Ladies and Gentleman... I'm going to Uganda!
I am so genuinely excited to be traveling to Uganda this fall with some of my precious friends from Generations Adoptions and Highland Baptist Church in Waco, Texas! For three years I've been praying and waiting for God's purpose and design to align with my own desires to travel to Uganda. Dissertations, finances, and new jobs have been presented significant challenges to this desire for the last several years, but I felt a strong sense of urgency in January of this year to dive back into my bible and start preparing my heart for some big events to come. At the time I thought my 2011 hurdles might be parenting struggles, a need to strengthen my marriage, or maybe even some sort of challenge at work that required more spiritual fortitude than normal. My guesses were right on the money, but I still missed the target. 2011 would also bring a startling health crisis with my beloved father-in-law and a phone call from my best friends husband that changed my entire world.
Still, the longing to see God's love and devotion in the faces of orphaned and neglected children grew. With each passing day, I'm growing even more certain that God has great big plans for the Cox family.
I'm immeasurably grateful that God has provided healing relief to those closest to me and that He continues to make his presence known in those situations. I'm immeasurably grateful to have this opportunity to travel to Africa and learn about another facet to the adoption ministry that is so close to my heart. I'm immeasurably grateful that God brought us to Indy, where our neighbors, our coworkers, our peers and professors, and our church family are wholeheartedly supportive of this trip and our other spiritual pursuits. I'm immeasurably grateful that our loving families and friends in Texas have continued to pour their affection and devotion and prayer onto us... even if it's from a distance.
I'm looking forward to sharing more with each of you (however many readers there might be. :)) as the trip details become firm, and then as much as possible during the trip. I have so much to sort through and share, but my time leading up to the trip is pretty tight, and I'm spending most of my free time filling up Caro's love tank and reading my bible. The missions director at Common Ground also shared a great devotional with me... "Before you pack your bags, prepare your heart!". I may use this blog to share my thoughts on those devotional entries from time to time.
With a humble heart,
MaryAnn
