Condition of the Heart

Tonight is my last night to spend in Kampala, well at least for this internship. :) I have my bag, (please make note- BAG as in singular. uno. 1.) packed and I am trying to prepare myself mentally for tomorrow's transition. The routine of Kampala ministries has come to a close with our last school visit today. Tomorrow is the beginning of a 6-7 hour roadtrip to Mbarara which will be interesting since we were informed the entire drive is extremely rough with a large amount of potholes. I do not know how else to describe African potholes other than asking you to imagine what a road would look like if small craters had harshly pelted the roads in a way that makes your drive seem to move more like a snake slithering across the desert than a car driving in a linear motion on a flat road. Side by side, zig-zag. Now that you have that visual I can move on.
Mark Berryman flew in last night and arrived to Kampala today. He is staying tonight with us before he takes all six of us interns to Mbarara and then on to Rwanda. I am excited to see what is to come. Yet I hate saying goodbye to those new friends I have here in Kampala. The big city has been an experience for sure but it will be nice to now see the more rural side of Uganda in the villages. I look forward to meeting and spending time with more missionaries and finding out the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the natives there in order to open my eyes and heart for opportunities that might be laid out for me with whatever God-given abilities He has given me to use for His Kingdom. When, not if, I see the needs and see how my God-given abilities can be used to meet those needs in order to bring others to Christ, this is when and where I will know God is calling me to work for Him there.
My perspective on stages of life and changes is a pretty wonderful way to approach things :) I almost always am someone that loved yesterday, am enjoying today, and am looking forward to tomorrow just as much. I try to not live in the past or focus on it too much, and I try to not live only for what is to come. Instead I tend to always be satisfied that I have experienced what I have, am, and will experience. This doesn't make goodbyes easier by any means but it does make change and transitions in my life a lot easier to handle. So with that said, the last 3 weeks have been wonderful and I could totally stay longer. But the next 2 1/2 weeks of survey will be great as well and I am thankful for the opportunity to see such a variety of places while being here!
I have come down with a heart condition while being here. It is kind of serious. It is what I like to call a swelling of the heart :) I have such a full heart right now. I feel as though it is almost swelling with joy and love that I have received from the Ugandans. The brothers and sisters at the congregation here have been very encouraging. Sheeba is someone I really could see myself working hand in hand with in counseling here. I hope to cross paths again with her. There are many others I do not have the time to mention. But then what really has made my heart swell the most are the children. Wherever we go, whatever we do, they yell for our attention, our smiles, our waves, and what I love most, our hugs and affection. They do not know you. They do not care. They run to you with arms wide open and when I pick them up and hold them, my world stops. I never want to put them down. My Creator is so incredible. I just do not understand how someone can hold a baby or hug a child and not see God. Being a mom one day is going to be so much fun :). Swollen heart syndrome, I think that is a condition of the soul I am willing to live with.
For the prayer warriors out there:
Please pray for the work being done for God here in Kampala, in Uganda, and all over Africa. Pray that God will soften people's hearts and that they will accept His gift of salvation and plans for their lives. Pray that God will soften His disciple's hearts to submit their will to Him and follow Him wherever to do whatever He needs to be done for His Kingdom. Pray for me as I continue on this spiritual journey.
Love you all