Day 1- Going to Uganda (Journal Writing)

7/29/2012 21:00ET
Hunter and I left for Atlanta @ 5:15 this morning.  My heart was full of excitement and yet at the same time a sense of sadness because I was leaving 10 of the most precious things to me on this Earth.  God was a great help to us as we made extraordinary time by getting to Atlanta by 10:30.  We decided when we were about an hour out that we would try to make it to Passion City Church where Louie Giglio is pastor and Chris Tomlin leads worship on occasion.  We got in there at 11:10 for an 11:00 service because parking was CRAZY!   When we got in, we were immediately blown away because on the concourse monitors outside the sanctuary I saw that Matt Redman was leading worship.  He is one of my favorite music writers and sings incredible songs.  He even led 10,000 Reasons (one of my favorite songs right now from Psalm 103).  Bless the Lord Oh my soul and all that is within me, Bless His holy name! Bless the Lord o my soul and forget not all of His benefits.  Psalm 103:1-3.

Matt Redman

God has done so many incredible things over the last few days as we got ready to leave that I am just in awe of His supreme worth and majesty.  He has shown us time and again His greatness and His love toward us.  The song and the Psalm both remind us that there are 10,000 reasons to praise our God, for now and forever more!

Louie Giglio

The message we heard was based on John 11 about the story of Jesus and Lazarus.  I was floored when he chose the text because it was the exact passage that I read to the family yesterday in our family devotions around the breakfast table.  He is constantly reminding me that He is with us and HE is sovereign!  John 11:25 says " I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall live and never die."  HE is the resurrection; HE is the living water; He is the bread of life;  HE is the gate; HE is the door; HE is the only way!  So today, Louie reminded me yet again that He is with me!  That wherever we go and whatever we do, as a child of the most high, Christ is with us and in us!  Matthew 28:20 says "And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age."  He is with me, not just in 42 J (the plane seat beside me) but in MY seat, in ME!  So the challenge in his message was to live with eyes wide open.  JESUS, the Creator of the Universe is with me!  Right here! Right Now!  He knows my weaknesses and He knows my struggles and He is still with me.  So Louie boiled down his message in 6 points.

WHEN YOU WALK WITH JESUS:

1.You walk in the presence of divine affirmation. ( you are loved by a wonderful Savior)
2. You have all you need (He supplies all of our NEEDS according to His riches in Glory)
3. The highs and the lows of life are tempered (He brings us a peace to walk on an even keel)
4. You will end up in the right place! (He will have you where he wants you)
5. You will never pass those people who are broken (Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost and when we walk with Him, our goals and purposes are His and He came for needy, broken people)
6. You know he will walk with you every step of the way until the last step on this Earth (see Matt 28:20)

These were all reminders of truths that are backed up time and time again that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Meeting the team in Atlanta 

So now we have made it to the plane and are in the air; Headed to UGANDA!  My first, and my son's first mission trip.  What a privilege it is to share this experience with him.  He is a special young man who I love dearly.  I pray as we start this journey, that God would use us to glorify His Name!  He is worthy of all glory and He will get a name for Himself.  I am thankful that He walks beside us and uses us as He does it.    ~end of writing

Here are some more pictures from our first day, which was the travel day to Uganda.  We left from Atlanta at 5:25pm and flew into Amsterdam at 6:30 their time.  We had a 2 hour layover there and flew out around 9am Amsterdam time.  We flew from there and landed in Entebbe Uganda at 10:30 at night their time.

Hunter had never flown so this was his window seat view