For I know the plans that I have for you

So I have arrived in Uganda!!! And it is beautiful!! I am falling in love more and more every day. It still feels really surreal that I'm here, but at the same time it feels like I always have been. It is so peaceful here, and I feel so satisfied by where Jesus has me at the moment. Its strange, I suppose I was expecting to feel really out of my depth, and like I'm not ready for Africa…but I am. I know its only my second week, and I'm likely to have times when I feel completely freaked out…but I feel this grace like nothing else to just be here, and to not worry about tomorrow or if I have enough love to give the kids!! I’m just here, and it feels good.

I have had Jeremiah 29:11-13 in my head a lot recently…over the last few months I have found my bible opening at that passage loads.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Its true, He knows the plans he has made for us and they are good. He knows what he is doing and His desire is to bless us, not hurt us! And I'm beginning to understand the second part of the verses too. When you give yourself whole-heartedly to the one who asks for everything you won’t be disappointed. He will meet you! And he will open up His heart for you to take it all! That’s so amazing! It is completely in my hands if I abandon myself to love or not. He loves us that much that he will put the ball in our court…and then he will wait.

Anyway…so since I have been here life has been pretty crazy!! Revelation Life are all about spending as much time in the 3 slums they work in as possible and so im getting used to always being covered in children and dirt. The first I love, the second I put up with. We work in 3 different slums called Kina, Kasubi and Banda. Each one is beautiful. Not because of the scenery, but because of the people that live there. Im blown away more and more everyday by the children, and can feel my heart growing for them! There is a little girl called Claire in Kasubi that we work with. She is GORGEOUS!!! And ridiculously cheeky! Im starting to get excited when I know im going into her slum to see her. And it feels good! When you love more your heart is enlarged and that is what im seeking. Yesterday when we went into Kasubi I played with Claire for quite a while. As I sat in the dirt she danced round me singing and clapping, it was one of my favoutrite moments I had here so far. Im looking forward to the rest.

I will leave you with a beautiful picture of a beautiful baby girl. My Claire.