Prayer and Restoration

God is doing some huge things at Ekisa, in Jinja, and in Uganda. These children have been taken out of the worst situations imaginable and brought into restoration through the power of Jesus Christ.

Please be praying for one of our sweet boys, Zak. Zak came to Ekisa about a little less than a year ago starved of food and love because of his disability. He was less than 30 pounds at the age of 10 when he arrived at Ekisa. Zak is now a very plump 11 year old full or more joy for life than I could ever muster. Unfortunately, his epilepsy has been flaring up the past couple weeks. About two weeks ago he got very sick and had a high fever followed by many seizures lasting a couple days. Thankfully, the fever broke and Zak was back to his goofy self. On Saturday, however, Zak had another seizure, and this time there was not a fever that accompanied it. The seizures continued throughout the night and into the morning and thankfully stopped, but we are all worried that his epilepsy medicine is not working on his precious body. Please be praying that Zak will receive his medicine well and that these horrible seizures would STOP and he would be freed from that worry and scare.

Zak before Ekisa


Zak Now :)





What an incredible God we serve. A God who gives us ALL a second chance. A God who freely gives out undeserved GRACE on his broken people and will wrap you in His arms no matter what you look like, what your past looks like, what your future may have in store. He longs for us to come to Him with EVERYTHING, because without giving Him everything we have, we are coming to Him on our own terms and hiding what we think is too big to fix. These precious children that I get to love on each day are teaching me so much more than I could ever teach them. These children have come out of utter brokenness, literally having nothing else to give. But the pure joy that they find in even the smallest things is such an example of the way each one of us should be living our lives. When we are rescued by the Father out of the sin of this world and RESTORED to the woman or man the Lord has created us to be, we should have nothing else but pure joy! I am thankful everyday that I serve a God of unconditional grace and mercy, for I alone am too messed up to accept anything less.

"May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in HOPE." Romans 15:13

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, s that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to Him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." 1 Peter 2:21-25

Prayer Requests:
-Health for all of our staff
-Safety and ease of nerves as Emily (the Ekisa director) leaves for America on Wednesday. She will be gone for a month and be working on fundraising all across the US.
-Zak and his seizures
-Zwena (one of the girls at Ekisa) who is recovering from malaria and battling with typhoid
-A potential new child may be coming to Ekisa! Please be praying that if it is the Lord's will, that His will alone would be done. She has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would be such a great fit here.

Missing you all and praying for you daily!

-Care

Belonging.

I walk down the street and it already feels so normal to have two hands holding mine. Jason and Walter don’t let go as they jump over cracks in the sidewalk and hurl over curbs…and I somehow remember this feeling.

It’s what I feel when I realize they put Janey in a white t-shirt again, when she's the dirtiest of them all.

It’s what I feel when Walter jumps on my lap and doesn’t say a word.

It’s what I feel when Mweuru tackles me, and places his hand gently on my face before running away.

It’s what I feel when Jason kisses me goodnight on the hand.

It’s a sense of belonging. A sense of knowing that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I finally found where I belong. I really, truly did.

Jinja, Uganda is an exquisite place. Many call it “mini America” because you won’t walk down Main Street without seeing at least one other Muzungu. I’ve been here not even 3 weeks and I already never want to leave. The love and compassion that people have here is truly inspiring, and it makes me never want to stop moving.

But sometimes it is hard to move. After a long night of not sleeping, maybe I just want to sleep in. After the power is finally back on, maybe I just want to take a hot shower and confine myself to my room. But the purpose is bigger, and the anxiety really isn’t much. God takes it all anyway, so even if I wanted to complain, I know that I could just hand it all to my Father (He’s pretty awesome like that).

So as I am writing this, I challenge myself to continue to move and work for God in His glory. When days are long I will put my strength in Him, and when patience is short, I will give Him my time. I am here for His glory and not my own, and as Care and I continue to spread the love-I pray that you, my loved one’s, will join in this movement with me. This movement to live in urgency and to never stop loving because you are tired and worn out.

John 15:16 says,

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.”

Brb, gunna go try and bear fruit now.


-Kelsey

Be Still.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

It’s all I seem to remember as I weave in and out of the glorious moments of children laughing to the harder moments of Satan yelling. It’s a beautiful compilation of mountains and valleys-yet I find myself on the highest hilltop during unexpected stillness and much needed reminders of how faithful Yahweh is.

Another reminder of the unwavering presence of God? Zoena’s smile. Whether stealing drinks of Cola or even getting an IV, that little girl is the epitome of the Father’s love for us, I swear it. And for those wearier moments, snagging a glimpse of little Janey as she hops in and out of the room giggling all the while, like she had just witnessed the funniest thing of her life. Even simple times though, like when Jason yells “Auntie Kelsey, come sit!” and I just smile at the fact that he already knows my name.

But a moment of complete surrender came during worship night. Aw shucks the power was out turned into praise the Lord with just the simplicity of the candles and guitar. The fact that it only took the words,

“I want to be near to you” for me to remember how close He was.

And today, sitting in the quiet, were the words of another song proclaiming,

“There’s no place I would rather be, than here in Your love”

…and I know that there truly is no where else for me, right now. That God ordained this journey and all I am doing is sitting in the stillness of His perfect plan, knowing that He is who He says He is, and that He’s so close that I could literally share this peach mango water I have, with Him. By the way, you should totally try it. It’s from Wal-Mart and it’s totally amazing.

And on a quite hilarious note-Care and I nearly got trampled by a herd of cows today on our way to the Nile. #thirdworldproblems.

Peace and love and love.

-Kelsey

If We are Faithless, He Remains Faithful

Today I marvel at how faithful the Lord is. Kelsey and I are adjusting quickly, but there are still moments that are hard and trying. Life in Africa is so much more relaxed and slow-paced. At first, it was very difficult for me to adjust to that lifestyle when I was so used to life at Baylor where I was constantly hanging out with people, studying, or going to class. But even just from this first week we have been here I have felt the Lord’s presence more than I ever have in my life. All the quiet moments I have throughout the day I try to fill with prayer, thanks, and time in the Word. So many of the prayers that I have had while being here just this one week have already been answered and I am in awe of how prevalently He is continuing to work through Kelsey and I.

Things are finally becoming comfortable and the kiddos’ personalities are becoming more visible. One sweet boy, I mentioned in my previous post, has really captured my attention and stolen my heart.

Walter is about 7, I think, and came to Ekisa a little less than a year ago.  Before he came here, he was abused by someone (probably a parent) pouring acid all over his body, which melting his skin. Walter is so incredibly smart, however, his disability is physical. He LOVES playing with blocks, painting, and learning new things. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to live life in a place where all the children around you that are your age are not mentally on the same level. Most of the time he is running around the yard, laughing, and playing tricks on his new Aunties (Kelsey and I) but there are other moments where I see in his eyes how much he longs to be loved and cared for. I see in those eyes how much his physical appearance must frustrate him, how when we walk down the street and children stare and he knows that he doesn’t look like them. Sometimes it seems like Walter is spoiled rotten, but then I realize that he, of all the children, needs a lot of love because of what he has gone through. He has so much potential to do great things, to find a family who loves him, and to tell others his story and the beauty of God’s grace that exudes from his heart. I pray for this sweet boy, that he may know how much he truly is loved, by those at the orphanage, but also by his heavenly Father who cherishes his son, no matter what he looks like. This precious boy has already blessed me and taught me so much. I pray also for myself, that I will be observant to the needs and type of love each child needs, for they are all so different. Each child at Ekisa is so precious in the eyes of the Lord, and I just wish I could love them with as much compassion as their heavenly Father does. But the best I can do is to continue seeking the Lord and learning His character, and through discovering more of the Lord, that the love my Jesus has for me would overflow onto these kids. They deserve the Father’s love as much as anyone, and I feel my purpose here is to show that to them.

Recently, I was encouraged to read 2 Timothy, which has literally been changing the way I view each day after I read it every morning.

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

2 Timothy 1:8-9

What a beautiful picture, and prayer, of how we should ALL be living our lives. Our God is so faithful and we are all beyond blessed to have opportunity to serve Him each and every day.

More pictures coming soon :) Love and miss you all!

-Caroline

Pure Joy.

Tonight I lay my head down, a lot less weary.

I adore it here. No wonder most missionaries who come here, never leave. I get it. I really do. And I know that it is competely and utterly because of the simplest of things.

Like today when I was in charge of little Joshy on our trip to the eye doctor. Literally the cutest face you'd ever seen. I mean look at him, come on!

And then little Jane, who is utter joy! I say that while quite well knowing I have left out a huge chunk of her character...Jane is literally the weirdest child I have ever encountered. She is HILARIOUS! And also views me as the human jungle gym...which I'm not saying is a complete bad thing :)

Zeke is also pretty weird himself. I find myself describing most of the kids as odd, and it's really perfect with my own personality. Zeke likes to snort when he laughs, and I like to make fun of him. He's pretty awesome.

Then there's Jason, who has somehow in the past couple of days just completely stole my attention. He will come and plop down on my lap and is just the coolest dude ever. And to completely win me over, before bedtime tonight he grabs my faces, kisses me on the cheek and says, "Goodnight Auntie Kelsey!" and I suddenly know how it feels to fall head over heels.

To spare you from hours of pictures and boasting about how great these kids are, I'll try and wrap it up here and throw out praises of how good our God is. Like what? Who am I to be this incredibly blessed.

Pure joy, my friends.

Another post coming soon on how vigorously the Lord is moving. Thanks for your prayers and support, Care and I couldn't do it without you guys :)

-Kelsey

The Small Moments

Two posts from us in one day... Thats ok right?

Day two. What an adventure this has been already! There have definitely been challenges already, but more importantly there have been moments where my abs hurt because I have been laughing so hard and moments where tears come to my eyes by how precious and joyous these children are, despite their situations. Im going to give you all a brief little glimpse of the precious children we get to wake up to (literally at 7 every morning) each day. Here are just a few that have already captured my heart:

Jane- She is my favorite, yes I already have a favorite on day two. She was so so shy at first and wouldn't even look at us. She looks like a little rag doll with the braids in her hair, but she has such a sweet, kind heart that is just longing for love. Tonight when the power went out, she was determined to read the same page of this one book, in the dark, the entire time. The love and grace of Jesus just shine through her smile.

Walter- What a feisty one! He runs around the house like hes the king of everything, but he also has a sassy little attitude about him. He is one of the most mature kids. Even though he is pretty quiet, he loves to laugh, play tag, and  blow Kelsey's whistle necklace. Walter is a pure example of God's grace and mercy.

Rachel- the word I think of to describe Rachel is utter JOY! She always has a smile on her face. Even when she is putting unusual objects in her mouth and knows she isn't supposed to, she just beams with the biggest smile! Rachel's legs do not work, but that never stops her. She is always roaming around the yard content and easily amused with even the smallest things. Rachel has an unending smile because she has Jesus!

Zeke- He has one of the best personalities in the orphanage. He loves to talk and sing, but usually in his own little language. He LOVES going into town to get a soda and "sweeties" which are little candies. He acts like a little old man, but is precious and always joyful. Zeke is well loved and it shows!!

Zach- He could be tickled and chased around the yard all day and be the happiest child alive! His joy is expressed in his loud, old man laugh. Nothing stops him and nothing can ruin his day. Zach is very sick right now and has been having seizures all evening... He is a fighter and has the best attitude despite all that hes going through. Zach is loved and cherished by an almighty Father.

These are only 5 of the precious children Kelsey and I are quickly getting to know. I feel most comfortable and most at home when I get to spend time with them and seeing the utter joy and contentment they have in the smallest things. As I wrote about those 5, I can see the Lord working so prevalently. Its the small miracles and the small moments of laughter that we will be able to see the Lord working most. I sometimes get overwhelmed when I see the immense need there is in Jinja and how there is literally a village of people living on dirt floors right behind our blessed orphanage. The need is so great, but my God is way greater. He is working in huge and mighty ways, and I am in no place to limit that or put a perimeter around what that will look like. This journey is already way different than when I assumed (even when I was trying to have no expectations), and its going to be hard, BUT the Lord wouldn't have brought Kelsey and I here if it was going to be easy with no growth or mountains to climb. Im ready for the mountains and Im ready to climb them, for His glory.

-Caroline

Muzungu.

Welcome to Jinja, Uganda where you get hit by cows while riding motorcycles, and your name officially changes from your name...to Muzungu.

First step off the plane and I remember looking at Caroline with the biggest smile my face could handle. We traveled for over a day (though it seemed like over a year) and yet our tiredness seemed to eradicate with the first wiff of Ugandan soil. It was in that cheesy moment that I realized all of the planning and waiting was well worth it. We got to the orphanage pretty late so the hello's turned to goodnight's and we slept soundly under our trusty mosquito nets. We woke up the next morning and met all of the kids who really are just the cutest you'd ever laid eyes on. Then we went to town and exchanged currency and got some internet so we could do what I'm doing right now.

Although we say expectations aren't set, they're always somewhere deep down so it's going to take a while to adjust fully. It's the second day, and I'm already wiped (which I blame on jetlag whether that's the truth or not) but there have been little moments that surprise me. Like yesterday when I was sitting outside and Zeke comes up and blows my whistle hard as can be. With those puppy dog eyes the whistling continued until I had to say "Neda" because not everyone thought it was as cute as I did after it went on for more than 5 minutes. Then Walter who had been shy with me all day long comes up and grabs my whistle and after way too long I said "Neda" again and the tickle war commenced.

And like tonight, when I was fake reading with some of the kids, the power went out. And the couple seconds of chaos turned into little faces cuddling mine and it was in that moment when the weariness subsided-and I was reminded why I was here in Jinja.

I am not here to have fun, build relationships, or help kids. Yes, those will all hopefully occur...but I am here for one purpose and that is for the glory of my Father-for He is the one who sent me here. And as day 2 turns into week 3 or month 4 and eventually I will be on my way back home...I hope to always remember these small moments. Even if they are few and numbered...I will be content with that. And whenever I hear someone call out "MUZUNGU MUZUNGU!" I will just laugh and remember that that is all I am. A silly little white person who said sure to a calling and who will probably now have permanently dirty feet. YES!

-Kelsey