Some Thoughts for the Journey

Tomorrow, 4:00am the adventure begins. We're mostly packed....well, I'm mostly packed. My husband Andrew has yet to start, but that's pretty normal for him. I am amazed that four years ago I had just left Uganda and was wondering if I'd ever be able to go back. Tomorrow will be my third trip - God really does know the desires of our hearts. What I find even more incredible is that less then two months after getting married, my husband and I will be spending three weeks in the place that I love so much. This makes me wonder what God is up to :)

Some pretty big changes have happened last minute. My co-leader John found out a week ago that he won't be able to go due to health issues. John is the reason all this is happening to begin with. He's the one who brainstormed this trip up, he made the first steps and has done so much by way of planning and communication. It's so disappointing and sad that he won't be able to come this time - but his humility and graciousness endures and he's already planning a spring trip. At first I thought, "Great, this is the first trip I'll have lead and I'm alone." But I know that's not true at all. Our team is solid, each individual is ready to serve and up for an adventure. And God is with us, he's orchestrated this whole thing anyway. My friend Dale and I were talking yesterday and his thoughts were, "Isn't it amazing that God knew this would happen 20 years ago?" Talk about a perspective change! I'm so grateful for all the encouraging and godly people in my life.

Each trip I've taken has had some sort of theme to it. The first was based on Ps 139 which basically is God saying to us, "There is no place you can go where I Am not." I love that. No place, not even the remote northern regions of Uganda, not even back to college, or home after graduation, or to a new place you've never been called Bend, Oregon.

The second trip seems to have been about the Desire of my heart. I felt so at home and at peace while in Uganda. I love my friends there and feel like the community is unique, challenging and authentic. Coming back to the States I wondered about what life would look like if I moved back for a few years, or potentially longer then a few years. I wondered how God could give me the desire of my heart if I didn't even know what that desire was. Ps 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart." Over the next year God really did that. But it took some major reconstruction - or maybe deconstruction - of my life. My job working for a non-profit's creative development department ended. My dream of traveling the world and using photography to tell the stories of the most vulnerable people seemed to have died before it even had a chance to really take off. I was jobless and didn't know what to do. The thought of working another office job felt like drowning. But my God is a Big God and he is my Provider. Miracle after miracle happened and Amanda Mae Images was born. On September 8th, soon to be my first day in Uganda this trip, marks one year of being self employed. And I'll be in Uganda to celebrate, taking photos of widows and orphans and getting to tell their stories to an eager audience. That is a miracle.

September 8th also marks another milestone - my two month wedding anniversary. God has also given me a gift, and a desire, that I didn't know I had until it was right in front of me - Andrew. I got to marry my best friend almost two months ago and I cannot tell you how much these two months have taught me! Already, through Andrew, I'm learning about God's pursuit of us, his forgiveness and unconditional love. Some days I've thought, "Wow, if Andrew still loves me and likes me after today, I guess God must too." It's never quite clicked like that before.

I don't know what this trip's theme will be. I feel like I'm coming out of a year of rest. A year where God forced me to slow down, yet still provided enough work to get through the year. Sure, there have been busy times and times of hard work, but for the most part, it's been restful and a time of healing. It's also been a time to clear out the extra junk in my life and simplify a bit. So now I feel like I'm gearing up. I'm ready for the next adventure, the next goal, and I'm not quite sure what that'll be. This morning my friend Jess sent me a verse from Psalm 68:19 "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." I have the feeling I'll be coming back to this a lot...

My prayer for this trip is that we would be a blessing to all those we come into contact with, from the stewardess to the bus driver to the orphans at Otino Waa we're going to visit. I of course am praying for health and safety, but also spiritual protection. I think if we had the most amazing time, no one got sick, we saw beautiful places and played with children and loved it all - but are spiritually empty, we've missed the whole point. I'm hoping and asking for health, safety, a smooth trip and great relationships, but I am also aware that God may choose to challenge us in order to refine us. Therefore, as long as He keeps us close to Him and trusting and praising Him, that's all that matters eternally.

I'm so grateful for my friends and family who've supported me on these adventures in the past. Your prayers and encouragement is heaven-sent. I love that God has set aside another time to build on the friendships and relationships that began over four years ago. It's amazing and humbling.

Keep us in your prayers!

I'll be updating this blog throughout the next few weeks (internet pending of course) with photos, stories and prayer requests.

Blessings,

Amanda