tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51810544994787465582024-03-18T20:02:27.587-07:00Engendo: Our Family's JourneyOur family of 5, Wes, Alicia, Katie Mae, Ashley & Wyatt, began this journey in 2001 when Wes went on his first mission trip to Uganda with African Children's Mission. We first recognized that God might be calling our family to Uganda in 2010 and life started getting crazy…crazier than usual I mean! This blog gives us a place to write about our family's journey to follow God's will as He leads us to Uganda & beyond. Thank you for following us!Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-1113669609745667242015-05-17T20:35:00.001-07:002015-05-18T06:44:44.821-07:00Wada Wada WadaFriday is the day we have feared for over a year. Another Wada test. <div><br></div><div>The events of last year's failed test are ever present in all of our minds, as are the faces of our precious neurology nurses who were truly scared Wyatt wouldn't survive. </div><div><br></div><div>Last Sunday I had such a sweet Mother's Day as K&A took me to dinner and then to get dessert from Cheesecake Factory which we ate on our tailgate overlooking the city. We could have talked about anything, but these sweet girls wanted to talk about Friday. They asked all of the hard questions that darkness somehow makes it easier to ask, as I prayed...</div><div><br></div><div>"Lord please take away any fear or anxiety they have. Let them know you've got this". </div><div><br></div><div>Maybe that prayer was really for myself. </div><div><br></div><div>This past Friday Wyatt turned 12 years old. His birthdays are always special...On his 5th birthday we learned he had horrible eyesight & he got glasses. We learned he was having seizures a few weeks shy of his 6th birthday & on his 6th birthday he suffered a major concussion and spent most of the day at Children's with post-concussive headaches. He was baptized on his 8th birthday. His 10th birthday was spent in Uganda. This boy of ours has always kept us on our toes! </div><div><br></div><div>But I completely expect Friday to be uneventful. -Surely lighting won't strike twice, right?- for now the knot in my stomach remains, and probably will until we are home and Wyatt is safely recovered. </div><div><br></div><div>Lord help my unbelief. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Give me greater faith. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Very sweet friends of ours are battling their daughter's cancer, and just this week she had to have unexpected surgery to remove a brain tumor. Her mother's prayer before the surgery was from the song 10,000 Reasons, "let me be singing when the evening comes". </div><div><br></div><div>As our sweet boy and tons of other 1st-6th graders sang this same song at our worship service this morning tears poured down my face. </div><div><br></div><div>I ask for the same, Lord please let us {still} be singing when {Friday} evening comes. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX50voJtDNqn8WAmHt6Lf304IfI5ICwWW6TdOgYeCqzfLAb7aV_Hwvd545sqo-qUJqN2vJn9kOJSHRm__yxJRYMr0g4O9NcVTwaJosPY0CaJ5EWYw8limUcsylPAw8ziCFEDaG71zNC2c/s640/blogger-image--1453115019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX50voJtDNqn8WAmHt6Lf304IfI5ICwWW6TdOgYeCqzfLAb7aV_Hwvd545sqo-qUJqN2vJn9kOJSHRm__yxJRYMr0g4O9NcVTwaJosPY0CaJ5EWYw8limUcsylPAw8ziCFEDaG71zNC2c/s640/blogger-image--1453115019.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-66541692943354443712015-04-09T16:55:00.001-07:002015-04-12T20:18:52.904-07:00Little Man Update Since we returned from Uganda (almost 2 years ago! Crazy!) we have been working with numerous doctors at Children's and UAB's epliepsy & neurology departments in Birmingham to figure out the best way to help Wyatt and stop his seizures. <div><br></div><div>We knew within days of returning that epilepsy surgery, the only currently known cure for epilepsy, might be our only option. Since then we have gone through a myriad of tests, procedures , and medications (and yes we know about the marijuana trials for epilepsy but Wyatt's seizure type is not one that responds to this treatment. We do, however completely support this, and any other research, that gives families in this situation relief from this condition.) to determine the best plan for our little man. Who really isn't that little anymore, he will be 12 next month!!!</div><div><br></div><div>Right now Wyatt is on a combination of medications to try and keep his seizures to a minimum. There is no growing out of them, and there is currently no medication on the market that will completely stop them. So what now?</div><div><br></div><div>Today Wyatt had a series of scans done to give the epileptologists and neurosurgeons a "map" of his brain and structures. We spent almost an hour talking, asking questions, and gathering information from our neurosurgeon at Children's, Dr Blount. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dr Blount explained to us that because Wyatt's seizures are medically resistant, if we aren't able to do surgery we can expect his quality of life to continue to decrease. Surgery is his best chance for a seizure-free life. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There is a new technology in epilepsy surgery called SEEG. SEEG is mapping of the brain using depth electrodes that are placed by a type of GPS-like guided technology called ROSA. Dr Blount, and our epileptologist, Dr Goyal, both feel SEEG would be a good option for finding Wyatt's seizure focus...the area where his seizures originate. Once the focus is found, we can then determine wether surgery to remove this area is possible or not. </span></div><div><br></div><div>In the next few weeks Wyatt will undergo WADA testing to help determine his memory and speech areas of the brain. If this sounds familiar, it is because we tried this test before...and it didn't go well. Many changes have been made as to how the test will be administered this time so we are hopeful it will be more successful. </div><div><br></div><div>While we love and are confident in our doctors at Children's, we have prayed alot and have decided to contact the Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center this coming week to inquire about them reviewing Wyatt's case as well. </div><div><br></div><div>In the midst of all of this, Wes and I have been preparing to lead a team for two weeks to Uganda in June. We knew going into this planning that Wyatt's medical situation might prevent us from going, but because no one really knows when and if Wyatt's surgeries might happen, we do not want to tell God "no" when we hear him saying "go". Now, as always, it's up to Him to work it out! :) </div><div><br></div><div>We are so thankful to our amazing families and awesome friends that have supported us, prayed for us, and carried us through this journey. We need you now more than ever! </div><div><br></div><div>Some specific ways you can pray:</div><div>- First pray that we would keep our eyes focused on Jesus and that we would bring Him glory every step of this journey. Most days we fail miserably but we still want that to be our focus. </div><div>- Pray for the upcoming WADA test, that Wyatt would do wonderfully and that the doctors would get a clear result of exactly what they needed. </div><div>- This is kind of weird, but please pray that Wyatt's speech and memory are predominantly on the right side of his brain. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If they are solely on the left side that drastically reduces Wyatt's chances for a successful surgery that doesn't affect his speech or memory long term. If they are on both sides, his chances for a favorable outcome are a little better. If they are only on the right they shouldn't be affected at all. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It would be a miracle if they were solely on the right side, but that is what we are asking for!! :)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- Wyatt is very informed about all that is taking place. Please pray for his precious heart and that God would remove any stress or anxiety. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">- Pray that sweet friends that would encourage and support him would come into his life. Because he has so many seizures at school, other students tend to either avoid or tease him. There are exceptions of course but this momma's heart would love it these exceptions were the norm! :) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This weekend Wyatt and I will be gong with Hunter Street's 5th & 6th Grade Choir on their weekend long mission trip. One of our key verses for this trip is from Isaiah 54:17. The kids will sing this as "no weapon formed against me will prosper". Right now the biggest weapon I feel we are under attack from is fear. We will be praying this verse for our family and so many others this week. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Much love. </span></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJwkswS7mjh1CgKP-EUj_mlsvkD1NWT6EEZqB-pH2Pdv9mNtfZpwHoBy-mtoAic_vIyvaXtzgnaKm2MaJYXmPgjMq6zW7LgLK2_6S3DfPEe6izRvwcoT5ieG1FviFSSu-vbB6RG_zX0U/s640/blogger-image--85035861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJwkswS7mjh1CgKP-EUj_mlsvkD1NWT6EEZqB-pH2Pdv9mNtfZpwHoBy-mtoAic_vIyvaXtzgnaKm2MaJYXmPgjMq6zW7LgLK2_6S3DfPEe6izRvwcoT5ieG1FviFSSu-vbB6RG_zX0U/s640/blogger-image--85035861.jpg"></a></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-16164137873475170582014-11-27T19:24:00.001-08:002014-11-27T19:24:21.660-08:00Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know it's been a long time since we've posted, but today I wanted to share our thankfulness. Over the past year + since we came home unexpectedly from Uganda, we have struggled STRUGGLED.<br />
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<i>I know I need to lift my eyes up</i></div>
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<i>but I'm too weak</i></div>
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<i>Life just won't let up</i></div>
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<i>and I know that you can give me rest</i></div>
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<i>so I cry out with all that I have left</i></div>
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<i>{WORN}</i></div>
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But in the past few months we've felt the heavy sadness finally starting to lift from our hearts. Through the love and support of so many people, we have started to focus our eyes back on Christ and away from our circumstances. Some things have changed, but many things have not. The next year is again going to be hard, but for the first time in 15 months, our hearts are turned back to seeking God's will for our lives and our family. For that, and many other things, I am so thankful.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Thankful that God will never leave me or forsake me</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Thankful that despite my circumstances, His promises are true</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Thankful that He's given me a wonderfully flawed partner to do life with</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Thankful for daughters that constantly challenge me to dig deeper, one intellectually, one emotionally</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Thankful for a son who gives me a reason to smile every day</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Thankful for a city with amazing medical care options</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Thankful for a family that knows when to love on me and when to give me space</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Thankful that when I could barely keep my head above water, He did.</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">His grace abounds in deepest waters</span></b></i></div>
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Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-55520747452019440092013-07-05T13:42:00.000-07:002014-11-27T19:25:34.677-08:00More On Wyatt…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many people have been asking about Wyatt and how all of this started so I thought I would try to write about it here. I apologize in advance for its length!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLI4C_C1t1ztN7qU8SbkVHAfyE69zTw4Agsm9U-gpqFm8qurCdn-WlXlS_v393Gzd8eJxz1GP5ODm_tqf1GqKTIvvypymNdVL3LSa6PdLsrmuL4EDlT5ozsntSuLBiM6K9tT3-LNCsZA/s1600/DSC00517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLI4C_C1t1ztN7qU8SbkVHAfyE69zTw4Agsm9U-gpqFm8qurCdn-WlXlS_v393Gzd8eJxz1GP5ODm_tqf1GqKTIvvypymNdVL3LSa6PdLsrmuL4EDlT5ozsntSuLBiM6K9tT3-LNCsZA/s400/DSC00517.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>Wyatt was diagnosed with epilepsy after having several complex partial seizures 5 months before he turned 6 years old. We were blessed that the first medication we tried worked for him and with the exception of breakthrough seizures now and then, we thought his epilepsy was well managed. There were a few concerns I had and brought to his neurologist's attention, such as nighttime and memory issues, but I was assured they were nothing to be concerned about and we continued on our way. In preparing for our trip to Uganda, our very first step was to meet with his neurologist where we were assured that he was no more at risk of seizure issues there then he was here. Even with everything that has happened since, we still believe this to be true. In the months leading up to our trip, Wyatt was having more breakthrough seizures but we were assured that he was going through a growth spurt and that we merely needed to increase his medication to get them back under control. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9va1ZAHw67jsS__S88DUvaT80tj_7e10z4aXqxCOyXGv1I5t2vmS8IKlNUF3z4wPMm-ON4ftUVvNq6nyx5SPEpGb1WOMTbQpbFXHIi7OvBof0epfjKG89qslON5mVo37IHn1PfY9Pk8/s1600/IMG_5806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9va1ZAHw67jsS__S88DUvaT80tj_7e10z4aXqxCOyXGv1I5t2vmS8IKlNUF3z4wPMm-ON4ftUVvNq6nyx5SPEpGb1WOMTbQpbFXHIi7OvBof0epfjKG89qslON5mVo37IHn1PfY9Pk8/s320/IMG_5806.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a>A few days after arriving in Uganda Wyatt had a small seizure. We were used to this situation. We called his doctor and then upped his meds. Same ol' song and dance. A few weeks later Wyatt had his first "hallucination". Obviously this was different then what we were used to seeing with him but he has had issues with overheating in the past so we thought that maybe it was related to the heat of Uganda and that maybe he wasn't getting enough water. We spoke with his doctor, took him to the clinic on the ranch (where he tested negative for several tropical illnesses) and started him on a rehydration solution that we gave him several times a day, everyday for the next month. He continued having these episodes every couple of days but other than that he was typical Wyatt! He played soccer just about every day with his new Ugandan friends. He helped the mission teams that visited with every project we had going on including mudding a school, repairing a playground and sharing the gospel. We had no reason to believe, and his neurologist at home did not believe, that these episodes were related to his seizures or that there was anything worrisome going on with his health other than needing to stay hydrated. Regardless, we made an appointment for June 15th with a great & very well respected british doctor in Kampala, under the advice of Wyatt's neurologist, just to ensure that his episodes weren't related to some illness that we had missed. <br />
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On June 14th we were hanging out in our den after Wyatt had gone to bed when we suddenly heard strange noises coming from his room. Wes & I entered his room and found Wyatt in the middle of a generalized tonic clonic (GTC or grand mal) seizure that lasted about 20 minutes and required diazepam to bring him out of it. The next morning we left early for Kampala. I had a small bag packed for Wyatt & I along with our passports, just in case we ended up staying in Kampala in hospital or getting on a plane for home. We met with Dr. Stockley and determined that Wyatt was completely healthy & that there were no known illnesses responsible to his condition. There were only two things that had changed for Wyatt recently: 1) he came to Uganda and 2) he began taking Doxycycline as a malaria preventative. The doctor recommended that before we made plans to leave, we should take Wyatt off of the doxy for one week and see if maybe it was causing his episodes. This coincided with Wyatt's neurologist's recommendations that these episodes were not seizure related and that they must be caused by something environmental. Although we were both worried for our son, we were at peace with giving him one more week, without doxy and with another increase in his seizure meds, to see if this got rid of his episodes. <br />
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One week later, on June 20th Wes had gone to Kampala with the mission team from Mobile and I was at home with the kids. Wyatt wanted to sleep with me so we were watching movies in our bed as we went to sleep. Around 5:00 am, June 21st, I was woken up by Wyatt having another GTC event. This time I knew God was telling us it was time to get Wyatt home. After several teary eyed calls to Wes and hours on the phone with Delta & KLM, we got approved to fly home early. <br />
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In a total God moment, after being told we needed to get a letter from a doctor in Uganda saying it was medically necessary for Wyatt to go back to the US, Wes was able to see Dr. Stockley who knew exactly how to word his letter to get us home quickly and with as little cost as possible, while also making sure it was understood that Wyatt was medically sound to fly…because Dr. Stockley is the board physician for KLM in Uganda. Of course!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbqJvlEEhjQhXE8Jtwlx36ovZKtohaOTCWuqO83FswKz8Yu5RwnE562x_ZLQYsoSYuQGJh-FaE2DpSjSSQzWdnvlxKKx5VEKNbY_HWrYPoPBOd_bP2MZoGEJzxtmoJdwOlPiC7SCozMw/s1600/IMG_5929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbqJvlEEhjQhXE8Jtwlx36ovZKtohaOTCWuqO83FswKz8Yu5RwnE562x_ZLQYsoSYuQGJh-FaE2DpSjSSQzWdnvlxKKx5VEKNbY_HWrYPoPBOd_bP2MZoGEJzxtmoJdwOlPiC7SCozMw/s320/IMG_5929.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Once we got back to the US, we went straight from the airport to the neurologist's office where we were told to check in to Children's Hospital the next morning. After 24 hours of EEG we were told by the epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy) that Wyatt was having an uncountable number of seizures at night and that the episodes we originally called hallucinations were indeed seizures. While this was not what we wanted to hear, it was definitely a relief to know that there was nothing we had introduced to his environment, including taking him to Uganda, that was causing Wyatt's seizures. The doctor believes that it is possible that the stress of living in such a new and different environment might have contributed to the number of seizures, but that based on the number of breakthrough seizures Wyatt was having even before we left, that this event was a long time coming. Over the next 2 days of continuous EEG monitoring Wyatt was given a new seizure medication and his blood levels were monitored carefully. Unfortunately he continued to have multiple seizures, especially at night. After those 2 days another medication was added, more blood was taken, and we continued to wait to see what the EEG would show. Again, we were disappointed to hear that he was still having seizures at night and that because now three different medications had failed to control his seizures, his condition was now labeled "intractable epilepsy". <br />
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With this new diagnosis our options for Wyatt's treatment have dwindled. Over the next month or so he will undergo a series of tests to determine if he is a candidate for epilepsy surgery. While the prospect of brain surgery is terrifying to us as parents, we understand it is possibly our only remaining option and possibly the best opportunity for Wyatt to be cured of epilepsy.<br />
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The first of these four tests was an MRI. He completed his MRI on Monday July 1st and it was clear. This is a good and bad thing. Good because they didn't find a tumor or any other growth but bad because abnormal brain activity with no known cause is much harder to treat. On Wednesday July 10th Wyatt will have test #2 , a PET scan, and on July 29th we will check back in to Children's for a 6 day stay of EEGs and hopefully test #3, a SPECT scan. Test #4 is a neuropsych eval to help determine where there might be gaps to help identify where his seizures are originating. Right now it is scheduled for Oct 15th, but he is on the cancellation list and we have been assured that this date will be sooner then scheduled. After these tests are concluded Wyatt's case will be presented to the nuero surgery group conference and they will make a recommendation either for or against surgery. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUcFsjN_P3_M4S7Xf_oK28CHvDuluJbLRXpLNdg6bgthmVYWvbzvuKLH4JnRWW_5nNskaGM8KXcrzRqUDl_rRafpbiAI_yauI1oNEnHTAieFPYcF8uD41SmI4tTFv4W7EeThX-HvU1wk/s1600/IMG_5898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUcFsjN_P3_M4S7Xf_oK28CHvDuluJbLRXpLNdg6bgthmVYWvbzvuKLH4JnRWW_5nNskaGM8KXcrzRqUDl_rRafpbiAI_yauI1oNEnHTAieFPYcF8uD41SmI4tTFv4W7EeThX-HvU1wk/s320/IMG_5898.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>While we don't know or understand why all of this is happening now, or why God sent us to Uganda for 2 months only to call us home early, or what surgery means for Wyatt's future…we are more confident now than ever before that God is soooo in control! Even though we are sad that we didn't get to accomplish all that we set out to do in Uganda, we know that whatever it was that God wanted done through us must have been done, or we would still be there. Right now it is hard for me to think about anything other than my son but I am comforted by the absolute knowledge that there is someone that loves him more than I could ever dream of & that He knows exactly what is best for him and can make it happen. <br />
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It would be remiss of me to close this post without praising the awesome people that have lifted us up and carried us through all that we have gone through so far this summer. First and foremost, our families have been beyond supportive, sending us care packages, sending endless text updates on everything going on at home, making doctor's appointments for us when we got home, researching medications and syndromes, helping us unpack and do laundry, while listening to us, holding us and loving us through it all. Secondly, our church family has truly shown us what a "church body" really looks like. They have called, texted, emailed, mailed and face timed through our whole time in Uganda and fed, cleaned, visited, laundered and loved us through our time since we've been home. We have been overwhelmed by how they've loved us. Thirdly (is that a word?) we must thank our friends all over the world that have checked in on us, texted us or sent us a message on Facebook just to let us know they were thinking about us or praying for us. We truly truly consider ourselves so lucky to know and love everyone of you! Thank you!Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-35386052921022938172013-06-23T05:56:00.002-07:002013-06-23T05:56:28.074-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;">Hey guys,<br /><br />It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you all that we will be<br />cutting our trip thirty days short. You may already know by now that<br />our son Wyatt’s health has been deteriorating since arriving in Uganda<br />in early May. What started out as spells with some hallucinations<br />every once in a while has turned into full on grand mal seizures so<br />strong that only a shot of diazepam will bring him out of it. We<br />originally believed they were a result of the heat and dehydration but<br />they recently got worse. We have taken him to the clinic here on the<br />ranch, have seen a highly respected doctor in Kampala, have consulted<br />with a therapist and have spoken directly with his doctor at home<br />numerous times. None of their suggestions or recommendations has<br />worked. At this point in our trip Wyatt is having about twenty<br />episodes, as we call them, a day. The diazepam seems to be doing very<br />little now in the way of controlling them and Alicia and I have come<br />to think that the episodes he has been having are in fact just little<br />seizures that build up to a much bigger seizure event. It has been<br />recommended to us by his doctor here in Kampala that we get him home<br />to see his neurologist as soon as possible. The doctor also suggested<br />that we keep him heavily sedated until we can get him home. His reason<br />for this is that if Wyatt were to have an episode in the airport<br />before leaving, or while in flight, the airline could ground us<br />wherever we are until he is stable enough to fly. Please be praying<br />that doesn’t happen!!<br /><br />As you can imagine all of this has left us pretty heart broken. No one<br />in our family is ready to say good-bye. The whole community here that<br />we have been working with seems to be heartbroken as well. I believe<br />that they have fallen in love with our family just as much as we have<br />them, which makes all of this that much harder. It’s crazy how much<br />our family fits here. I find myself more confused now than ever<br />before. I keep thinking, why only two months? What purpose can us<br />leaving early possibly serve? And While I know God doesn’t owe me an<br />explanation I pray with all my heart that he will be gracious enough<br />to give one. Maybe he’s already given it? Maybe because I’m so close<br />to it I can’t see it?<br /><br />I have been struck with an overwhelming since of guilt about the<br />reason for our early departure. Why are we so blessed to have the<br />option to leave the country and seek the best medical care in the<br />world? What makes us so special? I can’t help but wonder what the<br />Ugandans think about all this. They don’t have the ability to leave.<br />They have to stay where they are, in their sickness, in their pain, in<br />their distress. I’m sorry for rambling or if it seems as if I’m<br />whining. The burden I feel for the people here as well for the health<br />of my child are each so heavy that I feel as if I might suffocate<br />under the weight of it all.<br /><br />Before I end this update I would like to thank you all for your<br />prayers and for all of the letters of support we have received while<br />in the field. Everyone here is in total awe of the group of supporters<br />we have backing us up. We have been posting your letters up on a wall<br />in our house. Most, if not all, of the people who stop by the house to<br />visit (which is many every single day) end up standing in front of the<br />wall reading your letters. Your letters have been an awesome testimony<br />of the unity that should be seen in the body of Christ. Your letters<br />have encouraged us as well as all those who have read them, Muzungu<br />and African alike.<br /><br />While we end this trip with sadness, we look forward to seeing what<br />God has in store for our family here at the ranch. Even though God has<br />chosen to end this trip early, none of us feel that he is closing the<br />door to us serving here.<br /><br />Once again thank you all so much for your love and support.<br /><br /><br />God Bless you all,<br />The Wilbanks family.<br /><br />P.S. We just did our Jesus Calling devotional today and we wanted to<br />share it with you…<br /><br />Let my love stream through you, washing away fear and distrust. A<br />trusting response includes me in your thoughts as you consider<br />strategies to deal with a situation. My continual presence is a<br />promise, guaranteeing that you never have to face anything alone. My<br />children teethe on the truth that I am always with them, yet they<br />stumble around in a stupor, unaware of my loving presence all around<br />them. How that grieves me! When you walk through a day in trusting<br />dependence on me, my aching heart is soothed. Gently bring your<br />attention back to me whenever it wanders away. I look for persistence<br />– rather than perfection – in your walk with me. Psalm 52:8;<br />Deuteronomy 31:6; Ephesians 4:30</span></div>
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<br />Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-82058421761903281902013-05-30T13:53:00.002-07:002013-05-30T13:53:35.192-07:00Down The Red Dirt Road<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZYJ7RSppLbdIcdsF81OEui7k1nM0QuvOgzDCgRh-hD23ulF9DzpbpdF45CciIqN2S27Tmzxs3_g6QZFkHmQAZ-3QyW1-94HveTbKSpksMz3Ls3yo18XZQC1GXSCkYsT1PqHfwGzmIGQ/s1600/Jesus+Film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZYJ7RSppLbdIcdsF81OEui7k1nM0QuvOgzDCgRh-hD23ulF9DzpbpdF45CciIqN2S27Tmzxs3_g6QZFkHmQAZ-3QyW1-94HveTbKSpksMz3Ls3yo18XZQC1GXSCkYsT1PqHfwGzmIGQ/s640/Jesus+Film.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the Jesus film in a nearby village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It never hits me (the effects of what God is doing in my life that is) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">until I stop to type an update. This is the main reason I don’t do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">them very often. Like a child stomping his foot at the correction of a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">parent, I stomp a mental foot at God, the last attempts of desperate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">man to keep his emotions inside the box.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I like my box. I have many of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">them...cut part of a thumb off, put it in a box. Get hit in the face</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">with a bolt from a garage door spring, put it in a box. Take my family </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">over 4 thousand miles, away from everything they’ve ever known, only to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">have the airline change one of our flights, then loose ALL of our </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">luggage, then to have the house that we are supposed to be living in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">still be under construction, and the house we do stay in for the first </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">four days flood, TWICE! That’s fine I can deal with all that stuff </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">going wrong. I fold it up nice and neat and I put it in a box. And, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">while I may get a little frustrated, I don’t get mad. I box up all the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">emotions that come with all the different things I’m faced with and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">put on my blinders and I make it happen. I get busy making it "Do what </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">it Do." As I begin to shut everything else out except for the fire that’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">in front of me, God just smiles and then turns up the heat. As soon as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I think I’ve got a handle on one problem He drops a sack full of other </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">problems in my lap. Then He continues to rain down problems on my head </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">until I give in and surrender. Surrender my pride, my control, my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">stubbornness...He crushes me under the weight of my circumstances </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">until I hit my knees and cry out in total submission for the rescue </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">that only He can give. He recalibrates my thinking and forces me to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">fix my eyes on Him. To walk one step at a time. To depend solely on H</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">im and His provision. He shows me that the portion He gives me is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">enough and to be satisfied in Him and Him alone.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">As I type and reflect on all that has happened in our first three </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">weeks in the field I can see how all the issues our family has faced </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">since our arrival on the ranch, and before, were all designed by God </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">to break us, stretch us, and strengthen us. As I type my soul rejoices</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">in the mercy and grace of my Lord. Who are we to warrant such </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">attention from the creator? Fixing my eyes once again on Christ has </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">allowed me to fall in love once again with the people that He has </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">called me to serve.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">On a lighter note a gecko just fell about fifteen feet and landed on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">my keyboard which almost sent me backwards out of my chair.. And, for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">good measure a bat, that I assume was friends with the gecko, just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">dropped a present on my keyboard splattering me in the process☺ Man I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">love this place!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The team from Hunter Street Baptist Church arrived last week and has </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">been doing a great job! They have started the refurbishing of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">playground at the primary school on the ranch and they have also </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">provided the funds and some of the labor to repair a well in a remote</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">village. This well had been down for six months and the villagers had </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">been gathering water from a nearby swamp. I cannot overemphasize the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">importance of this repaired well to these people. In appreciation for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">the teams work, the village members presented them with a mess load of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">matooke and one very scared rooster. Last night they showed the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Jesus film in a nearby village and saw 26 people come to a saving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">knowledge of Jesus Christ. God is so good!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Alicia is doing great! She has been talking with the headmistress of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">the primary school on the ranch about teaching dance motions and is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">also going to start teaching computer classes to some of the ACM </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">staff. She has been working hard on team schedules and coordinating</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">activities through the various departments and ministries and hopes to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">begin a bible study with some local friends soon.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The kids are also doing wonderful and are making lots of new friends. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The girls will be working at the primary school helping students </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">to learn English and will also be working some in the secondary school</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> where they have already begun making friends. Right </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">now they are jumping in with the team and have helped with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">playground restoration, sorting clothing and helping with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">children's department. Wyatt is doing very well just being Wyatt. :) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">He draws a crowd of children around him everywhere we go. He has been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">a great bridge for the rest of the family to get to know our new </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">community.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I have been invited to teach a basic electricity lab at CLA by a CLA </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">student. I hope to start that in the coming weeks and am excited to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">see where God takes it. There is a label here that is placed on kids </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">who wish to learn trade. It’s a label that I’m all to familiar with.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It is one I think all of us "academically challenged" students are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">given and that is that we are stupid or slow. And because of that label, kids </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">who would be better off learning a trade stay in school way longer </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">than they should only to ether flunk out or drop out later, wasting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">precious financial resources and destroying their self-esteem in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">process. I know to some that statement may seem harsh but it’s the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">truth and I am speaking from my own experience. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">When I was in school I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">felt dumb, slow, less than the other students in my classes, always </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">in fear of being called on to read aloud or, even worse, that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I would have to spell something on the board in front of everyone. I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">became the class clown to cover my fear of being found out. It wasn’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">until I went to technical school that I excelled as a student. I know </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">now looking back that for me to have continued my education would have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">been to waste a lot of my time and my family’s money. Every child </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">needs a basic education but not every child needs or should seek a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">collage education. And that’s OK!! I make a very good living with my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">technical education, so does the carpenter that works out of ACM’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">carpentry school here on the ranch. This man, who would love students and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">has a curriculum to teach, can't get students to come and learn his trade because of the "stupid" label</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">. This is not just a Ugandan </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">problem I might add. Anyway, I have no idea where to even begin to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">change that type of mindset. Any advice you all might have on the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">matter would be greatly appreciated.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Our family would like to thank you all so very much for all your </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">prayers, texts, and for all the letters and goodies that you have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">sent. God has used all of it, and continues to use all of it, to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">strengthen us and embolden us in our toughest moments.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Prayer requests</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">1.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For continued protection of our family for the rest of our trip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">2.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For protection for the Hunter Street Baptist team for the rest of their trip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">3.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For safe travel for Satsuma First Baptist as they join us on the field</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">4.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For safe travel the Bennett team as they join us on the field</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">5.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">That will bless the areas of ministry that our family will begin in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">the coming weeks</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">6.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">That God will open the doors to new areas of services</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">7.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">That we will not allow ourselves to be distracted by the schemes of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">the enemy.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">8.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">For a visitor on the ranch who is praying about extending her stay.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">9.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Lastly and most importantly, that God’s name will be glorified in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">all He does through us..</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">--</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">*Ssalongo Wes*</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-90987828977850522262013-05-17T11:27:00.001-07:002013-05-17T11:27:15.551-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Update from Alicia!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9VlofyQp0FbOmfbn7WjuQbQKVhBLjxWosmmVxmkhZBtoJ_vQYLl7P0mBhg6hj69dKn3sgfjUrxieoPw9aEXKjNfJrWdE-OmdnPpwKsyT2Krsyo8FKexPKkCTH288VSDBhcPMcOQKGJ4/s1600/Wyatt+and+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9VlofyQp0FbOmfbn7WjuQbQKVhBLjxWosmmVxmkhZBtoJ_vQYLl7P0mBhg6hj69dKn3sgfjUrxieoPw9aEXKjNfJrWdE-OmdnPpwKsyT2Krsyo8FKexPKkCTH288VSDBhcPMcOQKGJ4/s320/Wyatt+and+friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wyatt and friends</div>
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Home on the ranch</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Some highlights from our trip to far...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li>Wyatt singing "thank you Jesus" in swahili on the plane with a young woman from DRC (he learned the song in choir at our church!)</li>
</ul>
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<li>Hearing Dolly Parton over the radio in the mall in Kampala singing "Joleen"</li>
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<li>Susan, our helper in our house, cooking us an amazing rice & beans dinner our first night</li>
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<li>Flooding Wayne's house...twice!</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Sharing a lunch of PB sandwiches with Wyatt's new Ugandan friends, Caleb & Opia</li>
</ul>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Susan's chipatis!</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>From Katie Mae "I love that here, everywhere you go you see people's footprints" (she meant because most of the Ugandans walk barefoot, but I think about all of the people who have made a difference in this place & have left their prints all over :)</li>
</ul>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Drinking hot tea on our front porch after dinner, admiring our amazing view...an open area of green grass & crooked trees. (The kids don't see what Wes & I find so amazing about it:)</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>The girls laughing every time Susan calls me "mommy"</li>
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<li>Watching the cows get dipped</li>
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<li>Ashley coming up with a bunch of great ideas for revitalizing the primary school playground. (Right now it is pretty unsafe, but that is one of the projects the Hunter St team will be working on week after next)</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Long walks with the kids</li>
</ul>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Calling home & running out of minutes...again...</li>
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<li>Homemade bread</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Watching a baby cow be born on mother's day!</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Long talks with Susan about the differences between America & Uganda</li>
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<li>Language & cultural barriers galore! Making for some pretty funny situations!</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>Praying with the blind man we keep running into</li>
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<li>Walking to our friend's house to find Wyatt on the porch surrounded by Ugandan children playing UNO</li>
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<li>Preparing for Wyatt's surprise birthday party feast with all of the mzungus on the ranch!</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><ul>
<li>So many friends coming down with malaria...Carlos, Caleb, the clinic nurse Florence, and many Ugandan children.</li>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Thank you all for your prayers! Please keep them coming. We love &</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">miss you all!!</span>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-43643236695165845792013-04-11T18:35:00.000-07:002013-04-11T18:35:59.644-07:00Can You Hear Them?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(A poem written by our daughter, Katie Mae)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Listen to their thoughts, <i>can you hear them?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Watch into their dreams, <i>can you understand them?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See into their pain, <i>can you feel them?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wanting to make a difference takes its toll, but you keep pressing on</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">keep on going forward, and you keep on looking straight. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaving the ones you love, being left behind, and watching as the rest of the world moves on.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jumping on the plane, riding, riding, and riding, but you keep on riding and you never stop.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So you take a chance and jump off, and you soar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soaring with the moon and the stars, just to land and be with the world.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The world that never stopped moving and never gave you a second thought.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You land with the ones you had to leave behind, hoping it'll be the same, but you've changed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You've heard their thoughts, watched their dreams, and felt their pain.</span></div>
Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-81903470895813434822013-04-04T19:03:00.001-07:002013-04-04T19:03:57.405-07:00What does that mean, "missions work"?<span style="font-size: large;">That is the question that was posed to me Monday by our pediatrician's nurse. We were at the doctor's office getting the kids the last of their needed shots for our trip when she started asking what we would be doing in Uganda. When I told her it was for a missions trip she asked "So what will you be doing there? Mostly missions work?" I answered "yes" and then she made me pause, "what does that mean, "missions work"? I hear people say it all of the time but I don't really understand what that is." I must have stammered out something that satisfied her and I have no idea what I said, but her question has stayed with me ever since. What do I or you or anyone else mean when they say, "missions"?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think lots of different people have lots of different definitions to what "missions" entails. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For some it means telling people the plan of salvation. For some it means living missional. For some it means being a missionary. And for others it means reaching out to people of a different faith. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There's another idea that has plagued me for the two years that we have been working towards Uganda…"you can't just jump on a plane to go do missions overseas and become someone who is missions minded, doing missions begins at home". For two years I've struggled with wondering if I'm being missional enough at home to warrant going to Uganda to do missions. I've tried to get involved in various missions organizations and have looked for opportunities to support other missionaries…not so much because I felt led to do so, but because I felt like my going to Uganda wouldn't be justified unless I had some kind of home missions opportunities to put on my imaginary missionary resume. I was desperately trying to create some good works to validate my call. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bad thing is…my body rebels agains good works. Not that I don't like doing good things, I just don't like the legalistic, earn your way to heaven, kind of thinking that has been the thorn in my side for way too long. The one that God has slowly been chiseling out of me and replacing with grace, grace and more grace. Anyone who knows me could guess which brother I've always identified with in the prodigal son story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I shop at Aldi's Grocery Store about once a week. It's a super cheap grocery store in our city where you pay a quarter to get a buggy and bag your own groceries with bags you bring from home. I always say that it's a type of missions field because there are always people from every walk of life, every language and I'm sure, every religion shopping there. I love it! I always end up making a connection with someone when I'm there. One day it was the sweet elderly man who dropped his cane, my son picked it up and the man bought us candied apples we enjoyed all the way home. Another day it was the woman trying to get her 4 small kids in the car while her buggy rolled away in the parking lot. We ended up laughing over how hard life is with several kids as I retrieved it for her and helped her get her groceries into her trunk. It's not handing out tracks or making a gospel presentation, I don't have to force it or plan for it, but it sure feels missional. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today it was a young girl at wal-mart that was buying hundred of dollars of stuff, realized she lost her debit card while checking out, found her debit card after several minutes of frantic searching, had her card declined several times, borrowed the cashier's cell phone, and called the bank to get money transferred to cover her purchases. She never really apologized but you could tell she was embarrassed as she whispered "it's been the worst day". I told her it was fine, that I was in no hurry and then told her I hoped her day would get better from here as I left. She gave me a smile and a sincere "thank you" as she collected her things. It wasn't until I got to the car, 28 days before we leave to go be missionaries, that it hit me…I AM a missionary at home. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>I believe that whenever you follow Jesus' example, whenever you strive to be like Him, you're "doing missions". Whenever you love on someone the way Christ would have loved on someone, you're "doing mission work". Whenever you live an open life, willing to share the gospel whenever the opportunity arises (even if it doesn't), you're living a "missional" life. </b></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My husband and I often tease about how much we don't fit into society's view of what a "missionary" is. I'm a terrible house keeper. I love 80s rap music. I lose my temper with my kids. I lose my temper with my husband. I lose my temper with myself. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I love to dance.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I don't homeschool (though I haven't ruled it out). I joined my first bible study a couple months ago. I'm definitely not crafty (though I REALLY try). </span><span style="font-size: large;">I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Vine. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I love to buy cute short dresses but also love a cute maxi skirt. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I do wear my hair in a bun, but because I'm a dancer, not because of my conservative style.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> I've made a billion mistakes and I'll make a billion more before the end of the week. I'm a mess. I've definitely not attained the level of holiness needed in order to be called to do mission work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The more and more I review my imaginary missionary resume, the more and more I see how unqualified I am, how unqualified my family is, for what He is calling us to do. And He keeps reminding me that it's not OUR qualifications that justify our call, it is Christ in us that justifies our call. And it is our willingness to display Christ in us to those around us that makes us all missionaries, whether we're at Wal-Mart or halfway around the world. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another… " 1 John 3:23 </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-54244731193729775532013-02-21T07:15:00.000-08:002013-04-04T19:04:47.339-07:00BurnoutBefore the holidays I felt like once we got past them I would be able to start really investing some time in getting ready for this trip. In my mind I had decided that we would have one more big fundraising push to get the last of the $1,500 or so that we needed to meet our goal & the rest of my time would be spent purchasing supplies, finding suitcases, getting the kids shots, etc. Just really doing the last minute things we need to do before we leave. <br />
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Now two months later, I can be honest with you & say that I haven't done any of those things. And I haven't really felt like it. One of my friends called it "Africa Burnout" and I guess that is what it was. Not that I was burned out on wanting to go or the mission that God has called us to, but that <b>I was burned out on trying to make everything happen the way I wanted it to.</b> I was tired of trying to think up new ways to fundraise that wouldn't continue to look for support from our core group of supporters (who I'm sure were feeling some "Africa burnout" in their wallets!) but would cast a wider net. I was tired of trying to think of every little thing we might need while we were there & what I might be forgetting. I was tired of trying to live in two worlds, one here full of electricity & ample water & grocery stores on every corner and trying to decide what I need for the one there with spotty solar power, precious water that needs to be conserved at every opportunity & a grocery store 1 1/2 hours away. I know seasoned missionaries are laughing at me right now, this is so what they deal with on a daily basis! But that is where the Father of Deception found me & started whispering…<br />
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"If you can't deal with it now, how can you ever think you could deal with it when you are there?"</div>
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"you'll never make it"</div>
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"your fundraising has stalled because no one believes in what you are doing"</div>
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"once you get over there you are completely on your own"</div>
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"are you sure God wants YOU to do this?"</div>
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"You will probably mess it all up"</div>
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To say I was discouraged is putting it mildly. But slowly, God kept pulling me back to his promises…</div>
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"When you can't walk anymore, you will be carried"</div>
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"You are sealed, to live is Christ & to die is gain"</div>
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"You are loved"</div>
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"I am still good"</div>
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"You have been called"</div>
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"You are forgiven & set free"</div>
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And he has used so many people to minister to us, love on us & lift us up at just the right times! </div>
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So finally, with a little bit of trepidation, last night we looked at our fundraising, added everything up & came to a total. We were $390 short. Amazing!!! With no fundraising done in months & 69 days to go until we leave we only had $390 to go! Wes & I were both blown away by what God had done through people we love. </div>
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Wes quickly put up a Facebook post to share our excitement with our friends. Within minutes we had two friends offering to donate towards the balance! Within seconds we received our newest funds update from African Children's Mission…we now only had $60 to go!! With what we have received to date plus the promised funds from our friends we have not only met our fundraising goal, we've exceeded it!!! There were other items that we wanted to add to our budget but didn't because we felt like we were already setting such a high goal. Now we will be able to add those items in as well! I cannot begin to tell you how excited, humbled, in awe of our creator, in awe of the goodness of our friends & family and thankful we are for this gift. </div>
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The awesomeness of seeing God work in the most amazing ways, the incredible feeling of knowing there are people that believe in what you are doing so much that they would share their hard earned money to make it happen, these things make the burnout soooo worth it. </div>
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We really cannot wait to come home in July & share everything that God did because of the gifts & prayers of faithful people that supported us! That will be such an amazing day!!</div>
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Maybe someday I'll learn to lean on God first & not try to control everything myself. I do it all the time. And every time he is faithful to come through, even at the last minute. I would like to say that I have such great faith that I never doubt, never believe he needs my help, never think "maybe it won't happen" but that would be a lie. Maybe someday I'll remember to glorify him with every bump in the road so he won't have to go to such lengths to get my attention! I'm so hard headed! Until then I'll be thankful for his grace & mercy in rescuing me just when I think all is lost, and putting people in my life that are truly his hands and feet…I'm sure I'll need to be reminded again, but right now I'm off to go get the kids their shots! </div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise him, all peoples! His love for us is strong & his faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!" </span>Psalms 117</b></i></div>
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Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-46367800793382884832012-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:002012-12-29T17:26:57.890-08:00Nnyo, Nnyo, Nnyo!<span style="font-size: large;">There are only a few months left until our family says goodbye to family and friends, hauls our very heavy suitcases into a car and boards a plane for an 18 hour flight to a little country in East Africa. Although we've been preparing for this trip for nearly two years, it's hard to believe we are really so close to getting on that plane. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When we first admitted to each other that we felt God leading us to Uganda, I really thought our journey would begin when we got on the plane and landed in Uganda for three months of serving with African Children's Mission. Little did I know, or really understand, the journey God would take us on this year.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Some highlights from 2012:</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We broke the news of our Uganda plans to our families, something we were very scared and nervous to do but because we did, we have experienced more support and love from them than we ever expected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We received overwhelming love and support from our Sunday School class and church family at HSBC when we finally began speaking about our call.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- I went on my FIRST trip to Uganda! It was Wes' 6th. Though the first two days were bumpy, full of self-doubt and unrealistic expectations, by the end of the trip we were trying to figure out how to get the kids over without having to leave ourselves! :) We knew we wanted more time to explore God's call and made the official commitment to three months of cross-cultural training with African Children's Mission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Wes got approval from work for a three month leave of absence for our trip. The support he has received from his work was unexpected and such an answered prayer. Some initial uncertainty led us to decide firmly that we are committed to follow God's plan for our lives even if it causes financial uncertainty. Very scary but…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We are learning to trust our Father. If you had asked me a million times before this year if I trusted God with everything I would have said "absolutely!" a million times without hesitation. This year I have learned that what I saw as trust, was really me controlling everything I possibly could while allowing God little to no room to work in my life. If I have learned nothing else this year, learning to trust, really and truly trust God, even just the tiniest amount has completely changed how I do…<strike>just about</strike> everything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- 16 years after graduating high school, I finally completed my college degree! In May I graduated Cum Laude (with three kids, thank you very much!) from Birmingham Southern College with a degree in Dance Education. As a sweet Ugandan friend, Johnstone, taught me to say, "I am an artist!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We began fundraising. When I say we, I mean God began our fundraising. Honestly, we have done little to nothing to raise any funds for this trip. Every fundraiser, from painting parties to garage sales to Boston Butts to T-Shirts has all been done by friends or family. Well, technically we put on the garage sale to get rid of a little extra stuff, but mostly things from a business my side of the family recently closed. My parents and sisters then decided they would rather donate the profits from the garage sale to our trip, that was ALL God! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Our kids got their first passports & are officially Frequent Flyer card holders! They'll never admit it, but they agree with us that this is pretty cool! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We left our old Sunday School class, full of friends we consider family…people we have grown, moved, cried and celebrated with for almost 10 years and who have supported us tremendously during this time, for Wes to become the teacher of another SS class. While this wasn't in our plans at all and was one of the most difficult parts of this year, we love our new class so much! We can also see how God might be using this experience to prepare us for what He is calling us to do in Uganda. While this has been one of the hardest parts of following God's will this year, it has also probably been the most rewarding as we've gotten to know and love so many new friends and have already seen how God has used them to bless us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- The first Jr. Board style group for African Children's Mission, PWC, was created. Through this group we've been able to work more closely with our incredible friend, Jamie, who is one of the most special people I've ever met and has such a heart and passion for ACM, Uganda and Jesus Christ. By focusing on the goal to support ACM and promote the work God is doing through them, this group has established a ACM Facebook page with weekly updates and has already been able to raise nearly $8,000 towards necessities for ACM children through their Christmas Sponsorship drive. I can't wait to see what this group accomplishes in 2013! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We've seen friends drift away. Definitely another one of the hardest parts of this year has been seeing people pull away from us as we get closer and closer to leaving. A very wise very sweet prayer warrior friend of mine called me out of the blue a couple months ago. She warned me that dear sweet friends might start pulling away in an effort to protect themselves from being hurt when we leave. It had never occurred to me until she spoke those words at that moment that many of our friends were doing just that. How precious of God to give her those words for me so that I could respond to these friends in love and understanding instead of anger and bitterness. I still pray for a renewal of those friendships, but I can't blame them for wanting to move on and I still love them dearly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We celebrated as our son made it 12 and then 13, then 14, now 15 months seizure free! What a huge answered prayer and blessing upon blessing from God! Please continue to pray for our son as we meet with his Neurologist in January to discuss his continued treatment for epilepsy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We went to ALOT of football games! Between the girls dancing with their middle school dance team and me coaching the JV dance team at the high school, we spent most of our Monday, Thursday & Friday nights at one stadium or another! Seeing my daughters dancing together on the same field was so special, not to mention that they are smart and beautiful and look pretty cute in sequins! It was also amazing to be one of the coaches on the field at the State Championship Game in Auburn as I watched my dancers perform for the last time. I consider my job teaching and mentoring these girls such an enormous gift and love every minute of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We purchased our plane tickets! It's official, we leave for Uganda at 11:45 am on May 2nd!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We helped my sister, best friend, business partner, and main source of support outside of Wes, move her family 10 hours away. A few months later, we helped move my grandmother 4 hours away. While these moves might be what was best for each them, they were heart wrenching for me. My sister was definitely the hardest. But with each move and every tear shed, I knew that God was preparing me for an even harder goodbye in a few months and that He was calling me to trust Him over and over again. What a bittersweet lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- We saw the creation, through the handwork and support of many many people, the first ever ACM Short-Term Missionary Handbook & Devotional. This labor of love will hopefully prepare short-term missionaries physically and spiritually for the work they will do in Uganda and will help them to return home with a renewed passion for those things that are close to God's heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- While we are definitely not going to change career plans to modeling anytime soon, we recently had our first ever professional family pictures made…no, not at Sears. We're talking on location, with just the right lighting, beautiful talented photographer family pictures. I know, many of our friends have these done twice a year and it shouldn't be a big deal, but this was a first for us and we are super excited about the results! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">More than anything else, 2012 has seen us learn more about our Father, our selves, and our relationship with Him. None of what has been accomplished in 2012 has been done under our own power, but through the power of God. If anything, our biggest lesson has been that His promises are true, that His strength is glorified in our weakness, that we can accomplish nothing without Him but that He will never leave us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like I said, I originally thought this journey would begin in Uganda, but we've learned quickly that our journey began when we said, "yes". God has already taught us so much and we still have so much to learn, but we are so very very blessed. In Luganda, the language spoken in our area of Uganda, they say, "webale nnyo" which means "thank you very much" but people often add several "nnyo"s when something is so good..better than good…more than expected…much much much. That was 2012 for us, nnyo nnyo nnyo. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so <b>much</b> he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you!" Ephesians 2:4-5</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-28608954414102582672012-12-01T12:25:00.002-08:002012-12-01T12:25:42.697-08:00Learning to Pray with BeliefA few weeks ago Dr. David Hogg served as a guest preacher at our church. While preaching on Joy in Prayer & Thanksgiving leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, he told a story from when he was in seminary. A young African man was in his study group and asked for prayer about a serious situation regarding the safety of his wife and children while he was away at school. On their next meeting, the rest of the group desperately wanted an update on the situation but the young man was surprised at their asking. "Didn't we ask God to protect them? Why would you then ask me if they were protected?" What faith. <br />
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Throughout this journey there has been a million times that I have prayed or asked for prayer about something and then stressed out like crazy about whether or not God would answer that prayer. How dumb am I? <br />
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The biggest example has obviously been in fundraising. Over and over again I've crunched the numbers, over and over again I've tried to grab the reigns away from God and make things happen on my time instead of waiting on His, over and over again I've doubted…everything. I KNOW God is in control, but I don't act like it very often. <br />
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Recently some sweet friends put on a fundraiser for us by selling smoked Boston Butts. We were so humbled by their offer…and then I started worrying. How many people have ordered? How much money will we get? What do we think we'll make total? Did I tell enough people about it often enough? We still have so much money to raise, what else can I do to get the word out? Is my flyer snazzy enough? <br />
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It was exhausting because I was trying to do it all within my own power. Finally, I said enough and let go. The last count I got before I let go was around 25 butts. The final count was 59 and we made around $1,000. I'd definitely say God out sold me! <br />
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There is no doubt that I will have to learn this lesson a billion more times in the next 152 days (and the next 100 years!) but it was awesome to see what God can do in and through the people we love and that love us when we let go and let Him work. We continually get sweet phone calls and emails encouraging us, asking how to pray for us and donating financially to our mission trip. With a little more than 5 months to go, we have a little more than $5,000 to raise. We are continually longing to be working on the ground in Uganda, to be with the people God has put such a love in our hearts for but we believe that this calling is from God and is in His will so we know He will make this a reality. What an honor it is to be in this situation, seeing God work first hand despite my doubt and control issues!<br />
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Like Dr. Hogg's friend, I want to pray <b>according to God's will</b>, believing that He will answer me, without doubting that He will do what He's promised me He will. <br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"It is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him." ~ 1John 5:14-15</span></b></i>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-67518536620125441312012-11-07T18:52:00.001-08:002013-01-13T19:55:15.891-08:00The Waiting is the Hardest Part<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A little Tom Petty for your enjoyment! :) Seriously though…why is the waiting the hardest part? Shouldn't the challenge itself be the hardest part?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joseph, Marco, Isreal, Faith, Inno, Alicia, Benja & Enyana</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Throughout this process, our family has been acutely aware that God is continually teaching us and refining us for the trials and challenges that lay ahead. Sometimes (read: all the time) we want to rush this process and just BE OVER THERE ALREADY!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Being reminded that, "God's timing is perfect" is so true but still frustrating sometimes. I, especially, am such a control freak. I just want to go through the steps it takes to get us there, get on the plane and be in Uganda now! Obviously that isn't God's plan. Boo :(</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As we wait it's easy to just let go of our dream of Uganda and get sucked back into life here. It's easy to stress about the line at the grocery store or even the election…what's hard is keeping our eyes on our future, working towards that goal and not letting the things of today distract us. So often people have told us "you're here in this room, but you can tell your hearts aren't really HERE". </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We miss Uganda. We miss our friends. We are anxious for answers that can only come from Him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We've bought our tickets, our flights are booked, some of our luggage is already there. We're just waiting on Him to provide a way to make it all a reality. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I worry about what we are missing here by leaving our hearts there. Sometimes I worry that I'm romanticizing what it will be like with three kids in Africa, so far away from my constant sources of support here in the US. Sometimes I worry about the risk of the kids getting hurt, or sick so far from western medicine.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But then I think about what it will be like to watch Wyatt try to keep up with the kids at Ekitangaala playing soccer while trying to tell them about Jesus…or Ashley reading to a bunch of sweet babies rapt with attention under a giant jackfruit tree…or Katie Mae becoming best friends with a Ugandan teenager…or our whole family sitting on our porch under the most stars you've ever seen in your whole life…or watching Wes teaching a young Ugandan man lessons his daddy should have taught him…and I think, I guess I can wait just a little longer. 177 days longer, but who's counting? </span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Isaiah 8:17-18a "The LORD has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hope in him. Here I am with the children the LORD has given me."</span></i><br />
<br />Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-80335988937204798112012-10-15T11:03:00.001-07:002012-10-15T11:03:20.880-07:00Fun, Fellowship & Fundraising! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Upcoming Fundraiser! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Thank you to all of our friends who are helping us by contributing to our fundraisers and also </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>by organizing fundraisers on our behalf! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>It is amazing to watch God work through you! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>We absolutely could not do any of this on our own! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b><i>"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up!" </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b><i>- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10</i></b></span></div>
<br />Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-14455974163852823922012-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:002013-01-13T19:53:00.736-08:00God's Into Details<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I love to be reminded about how much God is involved and concerned about the details of our lives.</div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"> {The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives}</span> I love this New Living Translation of Psalm 37:23! It not only speaks to God's sovereignty, but also to His intimate concern for our lives. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcRk1VVZGNwXqJa3ATV8TyrNIHMA2P5ytMOeM55YQyi7C9dbSKka8KGzqUHhw75lkPJcJASLzq_oWOTCQjP6qkPZHS3elj2ypWX3zYlnrvoMLTWDH9or3-cAka-iB1Fy46TnHIpcayf8/s1600/DSC_0675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcRk1VVZGNwXqJa3ATV8TyrNIHMA2P5ytMOeM55YQyi7C9dbSKka8KGzqUHhw75lkPJcJASLzq_oWOTCQjP6qkPZHS3elj2ypWX3zYlnrvoMLTWDH9or3-cAka-iB1Fy46TnHIpcayf8/s320/DSC_0675.jpg" width="212" /></a>Last week was a tough one for our family. Nothing major. It just began our month long pace of an over-scheduled, over-extended life. <em>(If you need me any Monday, Thursday or Friday this month, I'll be at a football game. I hope my family doesn't expect to be fed!) </em>In addition to our schedule craziness, we were helping a mission team from Hunter Street Baptist Church in Birmingham prepare to leave for Uganda, and all the logistics that entails, while watching with heavy hearts as they boarded a plane to somewhere we long to be. On top of all of THAT we got a lot of disappointing news for our family and people that we love. </div>
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But in the midst of all of this God kept wispering over and over again that He loves us, that He is moving mountains on our behalf and that like the disciples who were told to wait in the upper room for the Holy Spirit, we were being taught lessons in our waiting and would be overwhelmed by the power that would come upon us. </div>
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Over and over again throughout the week, God sent people or experiences into our lives to remind us of His care. <br />
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One day it was a friend I went to kindergarten (KINDERGARTEN!!!) with and haven't seen since but have kept up with on Facebook, that emailed me out of the blue that he would be spending the next two hours praying for us at his church and wanted to know what specific things he could be praying for. <strong><em>{humbled}</em></strong> <br />
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Another day a high school friend we haven't seen or talked to in 16 years contacted us out of the blue wanting to donate to our trip. <strong><em>{overwhelmed}</em></strong> <br />
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Then two families from our Sunday School class contacted us just days apart to make final plans for two different fundraisers they were each planning on our behalf.<strong><em> {grateful}</em></strong> <br />
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On Saturday, while unloading luggage for the HSBC team at the curb of the airport, a stranger came up to us and asked where in Uganda we were going (my father-in-law was wearing his Muzungu shirt!). Turns out he runs another organization that works in Uganda, reminding us that everywhere we go God is pointing us to Uganda. We had no reason to be sad that we weren't going on THIS trip because we ARE going! <strong><em>{such a God thing!} </em></strong><br />
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To cap it all off, I was unexpectedly reminded of God's HUGE answer to a prayer. Friday we celebrated our son, Wyatt, who has epilepsy, making it to ONE YEAR SEIZURE FREE! I think our whole family had tried to purposefully forget what the date of a year seizure free would be, but God didn't want us to miss it! Wyatt may have a seizure today, he may have one next week, but God still answered our specific request for one year without seizures. <strong><em>{awed by our Creator!}</em></strong><br />
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I could go on for pages and pages telling you every way He reminded us of His promises just in those seven days. Thank you to each of you who allowed and continue to allow God use you to minister to us! There were several other bible verses, daily devotionals, sermons, emails, texts, facebook messages and conversations where God used His word and His children to encourage us, lift us up and renew our strength.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">{But those that hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31} </span></strong></div>
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<em>Lord, help us to remember to place our <strong>hope</strong> in you. None of this depends on us. Thank you for loving us enough to not only be involved in our everyday lives, but also to give us a way back to you through the death of your son. We are so unworthy. </em><br />
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<strong>P.S. Stay tuned for more details regarding upcoming fundraisers! They will each involve something great for you while also helping us reach our goal of Uganda! </strong><br />
<br />Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-24404886773095338912012-09-08T16:53:00.008-07:002012-09-09T13:10:18.340-07:00Something You Probably Won't Hear About in the US News<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnL19Nq39hx3DXD6vjl1ngSdwI8crwEeFxtTwuR7snUWd7s7XkRBuKLBywlpVMcpj0xzweYrAdmO5weoyQxtrAysJ0-S7O_AKdtFZgQ7qIDcdqz3u-SbqkQViQ7KbIi-51aBNjoyt18Y/s320/DSC01299.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5785981570774232370" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The number of issues plaguing Uganda are too numerous to count. One I've recently become aware of is the trafficking of young Ugandan girls to other countries with the promise of jobs. Recently five brave Ugandan girls that were rescued after being trafficked to Iraq gave their testimony before the Ugandan parliament committee on Gender, Labor and Social Development. You can read more about their story <a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/634916-Ugandan-girls-narrate-Iraq-ordeal.html">HERE</a>.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Another informative article can be read <a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633780-how-ugandans-are-being-duped-into-sex-slavery.html">HERE</a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">As wonderful and amazing as these girls' dramatic rescue by American Marines is, I was shocked to read about it on a Ugandan news site…having never heard about it on the US news. Even more upsetting is the 145 girls (just those mentioned in this story, there are reportedly thousands more Ugandan girls who have been taken in this way) that have not been rescued. I wonder how many other stories like this we are missing. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3ISc_rL2exx9W8tqh-NXFsiGexhH-owgqUHAyBEONk9nYWTPJY1IlrhlfhGU2Nvy-g_zskymEFOi8QxSJz1PJV_TYIOyDrikQtR4gkSWDQEpvJXpe8LNkuHdij9b0FZHbXaFh-7xHyg/s320/171.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5785964624938319490" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px; " /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">It breaks my heart to imagine the precious girls, in this picture, that we visited in the village of Lwanjuki, or any other child, being exploited and abused in this way. But in a nation like Uganda with such generational poverty and little to no hope of improving their station in life, many girls like these hear the promise of a good job and a way to help their families escape from poverty and are eager to take that opportunity. Unlike my daughters, these girls haven't been taught about "stranger danger", "if it's too </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">good to be true it probably is", and a million other little life lessons we take for granted. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Thankfully, there are organizations on the ground in Uganda. Some, like <a href="http://www.africanchildrensmission.org/">African Children's Mission,</a> start at the roots by helping to provide a firm foundation of hope through education, a strong support system, the love of Jesus Christ and a way toward financial improvement. Others, like <a href="http://kwagalaproject.org/blog/">Kwagala Project</a> are actively working to rescue these girls and then counsel, educate and provide financial assistance once they have been found and have returned home. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">You can help by supporting these organizations and you can help these girls by sharing their story. I just did. </span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">"They are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed. 'But I, the LORD, will punish them for these things; I will take revenge on this nation.' " Jeremiah 5:28-29</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">"The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." 2 Timothy 4:18</span></i></b></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-70314803196326667382012-09-03T19:17:00.009-07:002012-09-09T13:24:26.192-07:00Words...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">This is where our minds and hearts are, pretty much all of the time…</span><div><br /><br /><object width="750" height="751" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://cdn.tagul.com/cloud.swf"><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://cdn.tagul.com/cloud.swf"><br /> <param name="flashvars" value="id=http://cdn.tagul.com/clouds/84266@1"><br /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /> <param name="swfversion" value="10"><br /> <param name="expressinstall" value="http://cdn.tagul.com/expressInstall.swf"><br /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /> <!--Embed svg if no flash installed--><br /> <object data="http://cdn.tagul.com/clouds/84266@1" type="image/svg+xml" width="750" height="751"><br /> <p><a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"><br /> <img src="http://www.adobe.com/images/shared/download_buttons/get_flash_player.gif" alt="Get Adobe Flash player" /><br /> </a></p><br /> </object><br /></object><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">*In case you don't recognize it, this shape is the country of Uganda* :)</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer" </span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">Psalm 19:14</span></b></i></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-62559366081225806712012-08-20T19:08:00.016-07:002012-09-03T20:49:51.971-07:00Stories from our trip - Episode 2: The One With The Chick & The Duck<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">There are tons of different animals you might see while at Ekitangala Ranch in Uganda….</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">chickens are everywhere…</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiis1XLnOv5eSobwcUQxYVhKDAwTurZhZfZCM0V18EYn3eStCR2ZKsYqijdxVi4Y1TZ7vXCx-pD9e1TRdDLsXDLLvMdP8q2wlRkOEaYrG-GEwOQ-rAlXW0UK9QClmjCB1pwVx2S3T3wAL4/s320/IMG_5301.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778946074259849506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">as are cows, this is a working dairy ranch after</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">all...</span><br /></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQ9b30HziZ3pAQkkeJguS1iVOoqtt5Q5KK30yXe0kZI5zPx7yk2_Rn4L7xWv3llsO3Yp8mEG94SfjpQ1N0SyrdumRVHBXjPxKW9aYhicwK-YDqiOOzSotw15XElPbn1Agk0Ds-dlhT20/s320/DSC01283.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778948209833285586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgDnsDna0V6wnG6lmgrFcSRho3adLzE6VKgbTrn6uv8BgPpgiibUPgHGyHnItOw6RydrFjEjFv8_OhBCBgWKPPW9tNqcm1PLarcAWJlep0KCorS3ywnL2e2RhcQG5x22yNTjlJf0Ugiw/s320/103.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778947427253348386" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px; " /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">there are many various types of reptiles…</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div><br /></div></div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0mhyphenhyphenjIV2b5d6Uy_4KDFPbN4ERiqzvcXd7nvNSs9xbSIMtL4yNxlD1i84ot3QNypyl1QkV8tThCsJ87gGbz-6T9yxRUWcXeY_ZcqbwL_BgeRCiRtdGMeV6E_NdU4gV3nVTpawU4pXxB0/s320/IMG_0629.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5780630841354335586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCtexePrEWeEuOdocuJah9zFHWBoafn-KqnvnYGs5t_KA_JhjchV9nOouoa_yIwQ4CIeNjUDlQ-pSMKie7_k_YsYHs-vkE_cM5V-YcL-nq_Bj58Ygw5vA3LFlxA12BKID3QW6p9koOM0/s320/IMG_5050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5780630830960465202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">and there are lots of goats….<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiG30bhFqWGB7skAZp1WgzpNPw4902c0HIFy9sA81Aqg_t4lC4cuo0mAEH_CmIZDSj2cLWrdCbENl4pkIikzCEZQXmxwkP6kJa2zISRm_-Gxha7VOvw5pzhTjEDtxvID2Pm4O4e4GjYc/s320/IMG_5283.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5780694959733651810" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAdb-oAkxdY6mbYYFmqG67-bgQDO_Z_F5D9DjMqxdnj4_9KUhRfhT182WhZBv_di8nVgFOU5uh8pI3r5RbUGumC5xIqT5-Oc1cpZjFonkgePdESR6K4neSBJL2S7EZuDDMuykNB4pkOg/s320/IMG_5275.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5780694976925266578" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OU_Sppf16HpbWdS96bnRRGq_O8scvu5oImZmk4W-qAAh76cOvL29QcciQEZ9C-oGvVBjPyvhQECXoN9GV5li3g_UI7smFv4U0gSAwzyXeyxR7nbmR5xw6b_9Wiww9mw1ZmS8Kldq77Q/s320/IMG_5279.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5780694965634042226" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The first day Wes and I were in Uganda in January, he took me on a tour of the ranch property on the "new" side. We spent a lot of time walking around and learning about the buildings, projects & people and just taking it all in. Wes wanted to show me the ponds and we saw lots of animals using them as a watering hole. There were wild dogs, goats and lots of birds. But as I'm sure you can guess and can probably tell by the pictures above, it was some nasty water! This was the height of the dry season & everyone was praying for rain!</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">A few days later, when I was walking through this area again with some ACM staff members, I saw people form the surrounding villages using their jerry cans (the big yellow cans people in Uganda use to carry water) to collect water from these same ponds. I was shocked to learn that some people are still using these ponds for their drinking water. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0mAb_mcPGJJfIaRrcPeHHDQ36xCh92b8X0-hRAWFUyTBB6aXpeJA7JlQQw_Lhqo2p9KD9ODRtR6B_2YdHK6pohqWYe_v_sadpa6Jhi8tOP2qGajnVsZxj7xnCNEjbfrTiur_BxziNhU/s320/IMG_5375.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5784158842484169794" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">It is one thing to hear that (according to the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics) somewhere between</span> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">11 & 14 million Ugandans do not have access to clean water</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">…but it is devastating to watch a mother and father collect water from the same source as wild animals. Water that likely carries millions of microscopic parasites and numerous water-borne illnesses that can kill.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The work that African Children's Mission is doing in this area is more than helping local villagers provide clean drinking water for their families, they are using actual water to teach Ugandans about the love of a father that provides LIVING WATER! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">John 4:13-14 "Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life'." </span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Anyone who knows me or my sisters, knows that we LOVED the TV show <i>Friends. </i>I'm sure God was laughing at my over-reaction to this family's pets in Nituti Village…a chick & a duck! </span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3T4mYlQivIM8EeZFs1SJpW6EkJ1DSN0yTHJE5Zq198KoxJVeEBjVhXB6erG0kHh_dIy2cemYmm4aEkJWpvn8tOUMeVFJSRdL71zVX7tOvq6etK6Xia0RghpNyIIJg5JgC5lYeCnChP34/s320/IMG_5347.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5784160855316030882" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">(Photo credits: Heidi Angel & Alicia Wilbanks) </span></div></div></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-62831639479029531482012-08-18T19:31:00.002-07:002012-08-20T19:55:00.745-07:00One Step Closer!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Just a quick post…</span><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><b>The kids' passports are in!!</b></span></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWU2XvJQ8qphSWlzXoyQ9VS8gz26nwbSY0yS6ElMAB_Ky505lCOwwarSEJ6OC2C_1HA9FnkuO3pO1rnLUh9AdAfhD1-SFfaSIX_rSESP6Nna0UXLAhPGY2ZCvfZcgJwAGvz9xoS-HP55s/s320/IMG_2163.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5778948927674259666" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">One step closer! Only 37 weeks to go! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Wes has been teaching our new class through Acts and we've spent a lot of time discussing the miracle of God's sovereignty. How comforting is it to know that He has already seen all of our paths…that the Lord of the universe has worked everything out for our good & His glory?! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><i>Job 31:4 "Does He not see my ways and count all of my steps?"</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-60998234097705935222012-07-18T19:49:00.010-07:002012-07-23T20:10:42.742-07:00Well You Gotta Have Friends!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>The desire to have good friends has always been with me. I have always been what you might call "social" (or what my parents might have called embarrassing) as I constantly chatted up strangers as a child.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>I remember, very clearly, filling out one of those, "I wish…, I hope…, I fear….," questionnaires in 3rd grade at Shades Mtn. Elementary school and writing: "I want…to have friends like in the Sprite commercials." What does that mean? You might ask…well, here ya go! :)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"></span></b></div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UXTDYZ47EMc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Did you see them? No, not the lady hiding a pig in her fur coat (what?!?), the girls sitting on the bench…thisclose to each other, laughing, being silly, not caring what anyone thought of them because they were in it together. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>That's what I longed for, what I prayed for, for years and years and years...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>My sister often sweetly tried to cheer me up by telling me that I had three sisters to be my friends. :) And that was very true, my sisters and I are very close and I love them so much. But I wanted friends that CHOSE me to be their friend, not because mom would ground them if they wouldn't let me play with them, but because they just wanted to be my friend.</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"></span></b></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><div></div></b></span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>I think God was teaching me so much through that time, how to rely on Him when I was lonely, to see that I wasn't always a good friend myself, and more…I think it also helped me to learn what a good friend is and what a good friend does. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Over and over again during this journey we've gotten to see what good friends (sisters, mothers, cousins, grandmothers, brothers, fathers, uncles, etc. included) look like. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Well…they look a lot like this:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div></div></b></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1YLkp8K52V0DmIyOJp1VirQ1q1YI4HnHylraOHV1eQ0WMZr0SAnArM0OGhKBPhgiDl67ELD4EdCfWfTcas-wKFpuZV-IyMXjZIcv_XRXsSnlOqV6Pd7uwAaiN-KfRtpJNQ5ASLHxF4Q/s320/IMG_1951.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766730865257999074" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxre5vDQO7ghhB6ol9QUzgCTF_zi9xXkRr15_HjRa85nVOe-wnhkvJpVRltla29oGCy3GKJ_jifrzf9k8fRsLEFzEqHDnfx9D3DaqqaYgSrYeUKfH7q1ZFp2BmcZZBzqWM9L8DHdvOtE/s320/IMG_1954.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766732211639786098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcViYD5q7m9oEUUfCOZp7B6B5df7-Mc3Bq255YozLgCcLJB1XrDFp149SAdpuCI2qRq1wVWkxfu76Ys61fqC2-RX3LnCngNQwVNKv09WZ4vb-qRbiUTa0qecLOjg3iySXcXrAKG6G2x0/s320/IMG_1952.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766730870241668770" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fIKc_2zMBTXzDIQ7xQERiBs7Zdr3iNyaFSgAkCMxxmUrvbwE3J5eyDMQvwJ4rsYAGDJ6OqDsoIE7XsMK5J4S2SrcICMhxvdjf17xGBP_SCiGod0vJkt8pqNCuXzO-q-JIgiYEHbLKBg/s320/IMG_1953.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766732208975543362" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>These women (and the husbands, grandparents, etc. that stayed home and took care of the kids!) supported us in such a mighty way! They came out in DROVES to support our family through Jennifer & Brad Bradley's Fundraiser this past Sunday by creating beautiful hand painted frames that they got to take home.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Jennifer & Andrea Castleberry are some of the most creative women I know and create amazing art! Who wouldn't want to come learn from them and support a good cause in the process?!? </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; font-size:130%;">Not only did these wo</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">men show their support by raising $800 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;">($800!!!!!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"> for us during this fundraiser, they have demonstrated their love and support to us over and over again through their friendship.</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>In addition to the Bradley's support through this fundraiser (and a repeat in October because there was such a great response!) and the Davis' support through our t-shirt fundraiser, the Schroeter's children set up a lemonade stand & raised money for us…the Diggs family is planning a Boston Butt sale…the Watson's will be hosting an Ugandan jewelry party…Mia Storia provided us with an outlet to share our story…many people have offered to donate items for a silent auction...not to mention the many who have sent money just because, or have sent an encouraging word or, most importantly, have been praying for our family. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrpeCC7b3VLvAV6xqeBvgYFJAp3rXIXx4G7FU0x54jEgtfpw3re7jIDfAebYG3kHK0X5fYGesTBj3zduZV5pSFoe_2B2J6NTG3ddJLLVOkxOkvX_2p4fTxfZTgJQg2Kx6zBci2KkAOxg/s320/IMG_1894.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766730857994592738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Humbled, overwhelmed, grateful, blessed, in awe of what God is doing. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>We have experienced all of these feelings and so much more! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Here's a little snippet from my journal during our January trip to Uganda….</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>{January 14th, 2012: …but seeing how loved we are, through the financial support, calls, emails, letters and gifts was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I will need to pull this journal out if I ever again feel lonely or without friends. God is so very very good. }</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>From day 1 Wes and I have been amazed over and over again by how God has used YOU to bless us. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Ephesians 4:15-16 "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body so that is builds itself up in love."</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Much much love.</b></span></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-86297961205197424332012-07-11T06:59:00.006-07:002012-07-11T14:05:25.805-07:00Our Storia<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>One way we have been especially overwhelmed during our build up to Uganda is through God's use of our friends. Like the Davis family's t-shirt fundraiser project, here is another example…</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Some amazing friends of our have started a new company</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;color:#cccccc;"><b>{<a href="http://miastoria.com/">Mia Storia</a>}</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Their mission is to help families preserve their stories for future generations as well as to use their gifts to support charitable organizations, including our favorite .org, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.africanchildrensmission.org">African Children's Mission</a>. Our family was honored (and a little terrified) to be one of their first projects. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>I think we can all agree that movie stars everywhere can breathe a collective sigh of relief that Wes & I will not be stealing their jobs any time soon! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b>Our kids & dog however…wow, the camera loves them! :)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;color:#cccccc;"><b><a href="http://miastoria.com/#videos">Click here to watch The Wilbanks Storia! </a></b></span></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-13893912084546688002012-07-05T16:13:00.011-07:002012-07-05T20:07:38.410-07:00Red Dirt<div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk1HtRkL40925CZysLONa_xrHUF9OigV0SAZe-ACYz0gfwJpp_hzF2hJ06wbW0t2Eq7X1G98_SnGvYx8AzrTkIqrHDt3dNa-xidJDRZ-SVerXg8yanQrnpSeCHxUKqqVrr8-1bPpoWlc/s1600/IMG_5344+-+Version+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk1HtRkL40925CZysLONa_xrHUF9OigV0SAZe-ACYz0gfwJpp_hzF2hJ06wbW0t2Eq7X1G98_SnGvYx8AzrTkIqrHDt3dNa-xidJDRZ-SVerXg8yanQrnpSeCHxUKqqVrr8-1bPpoWlc/s320/IMG_5344+-+Version+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761884620012430338" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><i>Photo Credit Heidi Angel</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">It's amazing what little things can impact you when you've been to another country or another culture in what seems like {another life}.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;">{FEET} can be pretty gross. As much as I lov</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">e </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">getting pedicures, I don't think I could handle that job…touching strangers' dirty, icky feet hour after hour, all day long. My sisters all have crazy foot aversion syndrome (I just made that particular syndrome up but it adequately describes how they feel about feet!) and can't stand to look at, touch or talk about feet. As a matter of fact, if any of them are reading this they are probably already cringing and hoping I change the subject real soon!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">Sorry Ks, but hang with me…</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;">The Bible talks a lot about feet…there are verses "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><i style="font-size: small; ">Roman 10:15B</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">, stories of Mary washing Jesus' feet in the book of John chapter 12, Jesus washing his disciples' feet and tons of other references, Jesus telling the disciples to "shake off the dust from your feet" when they aren't received in a village (Luke 9:5, Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, Luke 10:11), Ruth laying at Boaz's feet wishing for him to redeem her (Ruth 3:14), I could list tons…{feet}, and their parts, are mentioned more than 300 times in the bible.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">What is it with feet?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">In the verses above it isn't difficult to see how the feet symbolize people, our souls and our true selves as God sees us. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>{But feet are dirty, dusty, sometimes ugly looking things…</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>yet God calls them beautiful, clean, swift, well lit, secure, He sets them upon a rock</i>.}</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">But feet are also one of our most unprotected & at risk body parts. The U.S. military places a great deal of importance on taking care of your feet. The Marine's Officer Candidate School even has foot care spelled out in their daily schedules. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">In Ephesians, Paul tells Christians to put on the "armor of God" and that our feet should be clothed in the gospel </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Ephesians 16:5</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">. Prepared in this way, we are charged to use our feet to take the gospel "to all creation". </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">Mark 16:15</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;color:#cccccc;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><i>{Without shoes we open our bodies to all kinds of infection, disease, foreign bodies & injuries that could lead to illness and even death.}</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhW91sRSZEsrAMYqGmLQHlQBvfo0ozp_l8dgyHKyPV8K7YU94aw8U_tYdCiMur3G-C4PCn_5gdbU_j1k_mvHRfjFYRWTovzrP50IxdvhJebs1sCfo0PTWtP2pZMxihAow0iq1aRz9qPg/s320/IMG_5467.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761856750302292130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;color:#cccccc;">Photo Credit (and Mzungu foot!) Heidi Angel</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">Before we left for Uganda in January I spent a lot of time researching & finding the perfect shoes for this trip. I knew I didn't want to be clomping around in heavy tennis shoes & socks in the African heat, but I also knew it was important to wear closed toe shoes to protect my feet from injury so flip flops were out. I finally found the perfect shoes, a pair of Mary Jane style slingback Keen's that were even 50% off (being that it was Christmas time & all) & I quickly bought them, excited about my </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><b>perfect Uganda shoes</b>! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">There's a quote in a well known movie about the color of the dirt coming from all of the blood that has been spilled in Africa. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">I believe it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;color:#cccccc;">In Uganda the dirt is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;color:#993300;">{red}</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:large;color:#cccccc;">, like RED red. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">As I walked and biked and rode and walked and walked miles and miles and miles in my new shoes over the next two weeks, they quickly changed from a goldenrod yellow color to a pinkish red. At the end of every day I actually thought I had tan lines from my shoes until I would shower and realize that my tan lines washed away. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">My feet were just colored by the red dirt!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">When I got home I developed a love/hate relationship with those shoes. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">They still had that red Ugandan dirt clinging to them and every time I'd wear them I would sadly watch a little more of the dirt fall away…but every time I wore them a little of the dirt would be on me and would remind me that I still carried Uganda with me. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">I guess it's like those people that take little glass bottles to the beach to scoop up some sand…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">or buy the bottles in the little knick knacky shops found in every touristy beach locale…or give the perfect gift of a little glass vase of Alabama dirt to a sweet sister moving to Florida. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">Even my friend at Ekubo Ministries in Uganda wrote about the red dirt coming off of her shoes when she first came back from Uganda & how heartbreaking it was for her. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">{We love the idea of taking a little piece of a special place back with us.}</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">When you are in a place with such heartbreak, poverty & lostness as we see in Uganda, it is difficult to come home and reconcile </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">what you have seen & what you have experienced & who you are there </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">to what you see, experience and are home in the states. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">As I watched my shoes get cleaner and cleaner, I felt myself slipping further and further back into my old life…my life B.U. {Before Uganda}. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">The problem is that I don't want that old life. I don't want to forget the amazing friends I made there, or the amount of need that I know exists. I don't want to lose the memory of the hopelessness that is evident on the faces of those that are lost, or the joy in the eyes of those that are not. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">I want to live over and over again, every single day, the lessons that God taught me in those two weeks, even if it makes my heart hurt to do so. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">Unlike the Jewish tradition of shaking the tainted Gentile dust out of their cloaks, or even the beautiful picture of Jesus washing the road dust off of the disciples' feet, I want to gather all of the red Ugandan dust I can and hold onto its real, tangible, physical presence. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">But it's so easy to slip back into comfort-land…so easy to forget that there are mothers ignoring their expanding bellies because the infant mortality rate is so high, and they <b>don't want to get too attached</b> in case they should lose their little babies…to forget there are women, men and children <b>fighting for their lives due to a disease whose cure costs a measly $7</b>….to forget there are seven little bits of my heart waiting to cry out "hallo Malicia!" as I come to hug them & play with them & learn Luganda from them…to forget </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><b>there are people in this world who have never heard</b> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">of the saving love of </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: large; ">Jesus Christ, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: large; ">that they have been set free from sin through</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size: large; ">His death and resurrection and that</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">THE God of the universe is working </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;">now and in the future for their good and His glory.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;">A little red dirt helps me to remember the gospel.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><i>{Without the gospel our souls are left vulnerable to infection, sin and death.}</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCOUXwsfRgfu84Y1yLcLzxOrZrbyzZ7MciUCqYmBPX_JdvWTf1TeKOb2GaRrKPj-NLg6c0I66y0ed_wUUEjxcnqMYKpyeudwIwaxVK9IIQ63XsF6OKwCQyHkEgxXOG1fkNCmVhfGyjIM/s320/IMG_5659.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5761874494537201234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;color:#cccccc;">Photo Credit Heidi Angel</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cccccc;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-size:large;"><i><b>"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved" Ephesians 2:4-5</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cccccc;"><br /></span></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-47208025403111371412012-06-28T09:00:00.015-07:002012-07-31T06:21:33.074-07:00Fundraising Update!<img alt="original fundraising ideas" src="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/libs/thermometer.php?current=2718&max=20000&curr=36&t_id=204111&skin=medium_hor" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/thermometer/">Fundraising<br />progress thermometers</a><br />to track the success of your <a href="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/">fundraising ideas</a></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#ffffff;"><b>It is amazing! We have a little more than 10 months until our trip and our amazing friends and family have already helped us raise more than 10% of our goal! Our family has been overwhelmed to see how God has orchestrated people and events in our life to support our goal in glorifying His name! Thank you for being part of our team!<br /><br />About a month ago, an amazing family came to us wanting to be involved with our mission and offered to help with the idea of fundraising through t-shirts specific to our family and our goals. Within days they found an awesome graphic designer willing to donate his services & knew of a t-shirt wholesaler willing to make a deal on selling us the shirts. Not only did this family step in to make this all happen, they covered the cost of the shirts as their donation to us!! How amazing!! Because of them, 100% of all sales of our family's shirts will go straight to support our mission to Uganda! God is so good!!<br /><br />Not only was this a team effort in getting the shirts printed, our whole family was involved in the design and planning of these shirts, down to every last detail. Ash came up with the idea of the words inside the continent of Africa, Kat stayed up all night one night looking for the perfect verse (Mark 16:15), Wy chose the heather blue color of the shirts, Alicia worked on the details & Wes added his favorite quote to the back: "If you have come to help me you are wasting your time, but you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us struggle together". We love them and are excited to see people wearing them at church and around our community! </b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGApZS5VLD5bjRVtI1p51fLqgRFpROJJyYWF3wZdFOTocmgxXTRKgu-CXoGmUU0AR9UM7geCAo72JZl30xablQ0bshmXdrwoAKNjinLr2z_ghUKsVNEmn-86I03ynn3_C_g0lCW4OcCc/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGApZS5VLD5bjRVtI1p51fLqgRFpROJJyYWF3wZdFOTocmgxXTRKgu-CXoGmUU0AR9UM7geCAo72JZl30xablQ0bshmXdrwoAKNjinLr2z_ghUKsVNEmn-86I03ynn3_C_g0lCW4OcCc/s320/IMG_1756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlB9QcnGp8Ojq61KJxQLJMxnrFUKusuJ7gMed2wASTzv0qEtmcxiR_DK-C8erd-E711wnK3S165b8CupO-4NNcEs2llk6E-GZUgpQ8iupqSdO9w6hpO-56zzDQXiD1EzEUOSfp-Jo09Y0/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlB9QcnGp8Ojq61KJxQLJMxnrFUKusuJ7gMed2wASTzv0qEtmcxiR_DK-C8erd-E711wnK3S165b8CupO-4NNcEs2llk6E-GZUgpQ8iupqSdO9w6hpO-56zzDQXiD1EzEUOSfp-Jo09Y0/s320/IMG_1736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;color:#cccccc;">If you are interested in supporting us through the purchase of one of our shirts, you can click on the paypal link on the right or email me at <a href="mailto:akwilbanks@charter.net">akwilbanks@charter.net</a>! Please make sure you specify quantity & size. They are $20 each and come in Adult S, L, XL & XXL as well as youth XS, S & M (Youth large is the same as adult small. Adult M are sold out). </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;color:#ffffff;"><b><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;color:#ffffff;"><b><i>(Mark 16:15 ESV)</i></b></span></div><span style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:x-small;"></span>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-89144267928409535782012-05-23T20:12:00.004-07:002012-05-23T20:16:53.664-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImymMK2bpO7wjH0ZZmVKzbRWZEBX40qC-qhFI_v034JmIfO3YTyIW-_9ldFZS0enIRqscpnhB1VqteTox-sp3iLfEg2B8Nm-eYEJdwzO_I5R0jpbDmpeLW0AfabHxdoFQPoawaEF_peU/s1600/0001EN.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImymMK2bpO7wjH0ZZmVKzbRWZEBX40qC-qhFI_v034JmIfO3YTyIW-_9ldFZS0enIRqscpnhB1VqteTox-sp3iLfEg2B8Nm-eYEJdwzO_I5R0jpbDmpeLW0AfabHxdoFQPoawaEF_peU/s640/0001EN.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Come visit our garage sale this Saturday!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">More info <a href="http://www.yardsalesearch.com/yss-garage-sale.jsp?id=24382211" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5181054499478746558.post-11801293313024031642012-03-31T18:46:00.005-07:002012-07-03T19:40:19.139-07:00Stories from our trip - Episode 1: The One Where Everyone Cried<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eeHyT3LN79vacu9zXgW4jHbBBNDKWA8wbBDC9C7RblpLq9H5v2QppjodOhRRQ_6tcSlVumO8HuU4w_QvDNMNkb82ZayyHx2Ucwayj0yka_VOmdoB5_Rtm5s5631dbb-mvikr_TWMPew/s1600/176.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eeHyT3LN79vacu9zXgW4jHbBBNDKWA8wbBDC9C7RblpLq9H5v2QppjodOhRRQ_6tcSlVumO8HuU4w_QvDNMNkb82ZayyHx2Ucwayj0yka_VOmdoB5_Rtm5s5631dbb-mvikr_TWMPew/s320/176.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726244028633690818" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#cc33cc;"><br /></span><div id=":57" class="ii gt adP adO" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative; z-index: 2; font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><div id=":56"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>I thought I would periodically share some stories from our trip here. I really have no plans or intentions with these except to share whatever stories come to mind so you can share in our experience with us! So here is the first of, hopefully, many…</b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Mary Daniel's cousin Cheri was part of our team in January. I believe she is from North Carolina but she flew into Atlanta to meet up with Wayne and Mary and came over to Uganda with them and another team member, Beccah. </b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Cheri is such a sweet woman but was always very quiet and a little reserved. She isn't the type of person to walk up to someone and start a conversation but is very friendly to everyone she meets. Cheri began sponsoring a little girl through ACM some time ago, but because of some mix-up, had not gotten any information about her for a while. After asking around, Mary was told that Cheri's sponsored daughter had moved to a different school and they were having trouble finding her. Cheri was resigned to knowing that her money was going to help her girl get to school, have uniforms, pay for her supplies and books, pay any medical expenses she might have and ensure she has a good meal each day and gave up hope of getting to see her girl. {all with $300, for a YEAR! Crazy, right?!?}</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b> {when someone comes to the ranch that is sponsoring a child through ACM, a great deal of effort is made to try to allow the sponsor to meet their sponsored child in person}</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b> While many people really enjoy going on home visits while in Uganda, Cheri just wasn't feeling comfortable going on them. I'm not sure what specifically made her uncomfortable but it was my understanding that she felt like she had trouble starting conversations with the families we would visit and was worried that she was imposing on them. {the opposite is actually true, the people in Uganda view receiving visitors as an honor and hospitality is a very important aspect of their culture, they also, like most people, love just having someone to talk to and share their day with! Bonus for me, who, now this might be a shock…loves to talk! :) } So for a couple days Cheri decided not to go on the home visits, and instead found other activities to be involved in. After spending some time talking to Mary and better understanding what these home visits mean to the Ugandans, Cheri finally decided to give home visits another try.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>This particular day we were going to a village that was farther away from the ranch than any we had visited to this point. It was probably about 10-15 miles away, all uphill on very bad roads. The more remote a village is, the worse the roads are…even the good roads have potholes as big as a car! So you can imagine this road was really rough!! We, thankfully, made this trip in the ACM truck, but the children's ministry staff at ACM that are assigned to this village, Johnstone and Heziron, usually make this trip on bicycles! I'm sure it must take them hours to get to the first home but as we arrived we quickly learned that Johnstone and Heziron know every single ACM child in the village by name, they know their stories and what school they are attending. {I never did really figure out the school districting stuff. I think that there isn't much governmental or organizational control over who goes to which school. It seems that if you can pay your school fees, can get to the school and there is room for you, you can go to any school. We heard many stories of families trying to send their children to better schools only to get there and find out there wasn't room for them.} </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>One thing about this trip that really made an impact on both Cheri and I was how obvious it was that the ACM children's ministry staff really cared about each and every one of these children. Maybe it was because we are so used to the men in our culture being more emotionally reserved or the fact that we are used to hearing so much about absentee fathers, but the loving way Johnstone and Heziron spoke to the kids, helped them clean their faces and hands, soothed those that cried {the younger children especially sometimes get scared when they see these strange looking white people!} and just listened to them was beautiful and incredibly moving. I cannot say enough about these amazing men! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>After visiting several families, we were driving to the next home when Heziron suddenly yelled to stop the truck near the village's common area. He was excitedly yelling in Luganda and Cheri and I had no idea what he was saying or what was going on. Johnstone started translating for us…"She's there! Right there! Your daughter is right there!" Everyone started to pile out of the truck as it dawned on us what they were talking about…Cheri's sponsored daughter had been found!!! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Randomly driving down the road, in a village she wasn't supposed to be in, Heziron spotted her precious face in a crowd of people and immediately called to her. It took only a few seconds of translating to explain to the little girl and her father who Cheri was…I'm pretty sure Cheri and I were already crying but if not, her father's reaction did us all in! He immediately went from confused and hesitant to overwhelmed and overjoyed as he thanked Cheri for sponsoring his little girl, raised his hands to God to thank him for sending Cheri, thanked Heziron for introducing them and even thanked me for…being there I guess? :) Cheri introduced herself to her sweet girl and she said something back in Luganda. Heziron translated that she was asking if she could give Cheri a hug. {The Ugandan people are extremely kind and loving but VERY reserved, the fact that this precious girl spoke up at all amongst adults was surprising, the fact that she asked to physically show her love and gratitude with a hug was shocking!} </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>At this point none of us could keep from crying. {I can't even write this without crying! ;)} </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>So there we are randomly standing in the middle of the road all crying and praising God for arranging this meeting! I'm sure from the looks of the locals that were watching us, they all thought we were all crazy! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Then her father started telling us a little bit about <i>her story</i>…</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>He told us how the girl, probably around 9 or 10 years old, had lost her mother and how hard it was for him to take care of her by himself </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>{I'm assuming she had brothers and sisters as well, it is very unusual in Uganda to only have one child. Actually the average, AVERAGE, number of children a Ugandan woman has in her lifetime is 7. AVERAGE…SEVEN!} . </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>He introduced us to the woman in this village that had agreed to take the girl into her home so that this sweet girl could get to the school that I'm presuming is better than the school she was attending before…or maybe her old school didn't have room for her, I'm not clear on the details but was clear was that this was extremely hard for her father to do. The pain in his face over the uncertainty of their future was evident. He spoke of how he had worked hard to get her to this village to live with this woman {probably a relative of the girl's mother} and how he was trying so hard to get together money to pay for her school, her uniforms and her books when he found out she had been sponsored. I really wish I was a better writer and could better articulate what this meant to him and his daughter. I don't think I will ever in my life forget the looks of joy on their faces, not only of getting the news that she would indeed be able to continue her education, they were definitely excited about that, but the sheer overwhelming joy they had in being able to thank the person that made it possible, face to face. It was a moment I will never forget! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>As soon as we jumped out of the truck and understood what was happening, I started taking pictures. The picture I've attached is when Cheri and her sponsored daughter first met. {After snapping a few pics with my camera I grabbed Cheri's and took a ton more!} </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>I hope you enjoyed getting to know a learn a little about what we experienced on our trip. I will try to do more in the coming weeks and months and hopefully I won't cry through all of them! haha! :)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Much love,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;"><b>Alicia</b></span></div></div></div><div id=":20" class="hq gt" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; clear: both; "><div class="ho" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 5px; "></div></div>Wilbanks Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878090906870573101noreply@blogger.com0