my unending gratitude for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support for both Bekah and me as our lives were being touched by the children, culture, and community members of Iganga, Uganda. I went to Africa thinking I was going to bring Jesus to these children, and the people. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the children showed me God more than I could have ever imagined, and it turned out Bekah's and my ministry actually was in the volunteer home where we were actually engaging in conversations and showing God to a lot of the other volunteers. When I was doing my fundraising fot this trip, part of the fundraising was specifically for my project money. Though before I left, I wasn't sure how i was going to use it, I quickly knew how I was going to use it once I saw what the children were eating daily. Part of your money combined with answered prayers from God is being used for the next year, until the farm starts producing, to provide the children with fruits and vegetables every-other-day for diner. Fruits and vegetables are expensive, so Musana simply could not afford fruits and vegetables for the children. I also decided to do a project different from where the project money was used. While there, I wrote a Health Curriculum and also started implementing the teaching process. A long term volunteer has taken over the teaching, and will make sure it will continue to be taught. I started teaching the sex-ed portion of the curriculum, and the children were so eager to learn, that it excites me for the rest of what the curriculum has to offer for the children to learn!
There are so many stories and pictures I would love to share with you, but this is only a letter to update you, not a book. Some of you I will have the chance to share with individually, but I won't have that chance with everyone. I am currently in the process of trying to set up a time with my church that i can speak about my adventures this summer. Once I have that set up, I will send out another letter or postcard inviting you to attend, so stay on the lookout. Also, while I was in Uganda, God called me back for next summer. God has also called JoVaughn (the one who sent you daily e-mails) to go with, and she has answered yes to His call! He has already spoken to my heart and my project will be to establish a library there. This is going to be a huge undertaking, so I ask for your continual prayers that God will provide both the finances for me to return next summer, and for the books needed to establish the library.
Please, continue to be a prayer partner, and never cease praying for Musana Children's Home. Also, if you have not read our blog yet, I urge you to read it as you will get a little deeper glimpse of our summer. We have also updated it a few times since being back in the states.
May God continue to bless you abundantly, and thank you again for all of your prayers and support this summer. Bekah and I could feel them all of the time, and it was such a comfort to feel you with us though we were an ocean apart.
Shalom,
Jessica L. Elsen
P.S. You may now take off the bracelet I gave you to wear as we were gone (if you haven't yet), and I encourage you to wear this one or put this one somewhere as a reminder to continue to be a prayer partner.
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